Renault clio mk3 1.2 16 V

I loved my little Renault Clio, especially as in Dynamique trim it had the auto lights and wipers. It had a great little engine in it that you could rev the nuts off if you wanted, and when it wasn't fully laden it could keep up with most traffic (as long as you planned ahead and stirred the gearbox in time).

As a day to day car it performed everything it was asked of, whether sitting in traffic or belting round back roads or up and down the motorway.

Unfortunately it was a tad noisy at motorway speeds (one of the reasons I needed to upgrade in the end) and the sunroof was becoming a real pain towards the end of our relationship as it creaked going over every little bump in the road, which around town was quite a lot. Some of the interior plastics were also a little cheap, bit it was still a better place to be than the inside of a fiesta. And despite what some journalists thought of the front seat, I found it extremely comfy.

But being a renault it did have some common faults, one of which being the rear springs which had to be replaced after 30,000 miles, the other being the TDC sensor on the engine. This was the most frustrating as at times (especially when it was humid or raining) the car wouldn't start until the sensor magically started working again. In the end I managed to fix the problem when it arose with a wiggle of the sensor connector and a squirt of WD-40.

So although it had it's quirks, I was still sorry to have to say goodbye to my car when we parted company, as it had served me well over the years.

The Renault Clio is my best car yet! Looks good, handles exceptionally well. Im even over taking silly golf drivers with no balls! Like the fact that the lights come on automatically at night and the wipers do the same in rain. Plenty of oomph inside to easily fit 4/5 adults. Great fuel consumption.