Renault 21 TURBO (1988 - 1992)
MODELS COVERED: 2.0-litre turbo saloon, four-wheel-drive saloon [2L Turbo, 2L Turbo Quadra
BY JONATHAN CROUCH
Want a powerful super-saloon for not much money? Fords Sierra Cosworth springs to mind; the problem is, it will cost a fortune to buy and insure, the neighbours will dismiss you as a boy racer and the local Mafia will steal the thing inside a month. So what about an alternative? What about Renaults 21 Turbo? Yes, you read that right a
Renault 21. That rather frumpy-looking saloon sold here between 1986 and 1992. The Turbo version was frantically fast and later models like the rival Sierra Cosworth even had the option of four-wheel drive.
A family super saloon that can still mix it with the best of the current crop of GTi hatches - and come out top. Its fast (almost 150mph is possible), reasonably frugal (around 25mpg if you dont push it) but somewhat fragile
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Early F and G-reg Phase I cars range between £200 and £400 and for that money, these can be tempting if a worryingly so. Traders know most of them will have had a hard life and high mileages take their toll. Far better to go for the Phase II or younger (late G or H-reg onwards). These start from around £300, going up to £700 for the last 92K-plate examples.
Build quality on 21 models wasnt great and this version was no exception. A service history is essential if youre to have peace of mind; many examples will have been thrashed. For this reason, look very closely for signs of accident damage and inspect for worn tyres (particularly at the front) and kerbing. Smoky, worn engines are common, as are failed electrics and suspect ABS systems.
On the rare Quadra models, have the four-wheel drive system checked over.
(approx) A clutch comes in just over £170 and a full exhaust system is about £250. Front brake pads are about £35 and around the same for the rear. A new alternator will be around the £110 mark, and a starter motor costs about £95. A headlight is likely to be £230 and a radiator can be up to £150.
Astonishingly quick. The 150mph top speed is impressive enough on paper but, on the road, nothing prepares you for that awesome mid-range power surge.
Fast, but fragile as we said. For the money, theres very little that can match it.
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