Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car. Touch wood. I bought it a couple of months ago with 80k on the clock.

There is a weird readout from the fuel gauge. The gauge drops the 1st 1/4 of the tank really fast. No fuel leak, I still get good economy. But other than that, it's been very reliable and tidy.

The only thing is I had to replace the headlights, which couldn't have been easier.

General Comments:

It's a French car, so it's going to have character, and you're going to either love it or hate it. The build looks a little cheap, but my 206 really does hold together well under pressure, it feels solid. The seats are great, very comfy, but the ride itself is quite firm. You notice the bumps on the road a lot.

The engine & gearbox combo are a bit to get used to. It drives around the city like a normal car, but then if you have the room and hold the gears out, it gets fun. The ratio is so short, it really needs a 6th gear for highway driving. And the engine only takes off after 4.5 - 5.0rpm. You really have to push it to get the benefits, where as other cars give you peak power a lot earlier. It redlines at 7.5rpm so you get the picture. It's really like 2 cars in one. So yes, it goes fast, but with not without a lot of fuss and noise.

The handling is the cars strong point. It really grips the road. You point it and it follows without fault. I have giving it a bit of push, but its hard in Sydney traffic. It's getting crowded. Unfortunately it's not much of a people mover though. There's enough room for 4 people with legroom (for a small car), but the firm ride makes no compromise for the passengers. As a driver, I get the steering wheel to hold on to, but the passengers simply have to use their core muscles. It can be a bit of hard work to be the passenger.

But I love it, it handles great, and when pushed, goes like a rocket. It might not be the quickest 1100kg sports car out there, but once you get used to it, it sure is fun to drive.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car at this stage. A couple of minor irritations are a constant metal on metal sound from the brakes when rolling, this is caused by a build up of dust, and very occasionally there's a delay in starting the engine. The ignition turns over for a little bit.

Also when the car went in for its 1500km check up a leak was found in a ring on the power steering hose. This was replaced straight away with no prompting from me.

General Comments:

So far the car has been brilliant. The handling is absolutely awesome. I wasn't looking for comfort when I bought it, if I had been I would be slightly disappointed by the very firm ride. Considering the car's purpose though, the ride is more than acceptable.

I'm a bit concerned about the fuel economy. The official figures seem to be better than my old 1.8 306, but so far I seem to be using more than that. OK, I have been having some fun, but I used to do that in the 306 too. I'm hoping that as the engine runs in economy will improve.

I managed to pick up a speeding ticket on the first day I had the car. Since then I may have had a few pictures taken, too. So performance isn't an issue. The only thing I would change is the power below 2500rpm. It's very hard to take off quickly from the lights, which can be an issue if your lane ends shortly after an intersection. Maybe I need to get used to the clutch.

The car gets lots of looks. I'm not used to having a vehicle that other people want, but it is an ego boost having people trying to get a closer look at the badge on the back. That being said, only car buffs really know what they're looking at.