You Can Now Buy A Renault Sport Clio 197 For Under £3000

Clio 182 prices are going up, making great-condition 197s look like a high-revving steal
You Can Now Buy A Renault Sport Clio 197 For Under £3000

With Clio 182 prices having bounced back slightly, with good ones definitely on the rise, we decided to have a butcher’s hook at its largely unloved successor, the 197. And, happily, it looks like there are bargains galore.

Through the 2000s Renault Sport had a knack of not quite getting their cars right the first time out. There was the phase one 172, only perfected with phase two and the later 182. Early RS Meganes were a bit disappointing, too.

The 194bhp 197 was ultimately seen as a bit of a ‘nearly-car’, but I have fond memories of spanking one around the Lake District when it was launched and seeing its flaws, but being impressed enough by its light-but-accurate steering and fizzy F4R 2.0-litre rev monster. Now then, back to the present.

You Can Now Buy A Renault Sport Clio 197 For Under £3000

The sweaty palms began when we discovered that 197s with sensible mileage had dropped below £3000. Then we found this car, which looks like an absolute peach. It looks super-clean, for starters, and original to boot. A tell-tale of a cared-for car is the premium tyre choice; in this case Continentals. All the signs point to one that’s been cherished, even before you get to the description.

We’d always like to go for the Liquid Yellow F1 Team version, which had chassis revisions that turned it into perhaps the car the 197 always should have been, but when the value is this good, do you really care?

You Can Now Buy A Renault Sport Clio 197 For Under £3000

It has eight months left on the MOT, comes with a six CD multichanger (remember those?) and some kind of aftermarket iPhone connectivity. It’s had ‘5+’ owners, which makes the amazing condition all the more surprising. The seller calls it A1 condition, and we can’t at this stage find any reason to doubt them. Someone please buy it before I do.

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Comments

FLixy Madfox

“looks like a high revving steal”
Well i may just have to steal if i want one in the US

05/20/2017 - 13:00 |
92 | 0

Same here. Maybe we can steal it together?

05/20/2017 - 13:13 |
12 | 0

Dont worry you are not missing much, they may be good but they are not great

05/20/2017 - 13:35 |
10 | 22
Joshua Persaud (Wagon/Estate Squad) (Sleeper Squad) I need a

In reply to by FLixy Madfox

Lucky if you can get it in Canada…

05/20/2017 - 18:19 |
4 | 0
Archive Aston (Aston Martin squad)

Insert I have 3 dollars meme here

05/20/2017 - 13:12 |
0 | 0
Tomislav Celić

3 grand for one of these
Sorry but I’m suspicious. I just don’t want to open a bonnet and see a piece of ducktape holding the engine

05/20/2017 - 13:13 |
6 | 4

Brate za 3.500€ u nas nemos ni obicnog uzet tako da se nemoj zalit👌🏻

05/20/2017 - 14:09 |
6 | 0

There are lots of 197’s for 3k

05/20/2017 - 15:55 |
0 | 0
_MakyDrifter_

It`s my dream car and I love it , small car with 2.0 n/a engine and beautifull sound . I didnt have any problems with my “normal” clio 1.2 so I believe its very good in terms of quality :)

05/20/2017 - 13:20 |
14 | 4
Anonymous

Sucks because they arent sold in America.

05/20/2017 - 13:34 |
2 | 4
Anonymous

SO PRETTY!!

05/20/2017 - 13:36 |
2 | 6
David 29

Its one of the funniest car i have ever drive this is why i own one :)

05/20/2017 - 14:45 |
42 | 2
Freddie Skeates

Hey, I can actually afford this one… Ah wait, hold up…

05/20/2017 - 15:41 |
62 | 0

This is so true, I’m in the same boat haha

05/20/2017 - 16:10 |
2 | 0

I always see you guys making this claim when discussing used nice sports cars so I’m curious. How bad is it? Because if I see this thing at this price in my country, I don’t think there’d be anything that’d stop me from getting to it. A car like that in that condition here would set you back USD 15.000, or more.

05/20/2017 - 16:33 |
4 | 0
Anonymous

Wonder when the cambelt was changed, add 6-700 quid to the price if that needs doing.. Mine is due any time now and it’s painfully expensive.

05/20/2017 - 16:11 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

But does it have 2 gloveboxes like my 500 quid Daihatsu?

05/20/2017 - 16:17 |
0 | 0