"slipperysallylikespenguins" (slipperysally)
11/07/2019 at 13:28 • Filed to: None
5
18|
"slipperysallylikespenguins" (slipperysally)
11/07/2019 at 13:28 • Filed to: None | 5
| 18 |
I recently returned from a trip to Croatia where I rented a Renault Clio from Sixt. The process with Sixt was very easy and affordable, I would use them again. They had a strange policy where they wanted us to return the car with an empty as tank as possible. I think they said it had something to do with taxes.
I always get the smallest class available when driving in Europe, I would be terrified driving a large car/truck through the cities. There were times when my Clio was almost too big for some streets/parking.
Drivetrain: This car has a petrol engine and 5 speed manual. I’m not sure on the engine size but itwas never lacking for power, and 5 speeds is the perfect number for this car. I avoided toll roads and stuck to small country roads so I mostly used 2-4 gears. For such a small engine it had plenty of power for passing all the slow tourists and busses.
Ride & Handling: I’ve never cared much for fwd, this car makes me reconsider that. I pushed it hard through the mountain roads and barely ever got a whiff of understeer or torque steer. The chassis was well balanced and rotated better than almost any car I’ve driven in the past few years. Steering feedback was better than expected. The ride was decently quiet and comfortable.
Interior: The interior was very basic as I expected but a pleasant place to be. The seats were better than anything I’ve driven in a long time. Even better than those in a Porsche Boxster I rented earlier this year. They were well bolstered and very supportive with fantastic lumbar support. The seats were all manual, which I find way easier to get comfortable with. The steering wheel was great and the gauge cluster easily visible. There was an abundance of interior charging options.
I do have a few gripes with the interior though.
1. No button anywhere to change the radio station as the passenger, only the touchscreen. They have buttons for it on the wheel.
2. The tachometer and fuel gauge are the only two physical gauges, everything else is done with idiot lights.
3. The glare from the dashboard and the drivers side dash vent in the mirror was constantly obnoxious. I noticed this in a Rav4 recently as well. Stop putting shiny shit on the dashboard!
4. I hate keyless start. I find it to be more annoying than ever using a key was. Just to put down the windows I have to turn the car on for a second and then turn it off to get accessories to work vs. just turning a key to the correct position. The key fob that comes with the Renault is a joke.
5. The cup holders were small, with one being smaller than the other. Definitely can’t fit a big gulp in there.
Not my picture.
The offending vent ring that was constantly present in the mirror.
Other things of note:
1. The color is fantastic. These red Clios were every where. I like the design too, fairly simple and curvy. Not too many unnecessary details.
2. The low beams weren’t very good, but the high beams were fantastic. Driving around almost every night in Croatia, I only got blinded by an oncoming car once. So much better than in the states.
3. Fuel consumption was fantastic. I drove a little over 2100km and averaged 5.5l per 100km. I was very happy with that considering fuel is expensive and I was driving pretty aggressively almost all of the time and that is with never using the eco setting.
4. Luggage space was great with a covered hatch area.
Overall 8/10, I would love to rent one again. I expected to get a Fiat 500 but this showed up instead, probably for the better. Maybe I’ll have to try out one of the hotter Clios at the Nurburgring someday.
PS: Don’t let a fire extinguisher roll around in your hatchback for a week, it will eventually pop when driven aggressively.
MrSnrub
> slipperysallylikespenguins
11/07/2019 at 13:36 |
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These are nice looking. I thought this was the new one until I saw the interior. The new version gets a significant upgrade inside:
Though the screen is rather odd.
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slipperysallylikespenguins
> MrSnrub
11/07/2019 at 13:44 |
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I thought I had a newer one too considering it only had 3k KM when I picked it up. That looks much nicer except I don’t like the big screen or the digital gauges. The rest looks great though.
CB
> slipperysallylikespenguins
11/07/2019 at 13:53 |
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Hold up, you need to explain that fire extinguisher thing.
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slipperysallylikespenguins
> CB
11/07/2019 at 14:07 |
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I assume it was a safety requirement, but there was a small fire extinguisher placed loosely in the “trunk.” I kept planning on securing it better but kept procrastinating ( I was on vaca tion after all.) The last day of the trip on the way to the airport the pin popped out and it emptied at least half of it’s contents. Found a car wash with a vacuum and proceeded to airport.
TheRealBicycleBuck
> slipperysallylikespenguins
11/07/2019 at 14:13 |
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“2. The tachometer and fuel gauge are the only two physical gauges, everything else is done with idiot lights.”
My first truck only had a speedometer and fuel gauge. Knowing when to shift
was a matter of
paying attention to the engine noise and vibration.
thejustache
> slipperysallylikespenguins
11/07/2019 at 14:15 |
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I had one that same color for a rental in Ireland last year, except in RHD. I planned to write a review (to the point where I did a photoshoot in a parking garage before returning it).
My impressions were similar - well put together, nice seats, easy on the eyes. I thought it handled pretty well too. Where we differ is on how much power it felt like it had. I suppose it’s possible I could have gotten an even lower-spec model. I believe the base engine has all of 75hp? The 5 speed helps, but can only help so much.
I had an Opel Corsa rental the year before and much preferred it and it’s 99hp. It felt a little cheaper perhaps, but always eager to go. The pedals worked well for heel/toe and it was very friendly and tossable on some very fun roads. I liked them both, and if I had the ability to buy either in the US I’d take either one as a commuter, but I felt like I bonded way more with the Corsa. At the end of a week with both I was sadder to be done driving it. I do think the Clio was a sharper car though, and I bet a hot vers ion would be close to perfect
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CB
> slipperysallylikespenguins
11/07/2019 at 14:15 |
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Holy balls.
CompactLuxuryFan
> slipperysallylikespenguins
11/07/2019 at 14:20 |
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For cars with keyless start I think it’s standard to have the “accessory” position be hitting the start button without your foot on the brake. You don’t have to actually start the engine to achieve that. That’s also how it works with late-’00s - early ‘10s BMWs and Minis where you have a start button but you still have to insert the fob in a slot.
DutchieDC2R
> slipperysallylikespenguins
11/07/2019 at 14:20 |
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Theyve been using that keyfob for at least ten years already.
Also, yay Croatia!!!
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slipperysallylikespenguins
> thejustache
11/07/2019 at 14:35 |
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I’ve planned on reviewing the last 5 rental cars I had, this is the first I’ve actually done.
I may have had a more powerful engine. I looked it up on Wikipedia and it showed a 14.5 second 0-62 time for the 75hp version. Mine definitely wasn’t that slow. It probably helped that I never was going that fast to begin with due to the twisty roads I stayed on.
I do think I would notice a lack of power if I were to drive it in the US. The roads here just demand more power. I would love to try more euro hatchbacks, even the base ones are way more exciting than we get, except the VW UP! I rented a few years ago. That wasn’t great.
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slipperysallylikespenguins
> CompactLuxuryFan
11/07/2019 at 14:37 |
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I tried that as it seems logical and it didn’t work. I’m not used to such things though so I may have done it wrong.
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slipperysallylikespenguins
> TheRealBicycleBuck
11/07/2019 at 14:39 |
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Same here, except I learned on an old motorcycle that just had a speedometer. I just had to go by feel. I think that’s a good lesson for anyone driving a manual.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> slipperysallylikespenguins
11/07/2019 at 14:52 |
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Listening and feeling your vehicle is a lost art. Mainstream cars these days try to insulate the driver from the driving experience.
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slipperysallylikespenguins
> TheRealBicycleBuck
11/07/2019 at 15:01 |
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That’s what I like about having a gauge for oil pressure, voltage, and water temp. You can keep an eye on them and diagnose on the fly.
Kar Wai Wong
> slipperysallylikespenguins
11/07/2019 at 16:18 |
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You’re in luck!
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slipperysallylikespenguins
> Kar Wai Wong
11/07/2019 at 16:44 |
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Ooh I like that, is that just a lower trim?
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Kar Wai Wong
> slipperysallylikespenguins
11/07/2019 at 17:17 |
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Yes, but not the lowest:
EveryFearSong
> slipperysallylikespenguins
11/14/2019 at 07:34 |
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5. The cup holders were small, with one being smaller than the other. Definitely can’t fit a big gulp in there.
16 oz of slivovitz is enough for anyone