The time came

MikeHiow · 24 Apr 2011 at 23:06

There is nothing wrong with the car, if there was I'd be in a rush to sell it, and wouldn't have been autotesting in it today.

The car is a dream on perfect road surfaces, but it is a pain on **** roads - something which we have an abundance of over here.

The decision to sell is a 50/50 split, as I like the car when I want to have some fun, it's just crap at being a normal car.

MikeHiow · 24 Apr 2011 at 23:48

[TW]Fox;18979250 said:
I didn't find the 182 to be problematic on crap roads - the ride is quite compliant for a 'sporting' car, helped by the reasonably small wheels.

When you are in normal car mode it is simply a Renault Clio - I disliked it because of this but it was hardly crap at being a normal car.

Where did you drive it?

The "small" wheels don't help much when it still has low profile tyres - in fact it only has around 2mm more sidewall than my ST did ffs.

Are you really disputing this based on a quick test drive? Having owned two other cars in a similar class, I can categorically state that the Clio is by far the worst in terms of comfort and compliance on anything short of a near perfect surface.

I can only suggest that either you've made that up to support the argument, or you've driven some really crap cars by comparison.

Azza said:
This thread confuses me so damn much. I was under the impression Mikeihow bought this because it was what he wanted it for, the exact car for the job. But now it isn't because it only does what he wanted it to do... my brain hurts.

If I wanted a car that was purely for being driven on the boil whenever it is driven, I'd have bought something "7". I know it's hard to comprehend, but I do, on occasion need to just go somewhere you know....

MikeHiow · 24 Apr 2011 at 23:58

You make it sound like I have exclusive use of both cars? The OH has the Focus most of the time, unless we're doing something together obviously.

I think you underestimate how bad our roads are.

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 00:03

It was fine on the test drive - roads are generally better pretty much anywhere on the mainland, it was also exciting driving my potential new car and I was more concerned about looking out for problems really.

In fact, it was mostly fine during that initial "honey moon" period, but you'll notice that in my initial write-up that I still managed to find it a little tedious then.

Now? I have a little more money to play with, and can have just as much fun when hooning but with more compliance, and enjoy more comfort when I'm not hooning, just by changing cars.

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 00:05

Morba said:
I've been to IOW a few times, all over the island. Can't say it was a problem in the 330d (which my wife hates being in on normal roads atm due to suspension).

Well, you were driving a Diesel BMW Saloon, and my issues lie with a shoebox french hatchback.....

They are mostly fine in the Focus - in fact, there are many places I can actually go faster in the Focus! That doesn't detract from the issues I experience in the Clio though.

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 00:10

Why do I have to repeat myself so much? If you're going to argue, at least read the ****ing thread :/

Just 7 posts back:

MikeHiow said:
You make it sound like I have exclusive use of both cars? The OH has the Focus most of the time, unless we're doing something together obviously.

Why has going to the Mainland got anything to do with it?

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 00:17

Just LOL. I think you're blinded by fanboyism right there.

As comfortable as a Mondeo and a better place to be for 70 miles a day, and the cup suspension is too soft?

I don't know what you're smoking or if you're just being an idiot, but really? That's even a bit far fetched for Motors to digest even if it does work against me.

Of course, comfort is completely subjective. I had a discussion with someone a while back who thinks that a DC2 is a comfortable car to travel over 1000 miles in - I don't think I could consider it comfortable for 10.

Most owners probably look to stiffen up the suspension for their blasts along near-perfect A roads, and to let them use slicks/semis on track. Most of these owners do not live on the Isle of Wight where already poor roads have been neglected completely for the last four years.

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 00:20

Westyfield2 said:
Admittedly it's a few years since I've been over on IoW, but the roads then were just exactly the same as at home! So unless our's have been repaired (and they haven't ) and IoW's haven't I don't see it...

Wrong. Perhaps some main roads, depending on which route you take could be considered alright, but these are always congested, especially in the summer when the number of cars on our roads at least triples.

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 00:23

Gaygle said:
I just can't imagine the ride being that bad that within 2 months it has become too much for him. TBH i can't really imagine it's much worse than many other cars out there with sports suspension.

I'm just wondering what he's going to be buying next. Being a car enthusiast, as i imagine Mike is, i can imagine it's probably going to be fast, with low profile tyres and sports suspension.... just like the Clio is.

You seem to forget that I've had a lot of cars already with "sports suspension" and low profile tyres. I'll stick with my own experiences, you can stick to guessing

If anyone would like a day trip to the Isle of Wight, I'll quite happily take anyone for a blast - perhaps once you're neck/back/ass aches and you've hit your head on the roof a few times, you'll understand.

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 00:28

I don't want a car that "glides along on a bed of double cream" I want a car that I can drive at reasonable pace, but fairly relaxed without it bouncing all over the place, tram lining and generally being excessively uncomfortable.

My Rover Coupe, Calibra, Corrado, VXR, ST and even the RX8 I borrowed (even on PZ suspension!) all managed to fit this criteria just fine.

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 00:44

Skeeter said:
Looks like Mike wasn't to optimistic, theres another 54 plate 182 on ClioSport for sale for £3500...

Oh no, never mind, it has 44,000 miles on it and the cambelt was fitted by a Renault garage.

Oh wait, you mean the de-badged non-cup for sale that says "Belts done last year by the garage I got the car from", the car that needs a new bumper, has a headlight bracket broken and a dent in the bonnet following an accident, no mention of service history, a chavvy exhaust but the owner doesn't know what it is, polish stains all over the textured plastic trims, tacky and badly painted black wheels, a "900W sub and amp m8", suspiciously looking like it has 4 **** tyres fitted and the tax is just about to run out, oh, and the fact the vendor had already taken it off sale at the time you posted?

That looks like a REALLY good buy :rolleyes:

But it's alright, because the odometer says 44,000......

It's slightly ironic isn't it, how you talk about lying, and then continue to accuse me of lying about my experiences with the Clio, yet you manage to omit such crucial bits of information from your post.

Skeeter said:
So with all that experience, why did you buy a 182 Cup?

A mixture of people telling me they are good and one coming up cheap.

Morba said:
A BMW that has, in my wifes opinion (and actually quite a few peoples that I remember), quite harsh suspension for the type of car that it is.
So comparing the mainland to IOW (was last there less than a year ago) and finding the IOW fine, was my point. Not a comparison between a performance car and a saloon.

Where did you go on the Isle of Wight? You are wrong, but perhaps the places you visited will give some indication to the routes you took.

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 00:52

East side? Which town and where did you visit?

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 01:03

Coppins Bridge, and this shows exactly the kind of route you mainlanders take - main roads. The only time I ever use Coppins bridge is if I'm going in to Newport

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 01:07

It isn't just about comfort, it is about road compliance, too.

The Clio is exciting when you're in the mood for driving like you're a rally driver, but when you just want to make fast progress the lack of suspension travel, tramlining, bump steer, and general shoebox car features just become tiresome.

It isn't like the Isle of Wight is tiny. For example, to visit my Grandmother, I will travel 16 miles each way - that's 32 miles of nearly all bad roads - tiresome.

Morba said:
Yes, because that really is the only way to get around...

I don't know if you're being sarcastic here, because it really isn't? And if you were being sarcastic, why did you mention seeing it on just about every journey?

Morba said:
We took a lot of other roads. the route back to the ferry was along the coastal route, clockwise, as one example.

Oh? Which Ferry did you get?

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 01:20

Which port on the mainland? Portsmouth?

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 01:29

So you took the Military road - that'll be the "coastal road" you speak of.

Yet you saw no issues with the roads over here compared to the Mainland?

Funny that, because you have a pretty good comparison between a fun and fast, but ultimately ****ing terrible road over here and some lovely New Forest roads but could not see ours was any worse?

Sorry, but I've driven the Military Road too many times to remember, and multiple routes through the New Forest almost as much and it isn't even a close call - even most of the very small back lanes of the New Forest are not as bumpy or in as bad condition as the Military Road.

I'm also assuming that as you went through the New Forest you were heading for the M27 and went up through Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst and up the A337, which I know is a particularly good route.

So, either you're lying to support your argument on here, or errr... there isn't really another option assuming you do actually remember the drive.

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 01:36

How can you expect to be dissecting other people's comments when your own do not add up?

I'd put money on me visiting the mainland a lot more often than you've visited the Isle of Wight, and I've yet to experience anywhere that has roads that are generally as bad as ours. Sure there are bad roads on the Mainland too, but this is the exception rather than the rule.

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 01:45

Morba said:
Roads are a joke over here this last few years. there has been plenty of news coverage about it and the lack of funds to repair pot holes that are now found in many normal roads.

I don't dispute that, but we are always behind - our roads were terrible before the spending cuts, they've been completely neglected completely for four years and they were terrible to begin with.

Our issues do not just lie with pot holes, but bad, broken and bumpy surfaces in general (roots, ground movement etc.).

If you need any more proof, have a read of this: http://www.iwight.com/council/committees/cabinet/11-8-09/PAPER B - APPENDIX 1 - PUBIC VERSION.pdf

The Isle of Wight was one of three chosen for the PFI scheme - wasting a lot of money paying the private sector to fix our roads.

Some quotes for you:

The Island's road condition has fallen below the bottom quartile of all national highway condition indicators

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 01:51

On a slightly lighter note, I found a cracking picture from today

MikeHiow · 25 Apr 2011 at 02:11

It was driven hard, too.

Today actually made me think about keeping it and improving it. With the R888s, a RARB and some better suspension with a couple of sets of springs, it could probably be more competitive and better on the road as well.

The trouble is, for the money spent doing that, I could just buy an RX8.