Renault Clio RRS 200 EDC: On Road and Track - /CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- Has it gone soft? Should it have a manual gearbox? Is turbocharging the wrong direction? Is Will and Kate's baby a boy or a girl? Some of these questions are answered in this video.
excellent review. professional assessment bscked by your driving ability and experience in all things cars Most imprrssive was the intelligent approach to the man vs paddles debate...you provided a breath of fresh air on this thanks for the great review
Are you dysgraphia?
Better looking than a fugly fiesta and more manly looking than 208. Not bad
As a 'young person' and previous clio 182 owner, I reckon the new clio is the best yet, both in terms of looks and features. 1.6L turbo and paddle shifters from a company with strong ties to F1... yes, yes I would like to feel like a race car driver.
got mine about a month ago. Such a fun car. No manual but it's agility and frantic nature makes up for that.
Robert Johnson is it abit like a mini gtr in some ways?
S Miller hahaha mate the only thing this car has in common with the GTR is launch control
I had one for 18 months and I'm looking at getting another (that's why I'm here). I love the things and all that crap about "missing something" is horse shit.
How many twenty year olds are buying and insuring brand new Clio RS's?
Double Dieppe why you ask?
@@LegionarHR Probably meant that hot hatches are so expensive nowadays that 20-year-olds can't afford them. Which is true.
I'm 21 and I've just bought a 15 plate rs. Only Paid £600 for insurance too.
I know of plenty of lads 20 and under who have new Mercedes c and e classes or audi s3s, golf r's so clios are within reach
That's why you buy them second-hand. Clio RS, even RS Trophy's are a bargain second hand nowadays! They are half the money only 3-5 year old!
Chris Harris is the man! Best motoring journo by a mile!
I have this car, and is excellent! the gearbox is incredible!
i don't know why most people bash it. i guess it's better than a manual overall, just not fun. who needs fun, when you win the drag every time xD that's the fun
Totally agree 👍 I own one
@@rob5gt has it been reliable?
@@proton600 yes very much so had it for 6 months! Look after your car, it looks after you!! 😜
@@comedyman112 I can't agree with you, I've got a more old school view on hot hatches where fun and ability to do lairy stuff on public roads (not having to go ludicrously fast) is top priority. Some modern hot hatches are just too serious (lap times, flappy paddle boxes etc) and you have to be going dangerously fast (and illegaly) to use them to their full potential. More of a fezzer st kind of person to be honest.
One of the best reviews I've seen on you tube, thanks Chris, I'll be following you now
4:25 I love how you can see the rear lock up, spin a bit, and lock up again =)
my question is, is chris harris secretly the stig?
yes.
There are many stigs show to show , season to season.
Too small to be the Stig.
excellent review and excellent car. I like manual gearbox but I think EDC gx are very fast and practical system, you cant compare them. We need to enjoy them!
excellent review. professional assessment bscked by your driving ability and experience in all things cars Most imprrssive was the intelligent approach to the man vs paddles debate...you provided a breath of fresh air on this thanks for the great review
@4:07 "paddles are made of Aluminum, they do not feel cheap and tacky, they feel more expensive than many of prestige German cars..."
I can safly say that you are talking about Volkswagen's/Audi's crappy shifter LOL
10:08 - change of direction and traction actually seem quite impressive for a non-lsd FWD.
Now is like drive in playstation?!
Why do people say it's not a manual gearbox? You change gears manually with the paddles, else switch to auto. So it is a manual. Do people complain that Ferrari's and Lamborghini's aren't 'manual' yet have manually-operated paddle shifters!?
My opinion is that a hot hatch like this should at least have an option for a manual gearbox. I can see the paddles being useful on a track, but if you're going to primarily use it out on the road it's a lot more fun to shift through the gears with a stick.
Probably my next car...I'm in love with this thing!!
Good review but as for the slow gear changes its a load of rubbish. I know I own one! (also if that were true then flick it to sport/race mode then!)
Ordered one myself a couple of months back, delivery late September hopefully. The car is a much better drive than some reviews / folks would have you believe. If you can get past the thing that it's not the Uber hard core hot hatch that the previous generation/s Clio were, then most people I suspect would be pleasantly surprised how capable this car is both on the road and track. As usual, it's pretty much a matter of what someone wants. All of the current batch of hot hatches are decent motors (Fiesta ST, 208 GTI and the Clio RS). Just comes down to what you are looking for in a car. As an example... the current generation Fiesta ST is a great little car and probably the sharpest of the bunch. But the down side is the pretty firm ride and the fact that it's pretty noisy at motorway speeds (not sure why, as Ford are usually good at sorting NVH). Now this might not bother some, or even be noticed much... but for me on our badly made up rural SW Scottish roads, it pretty much ruled it out for me.While both the 208 GTI and the Clio have a much more forgiving ride. And the 4-doors of the Clio swung it for me. Plus once you take the time to get used to the EDC box (and it does take a while) I decided after many , many years of being a stick-shift man, that I rather liked it. Not perfect though... ideally it needs a 7-speed box (some odd gear ratio's in the current box), and the faster changes available in Race mode, should also be available in Sport mode. And "yes", the paddles on the steering wheel, rather than fixed on the binnacle would be the icing on the cake. Though none of these issues stopped me from enjoying driving the car.
As usual, the only way to decide if it's the car for you, is to go for a decent test drive (try and get it for at least an afternoon if possible). Then make your own mind up.
I personally think this is one of the better and more objective reviews of this car.
What's it like?
jflmd 916 edj
Hi... got fed up of waiting for a new car order (5 months and still a no-show) so cancelled my order and 2 days later bought an X Renault management car (IE. not an X demo... so only one owner). Saved almost £4.5k and a grand more for my trade in. So pretty much wiped out the first years depreciation. Better buy in the end.
It's the lux model in Liquid yellow. Unluckily only on stock suspension, really wanted the cup suspension. But to be totally honest, I think I prefer the silver wheels anyway.
I've put another 8k miles on it since I bought it last October. And besides some rusty wheels bolts (replaced under warranty), it's been faultless.
Ride and handling are spot on I think for the UKs poorly made up roads. Most of my driving (99%) is done on rural SW Scottish back roads. I think the chassis balance is pretty damn good. Cabin quality fine, though some plastics are a bit hard and cheap looking (the car is not alone here I think). Brakes for fast road use are very powerful, though for track use I think you would want harder spec pads. Engine pulls well and is pretty linear in it's power delivery. Though I wish it was a bit more vocal (both engine and exhaust).
As to the EDC auto box. I've not had any problems with it and not too sure why there is so many -ve comments about it. It's not the best DSG out there, but it's more than reasonable. Normal auto mode works fine and is OK for the odd time I go into town. The rest of the time I drive it manually with the paddles. I find the speed of the changes acceptable (sport or race mode). I reckon you can change gear three times in the time it would take the average driver (that's me then) to change manually once. Anyone that says different, has either never driven the car, or has a faultily gearbox. One thing you can do with the paddles, is pull one to quickly (but not hard enough) and hence not trigger the switch. I believe the switches on the paddles have been improved on the new Trophy edition that was shown at the Geneva motor show. Not a bad first effort for Getrag (gearbox manufacturer) and Renault in my opinion. Needs a bit more development work to sharpen it up a bit, but that's cars for you. But I can totally understand why some just prefer a manual box.
As a fast road car, I think it's a decent motor myself. And yes, I have driven bot the Fiesta st and 208 gti, before deciding on the RS Clio. The Clio is not quite as sharp a car to drive as previous gen ones, but in some ways I consider it a better car for that (IE. far easier to live with).
Though in the end it comes down to personal taste and what car in the end floats your boat. Now if the Fiesta ST had come with the option of 4-doors (like it does in the USA) then I might have been willing to over look the harsh low speed ride and the couple of other things I did not like about the car (NB. does not make it a bad car, just not for me). In the end, I'm happy with the car I bought.
Just to put things in perspective, I've had three Scoobies in the past, then bought a new shape Suzuki Swift sport (downsized), then decided to sell both the Suzuki and the sensible family Fabia (our other car) and buy just the one motor (IE. the RS Clio).
I shall be very interested to see what the revised car coming in September / October will be like. I'm assuming here that some of the mods from the Trophy edition will be carried over to the stock car (just don't expect a manual box). TBC
PS. And if you are the sort of person that likes to get your car chipped. Then there are several reputable tuners out there that can extract another 30/40 BHP with a simple re-map (cost around £400) to optimise for running on super unleaded. Just watch the torque increase with it being and auto box (they can account for this in the re-map).
+Michael Owen sorry I've taken only just seen this haha, thanks for your reply, very helpful. drove both a fiesta and the Renault this week and don't really know which I prefer. the ford seemed more refined and better build quality, but I like the sound and gearbox of the Renault.
main concern with the Renault is reliability, car I looked at had 15k miles and seemed to be in good shape, but I think if it was driven hard for 3 years some problems would pop up.
I just want the most enjoyable car to drive, never owned a hot hatch before, so would you say the Renault is the better option, or vice versa? from what I can gather the Renault would be better as a daily driver, more convenient etc. but the Ford is the choice if you just want fun and want to throw it round the bends quick.
same price for both cars, each have different benefits, can't decide, ahhhh
+jflmd 916 edj
Up to what you want really. Both are nice cars.
As to reliability... Mine is 17 months old (and driven pretty hard) with 23k miles on the clock and nothings broken or dropped off. Not even a rattle or squeak to be honest. IMO it's pretty much a myth that French cars are Shite. I've had two Renault's, two Citroen's and a Peugeot. And can't remember there being much go wrong with any of them. Two worst cars I had for reliability were both VAG products. A Mk4 Golf GTI and a Seat Ibiza TDI 130 sport (this one needed a new engine after only 6 weeks when the can belt snapped and trashed the engine!!! ... I jest not). The Renault also comes with a 4 year 100k warranty (as opposed to 3 years on the Ford). Renault have also done pretty well the last couple of years in the JD Power surveys (both for manufacturers and for the cars). Though as usual, you can have problems with any make/model of car.
Good luck whatever you decide.
As to me. At the moment I'm probably looking to PX my current car at the back end of this year. So I'll start looking June/July time. Really need something a bit bigger now. Shame they don't do the Renault Sport Megane in a 4/5 door and the new RS model probably wont be out till 2017 (after the cooking cars are released this year). So favourite at the moment is a Ford Focus st3 (I like my toys). We shall see.
Trust me! I'm a vehicle dynamics engineer....
The road spring needs to compress before it reacts any force onto the vehicle chassis.
The dampers reacts force almost immediately from an input.
When you hit a bump on the road the road spring barely compresses and the majority of force goes to the chassis through the dampers.
The springs are used mainly to tune roll stiffness and hence load transfers->slip angles of the tires and hence the overall under steer characteristics of the vehicle.
What an amazing review. Fresh and interesting style!
Very beautiful!
Seeing this. After owning one. A alfa 159 2.4 diesel and now a Fiesta St MK7 (and previous a 205 gti and saxo 16v). I would probably choose this. It is the most allround. The fiesta ST is a rocket. The 159 is a highway milage monster....... but then again ... the saxo.... maybe even better handeling. less power more courage ... :D I loved all of them in a different way.
Adding. The Clio automatic box wasn't as bad as one did believe.Also if driven like a hooligan you would set it in full manual and then you could not manually out shift it.....
if you are a person lives in busy city.
good luck driving manual.
say bye bye to your knee.
Hyun Woo Ma I drive a manual in Los Angeles. Streets and freeways. I have no clue as to what pain you're referring to.
Manual is a nightmare in busy cities. I hope to have this clio soon. My 172 is incredible but also is a nightmare in my city. Clio RS is the best option in functionality :) greetings from Mexico
Plot twist: TheSugarbear76 has artificial knees 👌
in the old one it 's just beep in race mode, so in everyday life you can live with that
Wow there are so many mixed emotions about this car. On one hand you have the purists that demand ultimate track performance on an everyday car, and the others wanting a little more refinement.
I think these opinions may be age related, since growing older over the years and having a fair share in performance turbo manuals, these days I enjoy the convenience of the dsg and can appreciate the leap forward. Being a current owner of a vw gti, there is not much to look back and miss driving a manual.
On the other hand I can completely understand the younger enthusiasm towards those who prefure a more rough, manual track-ish car because a lot of us have been there and done that and everyone is entitled to that experience.
Can't wait to test drive one of these to see how it stacks up to the gti.
Mr. Harris,
Thank you for a most enjoyable review. I have subscribed to your channel, and very much look forward to future reviews. Its a pity that the Renault is not available in America (or, is it?).
Thank you!
'Zahc'
That is a Clio!! But not a white one, it's a red one!! Jajaja!! Great video from DRIVE and Chris Harris!!
Just bought one. Really enjoying the useable on road grunt of the turbo over the old model.
The later RS 220 trophy is even better.
@4:28 LOVE the slo-mo slide into the hairpin, Chris! TOP cinematography!
Before I saw this I had watched other reviews and I was still adamant that I'd take the old Clio 200 RS over the new car. Now I'm not so sure. I do however have some issues with the rear styling of the new car, so for that reason I'm yet to fall in love with it and really want to buy one. Maybe that will come in the future though.
Nice car! I wanna get me one!
it's a good looking little performance car. it's quicker than the previous one with even more comfort for every day use, and for those who want something more special (me too) renault will offer a track-focused Gordini version soon. I can't wait to place the order for the Gordini... :)
Excellent car, way better looking than any Ford!!!!!!
This is also one of the best looking 5 door hatchbacks I've ever seen.
I've never seen a fwd hot hatch driven so well on a track. awesome stuff
On Road and Track! taking away some views from road and track? I like it.
Had a cheap front wheel drive car and was enthralled. At one point, my focus was not on shifting, or braking or anything you might imagine. My focus was on the interaction between the right front wheel and the road surface. That was it. My brain was constantly calculating the exact moment of right wheel impact coupled with accelerator depression. Hard to put into words but get it right and it becomes addicting and thrilling.
I think the majority of people who say “but it’s automatic, where’s the purity” never have and likely never will drive one of these. I’ve had both NA and turbo. MA definitely gets more oomph immediately out of corners, but there’s no beating a turbo car pull. NA dips off too much at the top end. NA is great on small twisty little circuits, turbo for anything with a sizeable straight. Plus the tubing capabilities are much better. Relatively easy to get the new RS to 280 bhp. To get a 197/200 to that power is an engin swap at the very least 😂
The Renault Clio R.S. 200 EDC Is A Hot Hatch Version As Fourth Generation Of Clio a Subcompact Made By Renault Since 1990 Debuted In 2012 Paris Motor Show
Renault 5 on steroid :D
Amen to all below comments about removing the red line beeping. Let's not stop there. All machines should have beeping disabled by default. A user should have to enable it if they want it. Unless it is unanimously considered 'useful', and that's a difficult one to debate, it's unacceptable that a dumb machine computer should be reminding a human when to do stuff. Probably just the John Connor coming out in me.
I love that the motoring journos got angry and Renault didn't listen. This just made them even more mad. Trust Chris Harris to look at it objectively 👌🏼
the manual vs automatic discussion is so annoying i mean in the end you're not buying a car purely for the gearbox you buy it to get you from point A to point B so please stop whining about it eventually all the newly released cars will become automatic so deal with it
6:03 wow
Haha, funny you mention that. Because if I was driving a nice, comfy car that I didn't have to do much in... I would be prone to falling asleep! Boring... and unsafe!
love him
This new Clio has been an utter disappointment in every single review, compared to how the old one blew people away. People who buy Renault RS buy it because its the most hardcore vehicle, we avoid GTI's and other hot hatches because they are soft and we buy Renault because its the closest thing to a hardcore track car. Making it as soft as a Polo Gti makes it utterly pointless. No thank you Renault, i'll stick to my Clio 3 RS, the greatest small hot hatch ever made. What a major letdown
is it realy like harris said? can a man tune it to 250 Hp? i have one and i would like to do a chip but i am a little bit afraid about the gead box... ANY OF YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING WIT THIS LITTLE TOY? thank you
So buy the clio 3 rs ^^
I totaly agree with you ... Peugeot and Renault were making the best sport car (205 GTI, 309 GTI, Clio William, Megane R26R ...) but it's over ... Our generation is too dumb to drive those cars without crashing, so car manufacturers made cars more easy to drive but less funny ... (sorry if my english is bad, I'm French :) )
an American boy prefer this renault instead of a mustang or a camaro? I don't think ...the rear looks a bit like a seat leon, the side looks like a alfa romeo while the front does not convince me with the coat of arms renault too big. I prefer the new peugeot 208 GTi...but everyone has their own tastes. SEE MY CHANNEL!!
Hey look, a shitload of people already arguing over manual vs paddle. Seriously? We REALLY have to sit here and defend our love of a manual? Don't we all, as enthusiasts, know the score here? Do we really have to explain it? We all know why the manual is loved. It should require NO explanation to any real enthusiast.
You dont even have a drivers licence, so why would you care? Gotta love all the internet race driver heros who never even touched a steering wheel, but believe that driving a car without a manual gearbox means you cant drive, or it makes it boring. Well, it doesn't.
For the love of all that is holy, STOP THE BEEPING!!!!
Clio 3 RS EDC VS Corsa VXR Nurburgring
2ndround
Suspension : 1 RS 0 VXR
Perf on a track 1 RS 0 VXR
Perf on The Road 1 RS 0 VXR
Using alway 1 RS 0 VXR
Gear Box 1 RS 0 VXR
Now witch one you pic ?
Cordially
Renault Sport addict
Significant advancement in hot hatch technology and performance, for sure. Just like Honda, they're sacrificing high revving naturally aspirated engines, but unlike Honda, the Renault isn't slower and worse. This Clio is basically a FWD Cayman with PDK.
Still not convinced by the car. Paddles? Piping fake exhaust noises into the cabin? 10 different sub-menus? Fuck all that! Why can't those trends all die already? Simplicity is better every time. I'll take the old Clio 200 Cup or a new Fiesta ST please.
My personal experience is the opposite. I feel less tired/bored while driving because I have to concentrate a little more. And it seems like I've got more appreciation for how it all works, so I drive more attentively.
I would say driving a manual keeps you more alert more engaged with the task at hand and if moving a stick and pushing in a clutch fatigues some body well I think their health is in desperate need of attention.
I see what you're saying but maybe the point changed. Manual isn't AS important in an FWD car since there's no rotation in turns so clutch won't influence stuff, it's just for distracting you with cogs innit
Yes, because being able to push a pedal and pull a level at the same time makes you a "driver". Only idiots think that manual gearboxes have ANYTHING to do with driving skill. Its the easiest part of driving a car fast.
amazing review and amazing car
Have they gone completely mental? Why would they want to make their car sound like a GT-R? Not dissing the GT-R at all. Just seems strange that they want their car to sound like another manufacturers.
I have a VW with a DSG and a Focus ST manual. The DSG is quicker, but its no where as fun or involving as the real manual gear box. I agree why cant you hav ethe option with this car.
Chris is the man. Always gives the best reviews. No one on earth comes close.
Great review Chris [as always] and brave to go against the many negative reviews of this new Clio. I think most of the comments below encapsulate the general feelings towards this car, both positive and negative. Try finding a used one on the internet compared with how many Fiesta ST's are available [in ST-1/2/3 guise], for example through Pistonheads. I'm currently the owner of a Twingo RS Silverstone and cannot decide between this or the Fiesta [especially when you add the Mountune Pack - as Chris says compelling].
Buy the fiesta st theres a reason nobody bought a clio rs its because theyre shit nobody wants a car like this with flappy paddles if they do they buy a golf, you will also have problems selling this car if you buy it
dilawer321 What is wrong with you, you moron? :D :D You are clearly not interested in this car, but since it was launched in 2013 you post your stupid comments almost on all the Clio RS 200 EDC videos and you are even following the conversations and post bullshits again and again... :D :D Don't be affraid of the fact you quite like the car :D just maybe don't have the money for it... or you are just confused, little boy. I guess in every kind of way :)
+Neil Brown
u IDIOT...TAKE OFF your sunglasses
I'm 22 and i want A STICK !!! An E350 CDI auto for the rest of the week: ok
But for the sport, i want a stick ! :p Still a great car that Clio.
And I forgot the price
Clio 4 RS EDC 25 600€
Corsa VXR 32 000€
Corsa VXR --- Track and garage
Clio RS --- Track, everyday road ...
50% Hate 50% Love his style
In France large majority of the people hate that car but he buy it !
I don't understand my country lol !
Also the 5 doors are great. So practical
what a great car and review :D
Living in the States, I don't know why I should care about this car, but I do. Yet another very entertaining review by Chris
People can complain about taking away one third of the experience. I think you add it back in a couple other ways: your fingers get to do some work, and you can drive a little more safely at the limit. Sorry for the overly long reply. It's nearly 5 AM, and I haven't slept at all, and I also like to play devil's advocate. You can bet your ass the Saab 900 Turbo I'm buying at the end of this summer will have a third pedal.
drawn carriages, and the sounds of a steam locomotive. He postulated that people probably felt the similarly about the original automobiles' arrival and the electric car "revolution" that was beginning. He went on to theorize that after electric cars are the norm, and something else comes along, we'll pine for the sound of an electric motor. I've thought about this half-baked theory in relation to almost all car progress. Personally, I think a paddleshift is a fun and interactive way of driving.
If more enthuiasts bought the last car new we'd still have the bits that people are moaning about. Sadly they don't so the car makers have to make what the people that do buy them want. Prime example is everyone moaning about torque now we have a turbo and no screaming top end. If you look on the net for gear change beeps and shift lights it's pretty popular hence adding it. BMW drivers stupidly won't drive a renault so why should they care what you think?
The badge around your neck kept swinging around and lifting off your chest during hard braking (examples at 6:45 and 9:02). It made the video have more of a "physical" feeling. You can watch the g's your pulling through the movement of the badge. Perhaps you should have something to that effect every time your driving and talking to us, it adds to the effect. Maybe you could rig a device that sticks to the dash.
Again with all the big words! They don't actually *make* you smarter, you know? You never presented an actual argument to the other guy, you just said "I'm right and you're not and that's final".
You can sugarcoat it with ultimate Scrabble words as much as you want, but it's not going to change the fact that you are not debating anything, you're just elaborately yelling that you are right and everyone else is wrong.
That is arrogant. And stupid.
Well, after you get your muscle memory used to manual shifting you no longer think about it, it's not the same as texting while driving, it doesn't distract you at all. Yet it's (in my opinion) a very pleasurable feeling, whether you're driving fast or just cruising. Renault probably used an automatic not for safety reasons but to appeal to a younger audience - it's a clio, most will be bought by young people. It probably makes the car faster as well, and number play an important roll nowadays.
That's all very well Chris, but you spent far too much time on the Clio and nowhere near enough on speculating the sex of Will & Kate's baby! All jokes aside, it's interesting how different your view of the gearbox is to Sutcliffe's...would love to have a drive in one but personally I just cannot forgive the 1% of the time when dual-clutch paddle-shift boxes get it wrong. Until this is sorted, i'll be over here rowing my e30 til the cows come home. Another great review, thanks!
Manufacturers do only care about sales. Why else would they even be making cars, unless you're Bugatti! With a semi auto box you can effectively program the box the reduce emissions making it easier to sell when based on CO2 figures. Designing cars in this way will alienate some of your core followers but if it helps RS sell more cars in the future, enabling RS to continue making fast and interesting hatches that can only be a good thing.
no manual (at least asan option), only 5-door version ? ... this car is a $ellout (RS - Renaults were the best Hot-hatches .. but now they'll be not better than Fiestas ST / PoloGTI's etc.. and in few years time they will compete with ... new chinesse little hot cars ..:)
I'm not joking: ,this fuc..kin "global product" philosophy will kill brands identity and make them all "looks and drives" the same ... (and it'll be the same with new "global" Mustang ... etc... welcome to the NWO ..:)
Not quite true, the new generation where people are used to DSG and paddles like the convenience it offers in traffic, I do and I've owned both. Letting the driver control the clutch is, I and others feel, still a benefit on snow and ice.Some paddle shifters drive us mad because you can't change when cornering if they move with the wheel. The Clio, where you can change with a stick, is a happy compromise for me and I've used similar on a Smart, albeit a very different car to the Clio Cup!
Im under the impression that the manual should be an option. Perhaps then, Volkswagen should remove the DSG from its GTI altogether because Renault Clio fans want a manual? However, Renault may suprise us yet. If Porsche can put PDK in the 911, and then put a manual in the GT3 (well, not anymore they don't) then perhaps later on, Renault will quit checking all the options and produce a car without the sat
av\playstation, without a rear seat, and put in a manual gearbox and some plastic windows.
I have mentioned the Tesla and its faults....They intended to design an electric sports car and they made a car that is poorly balanced, aka they failed. How does an award prove the Fisker is good? For example, if Fisker recalls their cars in a month because of a major fault in the battery design that causes fires then it wouldn't be so great now would it? No matter how many awards a car has it doesn't mean its good. A car has to prove itself first. That takes time.
Renault have judged this car very well. If Peugeot had wanted too they could have made the new 208GTi the successor to the RS Clio 3 and stolen the small hot-hatch crown....but it would seem they've blown the opportunity by making the new 208GTi too soft. Maybe the Fiesta ST will give the RS Clio 4 a run...it's certainly going to have it covered on value-for-money...but I suspect that even without the manual box and frenetic N/A engine, that it's still the small hot-hatch king.
I am a Renaultsport loyalist. 11 years. This new car is a dud to look at, has numb steering, a slow gearbox according to everyone except Chris...why is that? and some bullshit noise generation machine. Better to live with? If I wanted that I'd buy a golf GTi. I dont want a golf. I want a fucking hot hatch, which it seems nobody is making any more. MANUAL. HYDRAULIC STEERING, BALLS TO THE WALL FUN AT EVERY TURN. VISCERAL. EXCITING. UNIQUE. A CAR FOCUSED ON THE DRIVER, NOT MARKETING BULLSHIT.
Dear Chris, excellent review as usual but you are wrong about one thing. I am a 21 year old & I prefer old school manual gearbox, analogue dials & hydraulic steering. Yes I am an engineer & am expected to get horny over tech but we have too many electronics in our daily lives now. Having something that is mechanical & analogue is essential to keep me grounded, to keep me from relying too much on tech and to have some man-machine interactive fun.
& that something is usually a car .
I understand that DSGs are faster shifting and you can concentrate better on your lines on the track etc, but the fact is that if I were to buy a road car, am I interested in how fast it shifts or how much faster I can go on the track? No. I wouldn't be trying to set lap records or finding that extra 0.01s off my laptime IN A ROAD CAR. I buy a road car to have fun and engagement with the car, to feel the sense of achievement when I can pull off a perfect rev-match downshift. So, no autos please.
Very Good Solid Review. I Like this Clio a lot, looks good and according to review drives well on the road to. Would properly miss the Manual. Find the interior very good too, fitting a hot hatch. What was that about the sound moods - Make it sound like a GT-R ?! lol what is this about, is it like inside the Cabin ?. Tuning up to 250 - is that just chip or how ?. Great Review, enough time for both road and track.
Offering paddles is inevitable. Removing the manual altogether is sinful. Porsche and Renaultsport have sold out on their principles in a big way. Journos should give them a harder time.
Then you hear that BMW will only build big manual M-Cars for the Amercican market and you feel like your world has turned upside down so you buy a bus pass and consider Rambling as your next hobby
Another great review!
Regarding the automatic gearbox - we can't blame Renault - IT IS OUR FAULT!!!
nowadays customers look for comfy car not proper maschine that reward the driver efforts.
Obviousely now the market look for pedal shifter and the good old manual dies - I expect in several years to find manuals only in small less powerful cars and this is so so pity - may be iven in small hatch the manual will be only as option becaus there are no real driver today!
Excellent review Chris.. Renault sure are trying hard to lure in the bright-eyed youth with this one, aren't they..? Poncy poser gearbox, fake engine sounds emitting from the stereo (god I hope that trend dies sooner than later), loads of truly pointless on-board computer gadgetry/statistics, synthetic steering, and of course... painfully ugly/awkward 'styling'... Uggghh.... Aside from the new Cayman, I'm struggling to find myself being excited about any of the new breed of sportscars.
It's manual, but sequential (there is paddles like in racing cars) ;) Most of French cars are manuel so don't worry.
Well people are different.. I got an -07 Clio RS 7 months ago and absolutely love it. It doesn't look like a regular Clio and that makes it a bit more special than this new RS. As a every day car the new RS is better i guess, with more comfort and a much better mpg than the old one.
But i have a feeling that this new RS doesn't feel as much as an RS compared to the 197 and 200.
I am 21 and i know what a rev counter and limiter is used for. Ppl that dont know about this wouldnt buy a car or wouldn't need the RS mode, at least.
Old dudes driving M3 will never shut the ESP/TC down, all they want is a fast BMW. Sad but true :-(
Special sporty variants are for enthusiasts, and enthusiats know most of the things used in racing cars.
And I don't see the point of these type of comments. Don't you understand that some people don't like a manual? And this don't make them posers or rappers. Many of them are pure petrolheads. Is it so hard to understand?
Talking about new Clio and all these haters' comments... If you don't like it - don't buy it, don't watch it, forget it. Simple as that.
I miss my Clio 182.. bought it brand new and traded it in, 3years later, with 120K on the clock for my current 330d M-Sport E92 BMW. The BMW is fine and pretty quick, but misses that fun factor. I've test driven a new M3 but, still, I can't help thinking that my next car will be a Renault Sport model of some kind...
It's not about being some luddite traditionalist, it's about driver involvement, skill and control being taken away for the sake of a fraction of a second here and there. I'm not averse to paddles (or autos), but the point here is that we don't even get the CHOICE of a manual. That's just a little bit sad.