Review first published September 2008

The Look

The previous Clio was very stylish and unusual with its very distinctive rear window “bustle” and I feel that this look has actually been improved upon with this new model, still being cheeky with a lovely distinct bump to the rear.

I loved the round head lights and we did have a great colour – tempest, which is a wicked bright blue. The cloth interior was stylish with a simple dashboard. The controls are very easy to navigate while driving along. I love the idea of a starter button but this particular one does disappoint. Unlike the Honda Civic Type S which purred into action instantly, there is a slight delay and then an indistinct noise as the engine comes to life. I’d prefer an immediate response – it’s like the car can’t quite make it’s mind up!

Now that I understand the purpose of the credit card style key, I love it. We were puzzled with a previous car to what it was all about. But the fact that you can walk up to the car with the ‘key’ somewhere on your person and the car automatically unlocks is fantastic. All those times I’ve had my hands full of shopping or annoying, struggling children when a key like that would have made all the difference to my sanity. Likewise when you leave the car, and just have to press the button on the door handle to lock the car – marvellous.

The feel

I feel it’s an unfair comparison, but after driving the Renault Grand Espace, the poor Clio seemed rather thin. I felt as if there wasn’t much between me and the road, which I suppose is true to a certain extent. The interior had a slightly plasticky feel to it and I did wonder what extras I was getting compared to the basic Clio which comes in at £8,995. Top of the range is the Initiale which has a leather lined interior and comes in at just over £15,000. While this car was not test-driven, if I had £15,000 to play with there’s a lot of choice out there.

The Drive

We have a great deal to say about the drive, and just hope it doesn’t reflect our driving abilities! As it affected us all in a similar way, I think not.

It took me quite a while to get used to driving this car – to the point where I felt I was a learner again and not someone who has been driving for nearly thirty years in different countries in a wide range of cars. I didn’t exactly kangaroo, but it wasn’t far off on more than one occasion. I was constantly revving too much and couldn’t seem to find the right gear. Trying to make smooth progress around town I found impossible, especially when in second gear in slow moving traffic. But it did feel very nippy and powerful, with good acceleration and light steering. There just seems to be a certain “snatchiness” when coming on and off the accelerator in town. We’ve driven an auto and that obviously solves the problem completely.

I decided to take myself and my eldest son to take it for a spin up the M1 on a Sunday evening once Corrie was over, although he did have to be bribed. It actually flew up the first five junctions and cruised very nicely in sixth gear with plenty of power in reserve. It was quite a blowy evening but the car did not feel as if it was being buffeted around at all. It didn’t struggle at that speed and the gear-changes were smooth and satisfying – unlike those lower gears around town. Having been used to larger cars I was pleasantly surprised at how safe and stable the car felt even when overtaking larger vehicles.

Others have complained of the brakes feeling spongy. They felt fine to me but apparently I’ve been driving around with contaminated brake fluid in my car so anything would be an improvement!

I felt it was quite an achievement once I could drive this car without searching for the right gear and juddering along and I grew to really enjoy nipping around town.

Storage and space

Having five doors does make this car more versatile for carrying passengers, children etc. I wouldn’t want to go on a long journey with five people in the car, but then it is a supermini and you’d buy something larger if you regularly carried lots of people. Neighbours of ours have a similar-sized car and often go on holiday abroad with their two kids and don’t see what the fuss is all about. As I am a panic packer (pack everything just in case) it wouldn’t suit me. My neighbour has obviously got it down to a fine art. I definitely need some tips from her.

Cost

I would class this car alongside the Peugeot 207 for space and curb-appeal. Having had a little go in a 207 I felt it was a good comparison. The looks are quite different, but both nice in their own ways and come in at around the same price.

Safety

The Clio has two front airbags, two front lateral airbags and two front/rear  curtain airbags and Euro NCAP have given it a 5 star rating for adults.

There are ISOFIX mounting points and the front airbag can be disconnected to allow a child to sit safely in the front seat. It has an Electronic Stability programme (ESP) which helps to control the stability of the car if a sudden manoeuvre has to be carried out or if there is poor grip or irregular road surface. It also has ABS anti-lock braking system with EBD which helps the driver to remain in control if there is the need for sudden braking.

Summary

The Clio has a huge reputation, especially with us Brits. So perhaps we were giving it too much to live up to? Don’t get us wrong; it’s a great little car. Well-made, stylish, powerful and reasonably-priced. Shouldn’t cost too much to run either. We were disappointed with the jerky drive around town though and the vague gearbox, both of which conspired to make it harder to drive than it should have been. On faster roads though, the Clio was rock-steady, powerful and felt very safe.

Personally if I had one less child and they were a tad younger I’d buy one, but I’d get the auto…