Questions and opinions please.

[ekomyman]

Hey guys I'm new here and i need a new car.

After my last few being VW GTi's I’m over the squeaks , rattles and thing's breaking and falling apart.

I was planning to buy a Hyundai i20 and drive it for a year until the Clio 4 RS arrives.

Not sure if I could do a dual clutch car tho … I like my manuals.

 

I’m kinda stuck as what to do.. I do about 40km a year for work so the car will get driven.

I really Like Recaros so I think it’s a must. Unless someone wants to sell me theirs =P

So Im looking at an A&D Clio with leather recaros for 36k new

Or a Red Bull RS265 for 47k

Or a Cup trophee 2nd hand, It seems there is heaps between 34k -38k with really low km’s

Or a rs200 2nd hand 25k – 28k with low kms.

 

Now Ill lose money on the car with the kms I do so im leaning towards used. But knowing nothing about Renaults, should I be looking out for anything on either?

I know they are 2 totally different classes of car. I have driven the Megane and love it. The rs200 maybe slow compared to what I'm used to but that doesn’t mean it wont be fun.

My main concerns ATM: How much fuel do they use in the real world?

Which will last longer and cost less to maintain? turbo or NA ??

I normally get a new car every 4 years so It'll have 160 on it then.

 

 

 

Mark =)

[walkie86]

Welcome Mark,

 

Moved this to the newbie section for you.

 

I'd be looking at a second-hand RS250 Trophee (with 18s for cheaper tyres) if I were you.

 

The matte paint on a 200 A&D won't like seeing that much road time, methinks, and overall it sounds like you'd be better off with a used car that's already taken a depreciation hit given the kms you're going to add!

 

The newer Meganes seem to be the best screwed-together Renaultsports so far too, though you should check them out as the interior is not rated as highly as the VWs my many people.

 

Good luck.

[rob 240]

i'd go NA for big klms and get a 200 but not with matte paint for big usage with bugs n stones flying about

 

this is funny as walkie has NA and i have turbo and we've reversed the recommendations

[steve11]

Welcome,

First things first, with due respect the RS200 will crap all over the VW GTí's your used to (in all areas except a straight line) so forget about it being slow.

Now given that your obviously used to riding the torque of turbo engines rather than reving a hi performance N/A engine to 7800rpm your probably going to prefer a 265/250.

The RS200 is a more hardcore track orientated drivers car, not really a car with commuting big k's in mind (it is capable of it but thats not what it's built for).

The RS265/250 whilst a true RenaultSport drivers car, being turbo'd has plenty of torque available low down meaning effortless cruising which is much more suited to your high mileage needs imo.

Like all turbo cars fuel economy is directly related to your right foot but i wouldn't expect it to be much worse than what your used to (RS cars are much more driver focused than VAG products though so you are probably going to drive it harder).

Given the big k's your going to do i'd go for a used RS250 (doubt you'll get a 265 used) with at least 12 months warranty still left on it.

Good luck with it.

[xx777]

I love my A&D, but I'd probably go for a well looked after 2nd hand non-A&D. Trust me, you do NOT want the matte paint. It's a total ball-ache. The 18's also make the ride a bit former than most will tolerate.

 

Can't offer you much on the Clio vs Megane comparison, as I've not driven a 250 or 265.

[Homerlovesbeer]

Lol at the ball ache comment. I'd look for a used RS250.

[ekomyman]

Thanks guys ,, Ive never owned a high revving NA ..14 Turbos to date... but have driven integra R's and the like... it would take getting used to..

 

Now for a bit more Info i Live 400m from broadford race track so either car will get some track time.

 

I have always serviced and fixed my own cars ,, recently did both engine mounts a CV joint and timing belt / water pump.. I know my way around a car.. Is there anything thats a problem with the 250's that i should check out ?

 

my last VW got 500km from 40L ..... will the 250 or 200 likely be closer to that?

 

I think Ill be buying a 250 cup trophee to get recaros but dont want the 19's ... anywhere easy to sell them and get the 18's?

 

 

Mark

[steve11]

I think Ill be buying a 250 cup trophee to get recaros but dont want the 19's ... anywhere easy to sell them and get the 18's?

Mark

 

On this forum in the For Sale section.

I'd reckon there's a chance somebody on here would be keen to swap their 18's for your 19's.

Think you need a certain amount of posts before you can access it though ?.

[BLKRS250]

Lol at the ball ache comment. I'd look for a used RS250.

And you happen to know where one might be???

[BUSGO]

Hey ekomyman.. I'm in Albury and drive a 2010 RS200 Cup Trophee. I do heaps of miles in my car and I love it. Especially in and around the mountains and river roads. My car has nearly 44,000 on the clock and never uses any oil. I ave 8.6l/100k between around town, open fwy and country road driving and this Clio cruises beautifully at anything between 80 + to well over any speed limit in the world. The only issue that you might find with a 200 is the harsh suspension but I came from a Mini Cooper S that was even harsher and I have no trouble. In fact I don't think it is harsh but other owners do. The engine itself is an absolute gem and cruises smoothly. There is no other car I have ever driven that urges you to go hard more than the Clio and it rewards driving the torque curve right up to redline rather than banging through the gearbox.

[onurbmil]

When I used to drive lots of country highway, I did 7.8L/100km for my RS250. Now in more suburbian traffic but more or less against traffic so less bumper to bumper (still with annoying traffic lights) I get 8.7-9.0L/100km depending on how much driving. I do squirt at almost every traffic light (except when cold).. always NUMBER 1 to 80km/h!!!!

[onurbmil]

Oh and things to worry about - I think the most annoying thing for me would be the window/door creaking, silicon spray helps for a few weeks. Also, getting parts for a repair might be a problem (depending on who you send it to). But I can say for sure I am happy with the build-quality. Materials used is much better than some Japanese cars and so far I only get rattles on country roads (all the cars I've driven on the country road have rattles, so its mainly the road). Now that I'm city based, I've only heard one rattle in the past 2 months.

[chiapoco]

Hey mate welcome

 

the MegIII (250s) have been out on the market for a few years and as such a few nice deals have come up on carsales for 250 trophees for low $40k .. pretty sure I'd seen one in the high 30s with an average of 15-30k kms on the dial. If you're looking at a Megane, a second hand cup trophee will probably see you find a better deal sooner rather than later. The difference between the 265 / 250 isnt all that much and you can save yourself quite a bit of coin as well as avoiding that massive depreciation hit. A lot of the issues with the MegIII 250 are fairly cosmetic like rubber window surrounds on the corner of the rear quarter windows, the heat shield in the diffuser being bent up in the middle, etc. My salesperson did mention that the 250s suffer engine mount problems down the line but there hasnt been any issues with the forum members from what I can tell

 

cant say much on the Clio front!

 

goodluck

[griffyn]

Try 'em both, see what you have more fun in

[nemz]

Welcome mate!

 

As above, see which suits you better - they are different in character after all. I can tell you that I struggle to get below 10l/100km around town in my RS 200 but that could just be my driving style.

 

As much as I love the car, the ride can be quite firm on Sydney roads. While it's fine for me, I'd recommend test driving one to see for your self.

 

Good luck with the decision and hope to see you in a RS soon.

[chiapoco]

Just to add. Driving around in suburban Sydney sees my average/100km around 11 or 12L

[Luna-tic]

Just to add. Driving around in suburban Sydney sees my average/100km around 11 or 12L

 

Same here. Being realistic, day to day driving (nonhighway), 11 or 12 is what you'd be looking at. I applaud anybody who gets under 10 while driving on Sydney's traffic infested roads.

[Danny]

I'm gonna be totally honest here. If you're complaining about rattles and squeaks in a VW, then a Renault of any sort is really going to tangle your titties. I'm not sayng I've had issues, but I'm easily pleased and don't pick at small niggles.

 

Some 250 owners do pick on minor stuff and do their own faces in over it. If you listen for squeaks and rattles, measure individual door shut lines, and look for things, you'll notice them. That's just in all honesty, there's a thread titled "what frustrates/annoys you about your 250" I suggest you read it thoroughly, and if you're still up for it, then the 250 is pretty much the best sports car at this price point.

[buddy]

Get a real renaultsport while they still make them.

 

 

Sent from the Internet.

[crownleyian]

After all the great opinions and if you want a bargain that will have an engine of a tank, just take one of the Clio 182 Cup's out of its misery!

There is even one with 60k km's costing 14k, great way to save money and have a ball!

 

You are going to be doing 40k after all, I wouldn't bother with anything above $20k, unless you really want something newish, but still it's a waste of money. And trust me the way you will fall in love with a Renault Sport it will break your heart seeing it devalue and get old very quickly.

[Tommo]

After all the great opinions and if you want a bargain that will have an engine of a tank, just take one of the Clio 182 Cup's out of its misery!

There is even one with 60k km's costing 14k, great way to save money and have a ball!

 

You are going to be doing 40k after all, I wouldn't bother with anything above $20k, unless you really want something newish, but still it's a waste of money. And trust me the way you will fall in love with a Renault Sport it will break your heart seeing it devalue and get old very quickly.

 

You mean $12990!

[ekomyman]

Thanks guys , Wow such a lot of info...

 

Well i have a brand new 250 Cup in blue with satnav, sunroof and bi-xenons on its way.... 2.9% made it worth it .. i can claim the GST back and the additional 5k deduction the ATO is giving made it much better to buy new.

 

My first question: How do i tell i have bi-xenons? ive never had them before.

Ill order a bluefin/superchip in the next few days ... But catback Milltek ... wheres best to get them?

RS265 black headlights ... will they fit?? where do i get them??

Any wreckers that might have recaros i can buy???

Can i buy and fit the gloss black trims from a RS265? and from where?

 

What else is a must do ?

 

Mark

[walkie86]

Congrats but I wouldn't say any of that is a "must do".

 

I'd be running the car in for a few thousand km before fiddling with ECU and exhaust.

 

Painting your trims would be cheaper than buying OEM 265 ones, I'd say.

 

Headlights will be expensive but don't see why they wouldn't fit. Wolf (member on here) is probably your cheapest source.

 

Enjoy the new beast when it arrives!

[Homerlovesbeer]

Kaesh has a blue fin superchips for sale

[onurbmil]

MAybe wait for your car to run in a bit before chipping it.

 

Bi-xenons in the 250 are projectors. The non-xenons have reflector lenses. The Xenon headlight assembly has a dark chrome finish, which looks good IMO, just not as dark as the black gloss finish in the 265. You can paint them yourself (or get someone to) if you really want to.

 

The cup standard seats are good, more comfy, just doesn't have a brand name on them

 

the exterior of the cup is gloss black in the rs250. If you mean the interior - that's another story...

[griffyn]

Xenons flicker/flash when turning on, so your main and dipped beam headlights should flick before quickly coming up to full brightness.

[bozz]

The Xenon headlight ... ...You can paint them yourself (or get someone to) if you really want to.

Really? Can you open the assembly?

 

Congrats on the purchase!

 

I've had mine for 17 months and done 57K kms - loved (almost) every single one of them

 

Trust you'll do the same!

 

Cheers,

bozz

[ekomyman]

I bought the car unseen interstate , Hope it arrives this week...

 

Dealer Says it has xenon's but the photos dont look like they have the darker surround.

 

Bozz, After 57k Whats your likes and dislikes ?? Any problems ? Whats the fuel average??

 

Can anyone suggest who i should call for insurance in Vic??

 

Cheers Mark

[griffyn]

Both 172 & 182 had xenons - the earlier car had the darker headlight mask.

[BLKRS250]

Cup's don't have xenon's unless it was special order

[griffyn]

Yes they did. The Aussie delivered 182s all came with xenons - but feel free to prove me wrong!

[ekomyman]

Cool well ill wait and see what I get .....

 

Now to find a trimmer in Melbourne to do the leather.. Or leather/alacantara.

 

Still looking for somewhere to order an exhaust..... Suggestions?

[BLKRS250]

Yes they did. The Aussie delivered 182s all came with xenons - but feel free to prove me wrong!

 

250 cups

[griffyn]

Fffphppthph... Damn.

 

Yep, wrong car on my part

[BLKRS250]

My scorpion cat back was cheap and good quality

[bozz]

Bozz, After 57k Whats your likes and dislikes ?? Any problems ? Whats the fuel average??

 

Cheers Mark

Congrats on the purchase!

Likes = driving it, looking at it, driving it

Dislikes = 10K service intervals, replacing tyres, the fact that I can't drive it 24x7

I average about 8.8l/100kms, but I also average 64km/h since I do 120kms of freeway and 40kms of open country driving each day. Some freeway crawl but mostly free flowing.

[BUSGO]

Hey, ekomyman, I really do suggest you have the car and see what really needs attention before you worry about upgrades. There is very little that will need your attention, including exhaust unless you just want noise and in that regard you can simply remove a silencer.

Having said that, you can certainly up the anti on a 250 with some work. I suggest you get a feel for the stock car first though.

[onurbmil]

Did you get a 250? If you have projector lights its Xenons (also has a darker smoked chrome surround). The cups came with reflectors (chrome surround). There are a fair few trophees going around (for the 250) that don't have xenons. Though I think vast majority do have the full fat (xenons, parkers and leather).

 

I'm averaging 8.7L/100km in MElbourne traffic (some start-stop against traffic and squirting at all the lights ) I do travel on the M1 and East link a fair bit on the weekends which helps keep the fuel down.

 

For me in the eastern suburbs its RACV which comes in at $1300, $600 excess.

[ekomyman]

Well i picked up my car today. Its unregistered atm as it came from interstate... Friday itl'l be registered.

 

I bought it with Bi-Xenons... picked it up from toll with no Bi-xenons... Dealerships getting back to me .

Can they be ordered and fitted ?? is it just a headlight replacement?? If not what are they worth as an option when buying the car.

 

It has the tom tom satnav which wont be too hard to learn to use..... Is there a way to display speed on the screen of the tomtom.. Every GPS ive ever seen does but i cant seem to turn it on.

 

After 100km im in love.... Im still curious to know what differance the tune makes.. My GTI feels faster off the line.

 

Cheers , Mark

[onurbmil]

I bought it with Bi-Xenons... picked it up from toll with no Bi-xenons... Dealerships getting back to me .

Can they be ordered and fitted ?? is it just a headlight replacement?? If not what are they worth as an option when buying the car.

 

They are about a $1.5k-$2k option, AFAIK. You can buy and fit them, but I'm not sure if the leveling/cornering functions & etc will work. Usually more expensive to retrofit. Best to get some Philips crystal vision bulbs if you are after the whiter look.

 

Not sure on the TomTom. Perhaps scroll through the menu to see if its anything like the standard stand alone units?

 

Have you driven the car in sports mode? It's much quicker of the line. When I test drove the GTI in DSG form, felt like that car was quite a fair bit slower!! Probably was about 2s slower to a 100 (why would VW put Bridgestone ER300s on a GTI?!?!?!)

 

Btw, congrats!

[rent a kill]

The car is French so it's not as simple as a headlight replacement ,lmao in my clio it's said you have to take off the bumper to replace the bulb. In the 225 your looking at an hour to replace the bulb if its your first time doing it

[BUSGO]

As far as your headlights go, Bi-Xenons should be obvious to see from stock globes and much brighter. However the stock headlights in my RS200 are quite good and I have done some nice night drives with the standard ones.

If you paid for the xenons, make sure you get them because they are worth having if you can. Best lights I ever had in any car were the bi-xenons in my Mini Cooper S.

 

I have a Go Cruise GPS from Aldi and it does not show current speed either

[Dave200]

I took a run down the coast yesterday and my average in the 200 was 6.9. I was giving it some at points as well

[Treza360]

The issue with retrofitting Xenons to the letter of the law will be making sure the auto-leveling and the washers are installed as well.

 

That said you don't need either of those if you're willing to risk the potential defect and fine. If you actually look after your car your housings should never get so dirty that you would need washers and if you get proper projector housings and use the stock 4300k bulbs and align them properly and check every six to twelve months they should never dazzle anyone, just use the manual level adjustment from the drivers seat if the car is heavily loaded. No matter what it doesn't really matter since every Honda Accord Euro manufactured with them blinds the crap out of anyone and everyone anyway and I've never seen anyone of them getting a fine.

 

The car is French so it's not as simple as a headlight replacement ,lmao in my clio it's said you have to take off the bumper to replace the bulb. In the 225 your looking at an hour to replace the bulb if its your first time doing it

For all headlight bulbs, my R32 was a bumper off affair, that or scratch the crap out of your hands if they were small enough. The manual actually said to take your car to the dealer to replace bulbs. So it's not just the French.

 

However the stock headlights in my RS200 are quite good and I have done some nice night drives with the standard ones.

Going from the Golf R32 with Xenons to the Clio 200 with stock projector to retrofitting Xenons, the stock 200 spread beams are pathetic. Maybe in comparison to other cars they're ok but unfortunately there's no going back for me anyway in relation to Xenons.

 

Cheers,

Trent

[ekomyman]

Well im waiting for the dealer to get back to me on the Bi- XEnons..

 

Can anyone recommend where to get Renault spec filters and oil?? Id like to keep my warranty.

 

I use a local guy which as never had problems with the turbo cars ive had .. ( CLosest dealer ships it 120km away)

 

So he should be fine stamping the books.

 

Also how to you reset the service light when the time comes??

 

Cheers Mark.

[m0nty]

I just bought the projectors from the A&D for my RB7 through our Renault dealership. I couldn't get parts at cost for you but in sure I could get at least trade.

 

I have 5l of ELF 5w30 SXR Evolution for sale if you're interested.

 

Can anyone recommend a good auto electrician who would supply and fit 4300k xenons in Sydney area?

[onurbmil]

Could you buy a HID kit with ballast and fit them in that way? At least it won't blind anyone in those HID projector housings (And honestly can't be worse even without levelling than an Accord Euro!!!!)

[Treza360]

I did all the fitting for the xenon retrofit my self. It's. not hard there's a thread on here on how to do it. When you buy the bulb kits you pick one with the same connectors as what the headlights have.

 

Ps. PM on its way.

 

Cheers,

Trent

 

klatapat aiv tneS

[ekomyman]

Id really like to buy say 5 filters and lots of oil so i have it on hand.. Would it be easier for a mate ( mechanic ) to buy it at trade straight from a dealership?? Anyone give me an idea as to what they are worth???

 

From what i am reading i can reset the service light with the stalk buttons? is this right??

 

Not sure what the dealer ship is going to say about the xenons??? Whats the likely cost of everything id need to fit it myself?

 

Mark

[griffyn]

Trade prices on filters from a dealer is really good. Oil can also be had from them, or anyone else - Caravelle in Melbourne will ship to you if you're desperate.