I have bee offered 2 cheap Renault Clio but i have to pick which one,its for my brother just for local driving no motorway or high speed just want advice

on which one to have,brother is 64 so speed it not a major fact but which engine and model.

54 reg Dynamique 1.2 16v in red, 54k on the clock.

05 reg Authentique 1.2 8v in silver, 30k on the clock.

Is the 8v just as good as the 16v and i know the 8v is lower spec but a lot less miles.

Any help would be great as i have to look at them Saturday morning to say which one.

 

I used to look after 5 clios at one point for friends and family. 

4 of which were the 1.2 16v and other than odd bits n pieces including ignition coils and a crank sensor they weren't too bad. The other was an older 1.6 8v engine and that was fine besides a temp sensor and water in a connector for the abs.

Personally if I had to make a choice it would be the 16v engine. Just be careful and ensure the timing belt and water pump have been done or you are going to have it done. 

What is the miles these need being done as I don't think they have and I know it's on Years but is the 8v a cheaper job.he ain't got a lot of cash and these are only £1195 for the 8v 30k and £1095 for the 54 with 54k.

5 years or 72k miles. 

2 minutes ago, stef123 said:

5 years or 72k miles. 

I will have to ask about the service on them and if its been done,there so cheap as there just PX cars off a main dealer and this little garage/m.o.t station

has them next to nothing and does a service and full m.o.t then sells them.

Had a go in the 8v and very surprised how nippy it is,from 2009 to 2011 it only did 3k in miles off the m.o.t records,no oil leaks and engine just dusty and just needs a general clean like valent inside but 30k for a 11 year old car with new m.o.t for £1195.

personally i'm not a lover of older low mileage cars - simply for the fact the parts still corrode, seize and rubber perishes and with that it mind it means much the same to me as a young but high mileage motor. 

However if you like the look of the car and all is well, go for it. Cars speak for themselves if they have been looked after or not. 

There is something I can't get,the M.O.T online in 2011 went back 2k,does the history in this make any difference looking at the mot history,must be wrote down wrong,it's been used in the last 4 years like 10k one year and12k the other,early years were low like 4K or 3k.

The thing is if you were going to turn a clock back why only 2k,like 8k to just under 6k and only when car was 5 years or so old.

One year it only did 1k but i have to say mine only does very low miles each year so 1 or 2k i can understand.

The 54 plate seems consistent from mot to mot like first mot in 2008 was 16k then up from 2k a year to 7k a year upto now at 54k.

The one thing that would do it for me would be the service history.  Even though it only did 1-2k per year, did it still get oil changes on a yearly basis?  Some owners of low mileage vehicles think that because they do so few miles they can leave it years between oil changes, which is obviously incorrect.  That's one of my problems with low mileage cars as opposed to well maintained high milers.

We went for the 54k one after driving both,M.O.T. history was all fine so from when it needed m.o.t in 2008 with 19k it went up

around 7k to 3k each year and only 2 lady owners which first had it from new until 2012 and latest one until july 2016.

It just seems a more genuine car which has been used up to now as still mot till jan 2017 but will come with a service and 12 months mot.

7 stamps in service book up til 2012 at 38k so at least a nice bit of history,other one had nothing and funny M.O.T history as it lost over 2k in 2011,went backwards.

Ok just checked the car by ringing the garage where it had 6 services from new upto 34,800k and no cambelt kit done,car is under warranty for 3 months

on engine and box so will wait until after that,garage we had it from gave it a service and stamped book 54,300k and ticked cambelt box been checked and

wrote 72k for change no years,how true are the years to mileage on these things as 72k or 5 years seems a lot of miles to the years,i have had a belt go

on me on my old c.v.h escort years ago so know what goes on but his money is very tight and will wait until after the warranty runs out,around £200 to do.

1 hour ago, jace1969 said:

Ok just checked the car by ringing the garage where it had 6 services from new upto 34,800k and no cambelt kit done,car is under warranty for 3 months

on engine and box so will wait until after that,garage we had it from gave it a service and stamped book 54,300k and ticked cambelt box been checked and

wrote 72k for change no years,how true are the years to mileage on these things as 72k or 5 years seems a lot of miles to the years,i have had a belt go

on me on my old c.v.h escort years ago so know what goes on but his money is very tight and will wait until after the warranty runs out,around £200 to do.

I'd be cautious about relying on the warranty to cover the timing belt if it fails, as a lot of the time they exclude that and try to get out of paying for the repairs.  It may be better to save yourself a lot of possible hassle and just replace it now, then you still have the warranty if anything else goes wrong. 

41 minutes ago, jmurray01 said:

I'd be cautious about relying on the warranty to cover the timing belt if it fails, as a lot of the time they exclude that and try to get out of paying for the repairs.  It may be better to save yourself a lot of possible hassle and just replace it now, then you still have the warranty if anything else goes wrong. 

I did think that myself,the car had services upto over 34k,3 at the main Renault garage where came from and 3 at a local place to it and all stamped,i did

ring the garage at the last service in 2011 so was until 2012 when this person sold the car in 2012 and where the stamps ended and no belt done so was 7 years

then,the next keeper only has address with no number to ring and no stamps so no way to contact,it will be done but as he aint got a lot of money left my 

brother as he hit the budget on the car being it was a good one so its just a waiting game,i looked as a few and seem around £200 for kit and water pump.

20 minutes ago, jace1969 said:

I did think that myself,the car had services upto over 34k,3 at the main Renault garage where came from and 3 at a local place to it and all stamped,i did

ring the garage at the last service in 2011 so was until 2012 when this person sold the car in 2012 and where the stamps ended and no belt done so was 7 years

then,the next keeper only has address with no number to ring and no stamps so no way to contact,it will be done but as he aint got a lot of money left my 

brother as he hit the budget on the car being it was a good one so its just a waiting game,i looked as a few and seem around £200 for kit and water pump.

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean in terms of affording it.  To be honest I wouldn't be too worried, especially if only for a few months until the warranty expires and/or he saves up enough money for the job. 

Our old 1997 Fiesta 1.25 never had its cam belt changed and we had it up to 2013 with 80,000 miles on the clock.  Yes it was a "ticking timebomb", but it never snapped, neither did the one on our 1998 Rover 200 1.6 which we also had until 2013 and it had around 80k also.  Our previous 2000 Focus 1.8 had no history of the belt being changed either, and it had over 180,000 miles last year when we got rid of it, and the belt (and clutch) were still fine!

But, conversely you can also get a car which is 5 years old with 25,000 miles and the cam belt snaps when reversing into your driveway!!  It really is random, which is why changing it sooner rather than later is advised.

Cheers for your advice and a great help and i know what you mean as its a Lottery with it but better done,i think he said the next month say end of

september area he will have it done,he lives around 20miles away so the prices there are £180 all in which i think is a dam good price.

Renault timing belts done have the best of reputations so safer to have it done. 

20 hours ago, stef123 said:

Renault timing belts done have the best of reputations so safer to have it done. 

Cheers,looked at a few garages over birmingham area and best is £180 to £200 all in thats kit and pump.

I have sent 2 letters to the owners before  (2 from new ) just to check as will only take a week for a reply so will take it from there.