Appearance and styling: The Clio, is certainly more conservative in its styling; hardly surprising considering, despite facelifts, how long it has been around. But, as I explained the other day, it was the looks that attracted me in the first place (I am so shallow) and I think the new Clio is as attractive as any 'supermini' out there. Internally, the Clio is even more conservative and, I must admit, I will slightly miss the chunky stylings of the 500. Horses for courses, but I found the Fiat very comfortable for the driver and front passenger, but not all my pupils agreed. Marks out of 10 (Fiat score in brackets): Externally: 8 (7). Internally: 6 (8).
Controls: I liked the 'chrome', dashboard-mounted gearstick on the Fiat and it had a nice action, although it sometimes got stuck when selecting 5th gear. The Clio's gearstick, while less stylish, actually feels better and has an even better action. Plus, there is no risk of getting stuck when selecting 5th. The brakes are significantly better than the Fiat (which has caught a couple of pupils out) and the accelerator is less sensitive than the Fiat (petrol version). But the clutch.... The clutch is an absolute joy compared to the Fiat. The Clio's clutch is so much more forgiving that it has instantly given some of my pupils 100% more confidence. The 500 is a very easy car to stall, whereas my Clio is (famous last words) very hard to stall. Marks out of 10: 9 (7.5)
Performance and handling: The 1.5dCi engine is very quiet for a diesel, but lively and torquey. Although the Fiat was quite quick off the mark and nippy in the lower gears, it struggles with any workload in higher gears and often required dropping down the gears to tackle many of the hills in my area. The extra power in the Clio is plenty to cope with all but the steepest hills in 4th, or even 5th gear. As I mentioned in an earlier post, there is a lot more confidence when it comes to overtaking, even without changing down. I will miss the way the Fiat handled. The Fiat just went wherever you pointed it and the firm suspension (I had the Sport model) made the twisty roads around the West Highlands a real pleasure. The softer suspension on the Clio means that it is not quite as confident on the sharper corners, but it is smoother over pot-holed roads. Performance: 7 (5). Handling 7 (8).
Economy: Bliss. The Fiat really wasn't too bad for a petrol engine. I used to average around 50 mpg. But the Renault seems even more economical than the diesel Corsa. So far I am averaging 63 mpg. Not only that, but it has a decent sized fuel tank too, so I can cover 650 - 700 miles on a full tank. This eliminates the need for me to begrudgingly pay 10p more per litre in certain, out-of-the-way petrol stations. Economy: 9 (7)
Comfort: I'll be completely honest, I do miss the Fiat seats a little. In the Clio it feels more like I am sitting 'on' them, rather than 'in' them. However, there is far more adjustment possible and my pupils prefer the seats, whether they are 5 foot tall, or.... larger. On Wednesday, I had 11 hours of lessons and never felt the slightest bit uncomfortable. It is nice to have seat-belt height adjustment back again (not available in the 500) and the greater gap between front seats means I do not have to consciously keep away from my pupil. I have spent a little extra on a 5-door Clio and this has already been worthwhile. Last Friday Katie asked the examiner if I could sit in on her test, then the Senior Examiner sat in the back as well. Absolutely no problem in the Clio, but it would have been very cosy in the Fiat. Comfort: 8 (7)
Misc: No Bluetooth (yet), which I miss. The driver display is less cluttered and easier to see. Neither the Fiat, nor the Clio's audio system are quite as good as the Corsa's, but it is nice to have fingertip controls for the audio. The Fiat's turning circle was tiny, which was great for manoeuvres, but the Clio will still turn in the tightest of roads.
Final scores: Renault Clio - 54/100. Fiat 500 - 49.5/100.
But what do my pupils think of it?.................
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