Monday 23rd December 2013

Peugeot 306 GTI6: Spotted

Peugeot finally has enthusiasts on its radar again, so what about one of its greatest hits?

---

Over the festive period PH hopes to keep you entertained with some reviews of our motoring highlights from 2013. One of those will be a 'Favourite Drive' which certainly took some deliberation.

Smiley a mod we certainly approve of

I won't reveal it now but one that stuck in the memory was the route around the south of France for the Peugeot RCZ R launch. That reminded me how good that car was, then that we needed a Spotted and then immediately to Peugeots in the classifieds.

With a £16K 205 GTI and a 400hp 106 covering the sublime and the ridiculous, something in the middle ground was required. This unmolested and apparently cherished 306 GTI6 fits the bill perfectly.

I was probably the only person on the RCZ R launch without some 'proper' fast Peugeot experience. Sacrilegious, I know. The only fleeting drive was in a pre-facelift GTI6 on a test drive when the abiding memories were of a heavy clutch and a fantastically revvy engine. Seeing this car, knowing what they're like in more committed driving and having loved the RCZ R makes me want this GTI a lot.

Given the 306's fundamental shape is over 20 years old, it's still a remarkably pretty thing. The 15-inch Cyclone wheels prove that big rims don't make an attractive car, and all four of these are in great condition. That they come on matching Dunlop tyres is sweet, sweet icing on the Christmas cake.

And they replaced this with the 307

The ad reads near enough perfectly. China Blue is a great colour, but do the tints really work with it? Anyway, a small complaint. That it's had a clutch, new heater matrix, plugs and filters in the last 5,000 miles is A Good Thing surely. The cambelt was done at 96,800 (the car is now on 129,500) but the car I looked at had one snap after 40,000 miles so it's certainly always something to be aware of.

Is £2,650 too much? Looking at the ad and the pics, exceptional though they are, it didn't come across as being worth significantly more than £2K at most. But then GTI6s, and Rallyes even more so, are becoming rare cars. PH only has one other Rallye, whilst the other classifieds only throw up a handful. Makes those Shed-spec cars look all the more desirable and this car perhaps worth the asking price.

At the bottom of this ad, the 'Also Consider' cars include a Focus ST170 and a Golf GT TDI for similar money albeit of slightly different mileages and ages. There's not really any choice, is there?

---

PEUGEOT 306 GTI6
Engine: 1,998cc 4-cyl
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 170@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 142@5,500rpm
MPG: 30.1
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1999
Recorded mileage: 129,500
Price new: £17,258 (1996)
Yours for: £2,650

See the original advert here

 

[ToothbrushMan]

Certainly sounds looked after and from the pics is not that bad to look at given its vintage.

I think the price is on the stiff side and anything north of the £2k mark sounds hopeful regardless of condition (unless its a minter that a collector would store away and polish with a cotton bud every day).

Never seen one driven in anger so would have to take Peugeots word for its performance figures back in the day. I think I once read 0-60 in 6.9s? 7.2-7.4 to 62? If those benchmark figures are close then its not bad really even up against todays hot hatch garage full 1.6 and 2.0 litre turbo's. I wonder what the 50-70 times are like.....the mid ranges. Top speed has never been one of my interests when reading up on cars.

Of course any true PH'er worth his salt will know that the Pug has a great weight advantage over the heavier modern stuff and that helps to level any playing field a bit more even if the thin metal and lack of 25 airbags etc makes you feel perhaps slightly closer to your maker from time to time
CBB to all that! Being light on its feet should help get reasonable MPG too for any owner.

Has to have those OE wheels- they suited this car very well. Its always tended to be reported this way AFAIK in the mags.

Given a choice though I would rather grab a circa 1998-1999 106 GTi 1.6 for half the cost and probably just as much if not slightly more fun.

[TeaNoSugar]

Strange, I was just this minute thinking about what to get the mrs to replace her MX5 and I thought about these. She loved her old 306, and I was hoping I might find a decent one with a bit more go than her old 1.4 Meridien!

I have to say the price seems way too steep, I've seen plenty of reasonable looking Rallyes at under £1600, and a GTI6 should be available in decent nick for £1200-£1400 (unless prices have shot up since I last looked about a year ago.

[Hoover.]

Give me a 309 GTi any day

[CampDavid]

MPG is the killer. 28mpg for me out of the four I've owned. I managed a combined 23mpg out of my 740i so I'm not too lead footed.

Stonking car though. Personally, I think at that money I'd want perfection

[freshmicropig]

Overpriced

[Patrick1964]

I bought a lovely, low mileage Rallye with great history and a recent cambelt. Lasted about 3 months before the belt went. Sold to a chap with a rough example with a new engine. It was fun whilst it lasted though !

[Bezza1969]

Notice these cars have gone up in price, darn it, should have got one a couple of years back when a grand got you a car like this with similar mileage! A great, great car. Since this time, basically hot hatches have simply got faster, heavier and grippier, but arguably less fun in most cases (Renaultsport megane excepted!). they certainly don't have the ride quality of a 306. A reminder of a simpler era where nurburgring lap times didn't dictate how a car drove....

Look at the Clio 200, a reminder that progress isn't always progress..

[Fire99]

How much better would this be than a newer Renault Clio 172 for less than half the price?

Good car but starting to pay a premium for rarity rather than ability..

[anonymous-user]

Bezza1969 said:

A great, great car.

But it wasn't though, was it? People are harking back to the days of the 205/309GTi, 405Mi16 etc when they talk about hot hatches and "performance" Pugs, well, the 306 wasn't a patch on those in any form. I think people are (very) keen for the successor to the seminal 205GTi to be something of note, instead it's been pissing on the memory of the 80's stuff ever since. Followed by the other "hot" models (206,207,307 etc) which were fairly universally panned (by PHers among others).

The GTI6 may have been the best of the range, but that's like saying Hep C is the one to have of all the Hepatites. OK so it was one of the first mainstream, accessible cars with a 6 speed, but every single other part on it is cheap plastic french shopping car toot.

You know they say you can't polish a turd. QED.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

OpulentBob said:

You know they say you can't polish a turd.

True, but you can roll it in glitter.





Sorry, no relevance to the thread, but felt it needed saying.

[Baryonyx]

A fantastic hot hatch. At the time though, it was definitely considered 'grown up' next to the 106 GTi and Rallye. I find the pliability of 106 chassis, especially in Rallye trim, to be the most exciting of that era for Peugeot. Plus whilst the 306's engine is revvy, it's got a gutsier power delivery than than 106 GTi and in particular the 8v Rallyes, so it's not quite as fun to wring out.

However, I'd take a 306 GTi-6 over a Clio any day, save for the very best example of a Williams!

[petrolsniffer]

nice example on the pricey side

I'd love one myself although I'd like a phase 1 which seem to be a rare thing these days.

I must be odd to prefer the phases ones looks?

[oldaudi]

I had a China Blue 106 Gti and then "upgraded" to one of these in a Goldy type colour. 106 was more fun in my view. The 306 was my first car with 6 gears if I remember correctly, hence the 6 on the end of GTI....... just aswell that naming convention has stopped, how many cars would we see with 7 or 8 on the end of their name!

[rolo0151]

I love these things & still think its one of the best looking hot hatches of all time. I sold peugeots from 2002 to 2005. Sold a few of them & got to have plenty of good drives in them.
They sound superb, ride well & are a pretty nice place to sit. I ran a 106 gti for a few months back then & that was a tremendous little car. Good memories of racing my mate different ways home in his 206 gti. The 106 was far superior. I'm certain the 106 gti & 306 gti will be the type of cars we all wish we'd bought when they were cheap & plentiful.

[PistonSmegs]

These were brilliant, I had a China Blue phase 3 one.

Loved it, dare I say far better than the 1.6 and 1.9 205 GTi's I had prior.

[soad]

That's a Peugeot itch I'm yet to scratch.

[Kitchski]

OpulentBob said:

Bezza1969 said:

A great, great car.

But it wasn't though, was it? People are harking back to the days of the 205/309GTi, 405Mi16 etc when they talk about hot hatches and "performance" Pugs, well, the 306 wasn't a patch on those in any form. I think people are (very) keen for the successor to the seminal 205GTi to be something of note, instead it's been pissing on the memory of the 80's stuff ever since. Followed by the other "hot" models (206,207,307 etc) which were fairly universally panned (by PHers among others).

The GTI6 may have been the best of the range, but that's like saying Hep C is the one to have of all the Hepatites. OK so it was one of the first mainstream, accessible cars with a 6 speed, but every single other part on it is cheap plastic french shopping car toot.

You know they say you can't polish a turd. QED.

Crazy talk! The 306 was regarded to have had the benchmark chassis for that class back in the day. The GTi-6 is one of Peugeot's finest hot hatches.

Before I carry on, I'm assuming you've driven a 205 GTi, a GTi-6 and a 405 Mi16?

[Fleckers]

first 6 speed car I ever drove, belonged to a mate who had his from new until it died when a lorry rear ended him and squashed him in to the car in front

[anonymous-user]

Kitchski said:

Crazy talk! The 306 is regarded has have the benchmark chassis for that class back in the day. The GTi-6 is one of Peugeot's finest hot hatches.

Before I carry on, I'm assuming you've driven a 205 GTi, a GTi-6 and a 405 Mi16?

Yes, yes and no. And a few Mk1 Golf GTis, R5GTTs, and varying other "hot" hatches from the 80's/early 90's. And I was most unimpressed with the 306. So the handling was OK and it was prone to a spot of wheel cocking or lift-off oversteer, but it was still a poorly-built, not-that-quick, dull thing. For me, the Rallye models are more worthy of comment/a Spotted article.

My 2p's worth anyway, but as I won't ever be buying one, it'll mean it's that much less in demand, thereby cheaper for you.

[zedx19]

I had one as a daily drive for over 6 years, then got rid when I got a company car and had no time for it. Was a fantastic car, it'd be quiet and comfortable for the commute, then extremely engaging for a country road blast. I did trackdays in it on a Sunday and pootled to work Monday. I drove it to the Nurburgring various times, once driving back to Nottingham on the Sunday, then to work in it Monday morning. Fantastic car. Mine was and still is, reliable as well. I spent very little on it, bar consumables, most awkward job being heater matrix but it cost £80 for a new one from Peugeot and a weekend for me to replace.

My mate now runs the car and has had zero problems with it, also absolutely loves it.

I'll just leave this video here of my old one, which was reasonably nippy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwJVt7Skqe0