Clio 172 justified?

[m1key]

hi! i think i have wanted a clio 172 ph2 since i was learning to drive. i have now decided i cant wait any longer for it!! im 22 this year i have 4 years no claims, so insurance isnt as bad as it was 4 years ago, but i am a student. i travel alot at weekends, and work when i can to earn money, but when i drive im either driving home, or driving to see the Mrs. this is really the only time i use the car but a round trip can be sometimes up to 300 miles with most of that on the motorway. at the moment i have a 1.2 clio which i drive a bit harshly because it is soooo slow!
am i being un realistic wanting to get a 172? will i get alright mpg for a 172 on the motorway?
i really dont know what to do, because if i have my car for much longer, i think i will shoot myself haha!

 

[clio-lord]

44 mpg

 

[DrR]

I wouldn't bother if you're a student, costs can mount up on the 1*2 when things go wrong (which they will)

Only you can decide.

Most i've ever seen on of my 182 was just under 38MPG

Average over last 10k is 33mpg, (worked out properly not using on board comp)

 

[Addicted]

44mpg is lies tbh, you will get decent mpg but still depends how quick you drive!
roughly 40-44 IF you stay @ 65.
you'd still be high 30's no doubt with the commuting, average i guess around 35 depending what you do though!

 

[alanc1000]

what have you been quoted for insurance? This would be a bigger factor that motorway MPG in my opinion.

 

[littlelise]

Best I've had is 37mpg on a long journey, with town driving I get 30-33.

Insurance is the killer, and maintenance when it needs it as someone said earlier, I don't think I'd want to pay those running costs for an occasional use motor!

TBH if I were you (which I'm obviously not) I'd stick with a cheap runaround until I was settled. P'raps upgrade to a 1.4/1.6, maybe nicer to drive but still cheapish to run?

 

[m1key]

900 quid for insurance, which to be honest, i am prepared to pay for this car, but no higher than this i must say. and as for the mpg being at high 30's i think thats alright too is it not? my clio at the moment does 41mpg, so i think with an extra 800cc and only loosing a few mpg, thats not bad is it? im intending to drive it how i would normally drive, but with the odd exception, if im in a hurry or whatever, give it quite a bit of stick! and the thing about getting it fixed is, surely it cant go wrong more than mine already has? (touching wood now and hoping for no more problems) but i have had 2 driveshafts done 2 coil springs, abs sensor, wheel bearings exhaust and something to do with throttle control and engine management. all go wrong in the last two years of owning this car, what kind of problems are associated with a RS clio?

 

[m1key]

i dont know, i just cant decided, one minute i will be like no this isnt a good idea, get something sensible. next minute i just think stuff it, why should i not get one lol? you love cars, you love speed, treat yourself haha. anyone else feel like that sometimes?

 

[Chris_786]

running an rs costs no more than a 1.2

i used to drive like a knob in my 1.2 and got 38mpg . now i drive sensibly in the 172 and guess what? i still get 38 mpg.

 

[littlelise]

Probably all the money you've had to spend on your current Clio, you will spend again on a new one! At least you know what you've got with yours ^_^

Cambelts, tyres, brakes and suspension are the common replacements needed from what I've read on here (only had mine two months). £900 isn't too bad for insurance tbh, for a boy As for MPG, if you're driving the 1.2 hard to make it go you won't be getting great MPG now so switching to a bigger engine probably won't cost much in that sense.

If you can afford it, why not

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Try your finances on a ph1 .. cheaper to buy, better MPGs as longer gear ratios. Make sure the cambelt's not coming up any time soon (5 years, 36k/72k (do a search )) and you should be laughing.

Saying that, they are french so the electrics go wrong, and random things do fall off regularly, exhausts and rear shocks for instance are prone to failure.

Do some hunting around on here, learn a bit about them and see how you get on !

 

[Tunst]

Mine must be broken, i got 33MPG on the way back from Oulton Park yesterday :dapprove: that was sitting at 75.

 

[m1key]

ah great! thanks for the advice! its better than i was expecting! i was expecting to hear something along the lines of: " YOU FOOL WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT FOR!" haha, but i am glad, thanks for your help! the ph1 does sound better suited for me, but i just cant seem to fall in love with that car, i know im going to get tonnes of hate mail now, but i just really dont like the headlights on the ph1. and yeah, so it doesnt sound like im going to get too far out of my depth with an RS clio. and yeah i know its not fair haha! the Mrs has just got a 54 plate A3 2.0 sport and it costs her £700, its not fair haha

 

[Vish]

IMO, if you really want one and can afford it, get it. If you're questioning costs, mpg etc, don't get it.

I ran mine as a student, I knew rough running costs and was working part time so knew I'd be ok. Had a bit saved on the side if anything went bang. I wanted an older M3 now but I started questioning cost so I scrapped the idea for now and got a 330.

For me, I used to rag my old 1.4 about everywhere and get low 30s mpg, 40+ when being sensible. I drive my 172 with a mixture of lead foot and sensibility on A and B roads at all times of the day and get mid 30s without trying. Motorways, at 65/70 I've heard it's around 40ish mpg, the other day my trip (no idea how far off they are) was saying 35/36 at, shall we say, 8.5-9.5 mph

 

[m1key]

ah thats great vish. thats my kind of driving, and i think thats reasonable mpg. and its not that im so much questioning it. its because when i talk about getting one people just suck in a big huge breathe and say itll cost ya! and im like will it? so its made me worry now about it. and because i dont know anyone who has a RS clio i cant ask them what its like and compare etc. thanks for the great feedback

 

[alex-avfc]

You work part time, you say you can justify the insurance, I say why not. A lot of people on here are sceptical and negative and will tell you that you can't afford to run one based on assumption!

 

[JCC]

Don't worry about the fuel cost side of things. I had a 1.2 Clio then moved onto a 172 which was a bit more powerful/thirsty than average and I barely noticed a difference in fuel costs (that's even though I ran the 172 on super only) probably due to the fact when you're driving at a normal pace the engine uses a lot less effort to move at a decent rate compared to the 1.2.

If you can afford the extra in tax/insurance/tyres/brakes and accept that it is an old french hatchback (so it will most likely break at some point) then go for it, you'll love it every time you get to open it up when the roads are quiet.

 

[poopipe]

insurance is the only unusual cost as far as i can see - if you can pay that then why not?

fwiw I got 43mpg (worked out properly) average from my ph2 going from manchester to cambridge carrying 2 grown ups and 4 computers with monitors/keyboards etc in the boot - I spent most of the trip at a little over 70.

 

[m1key]

:approve: thats settled then! god im glad i got some support on here

 

[black_sunrise]

Im currently doing an eco run on this tank as im skint until the 25th. Ive had a mixture of A & B roads and town driving and im currently getting 38mpg. Bear in mind thats going very steady and changing <3000RPM and hardly changing gear.

at a constant 65mph on the motorway i got 43mpg.

if im driving normally with some spirited driving ill see about 30-31mpg.

tbh, you cant ask for more than that with the size of the engine and how quick they actually can be.

 

[Mells]

running an rs costs no more than a 1.2

i used to drive like a knob in my 1.2 and got 38mpg . now i drive sensibly in the 172 and guess what? i still get 38 mpg.

f**king lol! Best thing I've read all day that!

lolz. Your trip computer must be broken.

 

[kristian]

Mpg isn't a issue, I average over 40mpg and on the way to get my cambelt done I got 48mpg, some people on here really must be heavy footed even when they say there on a Eco run.

 

[DrR]

I get bored driving slowly

 

[realnumber 1]

You only get 48mpg doing silly slow motorway speeds. For most in reality it's 38-40 on the motorway, 30-34 general. Still very good though. Parts such as tyres, disks and pads etc are not bad compared to other similar paced hot hatches.

 

[Ms_Technical]

I've banged my head against a brick wall because of cars I cant afford the upkeep of over the years. The last one being my beloved RS2K.
Good luck with getting a 172. If you're not working or earning enough to pay the upkeep you will have headaches when things go wrong. Even with me being a mechanic the prices of parts can be a killer, especially if the car is a special number.
But, when I think of the money Ive spent on cars, and how Ive gone without other stuff to have cars that are beyond my means, it was all worth it

 

[Stacemeister]

Don't forget they run on the expensive fuel too

 

[Goodj]

the 1X2's should be a better m-way cruiser, seeing as they wont be destroying themselves just trying to hold pace with the traffic.

Have you considered a decent-spec Diesel? Cheaper on all fronts, especially for those long-haul drives. Sure, it wont be an RS (even if you were to waste a skip-load of money making it a rep), but it'll have decent enough pep for the daily grind

 

[realnumber 1]

Don't forget they run on the expensive fuel too

Mine doesn't!

 

[Spee]

Mine must be broken, i got 33MPG on the way back from Oulton Park yesterday :dapprove: that was sitting at 75.

Yep! Something wrong there!

 

[Spee]

You only get 48mpg doing silly slow motorway speeds. For most in reality it's 38-40 on the motorway, 30-34 general. Still very good though. Parts such as tyres, disks and pads etc are not bad compared to other similar paced hot hatches.

I'm currently getting a properly worked out average of 40.3 mpg combined (140 miles motorway, 48 miles morning B road commute a week). Drive well (stay off the brakes, react early to situations by lifting off etc) you'll get similar. Tank it, you'll get the 32mpg I was getting when I first got the Cup! I've just mapped mine with the RS Tuner, noticeable gains on the trip computers MPG indication so we'll see what that works out to in the real world!

G

 

[realnumber 1]

I'm currently getting a properly worked out average of 40.3 mpg combined (140 miles motorway, 48 miles morning B road commute a week). Drive well (stay off the brakes, react early to situations by lifting off etc) you'll get similar. Tank it, you'll get the 32mpg I was getting when I first got the Cup! I've just mapped mine with the RS Tuner, noticeable gains on the trip computers MPG indication so we'll see what that works out to in the real world!

G

I know how to drive smoothly thanks!
I would expect to get those figures doing said journey but if just doing short journeys to work and shops etc you wont.

 

[slob]

£900 seems alot with four years no claims unless you have points i am assuming, cause i pay £680 with 2 years no claims with admiral but i am 24 i suppose. In september i also had a 1.2 clio and i always wanted a 172 ect since i was learning so i bit the bullet and went and go one (was drinking in the pub on autotrader on my iphone and phoned a guy). I am only paying a couple hundered a year more on insurance which is well worth it. The tax is a bit of a pain being £240 a year> The main thing is the fuel as already stated above, drive normally and the fuel is not bad at all when commuting on B roads or motorways unless your ragging it obviously, even compared to the 1.2. No where as good but by all means NOT bad. Its town driving which is the killer, which i mostly do ie stop start putting the foot down in frustration to the next lights 300 yards away and the fuel just drops. I would say go for it mate for the extra money you pay you will enjoy the driving expeirience alot more compared to those 1.2s. I would reckon i pay 35% more to own a 172 0n the 1.2 but its worth it!!!

 

[m1key]

do they have to be driven on the premium fuel or will the other normal fuel be sufficient enough?

and yeah it is alot, but i am 21 and a student so the bloody insurance companies just rape you, plus where i live is'nt the poshest area of the country in all honesty lol! and yeah thanks slob for the advice! i think i am going to go for it as soon as i get rid of mine! i am just sick of the lack of speed and response from my little car now, it was grand when i just passed but now its a nightmare and just has no power.

 

[jack_kemp]

do they have to be driven on the premium fuel or will the other normal fuel be sufficient enough?

and yeah it is alot, but i am 21 and a student so the bloody insurance companies just rape you, plus where i live is'nt the poshest area of the country in all honesty lol! and yeah thanks slob for the advice! i think i am going to go for it as soon as i get rid of mine! i am just sick of the lack of speed and response from my little car now, it was grand when i just passed but now its a nightmare and just has no power.

Standard fuel is absolutely fine mate. They don't really need any special treatment as such. As long as you keep on top of the servicing, it will treat you well

 

[m1key]

ah decent!! thats what i was hoping! im looking to spend approx £2500 on one, depending on how much i get for my 1.2 will i get a tidy ph2 172 for that?

 

[Matt W]

98 is recommended

 

[DrR]

98 is recommended

No it's actually "recommanded"

 

[cander08]

if u really want one mate just do it , decent mpg loads a fun and there aint much that can touch it for the price

 

[m1key]

is there anything specific i should look out for when looking at one, test driving one?

 

[m1key]

and the trouble with a diesel is yeah they are better for fuel, but they arent as fast, sound no where near as good, and they cost more to buy initially than a petrol car imo