Clio 128 gt

[ricclio]

Hello people not posted for a while.
Now looking at possibly getting a 2009 1.6 gt 128

Any tips or advice. What they are like to drive etc
running cost , services etc any advice would be great.

Used to own a 172 and a 182 and currently have a boring 1.dci mk3 how do they compare etc

Cheers all ric

 

[Christopher]

Get the Twingo 133 instead. The same engine in the Mk3 Clio feels lifeless. They're a fairly dull drive too.

Oddly enough, I have a nice 133 for sale.

Awesome cars.

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?632577-Twingo-133-Detail-It-s-also-for-sale

 

[Darren S]

Get the Twingo 133 instead. The same engine in the Mk3 Clio feels lifeless. They're a fairly dull drive too.

Oddly enough, I have a nice 133 for sale.

Awesome cars.

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?632577-Twingo-133-Detail-It-s-also-for-sale

Shameless plug!!!

Good effort, though Maybe you should go into car sales??

D.

 

[Cueball]

I too would go for the Twingo.

 

[ricclio]

Get the Twingo 133 instead. The same engine in the Mk3 Clio feels lifeless. They're a fairly dull drive too.

Oddly enough, I have a nice 133 for sale.

Awesome cars.

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?632577-Twingo-133-Detail-It-s-also-for-sale

Nice plug lol. Unfortunately the twinge would be to small. Although cracking looking car.
Thanks anyway

 

[Knuckles]

Get the Twingo 133 instead. The same engine in the Mk3 Clio feels lifeless. They're a fairly dull drive too.

Oddly enough, I have a nice 133 for sale.

so shameless lol... does he know you're getting a new car too?

but yeah... id get the twingo if i was in your position... they are based on the mk2 clio so theyll have a decent, dedicated chassis unlike the GT with the sporty k4m in a non sport body (could be wrong here)

if you do get the GT though, get the 106 dci and map it to 128bhp and f**k loads of torque <---geniune unit of measurement fyi all while retaining decent MPG

 

[Martin_172]

needs to be the DCi106, the 128 is no quicker overall and the 106 is much quicker around town, no need to have it over 3k rpm

shouldnt have swapped my GT 106 for my 200!!

 

[Martin_172]

they feel very much like a 200, just slightly lighter steering and a bit of a softer suspension setup but still pretty stiff. bags and bags of grip, quite fun to drive actually for having a lot less power than a 172/200

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

go for the DCI 106 GT, i love mine and you will never tire of the torque/economy/and a decent kick when the boost comes in,

and after a remap it will show a 128 up no problem IMO

extra bonus with the DCI is that there is less than 400 in the country

 

[Martin_172]

go for the DCI 106 GT, i love mine and you will never tire of the torque/economy/and a decent kick when the boost comes in,

and after a remap it will show a 128 up no problem IMO

extra bonus with the DCI is that there is less than 400 in the country

ive got my eye on another white one sitting on autotrader with the same spec as my old one!!!

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

ive got my eye on another white one sitting on autotrader with the same spec as my old one!!!

dive in, 5 months in on mine and i still think its great.

P.s. gutted the 200 has been a pain

 

[Martin_172]

dive in, 5 months in on mine and i still think its great.

P.s. gutted the 200 has been a pain

yeah mate the 200 is awesome, ive just had that much bother with it i want it gone, its going in next week to get put right by my local specialist and arnold clark are paying the bill so will see how i feel after that, but i recon after a few months ill possibly swap it. car just feels tainted!

i done 25k or there abouts in my gt dci in under a year and loved every minute of it!

 

[ricclio]

Thanks all for your advise people would prefer a dci one. But struggling too find one for the 7k mark

It is only a 2nd car so not looking to spend more than that really.

 

[Martin_172]

id personally rather have a DCi 106 Dynamique S over a 1.6 16v GT. you will get one no problem for that budget they are starting about 4k mark now for a higher milage one.

later ones with the different wheels come with half leather, bit nicer dash, white dials and most have keyless entry. look for rarer options like climate control, cabasse 6 disc stereo and cruise control too.

 

[JonC219]

Passenger looks terrified..... love it!

 

[Cliotoby]

id personally rather have a DCi 106 Dynamique S over a 1.6 16v GT. you will get one no problem for that budget they are starting about 4k mark now for a higher milage one.

later ones with the different wheels come with half leather, bit nicer dash, white dials and most have keyless entry. look for rarer options like climate control, cabasse 6 disc stereo and cruise control too.

Why, when you get a totally different interior to the Dynamique in the GT? Also, a standard Gt comes with allsorts of s**t in it, you shoud know. MK3 Dynamique seats are awful!



I wont try convince you on the engine, thats your desicion. I went petrol and sure - its a little gutless at low revs, what do people expect from a 1600cc? But its fun especially when youre pelting it down back roads, its those moments im glad im not driving a diesel. Its also economical, 350 miles to a tank is easily obtainable, 420 being my best. Theyre good cars although the people that have never owned one will say otherwise. Ive enjoyed owning mine for the most part but I did put it on coilovers.

Be aware - The gearbox is the same piece of utter s**t found in the Clio 197 and 200 (TL4) bar ratios, meaning its likely to break in some way. Grinding into gears mean the synchromesh has gone, and ive now got a problem where when I accelerate in 1st gear hard I can hear grinding. Almost as though the gear isnt engaged properly.

I went for the clio over the twingo because it wasnt big enough, and also I hated the look of the thing, in and out.

 

[Martin_172]

i can put up with worse seats and a few less toys for a much better engine.

ive driven both pretty extensively, and the K4M doesnt cut it with that little torque in a big car, i found it gutless down a backroad unless giving it a full 100% which isnt what you want when your not totally in the mood and just want to make ground quickly, the dci you just leave in 4th gear and nail it keep it between 2000 and 3000rpm and it eats up the ground!

if you want something that needs 100% effort to make proper decent progress down a backroad its 200 or nothing imo, the GT has a brilliant suspension setup on it, gives loads of grip and inspires confidence without the harshness of the 200 cup, but it is geared more towards comfort than pure backroad performance, so for that reason i wouldnt be touching the 1.6.

350 miles from a tank isnt really economical i could get that from the 200! GTDCi will easily do 550+ to a full tank without trying!

gearboxes are fine its people with no mechanical sympothy that brake them!

 

[Martin_172]

i can put up with worse seats and a few less toys for a much better engine.

ive driven both pretty extensively, and the K4M doesnt cut it with that little torque in a big car, i found it gutless down a backroad unless giving it a full 100% which isnt what you want when your not totally in the mood and just want to make ground quickly, the dci you just leave in 4th gear and nail it keep it between 2000 and 3000rpm and it eats up the ground!

if you want something that needs 100% effort to make proper decent progress down a backroad its 200 or nothing imo, the GT has a brilliant suspension setup on it, gives loads of grip and inspires confidence without the harshness of the 200 cup, but it is geared more towards comfort than pure backroad performance, so for that reason i wouldnt be touching the 1.6.

350 miles from a tank isnt really economical i could get that from the 200! GTDCi will easily do 550+ to a full tank without trying!

gearboxes are fine its people with no mechanical sympothy that brake them!

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

Spot on Martin, the dci Is unbelievably great on the back/moor roads it just pulls and pulls in 4th gear, the petrol option really isn't brilliant as you have to cane it to have fun and burn far to much fuel in the process.

But with the diesel the torque just pulls you about effortlessly, and the turbo kick is fun and I'd rather have that over a small n/a block everyday of the week, and the dyna's is a great car I had the 86 version and that was brilliant for the money

 

[daydotz]

Shame Renault ruined the gt changing it to a gordini :dead:

 

[Cliotoby]

gearboxes are fine its people with no mechanical sympothy that brake them!

That I dont agree with !

Theres a known problem with the TL4, its got nothing to do with whos driving it. The gearbox isnt great anyways but what do you expect from a renault.

 

[Cliotoby]

Who was it that has their GT on 45mm eibach Springs?

My struts are completely fucked so im putting it back to standard. Thinking I might get some springs to ease the boatish looks.

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

I run 35 mm eibach pro lines and they are perfect, feel great and take the arch gap off so the wheels sit right, I don't think they do 45mm for the 60 plate GT as it has different shocks to the the earlier models

 

[Martin_172]

theres a known problem with people thinking they can drive a car like a race driver without using the proper techniques. Yes the gearbox should possibly be built to withstand these idiots better. same issue with J series mk1/mk2 boxes.

box used properly wont give any issues. change the oil when it should, dont rush it thru the box, rev matching on down shifts and dont launch the car off the line and you wont have any issues.

cant remember who it was had them i remember seeing the pics, think ive got them somewhere. i considered a set for mine but felt id end up needing spacers and potentially new wheels to be happy with the looks, and i didnt want to upset the brilliant chassis setup out the box. as happened with just eibachs on my dci100 and ended up costing me a bomb to finally be happy with it again

 

[Cliotoby]

theres a known problem with people thinking they can drive a car like a race driver without using the proper techniques. Yes the gearbox should possibly be built to withstand these idiots better. same issue with J series mk1/mk2 boxes.

box used properly wont give any issues. change the oil when it should, dont rush it thru the box, rev matching on down shifts and dont launch the car off the line and you wont have any issues.

cant remember who it was had them i remember seeing the pics, think ive got them somewhere. i considered a set for mine but felt id end up needing spacers and potentially new wheels to be happy with the looks, and i didnt want to upset the brilliant chassis setup out the box. as happened with just eibachs on my dci100 and ended up costing me a bomb to finally be happy with it again

I know how to work a gearbox thanks. Its slow as hell and I compensated for that and still do. I dont believe its got anything to do with driver ability, Im sure others will back me up about the TL4 being made from cheese.

I also dont believe its got tons of grip as standard. I didnt think the stock setup was very good but the origional tyres were made from stone. Maybe I just drive the car harder than you do.

 

[Martin_172]

if your suffering from "lack of grip" in the GT then your using a far to aggressive and slow style. i done plenty of track days in mine and never had a single issue with the standard setup. standard brakes left a lot to be desired on track but not really what they were designed for.

i beleive plenty will back you up that there is an issue with the TL4 box. i however also beleive they cannot use a gearbox properly.

 

[Cliotoby]

Tbh its roundabouts that are the problem or sharp corners, got some good sweeping bends near me, proper clio roads and I can carry 120 through them without even struggling.

Brakes leave a lot to be desired on the road too, theyre utter s**t, but what do you expect from a standard 1.6 brake setup. im sure youll disagree with that.

How do you use a gearbox properly then? I can heel toe (althought its difficult with the mk3 driving position) and im pretty sure you engage the clutch, change gear, then release the clutch to "change gear properly". I dont rag any gearbox, even quick ones on beemers, and like I said, the Tl4 is pretty slow so I compensate for that.

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

Tbh its roundabouts that are the problem or sharp corners, got some good sweeping bends near me, proper clio roads and I can carry 120 through them without even struggling.

Brakes leave a lot to be desired on the road too, theyre utter s**t, but what do you expect from a standard 1.6 brake setup. im sure youll disagree with that.

How do you use a gearbox properly then? I can heel toe (althought its difficult with the mk3 driving position) and im pretty sure you engage the clutch, change gear, then release the clutch to "change gear properly". I dont rag any gearbox, even quick ones on beemers, and like I said, the Tl4 is pretty slow so I compensate for that.

im sorry but i seriously cant believe that you do 120 on public roads and also the GT hardly does much more than that in a straight line, so their is no way you were doing that in the twistiez.


the brakes do melt under the foot quite easily, that will be one of my next upgrades start with lines and pads.


i cant comment on the gearbox situation,

 

[Cliotoby]

im sorry but i seriously cant believe that you do 120 on public roads and also the GT hardly does much more than that in a straight line, so their is no way you were doing that in the twistiez.

Long run up to it flat out, also very quiet road with a good surface, and fields around it. I would never speed excessivly around other cars either.

I know its such a disgrace even breaking the speed limit, as no one ever does that.

 

[Christopher]

I'm shocked you got up to 120 in a GT.

It's carrying a lot more lard and has less power than our 133, and that's no rocketship.

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

I'm shocked you got up to 120 in a GT.

It's carrying a lot more lard and has less power than our 133, and that's no rocketship.

its not to bad to get to 120, but the diesel pulls to just under 130 at a struggle(private land)

 

[Martin_172]

Tbh its roundabouts that are the problem or sharp corners,

Brakes leave a lot to be desired on the road too, theyre utter s**t, but what do you expect from a standard 1.6 brake setup. im sure youll disagree with that.

How do you use a gearbox properly then? I can heel toe (althought its difficult with the mk3 driving position) and im pretty sure you engage the clutch, change gear, then release the clutch to "change gear properly". I dont rag any gearbox, even quick ones on beemers, and like I said, the Tl4 is pretty slow so I compensate for that.

roundabouts and sharp corners are only going to be an issue if you approach it like a spaz and turn the wheel expecting it to turn. the mk3 chassis is extremely adjustable on the limit, use weight transfer to get it round the bend as you would in any nimble FWD car and you will be fine.

I will dissagree with that on the brake front, the 280mm RS setup from the Twingo/172 would have been much better suited, if i remember right the gt has bigger discs on the back than it does on the front diameter wise lol!

you dont need to be slow with the box as if your driving like a granny you can still be perfectly quick thru the gears, just dont thrash it in before the syncro has even done its job! heel and toe will protect the box, its the force of downshifts that i bet is killing most of them. the mk3 pedal setup is much better for it compaired to the mk2's 172/182s take a bit of work to get them heel and towing properly.

and since were on the subject it would be rude not to...

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[Cliotoby]

I'm shocked you got up to 120 in a GT.

It's carrying a lot more lard and has less power than our 133, and that's no rocketship.

Neither is a 200.....

Its not hard to push it to 120 on a straight, its not like breaking tripple figures in a 1.2 16v. I know its not quick, but its not a very slow lardy piece of s**t like you seem intent on making out. End of the day I enjoy driving it most of the time although theres moments where I hate it.

Also, im happy with its lack of torque, im used to it and Id rather have it over a diesel any day of the week. But thats just me.

 

[Christopher]

There's a world of difference between a 133 and a 200. Let alone a Clio GT.

I had one for two days when the 133 was having warranty work done.

 

[Martin_172]

too little torque for a car of that weight/size in the clio. engine does well in the twingo, infact it does better in the mk2 in 110hp guise!

 

[Adey01]

Traded my GT (petrol) in for a 200
I found the GT fun to drive but also greedy - suppose it would be considering its only a 1600
Petrol-wise im using the same amount in the 200 as i was the GT
The only thing visually i didn't like about GT was the front (and yes ive heard all the slating about the 200's nose!)
Still - not bad little motors

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

all in all i think the diesel is the better choice, not being biased,

thier is just a number of things that make it better such as

economy
torque
easier power gains

and my brother in his DCI GT had a traffic light GP with a Twingo RS and he pulled away from the Twingo no problem

i think the only down side in a diesel is there is no exciting exhaust notes

 

[Yellow Dave]

is there much difference in suspension setup between the GT's and the Dynamiques? I've never looked into them but would hope so.

and as for petrol vs diesel in a warm hatch, I have to agree a petrol is far more enjoyable. after 6 years in my 182, and 4 years before that in hot hatch Renaults, changing to a diesel was depressing, but I needed the economy for work mileage so accepted that.

But same roads, same time of day on work mileage, I could press on in the 182 and not really work it hard and have a brisk fun drive and get a decent MPG. Using the diesel torque for a brisk fun drive is easy and effortless, but then when you decide to push properly........... oh wait, the diesel has nothing more to give. This opinion is also reflected in friends that have changed to performance diesels, Golf GT TDI and Leon FR with 175?bhp models

A diesel can be fun to drive, but it will never match that excitement a hard working petrol engine will give. all in my opinion of course

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

The suspension on the GT is 15% stiffer and lower, with a thicker rear anti roll bar iirc, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I agree that it is much more fun revving the tits off a petrol but, as what I've heard the 1.6 really doesn't give that rewarding feeling as it is gutless

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

Suzuki Swift is a much better car than a Clio GT cant think of a single reason that would sway me to buy one. Diesel version makes much more sense to me but i'd still prefer a Swift.