23 Aug 01
Prices: £150-£1000
Engines: 1721cc, 90bhp, four cylinders
Check for: Accident damage, worn-out clutches and gearboxes, electrical faults, rust, overheating, poor starting
For a while in the late '80s, when insurance premiums for hot hatches started going mad, the Renault 5 1.7 GTX was a well-kept secret dodge as it cost little more than the 1.4 model to cover yet was fast enough to give the Fiesta XR2 and Nova SR/GTE (both of which brought the insurers out in a cold sweat) a run for their money. This normally-aspirated model was also more driveable than the much-loved GT Turbo, which took torque-steer to a new level. However, it never looked the part (which is probably why the insurance companies never cottoned onto it) looking virtually identical to the standard runaround, give or take a body-coloured bumper or two and a bit more equipment (remote central locking, electric windows, power steering). The GTX was also a bit too comfortable to be really sporty. With big squashy velour seats and smooth-riding but wallowy suspension, understeer and body roll on hard cornering were a fact of life - though strangely endearing if you ended up living with one of these cars. But although it wasn't particularly good at going round corners, and didn't look, or initially feel, very quick, it could in fact go like the proverbial s**t off a shovel, and it made a fantastic little motorway cruiser.
Many of the three-doors have ended up as GT Turbo look-alikes, which is a shame, as the family-orientated five-door model is decidedly mumsy-looking. But there are plenty of very clean, well-cared-for examples of both around, and it's a lot easier to find one of these than it is to find a decent unmolested GT Turbo. A lot classier than an XR2 or Nova, more substantial and comfortable than a 205, and nicely low-key if you don't want to look like a boy racer or someone in the throes of a mid-life crisis.
Links:
Guide to checking out a used car
Mug's guide to tuning: More bhp for your bucks
