Faults:

Alarm doesn't work.

Intermittent faults with keypad immobilizer and central locking.

Oil pressure gauge doesn't work.

Thermostat failed causing car to overheat (easily fixed for £6).

General Comments:

Excellent handling, you can throw this car around like a go-kart.

Supportive seats and good driving position.

Fairly good performance, keeps up with many so-called 'hot hatches'.

Well equipped: Electric sunroof and windows, ABS, air con, 15" alloy wheels, fog lights, skirts.

Faults:

The seats have started to wear a little. Some of the instrument illumination lights in the dashboard have gone out. The speedo needle vibrates a little at anything above 50 mph and both the remote control key fobs have broken. Also, the wiring in the doors has broken due too bad design resulting in failure of the central locking which meant hours of patching it back up again. Apart from that, nothing really apart from general stuff like wishbone bushes, track rod ends, etc.

General Comments:

For its age, this is an outstanding car. It handles like a dream and the insurance is unusually reasonable (group 5). It's quick off the mark and handles motorways fine. Mine has done 113,000 miles and the engine is still like new. The electrics are a bit cheap, but that's a general problem with Peugeot's. Generally, running costs are low. It's still on its first set of brake disks and is mechanically sound apart from a rear axle bush which needs replacing. I do a lot of the servicing work myself and have found the main dealer to be extremely helpful and have found geniune parts to be a lot cheaper than from other car manufacturers.

Faults:

Clutch and gearbox at 55000 miles.

Shock absorbers at the rear.

Rear semi trailing arm suspension mountings both wore out in the last 10,000 miles.

Otherwise general items of wear and tear.

General Comments:

Notchy gearbox can be annoying.

Brakes are inconsistent in the wet.

Rear of the car tends to break away going round wet corners, although this can make driving even more exciting.

Fast for a 1.6 90hp engine, very comfortable even for me (I'm 6' 3") but to be this comfortable you must have a sunroof!!

Economical and cheap to insure.

Faults:

Consumables (front tires don't last too well).

2 wheel bearings.

Central locking solenoid.

Erratic central locking/alarm.

Minor electrical niggles.

General Comments:

I almost hate to say it, but this has got to be the easiest car to live with I've ever owned and probably the cheapest to run. If it wasn't for the short service intervals (6000 miles) I'd rate it higher, but for a car of this mileage it goes to show servicing works.

Having run a motley collection of French hot hatches I had doubts about going diesel, but insurance was becoming prohibitive in London and I do big miles in the summer lugging scuba kit and a mountain bike about so the extra mpg was also a factor. Days into ownership the performance worries were quelled and at motorway speeds I'd say the diesel torque makes it as quick and easier to drive. Away from the lights it's slower, but there's still some fun to be had when the turbo starts to blow.

Trim levels are typically French and get tatty/fall off. Brakes were awful in the wet due to poor previous maintenance (all Peugeot dealership work). This was soon sorted by an independent garage.

Use of a Peugeot dealership for body repairs after some idiot ran into me whilst I was stationary didn't inspire me. Extra dints on return and missing panel clips and screws once this had been sorted. No wonder Peugeot are slipping sales wise.

Handling is excellent with the current Pirellis, but the previous Goodyear Eagles wore badly and got very scary at times.

Fuel consumption is not as good as they'd have you believe, but I still get 45 mpg with my lead boot driving. Did get it below 40 once with 3 up, full sets of diving kit and pedal to the metal.

Insurance renewals always bring a smile after my previous GTi's and even with 2-3 services per year running costs have been cheap.

Comfort levels are OK although I prefer longer legged ergonomics. Still I drove from Orkney to London in one go once only having to fill up for the last hundred miles and could still walk afterwards despite a recurring back injury.

Looks wise I still think that this was one of Peugeot's best and hasn't dated. Less mumsy than the newer 307!

Having been superceded by the 307 bargains can be had and I'm definitely looking for a newer HDi diesel to replace it with - but only when this one stops being so reliable.