Tweed Jacket Reviews: 2017 Renault Clio 1.2 16V Dynamique Nav (Mark IV) - Lloyd Vehicle Consulting

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In this review, suitably attired, we go for a drive out in the West Midlands to test a wonderful 2017 Renault Clio 1.2 16V Dynamique Nav and see how practical it is, what it is like to drive and what it is like to own. Be prepared for more in-jokes for fans of a certain long-running spy film franchise (as usual), references to Peter Serafinowicz's seminal spoof science series Look Around You, an unexpectedly underpowered engine, missing reversing camera and parking sensors, strange central locking behaviour, a rather nice design, a very sporty driving position, the introduction of M.Poulain and really very little of any consequence at all. Nothing untoward, then!
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As an independent vehicle consultant, I take potential buyers through the whole car buying process from choosing a make and model to a vehicle handover and road tax. In addition to information on this service, I also have a selection of written and video reviews of cars that I have owned, hired, borrowed or have somehow come into my possession. Please use the Contact Me page on my website to get in touch, visit my Facebook page for latest updates and share this video if you like it! Thank you for watching.
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[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

My mate's wife has one in black the Dynamique S Nav 1.5....... automatic. Great little car all round lots of nice kit and features.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thank you for your self-censorship, sir! Best to go for the Dynamique S Nav, this Dynamique Nav was a bit sparse on equipment.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting The eco thing is slightly annoying when regasing the air conditioning condenser, Eco mode needed to be switched off. I was impressed with the overall car and equipment and built felt very soild.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@paulie-Gualtieri. , yes, much better quality than older Renaults. The Eco mode is indeed a bit annoying, but there we go.

[@depechem0demusic]

I always liked this shape Clio in candy red metallic-really popped in direct sunlight

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thank you, Sir Depeche! Hope that you enjoyed the video. I think that the styling is one of the best things about these Clios.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@Mr330d , I think some Renault colours are even more than that now!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@Mr330d , unless it's a something like a black MG3 with alloygators, which we used to have, the red on the alloy wheels probably wouldn't quite work. Glacier White would look fine on a Clio, I think.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@Mr330d , yes, faded pink which used to be red doesn't look very good on most cars, does it? I don't know about MG's dealer network in Northern Ireland, perhaps there aren't many of them.

[@mpersad]

The joy that is a Tweed Jacket review! You find such interesting cars to review. Top channel. I love it!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

We had access to a number of cars from the Summit Garage used stock list, and so we chose a couple of them for Tweed Jacket Reviews. Like all of them, this was in virtually immaculate condition. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Good Evening Sir, another excellent review, I do like this generation of Clio, maybe the fact that I am a fan of the Micra thats also on the same platform. The air vents look quite similar to mine in my Qashqai. I quite like that the touchscreen seems to be integrated and not like the tablet types that stick out of the dash. But agree with you on that cruise control button, would make more sense to have it in the steering wheel.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, the current Micra is still on this platform. Not sure whether I prefer that or one of these, to be honest! I wouldn't be surprised if Renault and Nissan share a lot of interior bits these days, to be honest. Yes, a heavily integrated touchscreen, which some people like. Thank you again for watching, Mr Watters!

[@frothe42]

Great Review! If someone does purchase this vehicle, they should retrofit parking sensors or a rear camera. I noticed instantly that the rear widow was extremely small, yet its exterior styling I like very much! Those keep fit rear windows feel like cost-cutting. So, I do like this vehicle despite certain shortcomings.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, definitely an aftermarket parking sensors kit would solve the problem. I would trade in the sat nav for those... The rear window is very small and I had to carry to trade plate too, which made the visibility even worse. Good old window winders, sir....

[@PlanetautoUK]

Fantastic small car, shame there’s no Williams or RenaultSport ones, mind you the RS Line was a proper little warm hatch, great vid, lots of info, thank you Joseph

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

They did make a Renaultsport version of the Mark IV, just not the Mark V (yet). The RS-Line which you drove of the current generation did look like a great car, much, much more power than this old 1.2 with the D4F engine. The styling isn't particularly different between the two generations, suggesting they got it right first time with this one.

[@alansimpson835]

Very enjoyable sir. I always liked the style of these, although the side mouldings made the doors look a bit like someone had t-boned the car. Your French counterpart looked very familiar. I'm sure I've seen him somewhere but just can't put my finger on it

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I think M. Poulain is wanted by Interpol. That is probably why you have seen his face before. He tends to keep a low profile most of the time, but sometimes he just cannot help himself. The style of these is good, although I see what you mean about the side mouldings...

[@martinwalker3088]

Another nice and fair review Joseph. Some oddities in this Renault and I really don't like the limited rear visibility. The French cars that have been in my family over the years have never been very reliable or had any longevity, whatever the brand, so I don't tend to gravitate towards them these days.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Glad you liked it it, sir! Yes, lots of peculiar touches, which either add to the character or can be frustrating, depending on one's point of view. There are a lot of French or Italian cars that I don't tend to recommend to clients, but fortunately this is not one of them!

[@ST-ur7oh]

I was expecting Sir Lloyd to do a star jump in a skiing jacket over the roof of the Clio or at the least, replaced the tweed for a linen jacket and thread the car up some winding city street. Good review - hired one on holiday, had a certain va va boom if not the material quality of what I had at the time, a Polo .

[@ST-ur7oh]

Va va voom*

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

No skiiing or linen jackets, sir, this is Tweed Jacket Reviews after all! Not bad material quality at all, actually, although the current Polo does have a better interior, of course. I would have preferred a different engine, but never mind!

[@seancooke7332]

I don't understand it. This is a very stylish, pretty car which is well made and very efficient. I certainly enjoyed this video because a lady I know owns one in a metallic black colour with the same wheels and an absolutely beautiful interior. I can think of no reason not to buy this Clio because I, personally, have a love of small but luxurious cars like the MINI Cooper, DS3, Fiesta Vignale, Audi A1 and the lovely Alfa Romeo Mito that Mr Richardson recently reviewed. These are all expensive but are a step up from Budget base model cars.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes sir! The rear visibility is appalling, and this engine is too old fashioned and sluggish, but one that is a higher trim level with one of the more modern engines would be a much better bet. I remember the Mito, sir, and we do like a bit of luxury on this channel.

[@FuelPower]

Always liked the shape of these Clios though I would choose the 1.2 turbo over the 1.2 n/a.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

You are right, Mr Bill! I think that most of us would prefer that extra power, wouldn't we?

[@FuelPower]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting I 100% would for daily use

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@FuelPower , so glad we concur, sir...

[@markonmotoring]

I had that sane engine in one of the MK2 Clio I've owned and it was very nippy but the MK2 was a smaller car. Doubt it feels as good in the later cars. I actually test drive a 1.2 TCE GT around 2013. It didn't feel as quick as the numbers suggested but I think the flappy paddle gearbox was a big part of the problem. Ride was firm in its larger wheels too and I ended up with a DS3 With the 155 hp 1.6 turbo THP instead.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

The Mark II was a much smaller and lighter car, and I have driven one with this engine too. It felt a bit unrefined at the time, so this really was very old-fashioned. They did not offer the 1.2 turbo with a manual gearbox until the 2016 facelift in the Mark IV Clio, perhaps that would have been a bit better? Oh, the Prince engine in the DS3... I am afraid that we don't talk about the Prince engine on this channel, sir.

[@markonmotoring]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting Fear not. Mine was the petrol version, not a HDI.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@markonmotoring , the Prince engine is a petrol, sir... The 1.6 HDI was also bad, but of course I can't talk about that.

[@markonmotoring]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting interesting, out of curiosity what was your issue with the THP then? Only problem I had was warning messages about carbon in the manifold. It was quick though, very very quick. To be honest it was my favourite thing about the whole car. 😅

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@markonmotoring , watch the Mini Cooper SD episode of Sensible Secondhand Reviews. I asked one of my friends, who has a BMW channel, to go into all the issues with the N13 engine (which is the BMW version of the Prince engines) and then I talked about them in the review. There are a lot of them, to such an extent that they are also a forbidden powerplant on the channel, and I don't recommend them to clients.

[@colinhicks4174]

Interesting that the 75hp engine is lethargic. On the old 206, the 1.4 75hp engine was quite spritely. Likewise with the Micra K11 1.4. But I think they were both 8 valve units. With low down torque. Plus those cars were lighter.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, the old D4F engine came out in 1996 and is very underpowered in a Mark IV Clio. In a 206 or a K11 Micra, that amount of power is more than adequate, but not in a car like this...

[@DylRicho]

Hey Joseph, I was looking for a video on the Mk 3 Clio (2006-2012) but I don't think you've had the chance to make one yet. Do you have any thoughts on it?

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, I have driven one. They were OK in the day, but in general, cars like a Mark VII Fiesta or a Mazda2 are better in terms of the driving experience and reliability than Mark III Clio.

[@DylRicho]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting Thanks. The Mazda2 appears to have a small boot and I'm not a fan of the Mk7 Fiesta styling. I'm guessing that makes the Mk3 Clio a good option, unless there's something else I'm missing?

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@DylRicho , wouldn't go for it, really. As with any search for a car, it does highly depend on what is in your area when looking, but there are better options out there.

[@seancooke4127]

Ahh Bonjour Monsieur Nick. Clio, C'est Magnifique, Non? I have always been a fan of the Renault Clio. Its only negative seemed to be the notchy gearchange which did improve massively with the Mk3. This Mk4 model leaned more towards style than practicality yet lost non of its comfort and composure. I believe that Clios have had automatic lights for 20 "years. They have always had very good seats and excellent handling. As for the 1.2 engine. It may go right back to the first Clio but it is less expensive to specify, it is very well proven and is well known to most Mechanics. It may be less powerful and less efficient than more modern turbo charged petrols but quite often the less complicated engine is a better bet as age and miles start to accumulate. My daughter chose the 1.2 engine in her 2019 Fiat 500S. It may not be as advanced as the Twin Air Turbo but it is quiet and proven. She also finds it much more lively than the 2011 Kia Picanto 1.0 litre 3 cylinder that it replaced. It is equal to the Picanto on economy but is much more muscular on motorway inclines easily holding 5th gear.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

The gearchange in this car was surprisingly nice compared with older Renaults. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of earlier Clios did also have automatic lights, certainly the 2001 Laguna II did. The D4F engine came out in around 1996, and it is quite slow and unrefined, but they are fairly reliable as long as you service them and change the cambelt as the specified intervals. The TCe is a very, very different proposition indeed. The FIRE engine was 34 years old when it went into your daughter's car, so they are indeed very well proven. I drove an automatic 500 with that same engine in Italy in 2014. The gearbox was absolutely terrible, and it felt quite underpowered.

[@seancooke4127]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting yes I fear that the Fiat 500 Auto, like the Mini Auto, is really bad. My Daughter told me that the climb from Belfast to Mallusk would drop the plucky little Picanto from 5th at 70 mph to 4th and less than 50 mph. Whereas in the 1.2 Fiat she can maintain 70 mph or indeed accelerate. I have a colleague with a Sandero Stepway Tce 0.9 and he is impressed with both the power and economy as well as it being very quiet. I really need to try one of these low capacity turbo petrols because that little Picanto 3 Cylinder was a strong little engine that a turbo would certainly have given some great legs.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@seancooke4127 , what you need, sir, is a facelifted Mark IV Seat Toledo! A super little three cylinder turbo, although you do have to watch that wet timing belt. The 900cc TCe is a fairly decent engine, I think. Mr Coleman will probably let me know if that is not the case, as he usually does. Having driven Mr Bill's Panda 100 HP, I am now spoiled, and anything less than the 1.4 FIRE engine is going to seem a bit slow, I feel.

[@TheGreatestPlayerInTheWorld]

I had 2 Renault clios mk1 from 1991 and one from 2001 beautiful cars but reliability was atrocious I will never buy a Renault ever again even the breakdown guy from AA who I got to know very well said Renault Clio’s were top of the list of cars breaking down 😒

[@markonmotoring]

I've heard the very first MK1 had a few teething troubles. I'd still love one though. I missed out going from a Renault 5 straight to a late pre facelift MK2 then a very very early post facelift on a late Y registration. They were not completely trouble free but still were overall very good cars.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, I once drove a friend's Mark II Clio (it was a 2000 with this D4F engine) in around 2012, and it was absolutely knackered and virtually worthless. So many issues with it. I think that what I have seen from other people who have driven them backs up my feelings. This Mark IV is an awful lot better.

[@orio_3]

Never judge a car company based on an experience over ten years ago, let alone almost 30