Test drive in a Pug 206 GTi 180
09 May 2003, 02:21 PM
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Longman. Yeah read that, and it was in CCC as well. They liked it to, but can't see the logic really.
The mods weren't that cheap (the whole lot was 5 grand) which makes doing it on a new 206 ludicrously dear, and although they suggested getting an older one you're still going to lose a lot of money come resale time.
Better selling your 206 GTi and buying a Clio Cup or GTi 180.
[Edited by TurboBoost - 9/5/2003 2:23:10 PM]
The mods weren't that cheap (the whole lot was 5 grand) which makes doing it on a new 206 ludicrously dear, and although they suggested getting an older one you're still going to lose a lot of money come resale time.
Better selling your 206 GTi and buying a Clio Cup or GTi 180.
[Edited by TurboBoost - 9/5/2003 2:23:10 PM]
30 August 2003, 02:13 PM
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Ive just come back from a quick test drive in a GTi 180, just looking at options at the moment and not sure if ill sell the scoob (job etc) but here is my review of the car 
The first thing that strikes you are those 17 inch alloys with the 205/40/17 inch Pirelli tyres, it does make the car stand out a little
(the brakes look a little puny though).
The car i had a go in only had just over 1200 miles on the clock and was still pretty tight, but the interior was well built, the seats were very supportive and there was plenty of headroom.
This car comes fully loaded, trip comp, climate, rain sensitive windscreen wipers etc, and the only optional extra on this car is the metallic paint (comes in blue, black, red and silver).
For quite a small car, its actually quite roomy (never sat in the back though, but that looked cramped), and i had a good 4 inches of headroom (im 5'10) so no problems there.
On starting the car, she sounded a little lumpy, suppose something Peugeot wanted, a nice 7.5k redline and a perfectly porportioned steering wheel, a very light cluch and an excellent gearbox (except the long throw forward) made this car a pussycat to drive.
The niggles though.......
That long gearthrow..... dont let it put you off, it takes a little getting use to but still feels a little "long", the smoothness of the gearbox (reminds me of the 205 gti's) sort of compensates for it a little.
My one and only other niggle was the fact that i couldnt stamp on the fast pedal, there seemed to be a bit of an obstruction, meaning that you had to move your foot a touch to get right to the floor, but apart from that, the pedals were nicely placed and not too close together (size 9 feet).
On the road, this car is just great its easy to drive, either quick or slowly, there is torque when you want it (i did an 80-90mph test in 5th, 2 up, 1/2 tank of fuel, it did the same as my scoob 
4 secs!).
The suspension is firm but not overly so, you can go over speed bumps without bouncing off the roof or compromising the cars road holding ability, basically, this car is effortless to drive, maybe a touch too effortless but it is new with only just over 1k on the clock.
Performance wise, taking into consideration that its new, it was still quite impressive (especially the midrange torque), 0-60 would take ages though, it seemed to, and on my favourite bit of duel carriageway i was a fair few secs behind where the scoob would have been (and i was in 2nd and rolling at 20mph when the lights changed!).
Given time for this car to loosen up, and with the astonishing grip it has, i think it will be one of the best hot hatches around (plus reliable eh Rich).
This car grew on me in the hour i had it out and about, but getting back into the scoob....... hmmmmmmmmmm a bit more brutal in its performance delivery me thinks but if you wanted a good option for a second car, the GTi 180 should be on your shopping list, just make sure you get one with a few miles on it as they take a few k to loosen up properly and the performance seems a little down (until you look at how quickly your going )
Brakes..... hmmmm well when your use to big 4 pot brembo's and AP discs, somethings seem a little lacking, possably the same with the 180's brakes, i just hope that Peugeot Sport do something about it (ie replacement discs/pads).
Bad Points:-
Brakes need something doing, a little lacking but still not too bad.
Long throw forward on the gearshift, takes some getting use to.
The fast pedal.... a bit hard to get your foot right down to the floor without repositioning yourself.
Good Points:-
It comes fully loaded with all the goodies
Excellent ride and handling.
Fantasticaly smooth gearbox.
Effortless in what it does (is this really a good point?)
Tony
The first thing that strikes you are those 17 inch alloys with the 205/40/17 inch Pirelli tyres, it does make the car stand out a little
(the brakes look a little puny though).The car i had a go in only had just over 1200 miles on the clock and was still pretty tight, but the interior was well built, the seats were very supportive and there was plenty of headroom.
This car comes fully loaded, trip comp, climate, rain sensitive windscreen wipers etc, and the only optional extra on this car is the metallic paint (comes in blue, black, red and silver).
For quite a small car, its actually quite roomy (never sat in the back though, but that looked cramped), and i had a good 4 inches of headroom (im 5'10) so no problems there.
On starting the car, she sounded a little lumpy, suppose something Peugeot wanted, a nice 7.5k redline and a perfectly porportioned steering wheel, a very light cluch and an excellent gearbox (except the long throw forward) made this car a pussycat to drive.
The niggles though.......
That long gearthrow..... dont let it put you off, it takes a little getting use to but still feels a little "long", the smoothness of the gearbox (reminds me of the 205 gti's) sort of compensates for it a little.
My one and only other niggle was the fact that i couldnt stamp on the fast pedal, there seemed to be a bit of an obstruction, meaning that you had to move your foot a touch to get right to the floor, but apart from that, the pedals were nicely placed and not too close together (size 9 feet).
On the road, this car is just great
its easy to drive, either quick or slowly, there is torque when you want it (i did an 80-90mph test in 5th, 2 up, 1/2 tank of fuel, it did the same as my scoob 4 secs!).The suspension is firm but not overly so, you can go over speed bumps without bouncing off the roof or compromising the cars road holding ability, basically, this car is effortless to drive, maybe a touch too effortless but it is new with only just over 1k on the clock.
Performance wise, taking into consideration that its new, it was still quite impressive (especially the midrange torque), 0-60 would take ages though, it seemed to, and on my favourite bit of duel carriageway i was a fair few secs behind where the scoob would have been (and i was in 2nd and rolling at 20mph when the lights changed!).
Given time for this car to loosen up, and with the astonishing grip it has, i think it will be one of the best hot hatches around (plus reliable eh Rich
).This car grew on me in the hour i had it out and about, but getting back into the scoob....... hmmmmmmmmmm a bit more brutal in its performance delivery me thinks
but if you wanted a good option for a second car, the GTi 180 should be on your shopping list, just make sure you get one with a few miles on it as they take a few k to loosen up properly and the performance seems a little down (until you look at how quickly your going )Brakes..... hmmmm well when your use to big 4 pot brembo's and AP discs, somethings seem a little lacking, possably the same with the 180's brakes, i just hope that Peugeot Sport do something about it (ie replacement discs/pads).
Bad Points:-
Brakes need something doing, a little lacking but still not too bad.
Long throw forward on the gearshift, takes some getting use to.
The fast pedal.... a bit hard to get your foot right down to the floor without repositioning yourself.
Good Points:-
It comes fully loaded with all the goodies
Excellent ride and handling.
Fantasticaly smooth gearbox.
Effortless in what it does (is this really a good point?)
Tony
31 August 2003, 09:34 AM
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Sounds v positive review.
Dont overlook the Clio Cup though.
I previously owned a 206 gti for a while - not a patch on the clio once youd got past the showroom appeal.
My Pug was v poor in gear shift, seating position, ride, roll and steering dept - all crucial in a GTi. After 4 months and 10k miles it had to go. Crucially every time I drove it I grumbled I wasnt in the scoob.
The Cup on the other hand just grows on me more and more and has made me question the need for a scoob (hence sold mine).
Have you tried the Std 206 GTi and if so how did it compare to the 180?
Dont overlook the Clio Cup though.
I previously owned a 206 gti for a while - not a patch on the clio once youd got past the showroom appeal.
My Pug was v poor in gear shift, seating position, ride, roll and steering dept - all crucial in a GTi. After 4 months and 10k miles it had to go. Crucially every time I drove it I grumbled I wasnt in the scoob.
The Cup on the other hand just grows on me more and more and has made me question the need for a scoob (hence sold mine).
Have you tried the Std 206 GTi and if so how did it compare to the 180?
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31 August 2003, 11:39 AM
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We thought about the 180 as a 2nd car, but bought a Scoob instead. Pug wasn't quite out when we were looking, but the spec was impressive. I'd have no qualms about reliability either - had a few niggles with my 1st 205GTI some 19 years ago, but the rest of them (another 6), were fine. Wish I could say the same thing about the Leon Cupra we owned... 
Nice report Tony.
Cheers
[Edited by Toonman1 - 8/31/2003 11:39:38 AM]
Nice report Tony.
Cheers
[Edited by Toonman1 - 8/31/2003 11:39:38 AM]
31 August 2003, 02:39 PM
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3 months on, 6000 miles and our Cupra R hasn't had a problem and doesn't have any creaks or rattles, can't fault it one bit. Oh and it keeps getting quicker and quicker!!
31 August 2003, 04:01 PM
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I'm genuinely pleased for you Bluenose. Mine was cr@p, with all the usual Leon faults as standard. Its replacement - 02 WRX PPP is till totally fault free at 12.5 months and 18.5K miles. Wife's 03 Sportswagon's the same, at 11 weeks and 7K miles.
Cheers
Cheers
31 August 2003, 05:32 PM
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I think the problem isn't that the 206 180 is a bad car, but the competition. If you want a small chuckable French hatch the Clio Cup is usefully cheaper, but for 15 grand you can get a Leon Cupra, for 16 grand a Civic Type R, etc...
I reckon if you could get an import for £12,500 like with 172s it would be a bargain though.
I reckon if you could get an import for £12,500 like with 172s it would be a bargain though.
31 August 2003, 08:06 PM
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Good review! Thanks!
May go and have a look at need something for the Mrs. Drove the Leon Cupra R and liked it but have been put off by the atrocious problems my next door neighbour has had with his Seats - it went in 27 times with problems in less than one year and they eventually bought it back. (He now has CTR).
Looking at a Cooper S as the favourite at the mo.
Cheers,
Mossman
May go and have a look at need something for the Mrs. Drove the Leon Cupra R and liked it but have been put off by the atrocious problems my next door neighbour has had with his Seats - it went in 27 times with problems in less than one year and they eventually bought it back. (He now has CTR).
Looking at a Cooper S as the favourite at the mo.
Cheers,
Mossman
31 August 2003, 08:07 PM
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PS Went to Renault today and it was the auditioning day for the muppet show. They were HOPELESS!!! Trying to get hold of a Clio Cup/172 for a test drive and I am not holding my breathe.
31 August 2003, 10:19 PM
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Got to agree Mossman. We drove all the way to Newcastle (50 miles), for a pre booked test drive, to find they'd sold their demo car, whilst we were waiting for the keys to it!
Had bad Renault dealer experiences in Darlington, Middlesbrough as well as the aforementioned. Ended up buying from Sunwins in Bradford.
Cheers
Had bad Renault dealer experiences in Darlington, Middlesbrough as well as the aforementioned. Ended up buying from Sunwins in Bradford.
Cheers
01 September 2003, 01:42 PM
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My brother's Cupra R has done 10k very hard miles and so far nothing but a cracked washer bottle. He is also running his with a chip (place in Bicester did it) putting out something like 265bhp which is quite a lot of car that cost all in around £17k including the chip - what an absolute bargain.
I agree that the 180bhp 206 is a few years too late.
What is the rrp of the Peugeot ?
I agree that the 180bhp 206 is a few years too late.
What is the rrp of the Peugeot ?
01 September 2003, 04:30 PM
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£14,995 drivethedeal are quoting nearly £600 off (UK car)
But they can get £1500 off a Clio Cup so it doesn't seem a particularly great saving. Still its only just come out so this could change after a few months.
But they can get £1500 off a Clio Cup so it doesn't seem a particularly great saving. Still its only just come out so this could change after a few months.
01 September 2003, 04:54 PM
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But they can get £1500 off a Clio Cup so it doesn't seem a particularly great saving. Still its only just come out so this could change after a few months.
01 September 2003, 06:34 PM
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Dave
When I owned mine - 10/01 to 08/02, common problems on a large number of cars were:
Poor quality paint - chipped really badly
Leaking door seals
Coils breaking down
Rattles from the dash
Rattles from the Glovebox lid
Creaks from the rear
Leaking headlights, leading to misting
Leaking central brake light
Peeling interior driver's door handle
Grabbing brakes ("they all do that Sir")
Electrical gremlins with illuminated controls
On a few cars:
Weak synchro on 1st and general gearbox probs.
Mine had most of the above probs, plus the rest. I was very disappointed and annoyed.
Not sure what the new cars are like, but it seems a common problem with the Cupra R is windscreen cracking. Several of my Pals have had to have it replaced on theirs.
Seatcupra.net has many threads relating to the problems. Some don't seem to be bothered, but I was.
Cheers
When I owned mine - 10/01 to 08/02, common problems on a large number of cars were:
Poor quality paint - chipped really badly
Leaking door seals
Coils breaking down
Rattles from the dash
Rattles from the Glovebox lid
Creaks from the rear
Leaking headlights, leading to misting
Leaking central brake light
Peeling interior driver's door handle
Grabbing brakes ("they all do that Sir")
Electrical gremlins with illuminated controls
On a few cars:
Weak synchro on 1st and general gearbox probs.
Mine had most of the above probs, plus the rest. I was very disappointed and annoyed.
Not sure what the new cars are like, but it seems a common problem with the Cupra R is windscreen cracking. Several of my Pals have had to have it replaced on theirs.
Seatcupra.net has many threads relating to the problems. Some don't seem to be bothered, but I was.
Cheers
02 September 2003, 12:05 AM
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Rich, I meant the Pug 180 has only just come out so maybe the potential savings will be more like £1500 once the initial hype has died down. To start with Peugeot salesman will be doing the usual nonsense like trying to sell demo cars for over list price because they have a special floormat option.
Owned a couple of SEATs in the past, a couple of electrical gremlins on the Ibiza 20VT but in terms of general build they are more solid than French cars.
Owned a couple of SEATs in the past, a couple of electrical gremlins on the Ibiza 20VT but in terms of general build they are more solid than French cars.
02 September 2003, 12:18 AM
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Rich, I meant the Pug 180 has only just come out so maybe the potential savings will be more like £1500 once the initial hype has died down. To start with Peugeot salesman will be doing the usual nonsense like trying to sell demo cars for over list price because they have a special floormat option.
Aaaaaah... got ya.
02 September 2003, 01:02 PM
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Toonman
Apart from a crunch sometimes when putting the car into 1st if not at a total standstill (on both Cupras), haven't had any other problems with either of them....touch wood!
Apart from a crunch sometimes when putting the car into 1st if not at a total standstill (on both Cupras), haven't had any other problems with either of them....touch wood!