2003 Peugeot 206 GTi 180 review from Australia and New Zealand

Water pump had to be replaced at 35,000Km. Warranty is a joke. The main reason I bought a new car was that I would not have to deal with breakdowns of this nature.

Seems I was wrong.

The Peugeot 206 GTi is reasonably quick, and handles reasonably well, but it is not something to get excited about. My 1985 Alfa GTV6 is an exciting car to drive (and a lot more reliable than Peugeot) but this is not.

Some features we thought were cool when we bought it now seem to me to be downright annoying.

The wiper system can sense rain on the windscreen and start the wipers automatically. The wiper speed increases with increasing rain. This is a distraction and a nuisance when driving. There is no manual setting for intermittent wiping, so I now activate the wipers manually for a drizzle, and at normal speed for heavier rain.

Headlights that automatically turn on are another nuisance. It may be that I am turning into a grumpy old man, but, when driving, I like to be the one in control of the vehicle.

Recaro seats in this model means that the rear seats do not fold flat when using the rear cargo area, a disadvantage if wanting to load larger items.

The car is hard on tyres. Expected in a front wheel drive, but this car is hard on the rear tyres as well. Have now fitted Kumhos so we'll see if these are better.