RE: SOTW: Peugeot 306 GTI-6

RE: SOTW: Peugeot 306 GTI-6

Author
Discussion

BOBBY G

481 posts

212 months

Friday 24th February 2012
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crocodile tears said:
alfa pint said:
Despise these cars. Sold purely on the USP of a gimmick of a six speed box. Not particularly quick, awful inside and shockingly built in comparison to anything from Germany or Japan. Hell, even Rover / MG and most of the Italian manufacturers were putting their cars together in a more durable way.
absolutely deluded beyond belief.
Yep, he probably bought one of those rover BRM things that was green with an orange grin.

CampDavid

9,145 posts

200 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
GTiFrank said:
Reasonably tidy looking, often overlooked 206 GTi (138's) are often dropping to shed territory now days as well. I know there are a lot of haters out there but I've ran mine for 18 months and love it, tiff likes it too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL0W-0rXfpsbiggrin



No where near the same level, though not as bad as some think.

J4CKO

41,800 posts

202 months

Friday 24th February 2012
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Good shed, considering they were supposedly so badly built and unreliable there seem to be a lot left, for a nineties french car they seem to be doing ok, Peugeot have lost their way a bit like VW had with the GTi when the 306 was around, so maybe with this new 208 they may get back ont he right track.

The 206 seems to be universally derided as a gti, a mate bought one and sold with within about a month, so underwheldmed he was with it.


kayzee

2,856 posts

183 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
ch3tman said:
You may/may not enjoy how it was marketed then:



biglaugh

Edited by ch3tman on Friday 24th February 10:31
That is absolutely brilliant!

Been in a GTi-6 a few times and always remember wanting one when I got out! Ending up buying a 206 GTi because it was newer... I'm sure everyone will say that was a massive mistake though.

I do prefer the looks of the 106 GTi though. Nearly bought one once but I couldn't find one near enough with the leather interior!

britsportscars

281 posts

180 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
Love to get one of these as a track car.

The write ups and opinions about the cars make it sound brilliant. It's another itch to scratch!

veevee

1,455 posts

153 months

Friday 24th February 2012
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A lot of people going on about how bad the interior is, but I've had 2 Phase 3 306s and both have been pretty solid inside, alright, maybe not a golf, but definitely better than a Focus and miles better than an Astra. (Especially with the leather and grey suede seats).

That said, I have been in a couple of PH 1s which rattled like crazy!

vapourtrail

57 posts

148 months

Friday 24th February 2012
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Great shed! I had a T plate Cherry Red 306 Rallye followed by a W reg Astor Grey GTi 6 both fantatsic cars, although the Rallye was that little bit rawer and felt a bit quicker (can't really have been coz it was only about 40 kg lighter). Evo (or was it Autocar?)managed 0-60 in 6.9 secs in the Rallye, which in 1999 was pretty damn quick for a hatch. I think 100 came up in 19 secs.

I remeber John Simister's road test saying the 306 Rallye was "God's own hot hatch", and enthusing about the induction noise - it was great!

Brilliant cars - miss them both!

veevee

1,455 posts

153 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
Also, arguably the best thing about these are the fact that there are somewhere between zero and very few exterior cues to what it is, combined with the fact that not many people know of their existence, makes for some surprised TT/Golf V5/V6/etc drivers.

tomoleeds

770 posts

188 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
They might have 170 bhp and a six speed box but its not worth buying for that reason, Its very ugly, new peugeots hardly have decent build quality let alone a old one. so what it handles well, a golf or focus dosan"t ?.

neil_bolton

17,113 posts

266 months

Friday 24th February 2012
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Must admit; having just sold my M5, and needing a car to keep my no claims going, this does stand out as a handy bit of kit.

The Jolly Todger

2,742 posts

182 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
alfa pint said:
Despise these cars. Sold purely on the USP of a gimmick of a six speed box. Not particularly quick, awful inside and shockingly built in comparison to anything from Germany or Japan. Hell, even Rover / MG and most of the Italian manufacturers were putting their cars together in a more durable way.
You're entitled to your opinion of course, but it's wrong.

kooper

397 posts

278 months

Friday 24th February 2012
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Back in '99 I was given a Silverstone track experience for my 21st birthday and the GTi-6 is what we drove. I think these days they use the Megane 250 for the equivalent, so that's how I would look at it.

theboymoon

2,699 posts

262 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
Miss my rallye. Favourite car so far...



happy days off for a drive in the French Alps...


and look what is this...? (one of the cheddar runs of old)


CampDavid

9,145 posts

200 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
Worth noting, it's main downside is thirst. 250 miles from a 65 litre tank is not unheard of and most only manage 30mpg at the most. Driven like a saint 40mpg is doable, a good friend of mine managed that. He also managed 65mpg from a Laguna diesel though...

xxdaix

41 posts

190 months

Friday 24th February 2012
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Here is my GTI-6, just peaking out in the left corner.

Spend 3 days in the company of cars worth at least 10s as much and she kept every one of those cars honest on some brilliant welsh B roads. the best £850 i've ever spend on a car. only had to do the cambelt and general servicing.
it has a big usable boot, and is a brilliant drive when its just you and the road.








TheRacingSnake

1,817 posts

165 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
French cars and electrics. That is all.

theboymoon

2,699 posts

262 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
TheRacingSnake said:
French cars and electrics. That is all.
not much in a rallye!

Let me down once in 30k plus miles when the coil packs err packed in. Got some second hand ones off ebay and all was fine again.

Cambelt is a bugger and expensive
Fuel consumption is not good for the comparative poke, my clio 182 is significantly better on fuel.

Still miss it *sniff




actually, it was twice, the radiator rusting to nothing but hey that's not electrical and who's counting anyway

theboymoon

2,699 posts

262 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
neil_bolton said:
Must admit; having just sold my M5, and needing a car to keep my no claims going, this does stand out as a handy bit of kit.
want to go 'shopping' for a french loaf on sunday?


Baryonyx

18,030 posts

161 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
Great SOTW. This and the 106 GTi are great cars, sadly quite hard to find in decent shape these days.


snotrag

14,530 posts

213 months

Friday 24th February 2012
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T916 KRH Where are you now - was owned by another PH'er a few years after me.


Absolutely bloody brilliant cars. They are very subtle, not shouty, they don't have an extra bodykit or anything over the other late models, which is part of the appeal.

Claiming the 6 speed is a gimmick to sell them is totally missing the point. There are so many areas other areas where they excel.

Bear in mind the engine makes its power without variable valve timing or anything, and its power output is not too shabby at all. There also Torquey, and pull really well at all speeds, the close ratio 6 Spd only improves this.
The chassis is beautiful though, so controllable, very lively at the back end, grippy, communicative steering, excellent ride.

They sound magic aswell, not shrill like a Honda, but throaty, and aggressive, very BTCC...

They are an excellent hooning, B-road car - like a Tarmac rally car almost. Long, plus, but controlled suspension - great on rough roads and lanes. Mine was massively faster than both my subsequent MX-5s down a B-road.

Mine also went on a number of PH hoons and held its own against lots of nice cars.

In particular I remember tailing a 911 and a Noble down a very 'gnadgery' bit of broken tarmac in Northumberland, and it was in its element. While the supercars scrape and crash their way along, I could keep pushing the 306 hard, let it roll into the corners, soak up the bumps and the crests, not bottoming out, trailbraking, good vision from the hatchback POV, and punchy out of the corners. The other car that I remember being particularly quick that day was an Integrale, which obviously have even more of the 'rally car' style ability.


I also found it reasonably well built (Its a Peugeot true, but it was the pinnacle of their range at the time).

If you need a hatch thats low-key, practical, and VERY good value to buy now, they are an excellent buy.

i was actually a little upset lately to see that even if you did want to spend £3000 on a really nice one instead, it would actually be nigh on impossible to find any decent ones for sale.

Good forum too at 306gti6.com.