► Read month 1
► Too basic, or just right?
► What’s the verdict after eight months?
There’s always that big question mark hanging over a long-term test car when we hand it back. ‘Would you recommend it?’ If your best friend asked about the car you’ve just lived with for six months, would you say ‘Yes absolutely! Buy one!’? Or would you look at your shoes and mumble something about ‘Other brands are available’?
Over the years, there have been a few long-termers that I’ve eulogised about. If anyone asks me to recommend a family estate, for example, it’s always the Dacia Jogger, ever since I tested one for six months back in 2022.
Over the last couple of years I’ve probably sold more Dacia Joggers than your average Dacia main dealer, I’ve gushed about it so much (you’re welcome, Dacia). But the Clio – oh, the Clio! It’s taken things to a whole new level. With our orange Tic Tac I don’t even wait to be asked.
‘Lovely weather today,’ a passing stranger will say. ‘I think you should consider the Renault Clio TCe 90,’ I reply. ‘Can you help with my homework?’ my daughter asks. ‘The Clio TCe 90 is the answer,’ I tell her. ‘We think it’s time you handed over the Clio,’ the Renault press officer tells me, in an email. ‘No, I think it’s time YOU handed over the Clio,’ I reply, confusing the hell out of him. So yes, our Clio has been a hit.
It started as an experiment. So often, CAR ends up running top-of-the-range models, but with the Clio we deliberately went for the base-spec Evolution model with just one option added, the Valencia Orange metallic paint (£700). Over the last seven months that decision has shown, more than ever, that in the days of fully digital electric cars, less is more.
The Clio’s minimalist simplicity has been one of its greatest pleasures. I never once thought, ‘Gosh, I wish I had 12-way power-adjustable front seats with a massage function.’ I don’t want my windscreen-wiper preferences stored in the cloud, or a passenger-side infotainment screen.
The Clio has a small but effective touchscreen in the middle of the dash and it has CarPlay. The seats are manual and so is the handbrake. I never wanted anything else.
Inside, the seat fabrics feel a little synthetic, but with dogs and kids climbing in and out they proved to be tough and easy to clean. And at the centre of the whole experience is the engine-gearbox combination, a sensational 1.0-litre petrol three-cylinder with a six-speed manual.
I know I’ve banged on about this, but it’s so good and so much more fun than the 89bhp would suggest. This powertrain – along with the quick, accurate steering – is what elevates the Clio above its mundane, budget status. When the Renault won our eight-car hatchback test last summer, some of its competitors felt like anaemic shopping trolleys (I’m looking at you, Toyota Yaris 1.5 Excel Hybrid). The Clio, in comparison, felt like the enthusiast’s choice – a half-pint hot hatch in disguise.
No, wait, that’s misleading. If you buy a Clio TCe 90 expecting a REAL hot hatch, you’d be disappointed. It has drum brakes and 150bhp missing. No, it’s not a car for those who want to show off or drag race from traffic lights. But if you love driving and you get a kick from balancing a lightweight hatch on its tippy-toes while thrashing the living daylights out of a little engine, then this is the car for you.
There. I recommended it.
Count the cost
Cost new £18,695
Part-exchange £13,550
Cost per mile 15.7p
Cost per mile including depreciation 75.7p
Logbook
Price £17,995 (£18,695 as tested)
Performance 999cc turbocharged three-cylinder, 89bhp, 12.2sec 0-62mph, 112mph
Efficiency 54.3mpg (official), 44.4mpg (tested), 118g/km CO2
Energy cost 15.7p per mile
Miles this month 1024
Total miles 8532