Renault Clio Hatchback (2001 - 2008) 1.2 16V Extreme 2 3d Owner Review

The perfect first car or cheap run about! This was my first car and I only gained a real appreciation for the car after driving other cars later in life. The MK2 Renault Clio truly is country road fun on a shoe string budget. Weighing in at around 1000kg and with a well tuned suspension setup from the factory, the Clio feels planted around corners and nimbly handles tight corners. The car will happily embarrass heavier and much powerful cars in the bend which makes for a few grins. The engine in the 1.2 16v is a little gutless at low rpm but picks up nicely in higher rpms. If you plan on driving everywhere full throttle (which you can in a 1.2) do keep an eye on oil levels. I personally never had a single issue while owning my Clio however my father drove it through a flooded country road and managed to hydraulic lock the car and throw a rod. We took the engine apart after this incident. Although the car was at 90,000 miles not a single bit of wear could be seen on the internals, A real testimony to the car! My sister now owns the car and has a dacia sandero replacement engine in it (same as the clios but made in 2011). When she gets a new car I will take my old Clio back and hope never to sell it. If you are on the fence about MK2 Clio ownership all I can say is do it!