1990 Peugeot 205 GTi from UK and Ireland - Comments

Squeaks and rattles caused by a combination of comedy build quality, cheap materials and 14 years of hard use.

Full suspension and steering rebuild at 140k to eradicate some play and a few odd clonks that were creeping in. I used original parts because you can't improve the handling of these things!

A few odds and ends here and there - a couple of wheel bearings, a clutch, handbrake cable - nothing major.

I just cannot bring myself to sell this car, despite owning it for a decade and 150,000 miles. It's old, it rattles, it needs ongoing repairs, but it's such a hoot to drive I just don't care.

The 1.9 8v engine is laughable bhp-wise by the standards of modern hatches, but in just 800kg of superbly set up chassis, it's a driving tool that has few rivals. The 8 valve design might hamper outright power, but it has far superior torque, meaning the Pug feels quick enough.

And the handling. Oh, the handling! Steering that oozes feel, an absolute refusal to understeer, and an agile, mobile tail which responds to throttle and steering inputs like no other hot hatch before or since. In a 205, the tail can always be called upon to tighten the line or induce a bit of oversteer just for the hell of it, and the whole car has a lithe, agile feel that no 1100kg + hot hatch can touch.

Of all the new rivals I've driven, only the new Clio 182 Cup gets close, but even this will ultimately understeer more, feel less willing to turn, and seem to somehow need coercing more into doing what you want instead of responding almost by telepathy like the Pug does. Once you've taken a 205 GTi to its limit, and beyond on a track or your favourite B-road, be prepared for any likely replacement to spectacularly fail to make the grade.

There are faster hot hatches and there are better built hot hatches, and the new 200 bhp cars would leave it off the lights. However, with the possible exception of the mk1 Golf GTI, this breathed on version of a cheap, tinny, plasticky 14 year old French shopping trolley just somehow captures the spirit of the hot hatch concept better than anything else. Find a good, standard one and prepare to be reminded just how much traction control, ESP, EBD, crash regs and 1100kg+ kerbweights have ruined our fun. Oh and just how far today's Pugs have lost the plot.

Its nice to read that someone still drives a car and isn't just buying a tool for a job; I have been fortunate to drive 5-6000mls in a 1.9GTI and would agree with the writer entirely,

build quality, mmm dubious at best; rust- probably; mechanically, good; chassis, fabulous.

A great lightweight fun car, forget it's French and 10 Yrs+ old, buy it cheap and enjoy it!

Has anyone else had problems with water pipes keep bursting on the 1.9 205gti? if so how have you overcome this with out keep replacing them because this becomes an expensive hobby!!! please call me on 07891170521 and ask for Dave thanks for your time!

I agree the 205 1.9 gti is a rapid car and with a mi16 engine conversion was rapid. I owned a 1986 D reg one and it flew it did an unbelievable 47mhp in 1st (no lie.) the handling was fantastic, but not as good as the r. clio 1.8 16v I have just purchased it is so much better and will leave most modern cars standing at the lights and the ones it don't it will leave at bends and round abouts.

My mum bought her Peugeot 205 GTi in 1989. More commonly known to us as the "pocket-rocket" this car really shifted, helped by the lack of a catalytic converter. Driving it was a pleasure.

However, driving this car was also a pain. I remember quite a few occasions when the car failed when in motion, one time on one of the busiest roundabouts near my house. There were also problems with the leaky sunroof, although this can be a common fault.

If you don't mind forking out for repairs and high running costs (like for Super Unleaded!) then this is the hot hatch of the last millennium.

Im sure the crx and civic vtecs are far superior and faster and a lot more fun, those were the fastest and best cars of the early 90's, no peugeot could touch them.

I keep reading these same comments about the civic vtec and crx's.

IMO and a lot of magazine's, the hot-hatch of the 80's/ early 90's is the 205 GTi 1.9, not a Honda.

I don't care if its faster blah blah blah, but as the review state's, this car catch's the pure essence of a hot-hatch, and the 205 GTi does it perfectly!

I would much rather have a 205 GTI, when I think honda I think of a moped.

I have nothing against the 205 gti and realise there are a lot of Honda enthusiasts who keep commenting on all sorts of threads but the last comment seems a bit silly to say Honda connotes moped. To me and everyone else I know Honda is either to do with old people, type R models, or ultra reliability.

As much as the Honda people keep on interupting reviews and going off topic, I don't think Peugeot is going to be a more favourable car manufacturer for the majority of people who know about cars. Certainly not the older unreliable and poorly built French cars of old; they might be 'fun' but whether they are good cars to own is another matter.