Retro Review: 1982 Renault Fuego Turbo
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- Опубликовано: 10 май 2017
- Once dubbed "the best looking car broken down on the side of the road," the Renault Fuego was a sporty FWD coupe that occasionally suffered from electrical problems. However, no major issues arose during our test, and we found it a affordable alternative to Japanese and American turbo sport coupes.
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I owned one of these for 3yrs when they were new and it was a GREAT car. The problem was that hardly anyone knew how to work on them so they got fixed wrong and that killed the reputation of the brand. My dealer had a great technician who knew all about them and didn't judge the car because it was French and the car never let me down. Fast for its day and the most comfortable to ride in, with some really novel features for the time. Hardly anyone knows that Renault invented remote locking with its "PLIP".
@causaps causaps I didn't make the original comment but I might be able to help. Up through the 1980s and into the 1990s (and the 2000s where I'm from), car enthusiasts in the US have generally had a blind dislike for cars from other countries. Almost all foreign cars had some problematic, seemingly made-up reputation. For example, I currently have a Fiat and an Alfa Romeo, and I previously had an Abarth that I raced. All three have been more reliable than any of the cars from US companies I have owned. Listening to car people in the Midwest US where I grew up, I would have thought all three would be painfully unreliable, difficult to work on, and plagued with rust.
The best explanation I have heard for this comes from a RUclips video about Detroit in the 1960s and 1970s. People in the US were often very loyal to one US automaker or another, and would buy whatever cars those automakers were selling without looking at any other options. Because of this the US automakers didn't have to try very hard, so when people finally started realizing that foreign (mostly Japanese, apparently) companies were building better, more reliable, more efficient cars they quickly started switching brands and left the US automakers struggling. Lots of US autoworkers lost their jobs, and placed all the blame on the invasion of foreign cars. Because of our insane levels of nationalism in the US, you weren't a "real American" if you liked anything other than cars from US companies.
I think that might be where the comment about judging the car because it was French came from. Quite a lot of people back then just said "Oh this is just some crappy foreign car" and wouldn't care about it, or worse, would intentionally do a poor job to make foreign car companies look bad.
everything about the 80s seems like an alternate universe
LOL
These days kids think cars are slow if they don't have 300 hp
I miss the 80’s. Great decade to grow up in
True. A better one.
Then I love alternate universes
my girlfriend had one of these in high school, they both broke down all the time
It's French, no surprise
@@80s_Boombox_Collector Engine fires and Cash for Clunker-type scrapyard incentives were the two best things to ever happen to these pieces-o-crap.
It was French, she was not!
@@80s_Boombox_Collector racist
@@TheHowardski Certain countries build better quality cars than others. France isn't one of them.
I bought my Fuego for $200. It was my first Renault. I loved the car. Very comfortable, especially on long trips. My car was 11 years old and the interior was in mint condition, due to the quality of the material. Closing the doors was more like closing a Caddy's door. Once shut it was so quiet inside. I loved the 4 cylinder hemi head engine. I recently started looking for another one to buy. There were very few available and their prices were way up there. If you do find one, buy it, you will enjoy it.
I paid $200 for my white Fuego. It was 11 years old and the interior was still perfect. When you closed the door it was like closing a Cadillac's. I loved the car. The car preferred by french stunt drivers.
Lol these old reviews are THE BEST
My best friend owned a Fuego in the ‘80s. Bought it new at an incredibly low price (dealer was very anxious to get it off the lot) and considered it a steal. The poor guy. It was in the shop constantly and had horrific electrical issues. Broke down on the freeway and he finally off-loaded it for a considerable loss. I loved the car and it was a pleasure to drive. You have to admire the French for combining irresistible style with truly abominable engineering.
My grandfather was an AMC/Jeep/Renault dealer in the 70s/80s so that's what his daughters drove. My aunt bought a white Fuego Turbo just about the time my cousin was reaching driving age. I still remember riding in the back seat as she tapped on the boost gauge and warned her son "You'll have to be careful, this is what kills.". That is when I learned the Fuego is a 107 hp untamable death machine. Soon after, Renault left our shores and AMC was no more. Coincidence? I think not!
Maybe one thing a month written on the internet makes me giggle longer than any sane person should. Yes, I said "giggle". This post did it. Thanks.
the bad breaks not being able to stop it is more worrying then 107hp lol
The back brakes are not great, and no ABS, front-heavy car also.
The suspension, adapted for USA was bad
Name one person that died in America in a Renault Fuego. You can't. No coincidences either. AMC was no more because of bad management and decisions, not because Renault Fuegos killed anyone, which is just about the most absurd thing I've read on RUclips.
It's not often that I can say this about a car built within my lifetime but I'll be damned if I didn't forget all about this little car. I was very happy to see the retro review for it to remind me about it though.
Glad i dont have to go to work tomorrow.... I cant stop watching these Retro Reviews.
First car in the world to have remote control central locking too
Damn, i didn't know that, i love the fuego even more now
I'm pretty sure that was the 1980 Lincoln Continental
I had a Renault 18 made in 84 also with that remote central locking
I watched the whole thing waiting for them to marvel at this newfangled feature for 1982, but the black plastic down the side was a more interesting thing to discuss I guess since they paid it no mention.
@@MrCarguy2 no; that car was the first with “keyless” locking, using the buttons on the pillar Ford still have today, but the Fuego was the very first with the remote keyless locking. Renault have actually had quite a few firsts and while a historic sideshow in the USA, are globally one of the largest car companies even today.
I was in my mid-teens when this was available and wanted one so bad. Mostly due to that awesome sunroof!
I was stationed in Europe when I was in the Army, and I owned some of these euro cars, and they were great to drive!
here in Argentine they where very popular. today a cult classic, the best of the best was the Fuego GTA MAX with a 2.2 liter N/A and around 120hp, and the most beautiful to me.
@@GlennC789 very few, specially in good condition unfortunately
french cars are shit in every where
@@gelvosky Peugeots and Citroen are even better.
@@gelvosky Says who? They didn't rust as bad as JDM cars and the french engines were reliable AF.
I had one of these for a few years, never broke down and apart from a few bulbs going it was very reliable and a great car
I guess I'm the only one that loves the way that thing looks.
right there with you!
marc, It's got the look 👀
I remember them, they were a good looking car at the time. Most cars then were pretty uninspiring.
corvusala yup. If i was queezy id vomit on first glance if this car drove by my window...
You'll be ahead in life if you run in the opposite direction from French cars.
The moving of that steering wheel...
Real flimsy, look like somewhere along its' life the steering wheel may yank out from the column (not inspiring)...
La-Z Rider My thoughts exactly.
The vertical-adjust lock is undone, he's showing how adjustable it is. Rock steady when locked.
what about it.
@@feefyefoefum I owned this car and it was rock steady like you said
I had a Fuego in high school, loved that car!
I had an 18i in high school. The only one probably in Ulster country! LOL. It was amazing to drive. Man those were the days...
Me too. I still miss it and the way it drove.
I have it rn
“If you can call any five-digit price a steal, the Renault is the one.” A subtle nod to the Renault marketing of the day - ‘The One to Watch!’ I liked this car, no matter the reliability issues it may have had.
I love the 'The One To Watch' thing but I have been hard-pressed to find old magazine ads and memorabilia with it. I keep looking tho
I used to car pool to work in the backseat of one of these. I quit after two weeks and joined the Army during Desert Storm. I don't always make good decisions but that was one was pretty good. No regrets.
Nice looking car for an '82. I'm sure if I had been old enough, I would have been enamored with it.
Hah, just the opposite for me. I am old enough, and thought they were absurd and pointless at best back in the day, but now I'm kind of enamored with it. Just a quirky little thing unlike any other of its time or since, but with a unique charm.
MotorWeek really liked every car they reviewed.
Except for the GM EV-1, which is pretty annoying because that was a truly amazing and ground-breaking car
I believe, the T-1000 was their all time favorite!
Thats right. Even more so since 2005 onwards
You know that John really appreciates the oil level gauge. 😃
39MPG is pretty amazing. 35 years later and we're no better.
Renault Fuego = USS Excelsior
You're forgetting how much more horsepower today's engines have
If its figures had been calculated with currently EPA methods they would probably be a lot lower.
I watch a lot of these old MotorWeek reviews and this is the first car I don’t remember from the 80s.
I so wanted one of these back in the day!
thanks for uploading this
I had one of those. Red with a 2.2 liter, 5 speed and leather. I loved it.
My dad had a black one with silver "turbo" written in massive letters on the bottom of the doors :) Loved it.
Saw one last Thursday and it was surprisingly clean.
I had one.excactly just like the one in this video.....except mine had tan leather interior....was one hell of a car...the reviewer was right about second gear.....mine had cyncro problems......to be honest i did buy it used....and who knows how it was driven before.....i found it to be very sporty....great on gas and contrary to others opinions.....very reliable....
I was in high school when these things were on the market...a Catholic high school run by priests. They lived in a large house some distance behind the school and had a pool of cars. A young, newly ordained priest joined the group that ran the school in maybe my sophomore year, and not long after a new car was added to their car pool...a red Renault Fuego. How he managed to get them to add a Fuego to the fleet is beyond me, but I though it was a cool looking car nonetheless...kinda reminded me of the VW Scirocco. I don't remember how long he or the car were around, but That Fuego is the only one I ever remember seeing.
That friggin' sunroof! Looks like a canvas tarp actuated by an electric toothbrush motor.
MW, love these retro reviews! Keep 'em coming!
They had me at digital clock
Analog RULES!
They had me at AM/FM stereo.
This car was so advanced for its time...I personally like her boot 5'th door
You mean 3rd door :))
I own a 2 litre European one from 1982. 6 Years already. Rust protection is okay, It has been reliable, no mechanical issues whatsoever. The interior materials feel very cheap and flimsy but everything works. Al the horror stories seem to be from the US models.
The americans got the discount version of the Fuego haha. AMC never built a decent car though. Too bad the americans didn't get to know the good ol 2.0 or 2.2
Had a silver 82 turbo 5spd. Put well over 150k on it, loved that car. Would still have it today if I wouldn’t have misdiagnosed a plugged cat.
When a manufacturer adds a oil level gauge to the dash, you might want to consider a different car.
mcqueenfanman Porsche has for a while. No dipstick even.
Some Renaults were very reliable in that time. Not this one .
John Davis HATES cars without oil gages!
My Citroen C5 has one that shows level Everytime you start it for 12 seconds. Never got too low on oil. Engine runs fine at 220,000 kilometers. They know most drivers get too lazy at wintertime.
Why? It is a smart idea.
a muchos no les gusta a otros si.. tengo actualmente uno me es dificil no tenerlo.. son magnificos una vez que conoces su funcionamiento y mecanica super sencilla no puedes dejarlo..
Aquí en Guatemala no he visto uno desde hace 15 años!!! Es bueno saber que hay otros países en dónde sí se ven...
@@felipeiturreyes3385 mano en argentina es cultura hay de maaaasssss
parents had oe of these after a R16. loved it.
Clearly you had awesome parents.
I wish I had purchased one of these back in the eighties.
This is generous praise by Mr. Davis to say the least. A 144 foot stop from 55 mph sounds like a death trap to me. I remember these when they were new, and I don't recall their reputation being stellar.
This was my first car, but it wasn’t the turbo version. It was the same color but had leather interior. I loved it and would love to have another to take to car shows. Guaranteed to be the only one.
I loved mine too. Silver with cloth interior.
When I first saw this in real life I was like oh look a french DeLorean
Motorweek, "We've never met a car we didn't like!"
My Fuego GTX has done over 250,000 miles in 35 years, great car for the money if you get a good one, but like any old car you can't neglect them or leave out in the weather. Buy a bad one for cheap and you will wish you hadn't. Oh, and I've had mine for 26 years.
Post a video...they say theres 21 known left in the world...im sure the Argentinians freak out over it
@@netrioter Thank you, I might just do that
I miss my Fuego! Was my favourite car ever and I regret selling it.
@@netrioter Nah we don't, we have the Berta-factory tuned GTA Max which is everywhere. The european Fuego Turbo was the real deal, the americans got the discount 107hp version lmao.
These were great cars. There were a lot of them in the city I lived in for a while. Reliable, good looking, good quality build. Can't find them at all anymore. Not even in a field.
"Reliable, good looking, good quality build".
Are you sure you're talking about a Renault? Or any Frog car?
scdevon there were a lot of Renaults bought and driven in the city I lived in with a heavy French presence. they lasted as long as any small car of its time. they were a stylish car.
That's great.
Unfortunately, the buying public didn't share that opinion because Renault / AMC went bust in America. You have to sell cars to stay in business.
"It's the good cars that sell" (Old auto industry saying).
scdevon well yes, which is why GM as well as Chrysler should not exist since they declared bankruptcy. Renault is a healthy vibrant company in Europe. Renault was aligned with AMC Jeep in order to give it more depth in vehicle offerings. it was a good marriage but too late to save AMC.
GM and Ford sell 250,000 vehicles EACH per month in America. There is "safety in numbers" in owning a Ford or a GM or a Honda or a Toyota. Service and parts support will be there for as long as a person reasonably cares to own those vehicles. The fact that "GM went broke too" isn't the same comparison. GM has the sales numbers and brand recognition and dealer network to recover from bad mistakes once they turn their game around. To Americans at least, Renault was a no-name car company sold by an already shaky AMC by hanging a shingle outside. Big difference.........
My dad had one of these new when I was 8. Strange choice, he also had an '83 Eldorado and an '84 Audi 5000. My brother totaled it.
I used to see one of these every now and then and once I even went out of my way to see if I could track it down with no luck. That was about five years ago so I'm presuming it finally had its date with the crusher.
a clean one of these with some smart weight reduction, good tires, and upgrade suspension; yr set.
I was just browsing an old 1982 Road & Track magazine with a feature article on this baby. ==> Folks really wanted this car to do well.
Favorite all time retro review
One of the greatest ever made. I owned an 83 white baby ... was great in mountains.. it cost about 13500
Had to change tires and shocks though. Stock were terrible
I had a 1981 2 litre TX in the UK. bought at 4 years old with 52k on the clock for £2600 Loved it to bits. Had it six years and sold it woith 106k under its wheels. No real problems other than the rust, which revealed itself around 1989. In that perspective it was no worse than my previous cortina and escort . The electric window stuck down once, which was a little annoying as I was on holdiday at the time!
Stylish, fast for the time (110BHp), Tinted glass 5 speed box, electic windows (i thinbk we already covered that), Commfortable Whats not to like?
Looked better than it went. I can’t believe how soft the handling was. I’d have one though for the great retro look but it would have to get lowered and a decent set of eibach coil overs.
Rust through in 19 months at no extra cost.
LOL 😆 so true....
I almost bought one of these when I was in college. It did look cool on the outside but the interior was a big turn off. I wound up getting a Plymouth Sapporo instead.
I miss those.
That nose dive...
the car was brand new, so it should have had new shock absorbers during review
The French are noted for soft riding cars. Good and bad.
My European GTX certainly doesn't do that. Definitely different suspension set up for the US models.
I do not know of which car you write. However, French cars have been soft riding throughout the years as a general rule and those Renaults of that vintage were designed (even the LeCar) for a soft ride. I remember driving an R4 as far back as 1959 and was struck at how softly it rode when compared to other imports from Europe in those days.
I am unfamiliar with the ride quality of every European car and, except for luxury models I have considered buying, the newer ones overall.
I think they raised the suspension to meet lighting regulations for the US. @@cariusx
What was the music in the commercial for this car btw it was also used in the Australian trailer for tron as well as a video logo
By 50000 miles these were all Fuegone.
bad pun detected
my 2 litre fuego wasnt consuming any oil after 200k kilometres
i may not have a fuego but i can say that is a beautiful car and very reliable i am considerating in getting one or a torino NOT the ford torino
@@osvaldovidela6466 Wow, ford Torino....good choice. Fast even.
@@falconater68 Dude I'm talking about the IKA Torino
Renault: where green in the AC system means cold
"Fa-way-go"... I'm dying...
Foo-way-go
Foo-way-ho. The g is pronounced like an h in Spanish.
Could have been worse and named it "Nova"...................NO GO!
@@aaronwilliams6989 not necessarily….
Fuego is pronounced Fweh-go. Look it up.
@@colinw996 That's what I was trying to say.
My dad fixed one for a client many lifetimes ago. Nice looking, it was black, five speed, I think. But that was way before I knew about its many electrical flaws.
I loved my non turbo fuego...really did!
even tought the non turbo model had a bigger engine the 2.2 litre found on the fuego gtx 2.2 and the 18 gtx 2.2
I have a 1981 non turbo Fuego
I had A second hand, bought it in 1989, black colour , N not quite good condition, costed me $1800. Used it in winter, traveled between cities in harsh winter. Lovely bucket seats , n A joy to drive it with that turbo boost.
Drove it 2 years N sold it almost same price, good for saving money as A college kid.
Oh... that roof was mal function easily , became A hole top on your head when driving. -20c wind blew in ....haha crazy days .
any chance you guys have a review of the first generation lexus Gs300?
One of a few Renault autos I wouldn't mind owning. The Fuego has that Porche exterior body from the 70's, but in the cold weather, It sure as hell won't survive.
I saw a Fuego only a year ago in a local grocery parking lot. I was pretty shocked. Not even in bad shape. Must be a Subculture, or it was just a ultra low mileage original owner old man's car. I would have bought a base Scirocco any day over a loaded one of these.
These were legendary here in Argentina.
The tow truck's hall of fame?
dumb american comment
this car is a legend here in argentina thanks to a racer who drove one an it catched fire on the last lap and he won that's why the fuego is legendary an it still produced until 1991 and is better than the american version just try the fuego gta 2.2 is a fast car is rated as argenntina's third fastest car with a top speed of 198 km/h but if you want to go faster get a 1967 ika torino 380w with a top speed of 199.390 km/h
Osvaldo.
It caught fire?? Thanks for making my point.
TruAgape1234 buuuurn 😂
TruAgape1234 No. It was one of the cars that stopped the Sierra from conquering the Touring Car world, as local Group A Touring Car championships saw the Fuego winning.
And despite your reliability problems, locally the car was not problematic, especially when it started to get built here. The 2.2 engine was bulletproof, so much so I’d even doubt if this 1.6 Turbo was better.
My wife had one, fun car to drive. I remember back then, wipers were 73.00 dollars.
I like John...a lot...but sage of vehicle popularity he was not.
rfdsdf1 ohh wee wee what trash lol
Yeah you're definitely right. There's another review on here for an Eagle where he says something along the lines of "In the future it will be Eagle not Jeep that is thought of as the real prize of the Chrysler acquisition of AMC"
I gotta wonder what could have been if Renault and AMC never met. At least one of them might still be around in this country.
I heard that Robert Opron (the Renault head designer - the Fuego was designed by Michel Jardin) was not happy with how Renault in North America restyled the car.
had one, nice car, no problems!
5:25: Is that a Ford Maverick tailgating the Re-nalt?
Ah yes, the Renault FooEggo. A true classic.
I remember as a kid, my friends parents had one of these...........man I was so jealous. We had a Renault 12............and this kids parents had this luxury hot hatch. His wasnt a Turbo, but that didnt matter.........just look at it!!!!!
Here in Argentina we have the Berta-factory tuned GTA Max which is everywhere. The european Fuego Turbo was the real deal, the americans got the discount 107hp version as always lmao.
Love the Fuego, I need a time machine 😂
I have it 😂
Even in the 80's a cloth sunroof seemed a silly idea. I remember seeing another Renault from the time in a junkyard as a kid in the 90's with one. The flies were amazing.
I remember looking for a car back in '87 when I got my driver's license. These cars were tempting because they were going cheap and seemed sporty. New for ~$10,000 in '82, five years later in '87, well under a grand..
It's almost like Renault sent two different versions of the same car to the UK and the US. Renault in the UK was and is highly respected for making good cars, but the ones we had here broke down faster than a 10 year old Skoda. Their reputation was so bad in the US that they left in the early 90's, and never returned.
In a way yes, they did exactly that. Different engines and bumpers for either market. :P
I can say I very much enjoyed my 1993 Renault 19 1.9 Diesel until early this January.
317.000km (almost 200.000miles) no serious problems, very sturdy, drived like a charm and 23, almost 24 years of age, not bad for a French piece of junk, ah?
Daniel Peixoto Martins, Drivers have a lot to do with how long a car lasts...
Somewhat. But a poor design is a poor design, and all of the maintenance and care in the world can't help that.
justsomeguytoyou, Granted....
According to my dad back in the day Fuegos where everywere when he was young here in Argentina
HERMOSA LA FUEGO,UN FIERRO!!
Foo Eggo
STICH666 leggo my foo-eggo!
my eggo
Lol I look specifically for this comment thank you for being here😂
Lol, y'all are a trip!
Cool, I never seen one of this on the road.
The unintentional cricket sound the first time they show the engine just cracked me up
Interesting looking little car
A long time ago, yes.
Probably a good rule of thumb not to buy a car named fire. I wouldn't move into a building named "The Towering Inferno" either.
Lmao XD
In Argentina the renault fuego its famous because it ended a race while on fire. Juan Maria Traverso won the race in 1988 with the car lossing oil for several laps and in the end on fire
Knew an indian buffet that said "indian food on the flame"....the place burnt down
Lol
Lexus could name a car "No-Go" and the car would still be awesome.
The name "Fuego" didn't make Fuegos burn up from engine fires. Lousy French engineering did.
I was a dealer tech and worked on these. Got to tell customers fun things like .. good news ..it just a leaking hose..bad news there isn't a replacement on the continent
Jijiji I had a Turbo at 17. Thought I was bad ass in it. I did change shock absorber set up and tires and car really improved.
Full gauge package? What about the oil pressure and voltmeter?!
These were a revelation. Weird and French. Advanced, capable, and economical. But I chose a new GTI in ‘83.
I still used to see these cruising around South Australia in the early 00s. Haven't seen one in over 10 years. I always thought these looked very cool for their age, kinda like the Isuzu Piazza.
The Piazza was the Isuzu Impulse in North America. Haven't seen one in years. Never seen one on Curbside Classic or the like.
The geo storm GSI was also cool
pontiachotshot - That is not the Impulse you're looking for... Assuming you were basing your opinion on the Storm's Impulse roots. Same name, but ultimately a completely different car than what they are referring to.
My dad bought his red manual ‘83 turbo in ‘87 I remembered. I was three at the time. It was red and the car that got me into cars aside from the ghostbusters wagon and the Batmobile lol. He had it on the road up till ‘93 with the accumulated damage from hurricane Andrew and bad repairs. Made a promise to him that I was gonna fix it but end up scrapping it when I got to the age to do it. Regret doing that every time I think about that car.
Wow. Way ahead of it's time.
Wanted one of these bad back in highschool. Also had a mullet. What was I thinking?😋
Always liked the Fuego's. Sadly, the last time I saw one was when I was in the USAF stationed at Travis AFB. In the early 90's.
Damnnmnn never seen one of these on the roads
That's because they were in the scrap yard by 1990.
I had an 83 and I loved it when it ran, but the electrical issues were commonplace, sold it to a guy who begged me to tell me what was wrong with it and I couldn't because it was a Fuego
That rag top tho 😍