RE: SOTW: Peugeot 306 GTI6
Discussion
Sam1990 said:
Still looks great today.
I hear with a few tweaks these can be chasing down Civic Type Rs?
I reckon I cover the ground much quicker in my Rallye than I ever did in my CTRs. The engine has so much more torque and more useable gear ratios. It also has the most fantastic ride so it glides over broken surfaces that left the Civic bouncing around. It's the friendliest and most characterful car I've ever owned. I certainly wouldn't swap for a CTR. I can't speak highly enough of it.I hear with a few tweaks these can be chasing down Civic Type Rs?
PHMatt said:
People always bang on about the GTi6 but surely it's totally outgunned by the RS Clio's?
Yes, they are outgunned (I replaced a GTI-6 with a 172) but not "totally", and a decent GTI-6 can be had for around the £1k mark (I bought mine for £1100 2 years ago) whereas a 172 in similar condition is pushing £2k. I agree that the 306 has aged well too.I prefered the driving position and steering (both for feel and responsiveness) on the GTI-6. They are excellent to drive, with superb handling, but the Clio is a smaller and lighter car, and feels it from behind the wheel. Neither are slow, but the Clio is quicker, with a more "special"-feeling engine and better brakes.
No aircon is a very common fault (the pipes are badly routed) and pricey to fix. Rear beams also need checking carefully - I had to replace mine at around 110k.
Riknos said:
I never realised these things were so heavy! People slag off MX-5s as being a girl's car, and the 306 GTI-6 being a hot hatch king; thus manlier than a manly thing. But with 100kg extra and only 7 more than the 5?
Double standards much. Just saying.
I have both a 306 Rallye and a Mk1 MX5 and the Rallye wins hands down on a good B road for both pace and enjoyment (unless the sun is out). Sure the steering is electric in the MX5 and there's the fun of trying to maintain speed but the 306 has a perfect balance of grunt, excellent damping and wonderful handling to make it a serious country lane weapon. Double standards much. Just saying.
Seems no-one has mentioned the lift off oversteer these things generate. Terrifying if you can't drive but the most fun this side of RWD if you can.
On the rust point, mine is currently in having rusty outriggers replaced. They were undersealed with a rubber/plastic coat which works brilliantly until breached. Once water gets in it gets held up against the metal permenantly and they deteriorate very quickly. Still it's a 13yr old car with >150k and I still love everything about it.
Edited by cavebloke on Friday 16th November 10:26
Edited by cavebloke on Friday 16th November 10:27
PugLove.
The thing is with these cars, that people don't appreciate until they revisit a good one, is just how well they ride compared to modern metal.
There's long since been an obsession with 'hard equals fast' in terms of suspension setup when really, as a good 306 will show you, you can corner AND have superb ride comfort.
The thing is with these cars, that people don't appreciate until they revisit a good one, is just how well they ride compared to modern metal.
There's long since been an obsession with 'hard equals fast' in terms of suspension setup when really, as a good 306 will show you, you can corner AND have superb ride comfort.
V8 FOU said:
deadmau5 said:
I'm surprised with the statement about weight. Was 1200kg really that light in 1996?
1200kg for a sheddy old French hatch is LIGHT???? A Fiesta around that time wqas about 1000kg, a Mondeo 2.0 was 1275kg FFS, my V8Esprit is 1250kg, etc etcI always thought the point of a French hatch was to be light, like a Clio...
Unpleasant car IMHO, having driven a few, and way too heavy....
Are you sure your Esprit is that light?...I always thought they were around the 1400kgs mark?
Funny you should mention lift-off oversteer - I've just bought a '99 306 Hdi and it's a lovely thing to drive but the first time the back stepped out it was a case of "OH, that's why they have the reputation!.."
For £230 it's about the best value fun to ££'s car I've ever owned - can see me keeping it a while.
(forget the electrics though - windows, airbags, intermittent wipers and central locking all seem AWOL) - character I guess...lol
For £230 it's about the best value fun to ££'s car I've ever owned - can see me keeping it a while.
(forget the electrics though - windows, airbags, intermittent wipers and central locking all seem AWOL) - character I guess...lol
drumsterphil said:
Funny you should mention lift-off oversteer - I've just bought a '99 306 Hdi and it's a lovely thing to drive but the first time the back stepped out it was a case of "OH, that's why they have the reputation!.."
Likewise. 306 hire car + no passengers or luggage = Lots of tail wagging. Quite a shock the first time having come from VAG group cars. A good example of how FWD can be fun!Didn't a lot of these have some dodgy looking keypad-based immobiliser? Always put me off as... well, it's a French keypad-based immobiliser! Not sure how reliable they really are though.
Had a great test drive in one of these. Dealer was very keen for me to thoroughly enjoy the car on some good roads near the garage. Very impressive but after years of warm and hotter hatches I needed to scratch other itches. At this price for a bit of fun, seriously tempting. Bad colour though.
Nice shed but I feel any journalist who uses the phrase "rifle-bolt gearchange" should be forced to specify the rifle they are using as comparison. Some rifles in my experience have an action so unpleasant that you wouldn't want a gear lever to behave in the same way. For the rest, I think only the current Mazda MX5 and the Honda S2000 have come anywhere close to the feeling of carefully machined, precision engineering of the best rifle bolts and both cars were still a long way off.
Of course I haven't driven a Peugeot 306 GTi-6 so maybe it really is like that. But you have to wonder, how many people even know what a bolt-action rifle is? It seems like an odd thing to reference within a car review.
Of course I haven't driven a Peugeot 306 GTi-6 so maybe it really is like that. But you have to wonder, how many people even know what a bolt-action rifle is? It seems like an odd thing to reference within a car review.
a fantastic all-round car. awesome for doing 35k a year in, embarassing pretty much anything in the twisties and also fine for throwing 2 tonnes of brick and breeze-block into the boot to lug to the tip. having gone from m3's, MB amg's and other expensive machinery, it's always been the 306 i've gone back to.. and i've had 8 306's now.. but in any colour *except* blaze gold, that is. very quick and up there with the best hatches, even 10-15 years since they were around
recently got rid of my gti6, but kept the engine which will live on in my205gti in the coming weeks
recently got rid of my gti6, but kept the engine which will live on in my205gti in the coming weeks
Had a 306 XSi (similar but only 135 bhp) from nearly new in 98. Not the quickest in the world (though compared to the previous 1.1 Fiesta it was like a starship) but fantastic ride / handling balance. Always wondered how much better the GTi6 would be. Eventually traded it for a 1.8T Golf GTi which felt like I'd grown up 10 years from the hooligan Pug.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff