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Honest John Reviews Renault

Renault Clio (2009 – 2013) Review

2021 Renault Clio 1.0 TCe 90 Lutecia SE 5dr Renault Clio
1.0 TCe 90 Lutecia SE 5dr
£12,622
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Renault Clio (2009 – 2013) At A Glance

3/5

+Clio facelifted for 2009 with same look as Laguna. 1.5 Eco2 diesel down to 98g/km CO2.

-Not as popular as the Clio used to be in the days of Nicole and papa.

Insurance Groups are between 8–30
On average it achieves 86% of the official MPG figure

Facelifted 2009 front shares same look as Laguna.

Renault Clio Gordini dCi 106 2011 Road Test

Renault Eco 2010 Driving Lesson

What do owners think of the Renault Clio (2009 – 2013)? Check out our Owners' Reviews from people who live with the car day in, day out.

Car seat chooser

Child seats that fit a Renault Clio (2009 – 2013)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

Which car seat will suit you?

Real MPG average for a Renault Clio (2009 – 2013)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

86%

Real MPG

22–73 mpg

MPGs submitted

805

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

Satisfaction Index

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Reviews for Renault Clio (2009 – 2013)'s top 3 rivals

Peugeot 207
3/5
The spirit of the 205 revived. Packed with personality. Fun to drive, safe, and decent quality.
SEAT Ibiza
3/5
Cheap to run. five star Euro NCAP rating, clear and simple dash layout. Facelifted with improved engine...
Vauxhall Corsa
3/5
Solid and decently equipped. Reasonable handling and some frugal engines.

Ask Honest John

Snapped rear coil spring on Renault Clio

"My Renault Clio went in for its MoT recently. It failed due to what they called "snapped rear coil spring". The garage said they would need to replace both as they have to be done in pairs. Quote of £291.32 for both. The car has only done 15000 miles and is four years old. I complained as I did not feel this was fair were and tear on the car and expensive. The AA advised that this should not have happened in such few miles, perhaps at 50,000 miles and that I should get the parts for independent evaluation. Renault has offered me 60 per cent off the work. Apparently now they are paying part I can no longer have the old parts, only pictures they have taken of them. They told me that I am the first person they know to ask for the old parts and if I want the parts I would have to pay in full as the dealership needs them as Renault are contributing. What should I do and are Renault allowed to do this?"
You're caught between a rock and a hard place and it simply isn't worth a battle. If you paid the full price for the springs and obtained the snapped remains for checking, your costs for a technical report would be far greater than you could hope to recover in court. So my advice is to take the expedient route and take the 60 per cent offer from Renault, which leaves you paying about £120.
Answered by Honest John

Why does my car's air con smell so bad?

"Is there a good way of getting rid of the "wet dog/smelly socks" odour which comes from the air conditioning when it is first switched on? It seems to clear after a while but it is really unpleasant. Have tried "bombs" from Halfords etc. but they seem to be short term effective. "
Very simple. Run it at maximum temperature for 15 minutes. The smell is coming from bacteria that has grown on condensation in the ducting. To get rid of the smell you need to dry out the condensation and the heat should also kill the bacteria. Always a good idea to run a/c on max temperature for a minute or two at the end of a journey in order to evaporate off condensation in the ducting.
Answered by Honest John

Renault Clio III problems

"I purchased a Clio 3 1.5 DCI manual last summer and so far have been very happy with it. The car is efficient and easy to drive, and the amount of included features and technology is impressive. I have a couple of queries which I was hoping you could assist with. Firstly the clutch is getting sticky and sometimes will remain down when I bring my foot up. This is solved by pushing down further and usually happens when changing to fourth or fifth gears. Is this likely to be a simple matter of the clutch pedal needing lubricating, or could it be more serious? If so, would this be a warranty matter or wear and tear? Secondly, I have a minor issue where when starting the engine from cold in cold weather (less than 5 degrees), the revs jump up and down. My garage (Renault main dealer) has looked at this and fitted a new glow plug (the car has now had three glow plugs in 9 months) which has reduced the issue so that the revving issue is now only slight. Is there anything else which needs looking at or is this normal?"
The clutch problem is likely to be either master cylinder or slave cylinder (probably master cylinder). Poor starting of a diesel in cold weather is either a battery problem, a glow plug problem, or lumps of emulsified biodiesel blocking the fuel filter.
Answered by Honest John

Buying a car for my son?

"My son is thinking of changing his Renault Clio GT dCi (110). It has done 46000 miles with a full service history. Are there any known problems with this model if so what are they? And what would you recommend as a replacement he does about 15000 miles per year."
Problems here: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/renault/clio-iii-2-2009/?section=good/ The best small diesel is probably the Mazda 2 1.5 Skyactiv D, but it's quite expensive: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-2-15-skyactiv-d-2015-road-test//
Answered by Honest John
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