I'm going to get a serious hammering for this but...
I've recently got to properly drive a Clio 182 as I've always fancied one and I don't understand the hype. Sure it has good handling and goes ok but the crap seating position takes the fun out of it, along with the bus sized steering wheel, transit van gear throw and useless brakes. They are terribly unreliable with dampers and exhausts being consumable items, gearboxes and de-phasers not much better. Horrific costs for the very regular cambelt changes.
For £2.5k I'd plump for a mint 306 GTI-6 and keep the change to give it a good going over and replace any age related tired parts. Older but a hell of a lot more robust, great engine and gearbox, more fun handling, better driving position etc I could go on!