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ENAULT Clio RS. Volkswagen Polo GTI. Two performance hatchbacks that many people want to buy but few can afford. Especially considering that these critters are now tickling the R400k mark: premiums that were once the reserve of their bigger brothers, the Mégane RS and Golf GTI.

So what to do? Well, if you’re Renault and Volkswagen the answer is simple: you fake it with model variants that offer similar looks but milder performance and a price tag to match. A kind of RS/GTI-lite if you like.

So cue the Clio GT-Line and Polo R-Line: pretenders riding high on a glut of cosmetic tinsel. Both are similarly priced and both are similarly powered, but which one rules the roost? Many of you wanted to know, so we set about answering your questions as best we could . . .

Which car will help me seal the deal on my next Tinder date?

Hmm, tough one. If your potential conquest enjoys the subtle things in life then he or she I’ve heard Germans are stingy; does this translate here? —

Good question. Now while Germans, generally speaking, aren’t, in my experience at least, particularly tight-fisted, their cars more often than not are. When stacked up against the cheaper Clio GT-Line, the Polo R-Line seems parsimonious so far as standard features are concerned. For R25 300 less the Renault gives you cruise control, satellite navigation, park distance control, automatic climate control and advanced vampire-slaying LED headlights that literally turn darkness into day.

All of these goodies are optional extras on the Volkswagen and all of them add much to the asking price. In fact my test unit was specced to a point where it cashed in at well over the R300k mark. Both cars come with a threeyear/45 000km service plan but the Clio ups the peace-of-mind factor with a five-year/150 000km warranty compared to the threeyear 120 000km warranty stuck to the Polo. It would seem “value” is a French word.

Decisions, decisions. Which kind of sporty-but-cheap is better, Teutonic or Gallic? has the answers

Which one would you buy? —

Well from a pure fun and involvement perspective I would pick the Polo R-Line — no question. It really is a fantastic car to fling around. Unfortunately there is more to life than driving dynamics, especially in this segment of the market.

Bang for your buck is what buyers are looking for most, not to mention an element of perceived exclusivity: they want to differentiate themselves from other people with a car that stands out from the crowd. And from this point of view I think the Clio holds the advantage.

As I said, it felt a bit more special and also attracted more looks from curious rubberneckers. It also represents superb value for money. Lay the respective brochures side by side and you’ll see that Renault is offering you way more car for your capital outlay. Which is why I’d learn to live with the less focused driving experience and pull the trigger on the new Clio GT-Line. Good job, France. LS

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