2004 Peugeot 206 S from UK and Ireland - Comments

Engine management light has came on 4 times with the engine cutting out when slowing down. This happened three times on the same journey.

Drivers side central locking works around 7 out of 10 times. You have to lock it with the key when it fails.

The car is ideal for driving around towns or cities. It has great forward visibility and generally very easy to manoeuvre and park.

People often say the driving position in 206's is uncomfortable and I agree. The wheel is placed slightly to the left and is nearly impossible to adapt to. The driver’s seat however, I find really comfy. Where as the passenger seat is a pain because you cannot raise or lower the seat position.

The model I have is heavily underpowered, but that’s expected for a 1.1! Which is fine for urban and busy traffic driving, but on the motorway its not ideal. The engine seems to be going no where at 75-80mph.

The clutch feels springy from new, but feels a lot looser now. But the biting point is perfect in my view.

The brakes have no bite with a light press. You have to make the pedal travel more than desired.

Steering is light and flaccid and the car has much under steer. But this is a good thing when your constantly parking and driving in a city environment (a lot of my driving is done in the city).

The gears feel OK, but often clonk when going from 1st to 2nd & 2nd to 3rd. Which is a pain when you’re trying to quickly get out of a junction or round-a-bout.

Acceleration is nippy in 1st & 2nd, but in this model you ain’t going anywhere fast.

Boot space is quite good with the parcel shelf removed and the rear seats fold almost all the way down. You can get 2 adults in the back no bother, but they won't want a long trip.

The aircon on this model works really well, but has a significant effect on engine revs. It just seems to lag whenever you pull away.

Elec windows are quick and haven't let me down either, although the switches are in an awful place. The passenger has to reach over the handbrake to use it.

Stereo has decent sound if not the most attractive of car radios. The stalk on the steering column to control this is very handy.

The car returns good miles per gallon and in the 18 months of its ownership haven’t had to put it in the garage. But I know that Peugeot and the 206 range have had their fair share of problems so I’m probably sitting on a ticking bomb.

Owner Update: Just put this car in for its first Full Service at 18500 miles.

Everything is fine, but the mechanic said Peugeot had put the wrong oil filter on from its first 6000 mile service. Will keep the site posted on future developments and it ain't ever going back to a Peugeot dealer...

Owner Update 2: Brake pedal squeaks all the time. It's getting very annoying now. Whenever I indicate right and I turn right then straighten the wheel up, the indicator flips to left. Which is getting on my nerves now too. Aircon is giving off a damp smell whenever I turn it off. Probably just needs cleaning.

It made me laugh when you said about the brake pedal. mine is the same model and year and the squeaking brake pedal is shocking!!! and I also get that musty/damp smell from the air-con when I turn it off... especially in damper weather.

But still loving the peugeot 206 s (ps mine is the hdi version)

Final Owner Update 27000 miles: Well the time has come to move on, I'm part ex-ing this car for a BMW 318iSE on a W plate. Over its 3 years of ownership from new, I've only experienced the minor elec problems which are in my first post and the odd complaint about driving position and lack of power. Since my last post I've not had anything else go wrong with the car, I changed its front brake pads at 25k cause they felt a little soft.

So would I recommend one? The build quality is not great, but its held together for me. Interior is plastic, but has the essentials within reach (apart from the window switches). I still don't like the gear box and I've done 27000 in it and I'm wondering whether it'll make 50k before something fails in there. It's a nippy little motor which has started everyday for me and shouldn't break into your wallet much. As a first car YES, I would recommend one. As a more experienced driver you'd want more power and quality.

I'm sad to see the little fella go, but I'll start a new post for my BMW.