Renault Clio RS has always been another name for motoring fun.

The smallest of Renault's offering down under, the Clio in RS or Sport has earned a reputation for high performance in a compact, entertaining package. Of course, the earlier versions of the Clio RS were pretty uncompromising three-door hatchbacks with tiny dimensions, similarly tight interior space, firm suspension and feisty, normally-aspirated engines teamed with short-ratio manual transmissions. And the purists out there loved them.

So when Renault replaced the Clio RS with an all-new model in 2013, the view seemed to be that the brand had gone a bit soft. Not only was the new Clio RS a bigger, more sensible five-door hatch, the rorty, non-turbo engine had been replaced by a smaller, 1.6-litre turbo unit. Power stayed the same and torque went up, but the banzai 7000rpm-plus redline was a thing of the past. And even worse again, the close-ratio manual gearbox was replaced by a six-speed double-clutch unit (dubbed EDC in Renault-speak).

The faithful were not amused.

But nearly everybody else could see that Renault was taking the Clio RS concept to a wider audience; one that demanded more civility. And besides, even though it got there a different way, the new Clio RS was still a proper hot-hatch by any measure.

The end result was still an entertaining car and, for such a niche model, it sold pretty well, meaning that as the model is now getting on four years old, it's starting to hit second-hand car-yards and the classifieds.

But would you want such a high performance car as a usedie? The answer, inevitably, lies in who has owned it before you and how have they treated it.

A service record is vital as all these modern, small capacity turbocharged engines work their lubricating oil pretty hard. The Clio RS was also a bit of a favourite with the track-day brigade, so a car that has been used in that way is probably best avoided for most of us.

The other thing you need to be aware of is exactly which particular version of the Clio RS you're buying. The line-up was pretty broad for such a low-volume car, but the exact specification will have an effect on retained value, so you have to know which is which.

The range kicked off in 2013 with the Sport, then moved to the Cup, then the Sport Trophy and finally the Cup Trophy. Breaking that lot down broadly, you had the Sport platform that was a bit milder and nicer to ride in, and the Cup chassis that got a 3mm lower ride height and stiffer suspension.

Within those parameters, the base-model trim level was boosted with the addition of the Trophy badge. That lasted until 2014 when the Trophy models were replaced by the Sport Premium and Cup Premium.

The one you really want, though, is a model called the RS 220 Trophy which arrived here in late 2015 and lifted the bar somewhat. It got a power boost thanks to a larger turbocharger for a new peak output of 162kW and more torque thanks to an over-boost function in fourth and fifth gears. It also revved harder and the double-clutch gearbox was recalibrated for faster shifts.

Some old-school hot-up tricks were applied, too; The 220 Trophy got even lower suspension (a further 20mm) stiffer springs and even the steering rack was replaced by one with a quicker ratio. Australia got 220 examples of the car, not a huge number, but it means there are some out there.

All those changes, as well as sticky tyres, brought the Clio RS back closer to the original model's appeal years earlier.

Probably the biggest potential problem – apart from previous driver abuse - with the Clio RS is going to be in the transmission department. These modern double-clutch gearboxes also work hard and there are lots of moving parts. Throw in the fact that they don't have the greatest reputation for reliability or longevity (and that's not restricted to Renault by any means) and you can see why it'd be wise to be cautious and have the thing independently tested before coughing up the money.

Volkswagen has a well documented history of corporate pain with these transmissions and Ford, quickly dumped the double-clutch option from its current Focus model, replacing the DCT with a conventional automatic. It's also worth mentioning that the unit in the Renault is made by the same company that made the troublesome Ford transmission.

None of this is to suggest that a DCT can't go the distance, but on balance, history suggests it's more likely to give problems than any other type of transmission.

In any case, a bit of clunkiness from the gearbox, particularly in stop-start traffic, seems normal, but any shuddering, dull thudding noises or odd shifting patterns should sound the alarm bells.

Make sure you try the air-conditioning on the test drive, too, but don't be surprised if it doesn't blow icy cold like, say, a Toyota or Australian-made car. That's just European air-con for you, apparently.

The Clio RS was recalled to check for front brake hoses that could have been fitted incorrectly and rear brake clips that could have been the wrong specification. Make sure that check has been carried out.

Our rating: 3.5/5

Nuts and bolts

Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol

Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel economy (combined): 6.3L/100km

Safety rating (courtesy of www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au): 5 stars

Likes:

• Handy package for such a small car thanks to five-door layout.
• Impressive urge form turbo-motor.
• Looks sporty and fresh.
• Great handling.

Dislikes:

• Double-clutch transmission isn't as fulfilling.
• Where's the screaming redline?
• Some have been ritually abused.
• Still a bit pricey.

Competitors:

Ford Fiesta ST – Conventional six-speed manual gearbox and feisty turbo engine make the Fiesta huge fun. But it's also a classic in the making thanks to overall brilliance. 4.5/5

VW Polo GTI – The Polo GTi from this period had the seven-speed DSG and Twin-charger 1.4-litre engine. Neither have proven to be as robust as they probably should have been. A good drive, though. 3/5

Citroen DS3 – Another allegedly fiery French littlie, but one that trades on the famous DS badge without actually invoking any of the original's substance. Looks funky inside and out, but performance is mild rather than wild. 3/5

What to pay (courtesy of Glass's Guide):

Model                   Year         New        Now

Sport                     2013       $28,790   $15,400

Sport                     2014       $29,290   $16,700

Sport                     2015       $29,490   $17,900

Cup                       2013       $31,290   $17,100

Cup                       2014      $31,790   $18,300

Cup                       2015      $31,990   $19,700

Sport Trophy        2013       $34,290   $18,000

Sport Trophy        2014       $34,790    $19,400

Cup Trophy          2013       $36,790   $19,400

Cup Trophy          2014       $37,290   $21,200

Sport Premium     2015       $34,990    $20,200

Cup Premium       2015       $37,490    $22,000

220 Trophy           2015       $39,990   $23,100