Sourcing new and used parts.
Budget city motoring doesn’t come much cheaper than the nippy Twingo II.
The funky first-generation Twingo wasn’t available in the UK, so city car buyers were bristling with anticipation when Renault launched its new model in 2007. It wasn’t as quirky as its predecessor, but still looked cute and ticked all the right boxes when it came to size and running costs.
As a handy urban runabout it still does everything you would want. It’s got a useful amount of space for such a small car, the 1.2 engine will do 55mpg
Engines
Initially, the Twingo was offered with a 16v 75bhp 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine, as well as a 1.2 turbo – the GT TCE – which produced 100bhp. Soon after launch, an 8v 1.2 arrived, but this only achieved 59bhp and can run out of puff on a dual carriageway. At the other extreme is the 1.6-litre Twingo Renaultsport 133 which followed in and, best of all, they now cost buttons to buy – the earliest ones change hands for as little as £1000. And if the subtle looks of the Twingo II don’t do it for you, then £4000 will be enough for a post-2011 facelift model with its totally new front end. As for the price of spares, it’s a truly frugal car to own.
It’s not all good news, though. There was never a five-door option, some of the materials inside look cheap and become tatty quickly, and reliability has been patchy, mostly due to the fragile electrics.
2008 – it’s a real pocket rocket and has a strong enthusiast following.
The Twingo’s only real engine niggles seem to arise from electrical maladies, not helped by the fact that water seems to get in the wiring via a leak in the scuttle panel. Throttle control module issues and clogging of the throttle body can cause erratic running, and if there’s a misfire suspect a duff ignition pack because these appear rather fragile.
Temperature sensor faults can cause overfuelling, so this should be checked if the engine doesn’t run sweetly.
Incidentally, the cambelt replacement interval is every 72,000 miles and, as always, it makes sense to replace the water pump at the same time.
On the turbo model, it’s worth checking for leaks from the coolant hose as this is something that’s been reported by some owners.
There have been a few grumbles concerning gear selection. If this coincides with lots of unwanted vibration or knocks under acceleration, suspect worn engine/gearbox mounts. They’re not expensive to replace. Engine component prices
OIL FILTER
Main dealer £10.66 Independent from £6.89
CAMBELT KIT
Main dealer £94.58 Independent from £88.99
IGNITION COIL
Main dealer £68.59 Independent from £41.99
Suspension/steering
There’s nothing specific to report here, apart from the usual balljoint wear, which will result in a knock as you mount a lowered kerb or hit a pothole. You need to replace the whole lower arm (£78.56) if you go to Renault, but you can buy just the bush if you shop elsewhere. There have also been reports of the front springs snapping, though they are only £105.98 a pair from the likes of Euro Car Parts. Droplinks are another Twingo weak spot.
Steering rack failure is relatively rare, but if it does go you’ll need to spend £285.71 for an exchange rack from a Renault main dealer. Thankfully, you can find them from as little as £50 secondhand. Suspension/steering component prices
LOWER BALLJOINT
Main dealer £78.56 Independent from £31.49 (bush)
STEERING RACK
Main dealer £285.71 (exch) Secondhand from £50.00
Brakes
There are no real brake issues to worry about on the Twingo, but if you examine our price comparison, it’s worth shopping around for the best prices if you want to keep running costs to an The Twingo is pretty basic inside and that hard plastic trim can easily get scruffy. absolute minimum. We reckon you’ll struggle to find another modern city car that’s as cheap to maintain. Brake parts prices
FRONT BRAKE DISCS (PAIR)
Main dealer £132.02 Independent from £47.98
FRONT BRAKE PADS
Main dealer £49.84 Independent from £15.49
Other issues
As mentioned previously, some of the plastics used inside the Twingo can mark easily and quickly look scruffy. Door seals can also leak water, so if the footwell carpets are wet, this could be why.
Some Twingo owners have reported electrical glitches in the form of alarms going off for no reason, the central locking playing up and spurious problems with instrumentation. Air-conditioning was only fitted to range-topping models, but if you’re paying for the privilege make sure that it works, because diagnosing problems and replacing items like the condenser can often be uneconomical, even when buying from an independent.
Other parts prices
AIR-CONDITIONING CONDENSER Main dealer £391.32 Independent from £294.99