Clio 197 vs Corsa VXR

Fifth gear shout-out: Clio 197 vs Corsa VXR

[@iPawU]

Used to own a Clio 197. It's the only car I regret selling. Fantastic car

[@candidcars]

TIff doesn't half rag them, what a great driver

[@iDoodlePoop]

The Clio looks nice on the outside, but the inside looks more dated than a saxo vtr!

[@benmatheson1189]

Yeah shame renault forgot about that even my celica has nice racing leather seats - they could have put some recardo bucket seats in or something

[@goodnick5266]

@@benmatheson1189 Recaros are an extra mate!, like on mine ;)

[@rhysowen5595]

Agreed. I love my 197 on the outside, but the interior lets it down. The seats are nice, but the dashboard... 🤮

[@waseembux7537]

well there you have it , 197 baby..

[@TheSimplyElectric]

@NigoNI60 7500rpm is the MAX that the 197 can rev to. Peak torque is around 5,000 rpm which you will get to VERY often when driving the 197. It revs up far more quickly than the VXR due close gearing. The 197 lacks torque at low revs, not in the mid-range....have you ever driven one? I suspect not. I've driven both and for me the 197 is far and away the better car.

[@paulvallance4970]

Hmm I have to disagree. ( Just for historical accuracy) my Clio 197 Cup revved to 8000rpm no problem, easily bouncing off rev limiter in all gears, so am not sure what you had. To get the best out of it you have to thrash it which becomes a bit tedious and overly noisy in the cabin after a while, though its handling was sublime. I prefer the low end torque of the Corsa VXR, torque which is completely absent in the Renault, hence constantly having to tiresomely stir the gearbox, and also I prefer the VXR's lighter footprint on the backroads. The Clio 197 Cup was seriously cheap in its build quality and mine very unreliable. Fuel consumption was appalling due to having to rev the nuts off it to get it to fly - 18mpg at full tilt. Fed up with constantly repairing it I got rid of the 197 Cup and will never go back to Renault. Currently I have a Corsa VXR and I prefer having equal performance but using half the effort.

[@kinggrip]

As a track day car I am sure the Clio is outstanding, but I drive to work on public roads and the corsa vxr I drive is just as much fun as the Clio day to day, and in the real world, it's not always about blasting around with your hair on fire, but usability and the quality and additional torque make the corsa the overall better car.

[@rustycoup26]

i bought the lotus from a bloke i was doing a job for, he never drove it, took me ages to persuade him to sell it. i love it, nobody knows what it is, and they dnt have a clue about it! lol. u wont regret gettin the vxr m8. i got mine when i was 19. its a great car m8.

[@tommy119]

I watched this video hundreds of times when I was looking at getting a vxr now I have one im glad i made the right choice its a brilliant car and handles really well really shocked me when i put my foot down init my heart was pumping first time i drove it great cars great looking really happy with it woudl recommend one to neone really well built and great to drive :) clios a kewl car too:)

[@Mattwardle18]

I have a Clio Sport 182 cup, its drives like a dream, i think what many people are forgetting is the clio comes in a few models, Full Fat, Cup and R27. I guarantee a R27 would rip the Corsa VXR to bits! Having said that the corsa is still a head turner!

[@James_Watson49]

Sure will just ordered mine!!! Yipppeeee

[@bizzyfingers]

what a driver tiff is man, love to meet him

[@rustycoup26]

im only 20 aswell. i bought 1 last week. loving every minute of it.scares the crap out of a lot more expensive cars.they r great value for the money, the insurance isnt bad either.£1000 fully comp with 3 years no claims! only thing is the fuel consumption goes down to 7.3mpg when gunning it. well worth it though!

[@parnabyjgnp]

i would say the clio would be more reliable due to the naturally aspirated engine, i would be worried about the turbo going on the corsa which is expensive to fix. i think the interior of the corsa is much nicer, but in the end it depends whether you want a car for the way it drives or comfort. its not like the clio interior is shit anyway. i think i would go for the clio actually, due to better handling. in the end handling is the most important especially in britain.

[@santclause1]

just bought clio 200 cup after owning type R. and a ST. and i,ve got to say that this thing is mental. yes it,s not as practical. but it,s the most fun i,ve ever had in a car. you can make it do whatever you want. i did drive the VXR and it,s really good but like most turbo,s it lacks driver involvment. with the CUP it really is less is more.

[@s1088s0r]

Yea i look forward to seeing the selection of hot hatches in the hands of the Stig. I hope they compare the whole selection like the Clio, Corsa, Fiesta and the new Punto. Then we'll truely see the cars potential.

[@Yomaxavian]

@gromit37 Caterham 7 ?!? Man, You are the Boss! That is the thriller 4 sure! Respect. Btw, I have Clio. Shine machine.

[@phillipm1]

Cool!

[@12jamiegavin12]

i think the corsa would be a better day to day car. has more usable low down power where you want it around town....not revving the guts off it to get the full potential. also think the corsa has better fuel economy according to official figures tho. i may be wrong tho

[@theanythinggoesblog]

@TheSimplyElectric How often do you go round a corder at full speed? Almost never, but how often do you floor a car? Every day?

[@guitarplayerforu]

A 2002 Clio sport 2.0 is best road sports car beats any corsa VXR OR even the up to date Clio 197, my mate who has one took my for a quick spin and its the most powerful supermini i been in, and fuel economy is quite good too. Renault is well known in F1 Racing too!

[@kopec56]

if u mod the vxr with lower suspension new bushs and front and rear strut bars then the handling will be second 2 non i have done this 2 my corsa b and it can keep up with an evo on track

[@AlexSark007]

No,Its the NEW model Dynamique s (looks pretty much like the 197) and its already got some sport skirts and front on it. but the front was dented in so i had to change back to my old bumper, i was thinking though because they're pretty much exactly the same shape....maybe do a 197 conversion. thanks for the advise by the way :)

[@gramatta]

Power vs handling and the handling won! Both fast little cars!!

[@theberengersniper]

If it's anything like the old 172/182 then the whole front track is much wider than yours, so the 172/182's front wings are much wider to accomodate that. You probably could fit the kit, but you'd need to change your wheels for wider offset ones on the front by quite a bit to fill the gap left by the wider wings.

[@chaballs]

2. Yes, in a straight line dash (which i mentioned in my first post) Most of today's modern cars will have the upper hand. But i garauntee you, that if you put a 205 GTI on a B-Road with a 206 GTI180, the 206 will struggle to keep up. FACT.

[@david880brown]

@286Horses Thats a good road we used to go for a spin on that road in the evenings after college when we stayed in Llangadog. Did top gear film on this road once? Clio for me anyday!!

[@gaz0044]

Straight chav, yo.

[@drumdone]

I don't think you can call it bland. Those flared wheel arches, 17" alloys, rear diffuser, twin exhausts, vents behind the front arches. The Corsa looks like a bad copy done by a Max Power reading 17 year old. He probaly could have done a better job with the handling than Vauxhall did though.

[@TheSimplyElectric]

Yeah hard to argue against an EP3 Type R to be fair. I had two corsa's in my younger days and they were both terrible. Loads of common faults, steering rack, cv joints, engine mounts etc etc and on both cars.

[@HENRYHOBBS1]

@Crashy5627 because its so heavy it has really short gearing make for better acceleration but limiting top speed

[@brucelee2309]

I've just bought Corsa vxr 2010 like it but not as much as I thought, good car but seems not quite all the package I hoped.

[@endurolife4959]

You can make the corsa vxr mental with some mods stiffen up suspension good quality tyres exhaust induction kit remap and forged engine mines at 275bhp its a little rocket ship round the track. Only probs is I’ve had to upgrade clutch now as it ruined standard one with the extra extra power. I’ve had 197 1st and was fun but nothing on my vxr

[@letsdrivecars]

Crazy how the Clio 197 is now so much cheaper than the Corsa VXR. I've just uploaded a 12 month review of a Clio 197, if you want to know what they're like to live with have a peek at my channel ✌

[@samvrs]

Clio😍

[@gaz0044]

Why did he go on the grass? Because the Corsa doesn't handle well. Very fair.

[@chaballs]

205 GTI, 309 GTI, Clio Williams, 106 GTI, 106 Rallye, 306 GTI6, 306 rallye, Clio 172, Clio 182, Clio 197, Clio Cups. ^^^^ The above. Some of the best handling front wheel drive cars ever produced. ( Do you see the pattern. Would you like me to spell it out for you ).

[@AlexSark007]

Ive got a Clio dynamique s 1.6 and its the same colour as this 197.....just wondering do you think its possible to get the body kit of the 197 installed onto mine??????? or is it a completely different fit??? cheers

[@kneel1986]

I had a 51 clio and it only started falling apart after I crashed it and had it put back together by a shite garage, the sunroof was utter pish though however they dont have a sunroof in the 197 so all should be peachy

[@drumdone]

The Clio has been faster than the Astra VXR round every track in every magazine test I've ever read. Astra is quicker in a straight line, but it all goes wrong in the corners and under braking.

[@botchok5]

lol does this Corsa model has the problem with the bonnet as well or did they fix it? I must admit I see quite a few of the new corsa models with their bonnets getting opened by a light wind.

[@topografer]

The thing is that the most drivers aren't capable of exploring clio's limits cause these limits exceed their ones. So that's the reason that with two average drivers driving these cars the one with the corsa will be in front of the one with the clio. That's also the reason why the clio is appreciated by the people that have more driving skills. Because clio's chassis is one of the best i've personally met and offcouse the best ever front wheel chassis

[@zhaviator]

@zhaviator Sorry about the few mistakes, I m on an iPhone , and the autocorrect or is really annoying...

[@suicidallooneypro]

Vauxhall brand is a British brand soul only in the UK, it's owned by General motors who make and sell the same car with the same engiene in europe as opel, and some other shit names in america and Australia

[@doraemon8061]

I have the Clio (in black) But I think the Corsa looks more aggresive but I'd have the Clio because it looks Cute~

[@rumble291]

Yehhhh wtf @xplodepaintball! Tiff is a well good driver like to see you keep both them cars tyre squeeling all round the track...

[@zhaviator]

...clio has got a really brilliant handling...but it's top gear ratio is too high, so it can be very annoying on long motorway journey... even the revision in end 2008 of the gear ratios didn't t help much...personally I m looking for a second hand of one of these two, I admit that the Clio is a better car, but I need to ride the highway quiet frequently, so I'take the Cora's...

[@s1088s0r]

yey someone who agrees that the fiesta ST is slow compaired to the others in its class. :D

[@VXRman1995]

I am currently deciding between a astra vxr or corsa vxr in white and black.....even though they are renound as chav cars! I think renault has such a bad reputation with cars i would steer well away from them personally. Vauxhall has a good repuaution i thought? Even though we both know the best hatchback for under 8k to get is the honda civic type r - ep3 or fn2! :D JAPANESE CARS ALL THE WAY!!!

[@broony7]

French cars are pish a must agree.. these cars are similar in style and that but the corsa vxr wins hands down for me.. mainly due to the fact that the clio is made by Renault and they seam to have a bad reputation for breakdowns etc.. like my megane coupe!

[@xoxvirusxox]

Ive always liked the look of the vxr and knowing its hiding a turbo underneath dat shell, and the 16 valve helps out. I think people are forgetting that even tho the clio beat the corsa round the track in this clip by- wot was it? 1.2 seconds or so. The clio's a 2.o litre compared to the vxr 1.6, it didnt do bad. I know wot ide rather have (the corsa). save a bit more on petrol, wud turn more heads, much nicer interior. easier to mod(if u wanted to). Just looks meaner. Corsa vxr all the way babi

[@rtbvwerg]

i love scoobys but they're incredibly expensive to run, i've just bought a 197 and could have bought an subaru if i'd wanted but with the cost of tax, insurance, servicing and petrol these days it's just not any fun running a car like that anymore

[@doraemon8061]

Agreed. I own one, R27 version in black. It's so brilliant in handling I never lose my confidence in that car. And it's robust and tough too. 3 years in the running and it's still brilliant. This is my one and only car and my car seems to look medicore compared to my parents ad elder bor's car though. XD

[@markrhoden68]

Love watching these old videos. I always thought the vxr was more about Halfords extras rather than a serious hothatch

[@itscraigoyer]

dont let that pratt bother u lol were the hell did u find a lotus carlton! i dont think ive even ever sin one on the road lol and yeah the corsa is damn quick, im tradin my c2 vtr in on my 19th b-day to get one. cant wait!!!!

[@fatchris101]

@TheSimplyElectric i own a 197and love it nuff said

[@Cherrytea558]

@Gwizzlez have a look at the Clio in real life. Pictures and videos don't do it justice. It is actually squat and mean looking but classy at the same time.

[@tommy119]

VXR All the way!!!!!!

[@ProjectVRD]

@286Horses Oh dear, it looks like somebody hasn't seen the torque for 335d's. It is quite confusing why an owner of a 335d would also get the info from Evo when he should know those off by heart anyway. And if you did have a 335d, which you don't, what would you propose? Going up a mountain @2000rpm so you can utilise that pulling power to negate the heavy ass you pulling? Not only have no clue, you fail at Geogrpahy. Black Mountains is South Wales! More than 55 miles from anywhere near Britol!

[@MrSpike13]

The Corsa is probably better built than the Clio.. its certainly a very very good looking car. However I think any modern performance car would be brilliant fun to drive if only I was lucky enough to be able to afford one!!! and Tiff Nidell is leg-end

[@STmondeoman220]

i guess its as long as it is wide really, the vxr has bags of torque, makes for an easier life to live with it, i would imagine the corsa party piece is its get up and go from a rollling start may be on a twisty road what the corsa dont have in handling it can make up for in extra mid band grunt, and since the vxr is more economical, and dont rev at 4000rpm at 70mph, id take the corsa, but if i wanted a specific for track days then the Clio. No dis respect to you. just my preference thats all

[@spunkbucket1]

to be honest, if the vxr never hit the dirt on its timed lap the time would certainly have been closer if not better for the vxr

[@topografer]

clio has longer wheel base and much larger wheel tracks. It also has better suspension. Finally it is N/A and the front axle doesnt have to deal with turbo lag and shitloads of torque. Response is also more instant. If some of you still hope that corsa can outhandle clio or even be the same i hoper you changed your mind now. And yes offcourse corsa is faster in a straight line because it has a masterpiece engine, ireally appreciate it.

[@jamoy666]

DC2 Integra Type R = Best front wheel drive car ever.

[@SPYKOD49]

Corsa OPC! Stay away from France cars! Renault, Peugeot... BLEAAAKS!

[@stu233s]

any1 know the price of a Z20leh engine?

[@Russlad]

Haha, Ive got that actual Corsa!

[@lanaduffin8591]

Vauxhall Corsa VXR

[@TheSimplyElectric]

True about the build quality but I disagree they look like sh*t - I prefer the looks over the VXR. You also can't claim that Vauxhall is renowed for build quality either - they're just as bad as Renault. I don't own either of these cars, so speaking impartially, the main reason not to buy a VXR these days is because there's loads of chavs driving them...day to day ease of driving vs a weekend warrior / track car. Pick one to suit your needs.

[@oldrustyrelic9121]

I'm from Australia. Where's my Holden v8 family sedan?

[@Quattro_Joe]

Is a 197 really that good bit smashed the VXR

[@whitaker4973]

to be honest tho the clio is fucking mint ... clio here we come!

[@rustycoup26]

non taken, i earn everything i own. i bought the car myself. was planning 2 move out this year but interest rates r 2 high so i used some of my deposit 4 the car instead! im with admiral. i double checked they had my details right cos i thought it was low aswell. i also have a clean license. i h8 people who rely on mummy & daddy cos they r 2 lazy 2 work 4 the things they want.

[@spunkbucket1]

If you look closely the clio barely touches the dirt, if AT ALL where as the corsa is at least i tires width. Clio may well have been faster but times would have been closer still had corsa not hit dirt

[@AshaD2345]

LSD on the burg edition would solve all the handing frailties to top the Clio.

[@TheSimplyElectric]

@JOSHWF2 Not sure where you get the idea that most people race from lights lol? People who own these cars do not race from traffic lights. They are not go-kart, boy racer VTRs, they are proper hot hatches designed for the track. I certainly do not race on the roads...

[@NigoNI60]

of course the "extra tenth" is irrelevant the huge torque difference at mid range isn't, though...

[@DILINGER0]

Maybe you must see lastest reliability informs as ADAC or Dekra an see where are the Renault cars since few years ago. On the top, and over many jappanese products. Thaths the truth.

[@Taxtation]

i have a clio, 1.2 tho :( , but it does get quite boring to drive, but it is just soooooo easy to drive

[@Mongoose912]

apparently not! he still races classic cars etc as well.

[@Mongoose912]

but maybe he was just talking about drivers in general. would make more sense from what he's written later on

[@coldspoon]

The Astra would be in the same class as the Megane not the Clio...and would be out classed by the R26. The Clio and Corsa are definitely the same class of car regardless of what you might think. Both are aimed at the same sort of buyer and both have similar performance. The Twingo is TINY in comparison and is merely a warm hatch...ala Mitsubushi Colt/Suzuki Swift etc.

[@smoestar]

Clio all the way! Corsa aint got sh*t on it.

[@bigdeal1970]

i bought the Clio 197 purly after driving an st focus and a golf gti the Clio is a better more fun car to drive

[@IIXRATEDIIHiTMAN]

@gymboy99 theres nothing cheaper in the hatchback market thats better than the ep3 was/is.

[@ThaDutchDK1989]

corsa crashes within a week cause the handling en the clio gos on cause better handling

[@zephyrod]

PEAAAASEEEE !!! anybody know the song at 2:15 ???? i will love you forever if you can tell me tahnx !!!

[@stu233s]

@roundtr1p i disagree, the corsa looks far better in my opinion..the body styling and optional extra's with the vxr is amazing!

[@davetwigan]

@roundtr1p the vauxhaul looks more or less exactly like every other vauxhaull in their range and are far more common on british roads. vauxhauls to me seem like very lazy design, sticking the additional sporty trim on the vxr models makes them stand out a bit more but doesnt sell them to me. most unique design they have come up with for a few years is the insignia, i agree with you completely the clio is the better looker

[@johnny6476]

Bankjob Completely disagree with you there. Every model looks different. All Astra’s look different from the last one, Unlike something like the Golf where every new one that comes out looks like the last one. Vauxhall designers I think are pretty good. That’s my opinion.

[@david880brown]

@ProjectVRD I'm sorry to upset you but they are 50.5 according to google maps....pay attention!

[@slinkey123]

The clio

[@bigdeal1970]

@jasonf81 Mk4 golf 1.8t 180 bhp standard 0-60 7.6 secs ,top speed 138 , weight 1289kg ,chnces of getting 220bhp out of a remap no chance !! chances of jasonf81 insuring a R32 not a hope in hell ,chnces of the turbo failing on a mk4 Golf 1.8t very very high common problem ,,better save for a new ,besides anyone knows and i am sure tommy will agree that the Mk2 golf gti 16v is the one to have the rest after that are way to heavy , i had a mk2 8v gti and was a nice car

[@TheHell666yeah]

Renault Sport rules!!!!

[@gjp8564]

No comparison here clio proper drivers car corsa can't compete here both the astra and corsa from this era were well down the pecking order in there classes

[@AdamJohno1988]

Fair enough mate, i am the same i just can't stand people who are just to lazy to work and get mommy and daddy to pay for everything, you must have a well paid job anyway fair play to you mate, just a damn shame i cannot afford a vxr, really nice car but my c2 does me for now slow as hell, just have to wait. Sorry for jumping to conclusions.

[@davidhaygarth4763]

1.2 seconds behind the renault over a mile is nothing anyone will notice

[@david880brown]

I bet they makeMc Donald's car park spaces to suit a corsa. lol

[@ProjectVRD]

@henjo22 No mate, in a straight line your Clio is not quicker than a VXR. And Tiff even says so in this video. The only thing the Clio has on the VXR is the cornering. That is it and the figures given out in the Clio manual book also say that is the case. So ofcourse, everybody will rightly see your comment as a fanboy comment. In fact I can educate you now. Current Clio 200 models are 0-60 in 6.9s... that is slower than the Corsa VXR.

[@hvtecfreak]

the renault is cheap .. it feels cheep but has a great engine ... i will take the corsa ! better made .. ies the performance its a little less .. but its easy to tune .. and has more style !

[@kyleburston172]

Tbh I have a 172 and I’d still choose my 172 over both over these two! Clio 172 twice the car the 197 is

[@chezdez102]

oh so crashing and going off the track is a good driver humm i never knew that and these cars are easy to drive so mr rvrcoupe19 do you know how to drive and if you do what car do you drive

[@welshdude6669]

whats the point in talking about top speed? what really matters is acceleration and handling and after all isnt it your personal preference when two cars are so similar?