Renault Clio RS vs Toyota 86. Fun Factor

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Flik-flakking through left-right-left bends, the body roll shifts the rear of the 86 around, the weight transfer feeling conspicuous at the back, which doesn’t make for confident progress. It feels loose and shifty behind me – perhaps something that could be embraced with time and practice, but on  this first outing it feels nervous and tentative.

The real issue for me with the 86 is the lack of feeling of speed. Even working it hard, trying my hardest to snick through the ‘box to exploit the 3000rpm of pull at the top of the rev range, it just doesn’t feel fast. The Clio does. An MX-5, if you can find an older manual model, does. They give you the thrill of driving even at lower speeds, but the 86, on this showing anyway, doesn’t. It’s still enjoyable overall, but it’s not exciting enough.

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After more thrashing, we pull over and discuss. “The Clio has good torque at the bottom end and corners beautifully, it’s nicely balanced. You never feel like it’s going to slap you,” Motaz says. “The 86 is missing a lot of power but it comes alive after 5000rpm. There’s too much body roll in the corners and it’s not steady through high speed corners; you can feel the weight in the back. I get the feeling it could bite if you’re not careful. I had big hopes for the 86 but it’s a victim of its own hype. And yet, taken on its own merits it’s a good car and it’s good value for the money. I like the concept of the boxer engine and the gearbox is great. The seats are better than the Clio and the interior’s nicer too. If you want rear-wheel drive for this kind of money, it’s the one to go for.”

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I concur. We’ve been conditioned over the past year or so to expect the 86 to be the saviour of motoring, a drift machine for very little money. And unless you absolutely banshee it into a corner and use the weight to slide about, it’s not. To quote a famous space traveller, ‘it doesnae have the power’. The Clio, on the other hand, is great value for money when it comes to pure driving pleasure, and it’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face through these roads.

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There’s an addendum to add here though. Phil McGovern spent more time with the 86 after we did and is convinced that we’ve just not understood what it’s all about during our relatively short loan. He reckons that once you learn to understand the car’s characteristic and have the confidence and space to play with the weight, then the 86’s balance and charisma comes to the fore. I can’t honestly say that I agree based on my experience so far, but I do want to spend more time with the car and get to know it more intimately before coming to a definitive conclusion. So, Toyota, a long-term loan. Whaddya say?

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