Clio 182 - Daily Option?!?

[16vsy]

So as per the title, I am need of a daily since my workplace has now changed and rather than being 5 minutes down the road which offered the luxury of being able to cycle to work and not worry how 'green and cuddly' my car was, it is now 18 miles away.


The commute is, it has to be said, pretty good and leaves Weston S Mare through the back lanes towards Cross, shoots over the A38 towards Cheddar and then winds its way through numerous villages on the A371 finishing up in Wells. No motorway, no towns, no stop start driving, I should add my shifts also mean no traffic either si it really is quite a lovely drive which takes in and around 30-40 mins.


So having owned a selection of cars over the years I have found myself in the position I guess not petolheads find the,selves in at some point. I have a passion for cars but due taking on a recent house project I cannot justify a 'large' (to me anyway) budget on a car. The thinking is that I need to find the right balance to fulfill my daily hack which can be exploited and enjoyed at 3am on the way home or 6am on the way to work, but also provide space for my wife and our 3 year old little girl. I have always had a love for the 182 and wondering whether this might be the time to own one?!?

I am not sure how the 182 would perform on this journey, how big is the tank and what sort of range does it return? Will it be comfy enough, iam pretty sure it will keep me entertained and have often thought how wonderful it would be to blat back home in a 182 after a hectic shift and arrive home buzzing about the drive rather than a crap day at work!


I have literally given myself brain ache considering the huge array of options and I am still struggling so hoping this story might strike a chord with a couple of you and some advice could be in the pipeline.....


Think that's it, really need some help with this as I keep hopping all over the place but know this decision needs to be right so I buy something that keeps me entertained at god awful hours of the day and night and same until I cam justify my next proper purchase when the house is finished.


Here's hoping!


Si

 

[bloke]

just shut up and buy one:rasp:

 

[Matt W]

Sounds like a 182 is the ideal choice then! Expect around 35mpg so quite good really.

 

[16vsy]

just shut up and buy one:rasp:

Lol! Asked for that really.......

 

[16vsy]

Sounds like a 182 is the ideal choice then! Expect around 35mpg so quite good really.

I am thinking it could be the right choice - my only concern is will the French pocket rocket take the mileage ok?

Si

 

[dano17439]

engine is solid if well serviced. mine is on 90k, been serviced every year and runs sweet. (incedentily in the classifieds cough cough ha ha)

 

[imprezaworks]

Great cars, I miss the 35 plus mpg lol

 

[Gaz_]

Keep it as standard as you can if its a daily. Set of eibachs, remap done. Noisy zorsts and hard coilovers grate on a daily.

 

[Darryl_1983]

I do a similar commute, roughly 16 miles to work with little traffic, but go through the town Centre to the gym most evening after work. I work 9 till 5 so worst of the traffic and I can still manage 30 - 35 mpg calculated on a full tank, depending on how heavy my foot is

I've had the on board computer reading 50mpg before on my way into work, no motorways, just country lanes taking it easy.

Do about 12k per year so servicing is bang on for the 1 year schedule.

Seats and seating position aren't the most comfortable on long journeys for me, though I'm quite tall and wider than most.

 

[Matthew]

I couldn't have another for a daily commute car for one reason.

The clutch. Used to give me a bad foot/knee.

 

[realnumber 1]

Keep it as standard as you can if its a daily. Set of eibachs, remap done. Noisy zorsts and hard coilovers grate on a daily.

OR Cooksports and the right exhaust!

If you have a 2nd family car then no question, do it. If not you might (but not necessarily) get pissed off with lack of room with the kid and s**t that goes with...
For the money there's still nothing that comes close to them for bang for buck/running cost/fun...

 

[Ex-User (99307)]

finishing up in Wells.

Whereabouts do you park in Wells? It's an utter nightmare at my place!

I was in the same position in early December, ended up buying my 172 as a daily. Couldn't be happier.

 

[msremmert]

I use mine as my daily and my place of work is about 14 miles away - but I have motorway in the middle so the car can settle into a reasonably efficient cruise. I enjoy my little 182. With a noisy exhaust and decat I imagine the drive would get infuriating though, especially after a long day.
Mine is on a set of eibachs and has a remap which really improved the driveability no end. Eibachs aren't quite as soft as the standard set up, but it keeps the drive interesting

 

[Dave H]

I used mine to go from Manchester to London/Edinburgh, pick up the shopping, commute to work, take a few birds out, move house, have fun in...the lot, and got around 38mpg. Its a perfect car IMHO


(ps, its for sale as I'm out of the country )

 

[16vsy]

Thank for all the input guys, really appreciate your experiences and opinions.

One thing - can you tell me what sort of range you get out of the tank, I have no idea of it's size so just working out the likely range to stank would be useful??

Not taking into account just fuel costs, it certainly makes a good case for itself - the other option being some sort of TDi which at higher mileages could wipe out any mpg advantage by something expensive like turbo/injectors/DPF of the like letting go.

Si

 

[markkram]

Tank is 45L if memory serves correctly.

I manage about 280 miles to a tank on average.

Hope that helps.

 

[Dan@SJM]

My gf VikkiB drives hers 45 miles a day commuting, and sees around 360miles a tank.

Tbh I have about 10/15 on my customer base on well over 100k, the usual suspension components wear out but that's it really.

 

[Stu_F]

I get just shy of 300 miles / tank. Use mine for 40 miles a day, some B roads and some dual carriageway. Such an entertaining commuting car

 

[Coops Mk1]

I use mine daily, 12 mile each way commute, I can pick to either trundle down an a-road or add 3 miles for the 'scenic' route (read thrash it round some awesome back lanes)

never mind worrying if the car can do the mileage, the 182 was built for exactly this kind of commute, its not mega comfy, never will be, but for a half hour to 40 mins commute who cares and it'll eat up the country lanes at pace, keep you grinning and if serviced well it'll do it all reliably and cheaply too.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Our last 172 did 150K miles and was still going strong our current 182 has 125K or so on it.

Mileage isnt a problem to them.

 

[.J.a.m.e.s.]

Depeneds how you drive these things, I usually average ab0ut 26mpg

 

[cat171]

Depeneds how you drive these things, I usually average ab0ut 26mpg

Yours must be broken then. I get more than that out of my vee!!

Also, my old man (who doesn't hang around) gets into the 40's in his 172.

 

[Darryl_1983]

Thank for all the input guys, really appreciate your experiences and opinions.

One thing - can you tell me what sort of range you get out of the tank, I have no idea of it's size so just working out the likely range to stank would be useful??

Not taking into account just fuel costs, it certainly makes a good case for itself - the other option being some sort of TDi which at higher mileages could wipe out any mpg advantage by something expensive like turbo/injectors/DPF of the like letting go.

Si

I got 350 miles out of a tank recently (36.71mpg), which was about £55 to fill @ 1.269p per litre. Mixed driving, but taking it pretty easy. Normally get anything between 280 and 320 out of £50 at the current rate of about 126.9p per litre.

I had a company Insignia diesel SRi (160bhp version) for a few months before getting the 182. Diesels make sense for smashing up and down the motorway, but anywhere else I prefer petrol power. Also I only got about 45 mpg (big heavy car though), so a drop of 10mpg average ish is a very small price to pay over the cousre of a year even at 12k miles that i do.

I did notice the clutch was very heavy compared to the insignia when i borrowed it again recently, but you soon get used to the clio clutch. It a non issue for me now. And with your journey not being stop and start traffic shouldn't be an issue either.

 

[Matthew]

Depeneds how you drive these things, I usually average ab0ut 26mpg

I've had three and averaged the same as you in all of them.

Mostly town driving.

 

[.J.a.m.e.s.]

Yours must be broken then. I get more than that out of my vee!!

Also, my old man (who doesn't hang around) gets into the 40's in his 172.

lol, i dont hang around eigther.. plus its always always very short journeys. I tested once and did 100 miles "sensible driving" and got 44 mpg

 

[Dan@SJM]

On the drive from somerset to Bedford Vikki averaged 48mpg!

 

[Bean5]

Really helpful thread, I too am strongly considering my first 182... I don't have quite a long commute as you as I only do 6-7k a year but every now an again I do a decent journey up to Manchester from stafford.

 

[imprezaworks]

Same milage as me ^. Great cars.