The Renault 5 is the Perfect Small Car

[@TwinCam]

Good morning everyone, I hope you enjoy this latest automotive retrospective. I'm just here to apologise to you all for the lens flare visible in the introduction - it's my fault for taking too long to get the take right, meaning the sun was just coming over the trees. If it's turned you off, be assured the rest of the video is fine!

[@ricado372]

I tried to buy it and bring her back to France.

[@scott8919]

If they are irritated by it then they must have a miserable life. It's still good.

[@allareasindex7984]

I didn’t notice it. 😊

[@davidgamper6726]

It was a wonderful car. My choice when I was 21 ! Loved it and drove all around Europe in it. I had an M reg one too, bright yellow with the gear change on the dashboard, very effective.

[@davidgamper6726]

Nice to see a well preserved one

[@alanwayte432]

My late Wife had a 1976 Renault 5 in 1983 as her first car, it was a horror to start on a damp cold morning, however in 1986 she purchased a turbo and in 1991 a phase 2 Turbo Raider, which was absolutely fantastic the only issue being the clutch cable slipping of the pedal, but easily fixed, she then had a 19 16V and finally a Megane RS R26 in 2008 before her death from Cancer in 2012, I still have this car in memory of her as part of a six car collection and Drive it every month ❤

[@chrisbolton5461]

So sad to hear.Glad you've kept Megane RS R26 in memory of her.

[@destrozar]

My mum had two, R reg and Y reg. I drove the Y reg for several months and it was terrible at starting in the morning. A special "knack" was required.

[@maxeluy]

She had amazing taste ❤️

[@SimonBanfield]

Your writing in these videos is exquisite.

[@jeromeemmanuel9604]

A very interesting analysis, both historical, sociological and technical, of this iconic little car from the childhood of fifty-year-olds in France. Thank you for your work!

[@jkeelsnc]

These were sold for a while even in the US. In fact, this was my first car. I enjoyed it very much!! However, a lack of parts and service being available brought this to an end. So the cheap and cheerful vibes of this nice little car were over. It rode like a carpet on air and had the most comfortable seats. I still miss it today. These had a unique driving experience. Yes, it did lean like a sailing ship at sea through curves and it had modest grip. However, within its limits I thought it had quite nice handling. Just because it leans to the door handles doesn't mean it wouldn't try. I do remember pushing this car HARD through curves on the mountain roads in Western NC. If I pushed it too much it would gently lose grip at the front and then the back right after. Generally, all you had to do was let off the gas a bit and it would just recover safely without drama. The one I had was the R5GTL which had the 1.2L engine. This engine was not sophisticated but it was no more or less underpowered than other subcompact cars from the 70's and 80's. Fortunately, even in the US most of these were sold with a manual gearbox. Mine had the floor gear lever with 4 forward gears which was adequate. It had some other quirks like an add on air conditioning unit that had a separate blower from the heater. The AC blower sounded exactly like a Hair Dryer when you turned it on! Exactly! That always made me laugh a lot. And no that was not the compressor making the noise because the pitch changed with the blower setting from lo, med, hi. The AC actually did work.

[@PeteHopkins-m2u]

My old car! Used it as my French whip out in France for a year. Lovely old thing.

[@Lightw81]

I'd never have imagined anybody could use the term "whip" in the same sentence as "old thing" :)

[@-DC-]

Superb cars they are a Absolute Design Masterpiece that still stand up over 50 years later ❤

[@fredknoch]

I don’t know what it is, but here I sit in the USA where most of the cars you review were either not available, extremely rare, or horribly federalized but yet I just can’t get enough of them. This particular one I remember because my French teacher in 1990 drove a Renault Le Car to work every day. I remember the thrashy engine sound and its small quirkiness (compared to American cars).

[@philiprodney7884]

Ed- your best ever! My mum bought an R5 in 1973. It was a TL but with the push pull gear change (which was really excellent). As I recall, a few months later, the floor mounted gearchange was offered as an option. Only at a later stage was the push pull phased out. By the way, if you have the opportunity to drive an R16, grab it. Its suspension was better than any I have ever experienced.

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

Parents had a last shape R16. It was a fantastic car and they had it for longer than any other they’ve owned. Eventually at 7 years old they sold it to a local farmer.

[@rodneyshepherd9120]

The Push Pull gear change was the Best! Great in the R6 & 4 very direct and simple. Very quick, my wife loved racing from the traffic lights?😂

[@grayfool]

Thanks Ed. Another very good video. Nice job. The best reaction to an R5 I heard at the time was the comment my friend got from his girlfriend, later wife, when he cam home in his much loved Gordini. She sat in the shotgun seat on her firat outing and, after about ten minutes in she said "this is like a real car just, uhmm, smaller". Pretty much sums it up, I think.

[@nwlondontimemachine9484]

A very enjoyable video. My father sold his light grey Morris 1100, and bought a 5L in 1973. It was a showroom demonstrator car from the Renault dealer in Blackpool. It was bright orange with orange vinyl seat covers (a nightmare in the summer when I wore shorts!). It had a dash gear change, and it had the 'naughty' Renault diamond badge! I had no idea that the badge had that history. Oh, and the numberplate was UTC 5L. My father (who was in the RAF) sold the car in 1980. His next car was a red 5 GTL. He stuck with 5s and Clios for the rest of his driving days. A very loyal Renault customer!

[@ccooper8785]

When you see cars such as this I wonder how many people think "why on earth are we driving these ridiculously huge cars of today" ? Even stranger, we are doing so while having environmental issues rammed down our throats on a daily basis. What the hell are we doing ? I would be very happy with a Renault 4 fitted with a modern 3cyl turbo (keep the dash gearstick and the vinyl seats though please).

[@hokehinson5987]

Yeah down here in florida these retirees drive these huge $65k trucks for daily drivers. Can barely maneuver in parking lots or back out of a park slot. A huge truck all Shiney and new usually four doors setting rather high with a fat guy at the wheel and a granny by his side the ones with the electric shop buggy always create a smirk. It's Amazing how people can be SO un- practical. Never anything in the bed either!!

[@taxirob2248]

I always felt the 5 was the true successor of the Mini and progenitor of the hot hatch, beating the Golf to market by two years

[@knottheadin]

Thanks so much for this video featuring the Renault 5 (LeCar here in the US). Back in the day I was as obsessed with the 5 like you have been for the Metro. Over the years I owned 4 of these beauties, loved them all.

[@nickk1658]

Easily one of the highest quality car videos I've ever seen, in terms of the content/scripting and presentation. Sure, the video and audio could use a bit of polish to take it to the next level, but this such good content, it's incredible. ROCK ON!!!! BRAVO! ETC!

[@carlbebbington730]

Another great video, I love the way you cover every aspect of the cars you review. As a designer myself (not a car designer though) I always loved the R5 and wanted one, your video has reminded me why. Thanks SO MUCH for making these in-depth car histories.

[@jpmegane]

Love the video and love the car. It was a firm favorite in South Africa, selling by the thousands. We also had one in the family. Your journalism style is exquisite! Will definitely watch more of your videos.

[@hokehinson5987]

Mr. Smiths small engine repair. used to work on foreign cars like Saab, Renault, DKW, & Citron. Not sure about repairs but there was always a few of them setting out in front of his shop. It's where our intro to small cars was wetted. Always liked small cars... the French make good quirky engineered stuff. Oddly a machine used at the city had a Renault 4 cylinder as the power unit. It was rugged. Oh forget there was a few Peugeot parked there too! Our neighbor owned a renault dauphin later a friend had one briefly he drove it like a salom driver!

[@xxrs2009]

1 of the most beautyful mini cars in my eyes. It's so simple and elegant, yet so common till the 90's. I had a 86 super5, when it was already 25 years old, really loved it.

[@SuperMcgenius]

I had a R5 in 1980 in NYC, It was great for the cities, potholes, and so small it’s great for parking. I later modified the car with Koni shocks and some engine modifications, along with exhaust, its original US spec horsepower was about 50 I got more out of that maybe a whole 10 hp😅. Yes, the shifting was like stirring porridge, but once you got used to it, you could make a go. I also increase the tire size from the stock 145 to a 175 which gave the car some serious grip given it weighed a little more than a feather

[@jfv65]

When i was a teenager (45y ago) i already was a proper gearhead. Theoretically i already knew how to drive a car. Cold start/clutch/ shifting/ steering/ braking. No problem! At age 15 i just couldn't wait any longer and when the chance arrived i took the R5 GTL from our neighbor for a sneaky nightly joyride. I put it back in one piece. She never even knew. Nobody but me ever knew. I kept it secret for a looooong time. This is why i will never forget the R5 because it was the very first car i have ever driven. Later when i was 18 i started my first driving lesson and the instructor asked me "what do you already know about how to drive a car?" Cocky as i was I said "everything" He said "OK, rhen show me!" so i did. I started the car (Datsun Bluebird 1.8GL) shifted into gear, released the clutch and off we went! #truestory Ofcourse he immediately knew i had been driving before. 😂 I passed my exam first try and later i also worked as a Taxi driver for his company. Good times!

[@p.informatico1320]

We had one of those when I was kid... I remember it almost indestructible... it was my mom's car first, and then she left it to my brother after buying a Citroën ZX hatchback. My brother was a little over 21 back then, and he had it until he bought a used Opel Vectra B Hatchback, and the Renault went to a family friend's son who used for a few years more, until he sold it to a friend of him, and that's when i lost track of the car... Almost no problems at all after 20 years of use. My mom recently told me than when she bought the Renault, one of the posibilities was the Honda Civic, but it had a reputation of being weird, and she decided to buy a "normal" car.

[@am3lia420]

Fantastic vid!! Ur enthusiasm is infectious :D

[@gwheregwhizz]

Le Car survived Flipping Bangers 😊. What a cool car.

[@GentilsGarage]

This is a car that was a very common sight during my childhood. A great package and a great of fresh air when it was launched... can't believe it's 52 years old!

[@lanctermann7261]

This was a really well done video. I learned a few tjjngs about the Renault 5. I remember them when they were new, I definitely appreciate them more now.

[@jamesm90]

Great information, my teacher had one around 1974 when I was 7, with the walking stick shifter sticking out of the dash. She must have been very chic, and now I look back on it quite a hottie 😅

[@6ettinold]

Can't explain it, but I've got a thing for old poverty spec small cars. It's something about them being the purest version of themselves & just being a means of transportation and nothing else. But an early R5 TL is another thing altogether. This is a glorious little thing. Thank you.

[@lloyddarbon5034]

Another excellent, informative video. Thank you.

[@willswheels283]

Another very interesting video of an iconic French car, well presented and very enjoyable. I liked the mk1 R5 and it’s a car I remember from my childhood as one of our neighbours had one in beige. Thanks again Ed.👍

[@jonhopkins7469]

Fantastic review of a true classic that looks ageless

[@Bezart34]

Thanks for a superb video! Your knowledge is phenomenal, and your style of presentation is absolutely engaging.

[@SPEEDTER601]

My dad bought a brand new R 5 TL exactly like that one in 1975. In the very beautiful and after one year not available colour Bronze metallic. It even pulled our Sprite 400 caravan. In 77 he traded it in for a GTL which had the 1300cc engine and the lower geared gearbox so it pulled the Sprite much better. Did you notice that the steering wheel does three revolutions lock to lock instead of two and a half like most cars. This does give you a shock in the first curve. After that you’re used to it. It also makes the steering lighter. Lovely cars. The GTL had the bumpers all around. That one was Blue metallic. But that Bronze colour was something else. Nice video. 👍🏻

[@SPEEDTER601]

My several Volvo 340’s had the same engine in 1400cc form. That engine is simply indestructible.

[@Hairnicks]

Brilliant, I loved both my Renault 4 and Renault 5, superb family cars.

[@howardrogers1147]

That’s the Flipping Bangers show car

[@AllThingsAlex]

Had more owners than a essex slapper lol.

[@anthonystevens8683]

Another cracking video Ed. Great research made this one educational as well for me. The difference in wheelbase from off and near side to make room for the rear transverse torsion bar suspension makes total sense. Riding in one in the 80's made it clear that it had the R4 underpinnings. Rolling like the whole body was mounted on a centrally mounted saucer lunging in any direction away from a harsh twitch to the steering wheel but as you mentioned fluid steering was the best way to drive one in comfort. Cracking cars though and dare I say it I do hope that the spark powered new one is a success.

[@pascalcs]

I had a total of four Le Car and still have two which I keep in a collector shape. Both head turners and way more effective than any supercar to make contact in the street or at a traffic light.

[@seanns1945]

Loved my '72 R5. Lowered it 3" and went slalom racing. Almost made 3 wheel corners. (Lowered by destressing the torsion bars, front and rear.) A riot to drive.!!

[@AllThingsAlex]

My old car, glad to see it still on the road.

[@Bezart34]

Your ACTUAL old car?

[@AllThingsAlex]

@@Bezart34 Yes, and theres videos of it on my channel

[@Bezart34]

@@AllThingsAlex Thanks. I look forward to seeing your vids.

[@mintysgt]

flipping banger !

[@bri77uk1]

A very informative and well-timed video, giving some context to the current genius coming out of Renault. I hope this video catches the wave of enthusiasm for the new R5! I loved the mid-engined Turbo as well - I remember it being my favourite Matchbox model as a little kid, and watching the chase in 'Never Say Never Again' over and over on video 🙂

[@destrozar]

My mother had two. A red R reg, and a really nice Y reg in silver, with red seats. Automatic, 1.4. Just don't leave them outside and expect them to start on a damp cold morning somewhere in Fenland, East Anglia. Apart from that , brilliant small car.😊

[@alaricbragg7843]

Excellent documentary with great production! Thank you!

[@neilmustow368]

Had the Corgi Renault 5 Turbo rally car as a kid great video Ed a classic hatchback design the original Renault 5

[@roberttaylor6295]

Oh Hail Master of Motoring history, infectious fun of driving, possessor of vehicular passion and owner of both an encyclopaedic knowledge allied to meticulous research. As ever, this was a belter. As a child I had an uncle that wasn't and uncle but a great friend of the family and owner of the local Renault franchise. Therefore we had a lot of the marque from utilitarian but ultra practical 4 , for use at the cottage, various 5s, including g what i found to be the most exciting early turbo that went like the wind and handled fantastically in which I could easily frighten the less adventurous. There was also an 8 which had the most comfortable seats of all, and a 12 entered the family garage followed by changing models of the superb 16 to th TX. Though the Turbo had heat soak that occasionally caught me out as it caused fuel starvation, we never had problems and all were comfortable in the extreme. So thanks, Ed, for a truly enjoyable trip down memory lane. I would to have an, early sexy Alpine sports and would also buy you your dream if I wasn't on the Pension! Rob

[@dungbetel]

My aunt bought a 5L (red, dash gear lever) in 1972. I was amazed when she told me she had to pay extra for vinyl seats.

[@florjanbrudar692]

It was my mother's first car and paternal grandfather's last car (which I rode once to school driven by my father) without modern features. His next and final car was the Hyundai Getz. 5:33 1994 for us Slovenes.

[@ryankenyon5010]

Toured northwestern France and southern Ireland in a 5. We somehow fit four adults and their luggage in and on it. Great car and excellent video!

[@ManosS40]

Excellent video. Although my family had a Peugeot 104 in the late 70s, I always liked the style of the Renault 5. And I took my driving license exams at a second gen 5. Greetings from Greece.

[@hunting4honeys]

Wondeful vid, on the theme of small numbered cars - it'd be great to see an Austin 7 vid

[@RalphHancock]

I had a 5TS in the mid-1970s, bought new. Fairly quick by the standards of the day, fun to drive, very comfortable even on long journeys, surprisingly agile off road. BUT the build quality was appalling. It was supplied with the speedometer cable not connected at the top end, so that it thrashed around and destroyed the printed circuit at the back of the instrument panel. It caught fire as I was bringing it in for its first service, though luckily the flames went out when I stopped and turned off the ignition. The dealer hadn't noticed that none of the instruments worked, and was unable to fix the fault, so I had to do it myself, soldering wires over the gaps in the printed circuit. The paintwork was appallingly bad, and the inside of the tailgate showed rust within weeks. Holes soon appeared in the rocker panels -- to get it through the annual test which involved checking with a magnet for filled holes in rusty panels I used to put in a bit of tinplate before applying body filler. By the time I scrapped it, it was so rusty that if I had had an accident I would have been left sitting in a little heap of brown flakes. It was reluctant to start in wet weather, and a good deal of spraying of the electricals with WD-40 was required. Having a longitudinal engine behind the front wheels meant that the rearmost spark plug was buried in the back of the dashboard and needed a double-jointed plug wrench to remove it. Well, that was the 1970s for you, I suppose.

[@michaelstaddon2522]

Well done,i remember working on them back in the day 😂

[@tns5044]

Correct, the 5L had dash gear change. My parents ran two of them between '74 and '77. On early cars, floor-mounted gearchange was an option for the TL too.

[@basingstoke63]

Lovely little car . My first car was a 1984 , "Le car 2" . It was a sad day when we had to say goodbye to it , My next car was an Austin Metro , no comment on that one . lol

[@danhubert-hx4ss]

Excellent vid, relevant info on this very important design.

[@timcollins380]

My first car was a Renault 5 GTL bought new in 1979. It was black and I had the bumpers and plastic door trims colour coded. It was very cool for its time. It never missed a beat. I bought another new R5 when the revised interior was released. My 3rd and final R5 was a Gordini Turbo, what a little rocket that was for its time. I now live in Australia, I would love to find an R5 or even R4 for Sunday drives.

[@35dononeill]

Fine video as always. Also loved the reversing MGF, It should also be noted that very little of Michel Boué's origionla design was changed from initial concept to final production.

[@awakeningEmpath]

as a family of 6 we toured the Continent in a red Renault 5 [reg RYC967R] with a tent on the roof rack, we also had a Range Rover but the Renault 5 was cheaper to run, the French were amused to see a right hand drive Renault touring France, I also had a plastic toy Renault 5, a darker blue, I think this one is faded

[@mystisith3984]

A very special & lovely car that had everything you need. I'd argue that the only real advantage of today's cars is safety (comfort second). Head support, air bags, thicker doors for when you're Tboned, stronger roofs in case you go rolling... That's not trivial. I love the new Etech R5 inspired by this ancestor that still has a room in my heart.

[@smalcolmbrown]

I loved my R5 Hachette 1.4 L auto Oval plate number 1399 great fun to drive

[@thatcheapguy525]

nice one Ed. the Renault 5 may lean around corners like a shrunken 1970s American land yacht but the 2CV simply defies the laws of physics lol

[@TheInstructor66]

I agree! The fun thing is, that some years after the 2cv-production ended, they came with the Xantia Activa. Even my 69 Alfa Romeo Gt1300 Junior with fast road aftermarket suspension leans alot compared to the Activa. 😅

[@thatcheapguy525]

@@TheInstructor66 back in the day I had 2 Suds and an Alfetta GTV at different times and a mate had a Junior which I always thought was a lovely motor. wonder how difficult it is to retro-fit a BX with the Xantia Activa suspension?

[@Matthew-wj8cm]

The early Renault 5 is such a good looking car. In this light blue it looks absolutely gorgeous!❤

[@kelvinheron3425]

A flawless design classic - and so rare in basic form. I only wish it had the original dash mounted gear change, it worked perfectly well so I've no idea why Renault eventually changed to a floor mounted one.

[@SPEEDTER601]

For safety reasons.

[@englishrob8245]

Renault are stylish on the cheap. Renault 4, 6 & 5 gearbox on front of engine goes back way to the rear engined 1956 Dauphine. It doesn't matter whether it's state or partially privately owned.

[@MisterHampshire]

Until around 1980 my father always owned ratty old bangers, including a Fiat 127 and prior to that a Wartburg Knight Tourist (the estate version and ok whilst it was an utter heap, my goodness it was a workhorse and so reliable). Then he bought a 3 year old R reg Renault 5 TL with a floor gear change (see below). What a revelation that car was. For its time it was stylish, nippy and rapid for its size and (again for its time) lovely to drive. It would quite happily whisk a family of four plus modest luggage to over 80mph, even approaching 90mph. It's a shame it started to rust as my father decided to get rid of it for a totally inferior brand new Mini Metro. The R5 we had was a fantastic little car and well-deserving of its accolade: just a shame that as so many cars of the time it did rust badly. Incidentally, though I do stand to be corrected, as late as 1976 (my father's car) the TL came with the floor change as an option, as were chrome inserts in the recesses for the door handle exteriors. Very smart touch as it goes, let alone protecting the paintwork.

[@shankarbalan3813]

Ah good you’re back. and yes the Renault 5 Turbo was truly an icon.

[@taxirob2248]

I lived in San Diego CA for 21 years, and there are two that I know of in the North County area. Seeing one on the road is almost surreal.

[@markw4263]

This flashes me back to the 70s - most cars of that era are boxy dinosaurs, but the little Renault is still quite chic & good-looking!

[@YYZ-SRQ]

I had an 1977 R5 GTL 1289cc in the early 80's in Canada, never understood the headliner, looked like dried burnt grass, rad overflow was like a giant pickle jar; CV joints did last at all and car became hard to start in winter unless you gave it a shot of ether (can of quick starts sprayed into the air intake). Rear side windows fell out because the hinges came unglued but covered by a recall. Finally got rid of it because it was basically a death trap and bought an '81 Subaru GL hatchback which at the time was a huge upgrade. Other quirky things about the car aside from the spare tire in the engine, the muffler is inside the left fender leaving it very hot to the touch after driving for a while, the radio was down low in a vertical position, the horn was sounded by pushing in the indicator - which you missed always in a panic when you needed to use it, wheels where a 3 lug design and the standard fitment was 145/80R13 which in Canada was near impossible to find, upgraded to 165/70R13. I put on an Ansa rear exhaust part and made the sound like a Ferrari, there was no temperature guage only a light and by the time the light went on it was too late so I added one on the cluster which fit by moving a couple of switches around. Car was great in the snow and loved doing handbrake turns when the roads were covered in snow

[@londresderryaer7203]

70's UK TV advert punch line (with unique muzak): Renault, makes cars, make sense 🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵🇬🇧.

[@hbhmhbhm]

Great video Ed, another thorough and informative review. I would love to see a review of a Renault 16 if you could get your hands on one. My grandad had one and it was great, had torsion beams and an intrusive engine bulge just like the R5!

[@mikebaginy8731]

I loved my Renault R5 and previous R4. The gear shift lever on the dashboard of the R5 was nice, but the muffler under the left fender made it too hot to lean against after driving. Also, the R4's blinker lever on the righthand side of the steering wheel took some getting used to. Both cars were very comfortable and a delight to drive back when speeds on highways were more moderate.

[@tricialyn4645]

It's chic and cute! I liked your long review!! 🎉😊🎉😊 I didn't mind the lens flare at all 😅

[@Hans-k9j]

It is the iconic super mini, the Renault 5, I remember it well.

[@MerkJacobus]

Your best video yet. It's a shame the way suspension is now all about cost cutting and appealing to petrol heads. Character is now something added by the marketing department.

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

It was easy to work on. Because it had a wet sleeve engine and the oil sump could be removed with the engine in place it was easy to replace pistons and cylinders. And there was a lot of room in the engine bay.

[@cowantom]

another great video Ed...though you are slowly morphing into Kevin McCloud in terms of poetic narrative 😂

[@pepperbrookes013]

As long as the poor cars don't end up pregnant...

[@mytinplaterailway]

A magnificent design. Early ones the best, but the second generation cars from 1984 are pretty nice too.

[@Jo3man96]

Love the way these R5s look, although with how broad I am, I’d worry about looking a bit squished in if I had one

[@gt7racer1974]

Now...i had one of these and yes....quite frankly it is the perfect car....so much so i kept mine and ran it for years....and it never once let me down, it was one of my favourites....only replaced when i found a perfect Alfa 156 .....loved it.

[@georgejohnson1498]

Strangely, though it was never called a super-mini as far a I know, in my view the very first example of the type is the Austin 1100. Imagine if it had been fitted with a hatch. Of course they covered that with the estate version, but one could imagine an 1100 with a different rear screen and boot profile to make a very nice hatch-back. I reckon that the 1100 is largely not given the credit for being such a great seller over a surprisingly long time. It was such a pretty little car as well. I do like the Renault 5, though prefer the more practical Renault 4. Nice video. I used to drive one of the rare early R5s with an umbrella gear shift like oil the R4! I used to drive one of those as well. Best wishes from George

[@georgejohnson1498]

That was long video, but I could not turn it off till the end. One of your best Mr. Twincam! Best wishes from George. PS: Still prefer the R4, and I had a 1973 R12 TL [GFU nnn L] between 1983 and 1987 when the rust moth killed it. Brilliant car with conventional double wishbones with cold springs at the front, and a well sorted De Dion tube [conventional coil spring] rear suspension and that cornered on its door handles too, but never shiimmied over potholes in corners and the rear wheels always remained upright, so the rear followed the front like pulling a wheel barrow about a garden! Best handling car I actually owned and drove. No understeer and no over steer, and only compromised by being [in modern terms] under-tyred. the benefit was that it was absolutely brilliant in snow, which for those of us not old enough to remember was not so rare in the 1980s. Also easy to fix at the roadside if the points needed resetting etc. ...

[@StephenAllcroft]

There was a version of the 1100 as a five door hatchback, the Australian Market Morris Nomad.

[@hasbeengood]

I have fond memories of these little cars. Vacation in France with my parents. They have a particular sound also. Again, well done. Good review. Perhaps, you can explain the unique sound of these cars?

[@49commander]

I totally agree with you, an excellent ride is missing in all new cars! I don't drive on race tracks everyday! The US roads are like the UK, rough pot holes and now days you are lucky to get to the speed limit! I think terrible ride is what killed small cars! I want comfort and reasonable handling! Wish I could afford a R5 too! We only had the LeCar but it was highly rated by Motor Week!

[@jagmarc]

In the 80s I bought a R5 for almost nothing off an owner fed up with rapid front tyre wear, they would wear out the outer edges in a few weeks even though the tracking was rechecked multiple times. Turned out to be tyre fitters were setting toe-in instead of toe out.

[@felixtheswiss]

I remember the face of the logistic guy when i pulled up with my dad to load a big freezer into our R5 GTL. It went in like a charm although it was tight.

[@CaitrionaMacDonald]

I remember our 1980 R5 fondly. However the handling had it's limitations. The car did well in cornering considering how "over sprung" it was (yep comfy ride), however if you cornered at speed and got it wrong, it would start to wobble and bounce all over the road. The only way to recover was not to break, but to accelerate out (which was.a bit counter intuitive - luckily my father had coached me on that). I did once manage to spin the car 180 degrees on a single track highland road, bringing the car to a halt from 50mph. To this day, I have no idea how I managed it. I do know I took the bend too fast in too high a gear, though refrained from panicking an breaking in the bend, but I have no clue why I didn't leave the road. (Contrary to what this may suggest, I was generally quite a sensible driver for a teenager, but I had my moments on empty country roads). The gear box was also a bit stodgy, not terrible, but not great. I once rear ended a car that stopped suddenly on a dual carriageway while I was looking in the rear view mirror. The car I hit (Fiesta) and the car I shunted it into, were both tow aways. I drove the R5 home, so I guess it was pretty sturdy.

[@ianelliott229]

I had one of these in the day. I’m sure it was made of paper! One only had to blow on it and a panel would fold.

[@timbrookes3699]

We had a green Renault 5L had the dash gear shift. It worked fine, but certainly the UK buying public preferred a floor shift. I know because I worked for a Renault dealership in Stockport.

[@user-tn1vc1xz5d]

Classic French car. I'd love to see you do a Renault 12 (1.4), my bro had one and for its day was nippy ❤❤

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

Seeing these brilliant little cars through American eyes is both great and sad. Great how they look and sound. And sad how we don't have them available to us

[@jagmarc]

More R5 anectdotes ... While taking my car for MOT I commented to the inspector (mot station in Little Wymondley near Stevenage) that next week I'm bringing in a Renault 5 I got for my wife he said "Aw! Don't you like her!!" And another R5 I had was an automatic and over rev the engine like crazy, I had to rebuild its BorgWarner box with set new clutch plates. The reason why did that was the ECU module for it had a manufacturing error, a wrong resistor fitted for the RPM

[@dungbetel]

PS: Later, in 1991, I had a Super 5 TSE. Really nippy, luxurious interior and the most comfortable front seats I have ever come across.

[@Michel-r6m]

Nice little car, my parents had one 1100 TL when I was little 😅

[@peterhurst]

My friend at college Chris Wade had a kermit green one, used to feel like you were going to tip over on any given corner! Hi Chris hope you're watching!

[@justinkirkhope8810]

That resonated with me, one of my housemates at Uni, Dave Gentle had an early 70s burgundy R5 I think it had the dash mounted gear lever, he used to drive it from Skye to Edinburgh on a regular basis, eventually succumbed to rust I think and he replaced it with a Skoda Estelle in a similar colour!

[@thtmotoring]

Despite being a British car nut, I’ve always liked these. Wonder how easy they are to look after and drive on a regular basis?

[@Bob-d6g]

Apart from to do timing chain One has to cut hole in bulkhead or take engine out:) Dont ask but i did and stuck a larger plate over the hole. With stubby self tappers snd eakanr back in 80’s Customers happy as i was too as were both lazy and why chrge money if theirs a better way which both parties are happy with. I save my time, they save their money:)

[@salipander6570]

Brilliant little car. We had a TL around 1982. Six years later it had rusted too much to pass the MOT. The Cléon engine was rather quiet and refined, though not very powerful. I think your sample sounds a bit too rough. Perhaps the valves need some re-adjustment.

[@markwade1376]

My 2nd car was a Mini 1000 and my third was a Renault 5 way back I the early 80s. The 5 was way ahead of the Mini as a daily driver! The rear arches rotted horrifically however.

[@allareasindex7984]

The guy who owned the house where I rented an apartment (flat) had a 5. He was enormous, easily 300 pounds (135 kg) and looked a bit surprising emerging from this tiny Le Car. He was a computer engineer in Boston, must have made very good money, had a stereo system the kind you see in audiophile magazines… and drove a Renault 5. Maybe he knew something the rest of Americans were missing?

[@jkeelsnc]

Yes, he did. I had one and it was a fun little car. Super smooooooooth ride and very comfortable seats. Some of the most comfortable I have experience including up to the current day.

[@matthewjenkins1161]

Surprised the rattle can spray job by "Flipping Bangers" in 2019 has held up as well as it has.

[@cjmillsnun]

Is that the one that was on Flipping Bangers? Just checked and yes it is..

[@fredknoch]

Could you possibly create playlists for the different classes you make videos about? Like a “Super mini” group? In each video you compare a car to its contemporary rivals. I’d like to be able to go to a playlist to see videos of the mentioned competition.