1996 Peugeot 306 Cabriolet 1.8 8v petrol
Summary:
Glues a smile on my face!
Faults:
Rear torsion axle bearings needed replacement right when I bought it, as they squeaked. Factory recommendation is to do that every 60 000 km, but I doubt the previous owner had done so.
Piston rings and valve seals replaced at 150 000 km.
Rear engine rubber mount torn at 150 000 km.
Coolant radiator burst at 170 000 km - 40 EUR second-hand.
Head gasket blew at 195 000 km.
Power-steering rack leaking fluid for 2 year now. I have added about 3 litres of fluid with no additional repairs. Works for now...
Oil pan bolts need tightening every now and then, as they tend to undo themselves and oil leaks.
Rear window replaced at 200 000 km.
Various suspension parts replaced at various times.
General Comments:
I love it! The look, the feel, the envy!
It is old, squeaks and rattles on uneven roads, but I don't care! It is a gorgeous little car! And it has dual Pininfarina badges!
Ride comfort is astonishing for such a small car! I have taken 20-hour non-stop trips with it, just to walk out of it fresh as a mountain spring!
The seats are soft and provide excellent lumbar support. The suspension smooths out everything the crappy roads in Bulgaria throw at it.
Soft suspension means it is not too sporty on curvy roads, but mountain rides are still hugely enjoyable, especially in summer. :)
It is a bit noisier than I would like with the roof up. The roof is electric and working beautifully. The fabric is in good condition and does not leak a drop.
The engine is calm and torquey. Pulls well right from 2000 rpm. I rarely need to go above 2500 rpm in the city. On the highway, however, it is a bit underpowered. Anything above 150 km/h is a noisy mess of engine roar and wind whistling, and not much acceleration.
Brakes could be better. The car is quite heavy at 1290 kg, and the standard front disks-rear drums struggle to contain it at high speeds.
Body parts are absurdly expensive and near-impossible to find, so buy a shiny one.
To sum up: Enjoy responsibly and it will reward you amply!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th September, 2009
5th Oct 2009, 09:24
Have you checked the valve cover gasket? It has a complex shape and is quite tricky to fit. I have needed to replace it a few times, due to oil leaking, especially at high engine speeds. Now I put a decent amount of silicone on to seal it.
11th Jan 2012, 23:57
I know it has been three years, but I have since bought a Toyota Celica, and would never like to go back to the valve cover gasket of that XU7! The shape was tricky, and you could not see if it fit properly at the rear end, as the air plenum chamber gets in the way, so it was a hit or miss game. One of the many times I took it for servicing, I noticed that even the mechanic had had trouble with it. But not before the whole engine bay was bathed in soothing ESSO 10w-40!
3rd Oct 2009, 07:56
I have the 2.0 8v model, and I totally agree with your plus points, but I think with the larger engine it fixes some of your downfalls.
It pulls like a train right from the line, it's sometimes a little hard to keep the power down as it tends to spin up the wheels in the wet at 3000 rpm+, and the gears seem to last for ages, which I like.
On the motorway it pulls really well in top gear for over taking, or just annoying Audis and BMWs etc that come flying up the outside lane, and then have to drop back in with a look of shame on their 30.000 pound poorer faces LOL.
Brakes wise, mine has discs on the rear too, and stops really well even from high speed.
The only problems I have with mine is the engine has an oil leak, I can't find where, and only needs a slight top up now and again, but makes a mess on my drive.
Also my passenger window doesn't come up straight, like it's not in its runner. I've looked, but can't figure it out.
Repair wise all I've done is wishbones and rear exhaust, which rattled; grand total of £90 all in. Now it's perfect.
Oh and tracking after the wishbones were done at £25.
The roof is fine; just a small split in rear window... next on my list of to dos.