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.
Comfort is not really the 172's forte. The driving position of the Clio is not among the best in the class, with a reach-only adjustable steering wheel that may leave you too upright and with the wheel too close to your legs. The ride isn't harsh, though, despite fat and low-profile 195/45 16 tyres on its six-spoke alloys. The Dynamique is as comfy as lesser Clios but, like the sport 172, it's no better than most of its rivals. The Clio is averagely roomy for the class, but that has more to do with the fact that cars like the Toyota Yaris Verso and Skoda Fabia are so spacious, than any major failing on the Clio's part. Front occupants get a pretty good deal, while two average-sized rear-seat passengers could stay comfy. Boot space goes from 9 cu ft to 36.6 cu ft with the rear seat folded. The 172 gets a six-disc CD autochanger (plus single dash-mounted CD, oddly) with 160-watt output, while the Dynamique has a 60W radio/cassette, or 88W radio/single CD in Dynamique+ form. GPS satellite navigation is also available, while fingertip controls for the stereo are standard.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Renault Clio RenaultSport
wrote on 28 08 2007