Time for the Clio review after 1,900 km's of driving. Which is 1,180 miles for exactly 2 months, so on average 590 miles a month. City driving ftw, even though it's a little too high for Johnny
.
Specs and features just to be on track!
1.3 turbro making 130 hp with 240 nm torque
Has 7 speed EDC, aka Renault's DSG (no the 1.3 does not come with manual)
Mid level touch model so equivalent to the SE on the GTI's (no navigation)
Apply car play and the like
Poverty non-auto AC
LED headlights, only a $100 option
Height adjustable low beams where you can operate on your own
Reverse camera and parking sensors
Full spare (german car style)
Engine + Transmission:
- This combo makes the acceleration more snappy than my mk7 GTI, throttle response is quite jumpy, at times it even jumps as if I let my foot off the clutch a little too quick (I almost hit my neighbors car when this happened), happens more often when warming up.
- Engine has quite a lot of torque down low where it makes my GTI feels more like a Camry, but then again it idles right at 1,000 RPM which I kinda find this a little odd. It pulls up to redline with a very little loss, compare that to the mk6 and mk7 TSI engines, those are way more noticeable to lose pull around 5k RPM, but
if it's dangerously slow
- Speaking of dangerously slow, 0-60 in 8.7 seconds. Engine and trans wise, this is one step below from the Clio RS (aka their GTI) and we don't get those in my shithole country
the slowest Clio is 15 seconds from 0-60
- 8.7 may not seem even remotely quick, but it in where I'm at right now, even most of the BMW's sold here are that "quick" so it's basically a "beast" in sheep clothing. Granted an average Clio owner is
as long as the car is cheap (cheapest in it's class) and economical, I've definitely seen some surprised faces when I went
- The EDC trans seems to catch the engagement point quicker than all the DSGay I've driven, it's not as programmed like the way VW's do by rushing into higher gears, unless I opt the eco mode which delays the throttle response roughly 15% (typically use it when I'm in slow traffic where I don't need to
), either way at slow speeds the trans responds quick, not as much on highway passing
unless I give 80% throttle.
- Never once experienced wheel hop, only a little 1.5 second wheel spin from a dig.
- The lever does not have a triptronic option or even a sport mode
(my previous gen rental did have that option), but I can use the shift paddles and they operate just as similar as my GTI did.
- Start-stop doesn't always work, especially at all when warming up for obvious reasons. If the climate control is on at any fan speed, there is a message on the dash telling me "we can't use start-stop for AC", it only vibrates the car a little so I only use it when traffic is really bad or pull up somewhere waiting for someone etc. Very throughout design I say imo.
- Best mpg I've got considering since my driving situation is composed of 30% bumper-to-bumper, 30% with average speed of 30 mph, and anywhere higher avg. speed of 40 mph is 40% I've got 27 mpg. I'm sure in my neck of the murican woods this thing can easily do 32 mpg on main roads.
Handling:
- It has 195 tires all around which is
for its size. On ramps it does not seem to struggle as well around probably 50, I'd imagine with a set of lightweight :rims: and tires this would be an absolute riot for sure.
- The way it stays flat is about 80% of my mk7 was, so this is definitely a good hill-climb car, I'll post a vid of one hill climb I've found whenever I have the time.
- Steering feel is heavier, even at slower speeds and makes the car more enjoyable to drive.
- Steering rack is go-kart quick, definitely better than my GTI. Super easy to dart around, I would love to autocross this.
- I topped out around 170 km's, so 105 mph, she had no issues to keep it together at that speed and definitely doesn't have an issue to go atleast 60 km's faster (it was windy that day).
Brakes:
- Has drum brakes in the rear, but front disc brakes.
- Brake response is also sensitive as well, has less travel than my GTI did, and boy does she stop good.
Suspension:
- This is probably the least favorite thing for the Clio, the suspension is quite on the harsher side. Doesn't absorbs bumps well, even with 15 inch wheels with plenty of
.
- As much as I may like the fact it has a tight suspension (or it seems that is), thus handles great in it's own right, I think this deserves a more comfortable suspension as it is an econobox. One of the reasons why I liked my friends Polo better, it was smooth, will provide on my car review thread. But
Interior:
- When you open the door, the headunit lights up with the Renault and a sunset background followed by a welcoming sound thats very familiar (and more slower) version of the BMW's ignition chime from the 2012-2019 era. (the G20's have a different chime now
)
- Dashboard is stroke friendly
- Door cards are a little less padded
- Seats has good side bolsters (will post pics afterwards), oh and cloth
. My acura and both of my GTI's were leather
- For it's size it is quite spacious, even though I can't fit behind myself
- Seats can go racecar low, almost seems like the adjustment is designed for someone 6'8, cause at the lowest setting I'm staring right at the 12 o'clock of the steering wheel, though passenger seat does not have height adjustment at all and a little less room.
- Steering wheel is leather wrap and stitched while the base Clio does not. It has flat bottom and a less noticeable flat top as well.
- Back seat space is fine as long as the person is front isn't tall as me. Also a fair bit of headroom left and I don't feel claustrophobic.
- Trunk is pretty spacious and deep, it is also class leading, larger than the VW Polo, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai i20, etc.
- Glove compartment is deep enough to fit a 13 inch macbook, kid you not.
Exterior:
- Love the front end, especially the headlight design is a more miniatured Megane front end.
- Kinda has that narrow tall hood as you would notice in the Ford Fiesta.
- Looks pretty sharp from an angle.
- Love the rear end, although not much different from a previous Clio by design.
Visibility:
- Front windshield is huge
- A pillars seems unnecessarily thick
- Back window is small, but not an issue to see cars in the back.
- Rear passenger windows narrows as it goes towards back which makes blindspots a little difficult to navigate (especially parallel parking when the rear wheel arches/rear quarter panel are 5 inches wider from the windows due to it's design so it's something that takes time to get used to), but mirrors come in handy.
Quirks and Rants:
- Whenever I turn off the ignition, whether I'm listening to spotify via carplay or FM radio, it skips to the next track or seek to next station. Then when I start up the car again, it just randomly picks a local station out of nowhere.
- My armrest/center console is attached to the side of the driver seat where I can easily fit my old iphone 8 plus.
- The way Renault set up their volume, seek etc. button is kind of like in the older Toyota's with their cruise control, there's a wheel behind the thick stalk to skip and press buttons on the side for volume. Very driver like and I don't even take my hand off the wheel.
- Sunroof's are NOT an option on all Clio's.
- The central locking is kind of weird. One touch of a button to unlock, the trunk doesn't open, but if I lock and unlock again, it does.
- Cupholders are murican friendly (unlike the previous gen I rented)
Mods:
- 30% tint all around except for windshield (offered by dealer package, included in the price), followed by a rear shark fin antenna, arm rest (as mentioned earlier) and REAL ceramic paint protection to a recommended detailer where dealer pays for it for you (not the cilajet bullshit).
- only upcoming mods are set of winter wheels in case if I go skiing (yes, we have mountains to ski here) and to avoid chains whenever I go out of town in inclement weather, maybe some lightweight
and summers (enkei rpf1 probably won't be a bad idea, with stock height
), wait is this supposed to be a NFG daily.
Postimg didn't work, flickr to the rescue!
The day I got her (Jan 11th, 2021)
IMG_0838 by
Teo K, on Flickr
IMG_0839 by
Teo K, on Flickr
IMG_0840 by
Teo K, on Flickr
Low beam height adjustment
IMG_0842 by
Teo K, on Flickr
Peep the poverty antenna
IMG_0856 by
Teo K, on Flickr
Sightseeing and all (oh and the tint and the
antenna
)
IMG_1062 by
Teo K, on Flickr
I like how the color looks more like a darker shade of nardo grey when the sun hits, color is called titanium grey and has a blend of darker blue, pretty unique imo
IMG_1065 by
Teo K, on Flickr
Notice the top of the steering wheel
IMG_1436 by
Teo K, on Flickr
Her first... snow
IMG_1305 by
Teo K, on Flickr
Dem fighter jet like buttons
IMG_1077 by
Teo K, on Flickr
corolla and my dad didn't like the idea of having a premium brand as my first car.
ery 
)etc. but in the end I might as well get something that doesn't exist in the US, so no VAG).
like when the wiper stopped working one time I was driving in the rain as well as windows stopped working. It was the first car we bought when we moved to the US.
and 
VWR lowering sprangs later
)
so the MK7 is still going away and no US car for now? You are so worldly living in two countries 
along with an even slower engine, NA 3 banger that comes with poverty stereo, those are already sold out since they're mostly bought for company fleets. Also traffic in Istanbul ruins the fun with 
with 
im just a little shorter, 6"0, still tall enough 