Category: Hot Hatchbacks 
Price Range: No data available
Good value for money, stonking performance for the price, high credibility with the boys, lots of grip and decent agility.
Not terribly refined or spacious, plenty of torque-steer.
Sometimes a hoot, sometimes a bore, the Clio 172 is a hot-hatch of the old-school. You've gotta like it though.
Most Clios are pretty economical to run, but the Sport 172 is, obviously, never going to be as affordable as the 1.5 diesel. Nevertheless, you can expect 35 mpg over the combined cycle and reasonable servicing costs (although servicing is required at 12,000-mile intervals, rather than 18,000 for the rest of the range). The 1.6 Dynamique, meanwhile, offers closer to 40 mpg and has those longer service intervals. Insurance is group 10 for the Dynamique, while the 172 is a whopping group 16. It will be a while before the Clio obtains widespread used availability, but the fact that it's often discounted new, and comes with plenty of standard kit, means that it will make a pretty shrewd used buy. Especially as it has a strong image and will always be easy to sell on afterwards. No arguing with the Renault package here. The entire range majors on value, and the sporting models are no exception. Loads of airbags and ABS are standard, although the 172 doesn't get emergency brake assist. Remote locking, electric windows, power steering and the like are par for the course, and the 172 also gets climate control, which is optional on the Dynamique (Dynamique+ gets standard manual air-conditioning).
Latest Readers' Drives About the Renault Clio RenaultSport
wrote on 28 08 2007