260 Bhp Scoob V's 172 V's Mondeo TDCi
 

As Mummy and Daddy have gone to L.A i have the above at my disposal.
I've been using Ma's 172 most as i ultimately plan to downgrade from the Scoob to run sommat cheaper while i save for my next wild chariot. I am TBH really dissapointed. I was expecting it to be a complete hoot but have found myself wishing i had my old Clio 16v. I find it very nervous in the twisties and i really have to work it to to show some pace. Overtaking is a very dodgy time so i've given up trying. I really wanted to like it but i just can't :(
Dad's Mondeo is full of surprises :D Naturally it's got all the low down power and a six speed box but i was expecting a north sea ferry in the twisties. How wrong can i be.............. I've thrown it in to a few tight corners and it just grips with about the same body roll as my Scoob :eek: It's fitted with 18's which i suppose helps though.
I jumped in the Scoob today for a blast and fooooooooooooooooook it's fast. A complete different world to the others.
Now for my downgrade plan.....................It ain't gonna happen :D:D:D
Big shout for the blue oval though. Totally impressed with it :D

Its amazing how 'sport' and stiff and tight a scooby feels when you've been driving a 'work hack' for a few days. I owned my impreza and a 406 for a while and you REALLY appreciated the scooby when you got back in it :)

Indeed. I did however expect the 172 to float my boat after having owned a 1.9GTi and a Clio 16v before the Scoob. :)

Must agree about the 172, I've driven my uncle's on a number of occasions and find it nervous and scrabbling for traction whenever I try anything fun, just didn't seem planted on the road.

Diesels have alot going for them these days, just for the pure grunt. An alfa 147JTD I rented was a real hoot in comparison.

Although my scoob is still going, because it's a gutless understeery pile of poo. (IMO of course) - only when I've found a formidable replacement ;)

The Mondeo has more advanced suspension than the Scoob IIRC, its just not 4wd and stiff as a board, even the base 1.8 I had was a superb handler, I am talking about the new shape, wasnt so keen on the earlier ones.

Too heavy though... IIRC 1500Kg+ for the diesel. My dad has one and it does feel lardy, certainly compared to a classic shape scooby.

Possibly - but it does feel really planted and quite chuckable :)
Fingers crossed that the old man doesn't find out off SN that his car is chuckable :eek::D

A friend of mine has both a WRX and a 172 Cup and having been out in both I can say that as people have said although the Clio doesn't feel as well planted it felt every bit as quick as his WRX. He even seems to prefer it to his WRX himslef at times although does admit to missing the turbo rush.

To be fair m8 the 172`s do loosen up quite a bit if they get a good pastling alot of the time, and with eibach springs they also handle much better than std.
I have just got some on my Cup and the difference is amazing. Much safer feel, not as twitchy as before especially under heavy breaking where the back end would go very light. Also with a few basic mods (ie filter ecu decat/exhaust) mine is now able to stay with my m8s 260bhp wrx from 60 upto a little after 100, although low speeds coming out of bends I have to wait till I come on cam b4 I can keep up!


Chris

Probably worth test driving a diesel Ford Focus.

The car is more nimble, lighter and better power to weight ratio than the Mondeo.

With the new shape out, I dare say there are some deals to be had on the old shape (which I have to admit to liking)

So in other words you cant keep up?

I love the "can keep up with xxx" comment - as if that means anything.

I kept up with a 911 60mph to 100mph the other day - doesnt mean anything cos if we ran to 100mph plus he would have toasted me, and if he could handle the thing properly he could have toasted me round a few bends/twists too. Same as if your mate could drive his WRX properly coming out of slow or fast bends -you'd see the gap getting bigger and bigger.

The WRX @ 260bhp is quicker 0-60, quicker 0-100, quicker over the 1/4 - will leave you for dead around bends/twisty roads and won't run out of breath after 100mph.

The 172's are nippy and have a good bit of go in them, but they have absolutely no road precense whatsoever..........like driving a micra or something.......they look like your neighbours clio...........drove one before for a while in between selling my scoob and getting my first evo...........found it very boring...Im sure I would have liked it when I was 21, instead of my Fiesta RS turbo... but just doesnt look anything like a performance car.

Look girly imho.

The V6 though is another matter.

I like the look of my mine :cool:

http://server2.uploadit.org/files/Darren555-Clio172.jpg

I quite like the look of the 172. It's subtle and understated.

The V6 looks like a monster, it's a pity they didn't give it the bite to match its bark. Lovely motor though

But thats the appeal for some people, half the fun is whipping the ass off some smug git who thinks it easy prey and "just" and ordinary Clio. I've lost count the amount of times I've wiped off the smug grins of drivers of BMWs, Mercs, Lexus, Jags, Golfs, lax powered corsa/novas/saxos and white vans.

Spot on chap!

I second that :)

Why are you getting pissy!? If you were in a 260bhp scoobie at 60mph and you put your foot down and I was still right next to you at 100+ you wouldn`t be surprised?! I`m sure a comment like ` I`ll just lose this little clio` would be followed by silence while it is still there 10 secs later.And it certainly doesn`t run out of breath at 100mph...I would say I`d be right there to around 125mph where I have to change to 5th. I have no doubts that the scoobie would pull away easily then, but by then I think the point has been proven...

Don`t get me wrong I love scoobies but don`t underestimate something just because you have had not been in one...or mine:)

Hi brun, ive sent you an email mate....

most of the 172/182 owners i know, dont think there car is the best thing on the road, simply that it surprises most people and is a good price for the performance

http://www.btinternet.com/~paulj.ewi...l/cupvswrx.WMV

My Cup (de-cat/exhaust/rsport ecu) vs a WRX (modded exhaust) raced the guy 3 times and beat him 3 times. My Cup and Chris's will have no bother staying with a 260 hp Impreza below 100 (as Chris said I would doubt it would even pull away then, maybe when were are in 5th @125 mph). My Cup can match a P1 rolling in 1st gear at 10 mph till 80 mph. Discuss..

LOL Frazer, I seem to remember a very heated & enjoyable thread on this very topic not too long ago ;)

Discuss the P1... try the same mods with it = 320 BHP and 300 lfbt and a decent driver and try again?

For another £2000 (if willing to do the work yourself, more otherwise) you could mod the P1 to about 400 BHP, 60 in the 3s, 100 in the 8s, 125 in the 12s. Discuss...

WRXs are slow and not worth discussing :p

John why do you feel the need to start talking about P1's with thousands of pounds worth of mods fitted to them i'm talking about a standard P1.

That was the second paragraph only ;)

Since we are comparing modified cars, what is the potential of a Cup/172/182?

Its a fair point John, If the Clio had an ECU / Decat and the P1 also did, the divide would be massive. A remapped and decatted P1 would be pushing out about 320 bhp / lbs ft and would have a 0-60 of around 4.5 seconds. The 0-60 is about 5.2 as standard so as said, if the owner can launch it properly I cant see how a Clio could keep up with it, let alone gain on it after pulling a couple of seconds to 60.

I dont really like these debates, they are completely pointless, but I had to add that.

MB

He said 10-80 not 0-80.

P1 0-60 standard is 4.6/7 btw.

IMHO, Clios are all about acceleration after the low speed where you don't have traction and before the speeds get serious enough that you just don't have the power to keep relatively linear acceleration (so good for the license for the undisciplined), they are not good drag racers, neither are standardish Scoobies, the downsides of the AWD are only made up for by a lot of power. Terminal speeds on the quarter for Clios give this away, they are usually under 100 mph, as are the terminals on a WRX which is even worse because it is heavy and underpowered, rather than just underpowered.

Now the old classic's level of performance relative to the hot hatches needs an STi to maintain as Subaru suffer from bloat and the hatches get more interesting - mainly more powerful rather than lighter.

About 225bhp & 170lbs/ft with throttle bodies.