Automatics?And a few other things.

[foggy21]

Hi Folks,

Ive just sold my clio 172 and im after something a bit better built that still retains the same fun factor.
It seems i can get a 80-110k A3 1.8T for between £1700 and £2500 which is my current budget,however alot of them seem to be automatics,ive never had an auto as i think they might dilute the driving experience somehow,am i right to rule out all automatics?

Also id be planning on remapping it (seems to be the done thing after some quick scanning of the forums!) and i see REVO quote figures of just over 200bhp for a stage 1 remap costing around £400,does anyone have any thoughts or even experience when it comes to comparing a 200bhp A3 to a standard clio 172?Im hoping for some really nice low down/mid range torque that throws you back in your seat!

Thanks for reading and im looking forwards to getting to know folks around here!

 

[finesse]

Welcome,

For £2500 you can get a decent and looked after 1.8t manual with good a spec.

Don't get auto, just be patient and you'll get the one. You need to establish what you are looking for
age
mileage
colour(s)
Interior
Toys(climate control, heated seats, sunroof etc)


Revo and Custom code are favored on here, look on their sites for tuning figures.

No idea on comparing a tuned 1.8t to a Clio 172, someone will elaborate.



ps I fancy a Clio Sport, what are they like?.

 

[JD09]

**** and fall apart, don't buy one.


You will be amazed at the difference between your Clio and the Audi. I had mine for too long. Should have upgraded sooner. What phase did you have?

JD

 

[finesse]

**** and fall apart, don't buy one.

The Clio or the automatic box? lol

 

[JD09]

The Clio.

I had three new engine wiring looms in the first 6 months of ownership. I should have taken heed of this and ditched it. But noooooo, one clutch, new top mounts, new suspension, new ECU, new headlights, new interior bits that failed, new exhaust, new bearings every 6k miles, 4 new horns, thousands of fuses, a new throttle body, a new coil pack . . .

People say I had a "bad one". Check Cliosport.net, millions of technical threads, day in day out.

I will NEVER go back to Renault.

 

[finesse]

The Clio.

I had three new engine wiring looms in the first 6 months of ownership. I should have taken heed of this and ditched it. But noooooo, one clutch, new top mounts, new suspension, new ECU, new headlights, new interior bits that failed, new exhaust, new bearings every 6k miles, 4 new horns, thousands of fuses, a new throttle body, a new coil pack . . .

People say I had a "bad one". Check Cliosport.net, millions of technical threads, day in day out.

I will NEVER go back to Renault.

Sounds like reading this forum...............

 

[JD09]

It's the same with any forum, what will people post? Issues that need sorting. It could put you off any car.

The fact is, Renaults have very poor build quality, but are therefore very cheap in terms of bang for buck. The car handled like it was on rails. But my S3 feels like it's going 30 at 90. The Clio was the other way around.

 

[foggy21]

Cheers folks,

For the money theres nothing out there as fun to drive as the clio other than maybe an mx5,it handles like its on rails and pulls well,very chuckable,however the build quality lets it down and you tend to get lots of niggly problems that end up driving you mad.

Ive been looking for a3s on autotrader and pistonheads,is there anywhere a little more specialist(other than the for sale section on here!) as id rather buy one from someone who is an enthusiast.

Im looking for silver or black preferably with as low miles as possible,toys are a nice added bonus but id choose condition/mileage over spec.

 

[mk1chopper]

My sister owns a 182, another friend owns a 182, 3 friends have had 172 and none of them have had any problems in the several years of ownership, one even took his on several track days. The build quality and materials used on the audi is better but they have there fair share of problems, some due to cheap design (window regulators). The clio is quicker and a better handling car, you will have to spend money upgrading the suspension on the A3 to get it anywhere near the level of the clio. With a remap its power will be more usable than the clio having more torque lower down. Interms of comfort the audi wins hands down but you'll struggle to find something as fun as the clio. If your looking for a fun to drive well spec'd car for 2.5k have you looked at BMW E36 328is coupes? http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1543905.htm http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1569503.htm http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1507369.htm

 

[JD09]

You are not likely to get anywhere near the handling of the Clio. The chassis is excellent, hence the common term "mine would have it in the twisties" on Cliosport.net.

However, they do break and break a lot. Regardless of me having a "bad one", my experiences were mirrored by a lot of my fellow Cliosporters. Regardless of how the cars are driven, cheap parts are more likely to go wrong.

Having said that, cheap parts also mean they are great for track day cars. Light, great handling and easy to replace parts. My Clio was bolt on/off with most parts.