Clio RS 200 - honest opinion

[Alstar]

Hi guys

I'm seriously looking at purchasing a 2014- 2015 Clio RS 200 as their prices have fallen towards a $15k mark, with around 40-60k km on the odo; 

Reasoning behind it is: i have a $15 -$16k budget and i want a smaller car (tight parking spots where i live and work) that is practical (5 dr and a hatch - would need to drive kids and do shopping duties if needed), has a bit of a punch with an auto (wife would be occasional driver, so no manual) not too bad on fuel and still has some actual style and Clio RS 200 has caught my eye lately as it ticks all of those boxes;

Now, buying an European hatch with DCT, complicated electronics, high pressure,  direct injected, small capacity turbo engine outside of warranty can potentialy become a big financial burden.

What are your personal experiences with this model and is there anything i should look out for? I didn't find any particular horror stories with this model online, but i'm not sure if thats cause the number of owners is low or they haven't done the high mileage yet that would reveal some of these problems.

In terms of EDC, i understand its a dry clutch Getrag DCT (similar to PowerShift from Fiesta/Focus) unit and that software programming on the pre '16-'17 models can make clutch and gear engagement a bit sloppy in low speed driving and apparently this was mostly rectified in the later models with better EDC software, but these models will be outside my budget anyway, so how bad is that earlier EDC in everyday driving? Note: i used to drive Alfa 156 with selespeed (single clutch automated manual) so i understand the mechanical sympathy needed when driving these kinds of gearboxes. But more importantly, how reliable have they been so far for you?

Engine wise, i understand its got a timing chain instead of the belt, which is a good thing, but is this the case for all model years from when it was released in mid 2013? Also there is some talk that engine doesn't make the claimed 147kw and some experience quite lower power with no actual cause, has anybody come across  this?

Please, feel free to give me your honest opinions on this model

Thanks

[Deet]

I have owned a 2015 model for just over a year now and it has been fantastic

it’s been cheaper to service than my previous car, and hasn’t missed a beat

the EDC software can be upgraded to the latter firmware, so that isn’t an issue

they have no hidden demons, the engine has a timing chain so no need to worry about immanent service costs. All models have the same motor and gearbox, the trophy versions get a different turbo.

I had to do front brake pads and rotors on mine but most Euro cars seem to chew through them as well

In normal mode and in auto it’s fine in traffic, and won’t be an issue for your wife to drive. But when you want a bit of fun, select sport mode and flick to manual shift and the thing is a rocket. Corners like a dream and the brakes are amazing

If you find one, it has a good service history and drives well. Buy it

Edited 25, June 2019 by Deet

[No152]

Like others have said, they are a well-sorted and feature-packed small car that has few peers in the price point they can be had for.  And they are almost without doubt the best looking small car in the hot hatch fleet.

At the age you are looking, there are two variants and two trim levels.  Variants are the Sport and Cup, distinguished by the Cup's black wheels and red brakes where the Sport has silver for both of these.  Cup suspension is a little lower and firmer than Sport and it has 18 inch wheels instead of the 17's.  Trim level are the base model and the Trophy (which later became the Cup Premium).  This version has the leather seats with seat warmers, climate control and a better R Link system in the infotainment plus a number of minor other changes.  The Cup Trophy is the pick (in my view) and is a terrific place to sit and has all the sportiness that you will need in a small family-friendly hatch.  You will not pay much more for the full-fruit version, so go for that.  Liquid Yellow is the hero colour and is amazing in the shape of these great little cars.

Achilles heel in them are the EDC which can have transmission ECU issues, so check it isn't doing anything that seems odd when you drive, and especially has no shuddering or warning lights on the dash appearing anywhere.  Make sure the battery is in good condition because the EDC controllers are electrically operated and a failing battery can make it seem like EDC issues, and if there is a gearbox issue, it cannot be diagnosed properly without a very good condition battery.

The other issue, which is a much lesser problem, is the turbo inlet pipe which is a strange two-piece design that fails without warning when it goes.  Nothing catastrophic, but you will be limping along with no power when it happens back to your dealer where the replacement part is circa $700 to fix.  Aftermarket options exist, but doesn't help you much if the car is undriveable until you source a new one.

Overall, they are a very fun and economical car toy drive and have an exhaust growl that is up there with the best out of the box.

I'm not sure what Trophy 220's are going for, but one of them is a notch up again, with little improvements everywhere in the drivetrain (more punch, quicker gear changes and slightly more sporty suspension again), and more is always more, right?  Enjoy shopping, welcome to the forum, and we look forward to seeing you posting about your new ride soon!

[chris043]

From mid 2014 on through 2015 plus these had a 5 year warranty so you may be able to get one with some factory warranty left.

As others have said they are a great little reliable car. I bought mine new in 2014 and the only reason I traded it last year was to buy a vehicle more suitable to my 'maturing' years and the wife wanted an SUV.

Don't be too concerned with rumours about the EDC trannie as problems are rare if you service the car regularly.

I never had any problems with mine in 4 years and the only complaint I can think of is they tend to spray the front wheels with a lot of brake dust and I ended up buying a can of brake dust repellent spray which virtually eliminated this problem.

Edited 25, June 2019 by chris043

[eight]

I had couple of false neutrals but it was sorted out within first 10 000 km.
Rear shock absorber failed at about 25 000 km, that gave me reason for replacing shocks with B14s.
Recently I have replaced diverter valve with GFB DV+. Not that the original failed but the replacement is much better. Don't get the gearbox hesitation in city traffic.
I'm quite happy with this car.
I'm not aware of any systemic faults in this model. It got the quircks but you can live with them.

Sent from Tapatalk

[No152]

2 hours ago, eight said:

I had couple of false neutrals but it was sorted out within first 10 000 km.
Rear shock absorber failed at about 25 000 km, that gave me reason for replacing shocks with B14s.
Recently I have replaced diverter valve with GFB DV+. Not that the original failed but the replacement is much better. Don't get the gearbox hesitation in city traffic.
I'm quite happy with this car.
I'm not aware of any systemic faults in this model. It got the quircks but you can live with them.

Sent from Tapatalk
 

Compared to the little robotic Luigi changing gears in the Selespeed in the Alfa, the EDC will feel like a Ferrari in the gear changing department... 👍🤣

[Deet]

the one thing that i don't like about the Clio4 is the size of the fuel tank. 45L is just not big enough

[No152]

Apologies to the OP I accidentally posted in the other similar thread to this one.

[walkie86]