Peugeot??? opinions please.

[GransportFan1]

O.k, another French manufacturer, and lets cut to the chase, have gone massively down hill or did they ever climb up the hill??? only cars i liked which they made are, 205 GTI, 106 GTI, 106 Rallye, 306 GTi and Rallye and surprisingly the 309 GTi. Everything they make today is boring although i like the new RCZ, quite a quirky looking car that, looks quite nice in white.

 

[BennyD]

I think you have just about covered it Adam. If it's not a GTi or a Rallye, it's cr.p.

 

[GransportFan1]

Spot on. I think the 407 is the worst, just such an ugly car.

 

[safrane]

In my younger days;
205 GTI in white
607 v6...loved e'm both...607 was 10th of the price of a BMW 7 with 4 x the kit and same space

 

[Andyk]

Yep agree...I had a 205 GTI in white .. Great little car..

 

[dem maser]

i do like the RCZ.......

 

[GransportFan1]

In my younger days;
205 GTI in white
607 v6...loved e'm both...607 was 10th of the price of a BMW 7 with 4 x the kit and same space

607, it was cheap but very ugly.

205 GTI, i like them but would rather a clio williams any day.

 

[BennyD]

Adam, I trust you mean an original Clio Williams. Although, to be fair, the later ones were quite good, they weren't as good as the first one. Nice car. Good taste.

 

[GransportFan1]

yep, the first one, one of the true great hot hatches, Renault have always made the best hot hatches i think, dont think they will ever be beaten either.

 

[BennyD]

Whoa Tiger! A bit of a sweeping statement that I feel. I think 'hot hatches' should be your next thread. What about Golfs, 205s, XR3is, or even older kit like Sunbeam Lotus or HS/HSR Chevettes? I'm sure people will have their own opinions on this.

 

[GransportFan1]

Ford made some good hatches especially the XR3, but Renault for me have always been number one.

 

[dem maser]

i liked the rs turbo fiesta and escorts........

 

[2b1ask1]

All mine have been work vehicles and not hot hatches:

205i wasn't the full GTi
306 saloon didn't warant any suffix!
206 (basic from hire company for 6 months)

and my current Partner van 1.6TDi L1 on a 4 year lease (30k/y) fitted with windows B to C pillars limo blacked and a bench seat conversion to allow a full 6 seats (3=3) and fold wown to give almost full load area.

What I have found common with every one of them is the very worrying handling problem of 'floaty' steering just when you need it to hold on... example is a typical motoway junction roundabout whereyou are circulating at 50-60 not what you'd call raggerty and all of a sudden the wheel goes light in your hand and there is seemingly no connection with anything.... Understeer I know but it is always unpredictable with Peugeots. If anyone knows the Medway Industrial complex and the M2 link approaching itwill be familiar with the last roundabout up the hill with the drop down left to the estate or tunnel... in the 206 I completed this junction regularly with nothing more than the camber of the road getting me round and on one occasion completely sideways!!! Dreadful cars

The current van I have improved by adding extra heavy duty assister springs to the rear (springs inside the springs) getting the back end sitting up when loaded improving things considerably particularly tyre wear as without them I'd kill a set of rears in as little as 6k!!!

Why did I go for a Pug van? in truth I wanted the Bipper as it is congestion charge free and I did get one but it was supplied in the wrong speck and Peugeot ended up taking it back at the same time as the banking crissis and production was stopped... It became apparent they could not deliver the correct speck in aproaching a year so the UK sales director arranged for me to get the partner to my speck for the same money!!! Respect for that.

 

[MAF260]

Only ever hankered after a 205GTi back in the day. The 205 T-16 Group B rally car was a weapon before they banned them. Fond memories of my rallying days.....

 

[markp4200]

Had several hot hatches; first being Mk1 Vauxhall Astra GTE back in 1984 when these were launched as the natural opposition to VW Golf GTI.
Big disappointment after the Renault Clio GT Turbo. The Astra was not especially fast and didn't handle well at all.
However I am in a tiny minority when I say that the Golf GTI has never appealed to me. Partly its' the Teutonic blandness that I don't like but also it just feels too accomplished.
Cars should have faults to create character; something to baulk at, something that says an element of compromise. My favourite cars always have something which I need to defend to friends, to make them 'Mine'.
Perhaps why I favour French and Italian cars. Let's face it, we can all find faults to defend about our favourite models ...can't we?

Views please on the Alfa 147 GTE.
I drove a couple and loved them.
Not so much the handling but the presence of the thing ... I so nearly had one.

Hot Hatch Fords? Mmmmm Yawn. Sorry!

 

[RSM Masser]

Never owned a Peugeot or a Pig-e-ott, very popular in West African states as a child in the seventies 404 saloons every where, seem to remember they make the best diesol engines and am pretty sure they have a connection to the oil burning BMW's.
Always liked the 406/407 coupe

 

[markp4200]

RSM; yes many sold in Africa - must be the French connection.
Also very robust cars.

Last car I had for my wife was a 407 Coupe. Sold it a couple of months ago.
3.0 litre V6 SE version with all the whistles & bells - made on the same production liane as the Citroen C6. Fantastic spec and build; and very smooth motor car.
As quiet as a car can be - better than the 2.7 diesel in fact.
Double-glazed windows helped, toether with the huge bonnet made sound dissipation perfect. Also the rubber was the right size to avoid drumming.

See I do love my French cars.

 

[tess]

i have had a couple of pugs, 1 206 sport and a 207 sport, nice cars but everyone has them unlike my lovely mito....took the rcz out for a test drive last year, lovely car, comfy to drive and a bit nippy too and gorgeous in white, i would have one if someone wanted to give me one.....and i could keep my 4c for special occassions lol

 

[GransportFan1]

Agree Mark, Golf GTi, was a great car but like you say, faultless therefore lacks character, i would always say Renault at the top then probably Ford. I think Vauxhall's are shiite.