1998 Peugeot 306 GTi-6 from UK and Ireland - Comments

The driver door seal was leaking water into the driver's foot-well quite badly. Every time it rained, there was a puddle of water 1 inch thick. **

The clip holding the cable to engage reverse came off within a day of driving the car. An annoying little problem which is easily resolved, but when you can't reverse in a multi-storey car park, try explaining to the person waiting behind you.

Air bag failure warning light came on (which meant replacement of the driver's side air bag).*

The C.D. stacker not working.*

*Fixed by dealer

** Required two trips to the dealer.

The car is fantastic, it handles like a dream on rails, and is very quick when necessary. The 6 Speed 'box is quick, with short throws and a joy to use, especially coupled lots of low end torque available from the engine.

So I've had problems with the build quality, it's a Peugeot, what do you expect? The Dealer sorted it out, after a bit of hassling, but I wouldn't say that badgering a dealer was unique to Peugeot.

In terms of value for money, why pay the premium for a Golf or S3? When you can have the prettiest and best car in its class (as voted by Autocar and several other magazines).

I will tell you why it's worth paying the premium for a Golf or S3. They are more reliable and vastly better built. Also because people know this, the second hand values are solid, meaning you get that premium back to put into the next car.

Car magazines like Autocar just drive cars, they don't own them and have to pay the bills. I've had French and German cars and the latter are far less hassle to own, even though the best French cars can be better to drive. I will never go back to French cars - VW's are not perfect but my Peugeots were a nightmare.

Yeah, but VW's are boring and bland (like a lot of the people that drive them). I've had no more trouble with my 82,000 mile 306 than my mate has with his Golf GTi. The difference is that he's lost about six grand value on his, whereas I've lost about two. Call that sensible?

I've just bought a GTi-6 which is 2 years old, with 30,000 miles on the clock for half the original list price. I am delighted with the car and have had no problems.

OK so the person who originally bought the car took a big hit, that is why I bought second hand. I would not have been able to get such a bargain if I had bought a used Golf GTI / S3. I also agree with the original reviewer that it is the best car in its class and certainly the prettiest.

I agree that German build quality is better, but that is factored in the price that I paid second hand. Additionally, I think that Peugeot doesn't (thank god) have the Sloane Factor associated with the Golf / Audi darling.

At the end of the day the GTi-6 will kick their ass any time, any place, with a huge understated elegance, the famous Gallic Flair peut-

Bit puzzled about the comment the reviewer makes about Peugeot quality - 'It's a Peugeot - what do you expect?' I expect decent build quality - the cars are hardly much cheaper than VW's when new and the new 307 is more expensive than its comparable Golf model.

JD Power and other surveys prove that VW's are no more reliable than Peugeot, Ford, Renault and a lot of other brands. Peugeots drive a lot better, and although looks are subjective, a 306 is a much prettier car than the Golf in my opinion.

I've driven a 306 GTI-6 and a Golf GTI 1.8 T and from a drivers point of view, the Pug walks it. Not that the Golf is a bad to drive, just that the Peugeot is much better. The 306 has sharper more informative steering, crisper turn-in, meatier brakes, more throttle adjustability and better body control. It's also slightly quicker and has a much more charismatic engine.

I'd put up with a few foibles for this, but then statistically speaking I wouldn't need to. What would also help clinch it, is that 306's hold their value almost as well as Golfs too.

I currently own a GTi-6 but I find the steering seems too weak - it feels like it is going to break. Also it now suffers from intermittent vibration at anything above 50mph and eventhough I have had the wheels balanced twice, tyres changed and the tracking checked, the problem persists and ruins the pleasure of driving it. I still believe VW's have better quality build than Peugeots. Probably because companies like VW keep banging on about build quality, I suspect more owners are likely to criticise, whereas most Peugeot owners just live with the poor build. Japanese build quality tops the lot though.

The Peugeot 306 GTi-6 is a dogs breakfast of a car. I owned a 2 year old one, and had no fewer than 19 serious quality related faults (including a snapped cambelt) over an 18 month period. During the same timeframe, my wifes 17 year old Golf GTi was not off the road for a single day.

I sold the Peugeot for a BMW over a year ago now, and haven't had a single problem with it - compare and contrast if you will.

I will never go back to owning a French tin of beans on wheels again.

The guy who says that the GTI-6 is a dogs dinner of a car is talking through his behind. He has obviously never owned one and if he did he must have had one which had been written off.

I have owned one now for 2 years and the build quality is good no squeeks rattles or bumps very good drivers car and very quick you only have to look at issue 20 of Evo magazine where it compares the GTI-6 with 15 or so other so called hatches including the GOLF! it clearly blows away the opposition from both past hatch masters and present.

Obviously not quite as quick as the new Civic Type R or 172 but just as involving and would not be embarrased by one of these cars in a head to head. Also 10 grand cheaper.

But as far as VW Golfs go they are way in the mists old golfs, new golfs only the VR6 and 4motion would worry it!! The VW Golfs are of excellent build quality, but very boring, but that's just how I feel also quite expensive.

I would go for a SEAT Ibiza Cupra before a Sporty Golf.

Look at any Car Magazine write up and it will tell you that the GTI-6 is one of the greatest hatches ever made with the only downside that they have now stopped being made.

An all time classic and I totally agree.

Dogs dinner of a car? You'll never convince me! My opinion is based in reality as, not only am I the proud owner of a GTI-6, but the reason behind my purchase was the excellent 306 XSI 16valve.

I have had a total of 2 faults in 6 years (and 70k miles) of 306 ownership - the first was the fuel inlet pipe leaking - about £3 and half an hour with a stanley knife sorted that. The second is a little more worrying and that's my airbag light permanently flashing, however an hour with my DVM has told me it's a fault in the wiring and just time consuming to fix.

In return for that, not only do I drive a modern classic, but I get 0-60 in 7 seconds (OK so I've breathed on the engine a bit!) brakes that pull my eyeballs out of my sockets, handling that is every drivers dream and just as importantly, kudos!

Now, every BMW, Golf, Audi, or Renault (yawn yawn yawn and yawn!) driver out there, tell me you have any one of those for less than 30 grand and I'll call you a liar. Then I'll show you a clean pair of heels in my 6 grand motor and be laughing all the way to the bank.

The better build quality of the Golf GTI compared to the 306 GTI-6 does not compensate for the German car's massive dynamic inferiority. The Golf has no answer for the 306's on-limit balance and throttle adjustability. Neither can it match the French car's supple ride or total body control when pressing on. And as for steering feel and accuracy, forget it.

The Golf does not reward fast driving like any half decent hot hatch should. The suspension gets flustered over fast bumps, body control is poor, the steering is utterly anesthatised, and although it grips strongly, you get nothing, but body roll and understeer to reward your efforts. Contrast that with the 306 which changes direction like a rabid terrier, shrugs off bumps, is happy to respond to more experienced drivers use of throttle and tail to tweak lines, and has steering that wouldn't disgrace a £100,000 supercar in terms of feel and accuracy.

You can keep your soft feel plastics. I know which is the proper hot hatch.

Just a quick message for the fella who's having troubles with vibrations after 50 mph. It's not the tracking or wheel balancing. unfortunately, I went through the same problem and eventually found out it was the drive shafts. you must ONLY use peugeot parts as pattern parts are too thin and bend again within a couple of weeks. They're expensive, but the 306gti6 is well worth it. great fun and looks.

Peugeot 306 GTI 6... Wow! there seems to be a lot of squabbling over operational issues of the gti 6. Most of which can be avoided due to correct foresight and care. Here we have living history, and its not even outdated yet. Don't ask me how Peugeot have made a better handling car than 75% of super-cars, but they have! Must be alien intervention. This car goes down with integrales and the first audi quattros as legendary accomplishments in driving satisfaction. Enjoy it before oil runs out in the world, otherwise you'll have to make do with Alton Towers...