Clio 182 unbiased opinions

[Dany4494]

R 182z gud n fast coz I herd dey not as gud az vts ?

Basically i been saving up for a edition 30 but I don't feel like I want to spend that much want to go on holidays etc, so last night I was searching around and for performance to £££ there doesn't seem to be a better car that I can find, so I have a few questions ?

Coming from a dc2 obviously no LSD but what is the steering feedback like can you actually feel what's going on underneath you ?

Build quality this is my main concern I have always owned Hondas not saying they are built better they rattle like shit but they have bulletproof engines and give them a beating day in day out but maintain and service regular and they have never skipped a beat, it would be a daily car also so a FF option would probably be best for me, am I going to be spending more time fixing than driving ?

Everyone complains about the seating positions in clios and compares them to a bus what do people do to fix this ?

Half of me thinks I should just buy another b18 but I have owned too many now and fancy a change.

[Gandi699]

I own one and have done for the last 6 years so this is my opinion on them:

Mechanically they are actually quite tough, the engine (other than belts and keeping the oil fresh to look after the dephaser) shouldnt really give many problems after all its just a renault scenic/laguna unit with a worked on head fitted and how many of those suffer cars mentioned suffer abused daily. . Dont expect honda built quality as its not up to that benchmark but compared to lets say a VTS or 106 its a step up but its still going to be a rattle box make no mistake.
In regards to steering feel they are very good, you definitely can feel whats going on underneath you but obviously you'll want a car thats had recent steering components and suspension to full enjoy this.
You can drop the seat heigh by removing some washers from under the seats but I find the driving position fine, but then again seats are something only you can judge on as after all there are tonnes of after market bucket seats and whatever available should you wish to change them.
A 182 "full fat" as they are known is probably the best for the daily driver as you get more toys and better interior but its also more expensive to change the belts on but a 172 cup would be a good shout if you are after a driving experience akin to something like a 106 rallye - not exactly poor in comfort, I mean you get a heater lol but less driver aids and not many toys but the best "feel" as it weighs the least and has the same cup suspension setup as the 182 cup/full fat but realistically will you notice unless you drive it at 10/10ths all the time probably not. Hwoever the prices of the cups will be on the up soon as they become rarer as they are starting to reach that point.
Im going to discount the trophy here as its awesome but too much of a collectors car considering you will pay double the price of a normal 182 for a decent one.
With the above said a decently modified normal ph1/ph2 172 will be a match for the cars above, after all it really is splitting hairs between them.
Coming from the various hondas you've had I think you really need to drive a few to see if you like them, they offer similar things to your usual quick hondas in some areas but are wildly different in others.

[SimpleJoee]

I own one and have done for the last 6 years so this is my opinion on them:

Mechanically they are actually quite tough, the engine (other than belts and keeping the oil fresh to look after the dephaser) shouldnt really give many problems after all its just a renault scenic/laguna unit with a worked on head fitted and how many of those suffer cars mentioned suffer abused daily. . Dont expect honda built quality as its not up to that benchmark but compared to lets say a VTS or 106 its a step up but its still going to be a rattle box make no mistake.
In regards to steering feel they are very good, you definitely can feel whats going on underneath you but obviously you'll want a car thats had recent steering components and suspension to full enjoy this.
You can drop the seat heigh by removing some washers from under the seats but I find the driving position fine, but then again seats are something only you can judge on as after all there are tonnes of after market bucket seats and whatever available should you wish to change them.
A 182 "full fat" as they are known is probably the best for the daily driver as you get more toys and better interior but its also more expensive to change the belts on but a 172 cup would be a good shout if you are after a driving experience akin to something like a 106 rallye - not exactly poor in comfort, I mean you get a heater lol but less driver aids and not many toys but the best "feel" as it weighs the least and has the same cup suspension setup as the 182 cup/full fat but realistically will you notice unless you drive it at 10/10ths all the time probably not. Hwoever the prices of the cups will be on the up soon as they become rarer as they are starting to reach that point.
Im going to discount the trophy here as its awesome but too much of a collectors car considering you will pay double the price of a normal 182 for a decent one.
With the above said a decently modified normal ph1/ph2 172 will be a match for the cars above, after all it really is splitting hairs between them.
Coming from the various hondas you've had I think you really need to drive a few to see if you like them, they offer similar things to your usual quick hondas in some areas but are wildly different in others.

I would add something, but there's nothing to add.

For the money they sell for, you will struggle to find a better car out of the box for handling/performance and build quality. Test drive one, you may like them!

[Ben-James]

R 182z gud n fast coz I herd dey not as gud az vts ?

Basically i been saving up for a edition 30 but I don't feel like I want to spend that much want to go on holidays etc, so last night I was searching around and for performance to £££ there doesn't seem to be a better car that I can find, so I have a few questions ?

Coming from a dc2 obviously no LSD but what is the steering feedback like can you actually feel what's going on underneath you ?

Build quality this is my main concern I have always owned Hondas not saying they are built better they rattle like shit but they have bulletproof engines and give them a beating day in day out but maintain and service regular and they have never skipped a beat, it would be a daily car also so a FF option would probably be best for me, am I going to be spending more time fixing than driving ?

Everyone complains about the seating positions in clios and compares them to a bus what do people do to fix this ?

Half of me thinks I should just buy another b18 but I have owned too many now and fancy a change.

I've had a b18c6 EG and driven clio182 and ph1 172's on track. in all honesty I'd pick the ph1 172 any day of the week, lighter, no cruise control, ally bonnet as standard and in my opinion looks sportier.Made even better when you think you can pick a tidy low mileage one up for 900ish so plenty of monies leftover for the aftermarket. not the answer you were looking for i know

[ESD1711]

172/182

Best value for money out the box hot hatch you can buy.

A bold, but accurate claim.

[Gandi699]

Only downsides to the phase 1 for me at least are its harder to access the bolts for the cat which is a larger one than the 182s which are easier to get to. Also the gearbox will have a circlip holding the diff in which can be an issue as once it pops out replacements will generally do the same unless you weld it in. a 182 doesnt suffer from this as the diff was revised to use bolts insteads.
But then in a 182 you dont get a spare wheel or wheel well to keep it in so its swings and round abouts really. I have to say though I really like the look of a phase 1 in flame red or the exclusive green, more so than the ph2 172s in silver or something.
With clios the colour seems to affect the price a lot too, if you pick a common colour expect to pay a decent amount less than say if you wanted a liquid yellow 182.

[KamRacing]

I owned a Ph1 and I liked it a lot. The engine with the VVT is very linear and delivers a very capable punch but without the excitement the honda engines give..The chassis does really benefit from a stiffer rear spring and arb setup.
Tempted to get another one as a daily but am lacking funds lol.

I sell a lot of Renault parts so drop me a line if you get one and want to modify it...

www.kamracing.co.uk

[BUMMERS]

Try and find one which has receipt for recent dephaser pulley/cambelt done. It's expensive to get it changed, not really something you can do yourself either. I was about to pull the trigger on a ph2 172, 90k and recent belts done for £900 when a vts popped up locally for £350.