All work and lots of play have meant no time for Ciao. Nearly a year since my last review and almost...
All work and lots of play have meant no time for Ciao. Nearly a year since my last review and almost as long since I've read anything... Where to start?
Member since:09.09.2004
Reviews:77
Members who trust:50
Having driven a 15 year old Mark 2 Astra for the 5 years following the passing of my driving test and a change of job meaning I had a bit more money, I wanted a change of motor. Something sporty, somthing with a bit of oomph but with the convenience of a hatchback. I also wanted something no older than 3 years and preferably with average (or lower) mileage of around 36,000. Colour was no problem as long as it wasn't white. Add to this the upper limit of my budget (£8,000) and I was ready to hit the streets.
Armed with nothing more than a Parkers used car guide and a couple of car magazines with reviews of sporty hatchbacks, I started to trawl the internet to see what was out there. Quick scans of the Autotrader and Exchange-and-Mart websites were encouraging. Peugeot 306s, Volkswagon Golfs, Renault Meganes and cars of a similar class all appeared to be readily available and, more importantly, within my price range. I narrowed my list down to a Peugeot 306 XSi, Golf GTi, Megane Coupe or a Fiat Bravo HGT and set off to the parts of town that bristle with used-car dealerships to see what was available locally.
At the first garage I visited, there was a red 306 on the forecourt. 3 years old, cheap enough etc, etc. What's more it's a GTi-6, one that didn't even make it on to my list because there weren't too many around. Hmmmmmm. Interesting. Time to arrange a test-drive.
Later that afternoon I arrived back at the garage and picked up the keys. Oh Dear. So much for impartial decision making. This had to be the most fun I'd had in a (moving) car, ever! Anything after this was going to feel boring, surely. 20 minutes later (and with the fuel-gauge dangerously close to negative figures!) I returned to the garage and play it cool. I still have a number of other cars to look at. I'll give them a call later in the week. Suffice to say I scurried off and tried to find some other cars to test. Having spent a similar amount of time in both Golf GTi and a Megane Coupe, I was still dead-set on getting the 306. Excellent. Phoned the garage up the next day, put a deposit down and the rest, as they say, is history (including an AA inspection etc, etc).
That was 4 years ago.
I owned the car for just a shade over 3 years, in which time I managed to add a paltry 16,000 miles to the clock. Admittedly they were fun-filled, grin-making, grunty Gti-6 miles. But it was only 16,000 miles all the same.
In that 3 years, I spent the better part of £5,000 on maintenance. A list (not exhaustive) of the things that went wrong includes, new radiatior, new front brake discs, new front brake pads, new clutch, new air-con compressor, new timing belt, new intake valves (8 of), new battery (4 of) and the various sundries that come with regular servicing.
When I came to sell it, bearing in mind the ludicrously low mileage of 52,000 for '97 registered car and a full Peugeot dealer history, all I managed to get was a palrty £3,500.
So not including the £700 a year insurance, £180/year road tax, 23Mpg fuel consumption and 4 new tyres. It cost me a whacking £9,500 to own for 3 years.
Now if I sound bitter, it may be because I am. Just a little. But that's the commercial stuff out of the way. Suffice to say that, in my experience, the total cost of ownership cannot be over-estimated.
On, then, to the meat of the review...
Starting with the outside, the lines are typical 306. Colour-coded spilers, mirrors etc maintain the lines while black bump-bars on the doors, detail over the filler cap and a foam "spolier" on the back wing add a touch of sportiness. The paintwork fairs reasonably well although is prone to chipping on the front of the bonnet. Unfortunately the panel work doesn't stand up anywhere near so well, attracting dents like bees to honey. Leave it in a car-park and rest assured that you will have a new dent on the doors by the time you get back, even a stiff breeze seems capable of putting the crease on the doors out of shape! The only outward signs that this is car is hotter than your average hatch are the GTI-6 logos underneath the wing-mirrors. The only label on the rear being the 306 name, with the slightest of clues being given in the stainless steel exhaust and the wider than normal wheels.
The wheels themselves are 15" Peugeot -branded alloys (195/55 R15s if I remember correctly) and they look very nice. Only problem is that they don't have a hole in the middle, which means that when it's time to get new tyres fitted, you will have a heck of a job finding a place that can balance them.
Inside things are a halfway house between all-out sporty and comfortable. The seats half-leather seats aren't quite sporty but provide a lot more support than normal. The dashboard is dominated by the rev-counter (red-lining at 6,000) and speedo, which are illuminated in an adjustable orange light.The steering wheel is only adjustable for rake, not reach, but it's easy to find a comfortable position as the drivers seat has height and lumbar adjustment as well as the usual.
In terms of safety, there's an airbag for both driver and passenger (although the passengers airbag means the glove compartment is amazingly small). For those that want to know these things, only the passengers sun-visor has a mirror on the back. And there are no cup-holders.
All the controls are thoughtfully laid out and well within reach of the driver, with the stereo and air-con controls in the central console. One niggle here is the fact that, in a peugeot, you can NEVER turn off the fan. It's akways going, even only slightly. If it's stopped it's because it's broken.
Access to the rear is through the front doors, with both the driver and passenger seats tilting & sliding. Once in the back there is seating for three with two full 3-point belts and one lap-belt. Head restraints are provided for the two seats with full seatbelts. There is an acceptable amount of leg-room provided the front seats aren't too far back, but you wouldn't want 3 adults in the back for an extended journey. Rear seats are the usual 60/40 split and fold. The fold flat to provide a significant large boot-space which even mabnaged to take a fully-boxed 32" widescreen TV, which is no mean feat!
The handling is confident, with the firm (but not rigid) suspension smoothing out the bumps without wallowing and rolling around corners. Steering is hydraulic power-assisted and speed-sensitive, growing heavier tthe faster you go. While the steering is light enough around town, one thing that continually caught me out was the APALLING turning circle. Easily the largest turning radius I've ever seen in a car of this size, wou will have trouble turning adounf across two whole lanes without resorting to a three-point (or more) turn! Multi-storey carparks are a place to be dreaded.
The 6-speed gearbox that gives th car it's name was a revelation at first. Geared in favour of acceleration over top-end, it sees the 306 from 0-60 in about 7.5 seconds and on to a maximum of about 135. I found the clutch heavy at first but something you soon get used to it, although I was surprised at how quickly it needed replacing (45,000 miles!!!). Changing gear is easy enough, provided you are going up. I always found it reluctant to change down below 3rd but this may just have been a quirk of my car.
The short ratio of the gearbox is there to extract the most from the grunty engine. Redlining at 6,000 rpm, it really perks up at around 4,500. From there things begin to get exciting. With a growl that turns into a roar (rather than the race-car whine of a Civic Type-R), the engine reaches it's peak at about 5,700 rpm when all 167bhp will be squirming through the front tyres. The noise is strangely intoxicating, sounding like a much bigger engine than it really is.
Despite the sound, the power and the short-ratio gearbox, the GTI-6 isn't really a race car. The throttle response is relatively slow and it takes a while for the engine to build up a head of speed. It's much better in a straight line than it is around corners and so, while country lanes are fun, they can get a little hairy. Stick to a straight(ish) line and it works like a charm.
When it comes to stopping, the brakes are more than man enough for the job. Over-sized, ventilated discs to the front and large enough discs on the rear there is a generously sized hydralic assist as well. Unfortunately, there is very little feel to them, a stomp on the pedal having to travel through an inch of mush before you start to notice anything. ABS then is a valuable inclusion until you get used to things.
Road noise is not particularly intrusive, with the engine making more noise than the wheels, but only when you drop it down two gears to overtake. It's a fairly fast car and makes light work of motorway journeys. Cruising at 80 is not a problem although fuel economy at this speed will only see you manage about 300 miles from the 60-litre tank..
In terms of maintenance, servicing is every 9,000 miles. You should be able to get cheaper deals from Peugeot given the age of GTI-6s these days, but allow for about £200 a visit for a minor and anything upwards of £400 for a major (which happen ever 36,000 miles).
Insurance isn't all that cheap either. It's group 15/16, so a lot will depend on your age/where you live etc. but even in 'safe' areas insurance is pricey and was one of the things that prevented me selling it on a number of occassions.
Allthings considered then, would I recommend this car to anyone else? The answer, in all honesty, would have to be a resounding NO. Yes it's fun to drive. Yes they are relatively rare. Yes, they are even practical and comfortbale. It's just that my experience has shown that they are an absolute pig to own. Expensive to insure, service, run and fix with a poor reasle value because of the insurane (as much as anything). If you do take one for a test drivem, be prepared to fall in love with it. But it's going to cost you a fortune.
[Originally posted on DooYoo.coku (by me) way back in 2001. SIGNIFICANTLY updated during the port to Ciao.]
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Such a shame about your experience with the Pug GTi, plus great review by the way.
I've owned a 1996 N reg Peugeot 306 2.0 XSi since April 2005 (79K mileage at the time and cost £1000 in mint condition) and the only thing replaced so far is the exhaust (mid+rear+cat), which luckily for me cost half price at approx £250 (only charged £15 labour being a friend-of-a-friend). Insurance for me is around £230 fully comprehensive with Esure, group 12 I think. Petrol consumption sounds fairly similar to your GTi, although my driving style is very fuel economy conscious, i.e. coasting to traffic lights to avoid stopping and driving from them when red, slowly and gentle on the pedals. I also avoid unnecessary breaking and NO heavy braking.
The GTi and XSi were the top of the line Pugs and have a very similar performance to each other, although the GTi is faster off the mark with a higher top speed (about 25mph more I think), whereas the XSi has more mid range torque and grunt. Both roar like lions though and sometimes have a sonic boom after the roar, which sounds amazing.
Would I buy another XSi? YESSSS!!!
sit2020 27.02.2005 20:48
I read this review twice, it gave me an idea of what this car would be like, I would say that the cost of running would be the bit to put me off, great review.
sue.51 15.12.2004 01:01
I nearly stopped reading after taking serious gulps at the maintenance costs. I owned a bog standard 306 Diesel after two crashes in succession saw my unprotected no claims go down the pan (I know I should have read the small print), but although economically it was a great compensator for my insurance premiums, it wasn't too clever for the long runs, the garage service was rubbish (re-enforced when they lost their franchise) and I didn't find any of it particular robust, now a year on with a nearly new SEAT, and so far so good, 3 years MF warranty helps somewhat.
Sue
Sep 13th, 2004
exceptional by (5%):
very helpful by (95%):
