Not 306 but 206 reviews

[Moh]

NOT 306 RELATED !!  

I'm in the process of looking for a new car and ideally would like a 306 XS 1.6, due to high insurance quotes cant dare to even think of something like a gti6. I've not had much look finding one that has not been molested and looks like its on its last legs, so I started looking at the 206's. I'm quite intrigued by the £30 a year tax and also the 50+ MPG the little 1.4 HDI offers and it is something ideal for me as I need to do a 160 mile round trip once a week.

Just wondering does anyone own one of these or had previous experience with one, if so what are they like, reliability wise? and what should I be looking out for, any common problems?

Might be going to see one one Wednesday all the information provided will be appreciated as I want to make sure I have a safe a reliable car.

Thanks

[ozonehostile]

the 1.4 hdi can be problematic if they haven't been maintained properly from new, but from my experience they seem to be pretty reliable if you find a decent one. totally gutless to drive though, if the budget allows personally I'd buy the 2l hdi, easily to maintain, easy to remap and generally better imo.

If you can find yourself an hdi dturbo then you get a few of the gti bits like brakes and rear beam. All depends what you can afford though I guess

[Moh]

the 1.4 hdi can be problematic if they haven't been maintained properly from new, but from my experience they seem to be pretty reliable if you find a decent one. totally gutless to drive though, if the budget allows personally I'd buy the 2l hdi, easily to maintain, easy to remap and generally better imo.

If you can find yourself an hdi dturbo then you get a few of the gti bits like brakes and rear beam. All depends what you can afford though I guess

To be honest it's just a temporary car till I save up and I'm going to graduate in the summer (if all goes well) and hopefully be getting better income.

It's just something to commute in on a very tight budget.

I'm going to test drive the car before buying it what do you recommend looking out for whilst driving it apart from the usual knocks etc. anything specific?

And also thanks for the advice

[ozonehostile]

On a 206 they tend to rust on the insides of the sill, look underneath on the sill, especially towards the rear for signs of rust.
also check usual 306 things like signs of rear beam camber and worn balljoints.

engine bay you're looking for signs of oil leaking around the turbo, nice and easy to spot as the turbo is on the front of the block on the 1400, service history of oil changes is essential as the turbo is very sensitive to oil quality and correct grade

[Moh]

On a 206 they tend to rust on the insides of the sill, look underneath on the sill, especially towards the rear for signs of rust.
also check usual 306 things like signs of rear beam camber and worn balljoints.

engine bay you're looking for signs of oil leaking around the turbo, nice and easy to spot as the turbo is on the front of the block on the 1400, service history of oil changes is essential as the turbo is very sensitive to oil quality and correct grade

Nice one mate topman!!

[Uberderv]

Why not get a 306td or 406td. Both can be picked up for next to nowt, if they have Bosch pumps you can run on veg oil which will equal big savings. Its only for 6 months on a tight budget so go cheap, save your money for when you can afford summit better,

[ozonehostile]

Why not get a 306td or 406td. Both can be picked up for next to nowt, if they have Bosch pumps you can run on veg oil which will equal big savings. Its only for 6 months on a tight budget so go cheap, save your money for when you can afford summit better,

Last time I checked a 206 hdi is insurance group 9

306 insurance group 11?

406 saloon group 19?



My coupe is group 33 haha

[Orta]

I don't get the crazy new insurance bands. 20 used to be highest and I remember gti was 15/16 I believe.

We've had a fiesta 1.4 tdci (same engine) in the family for 120k without fault so as Zak said engines can be reliable. Im looking long and hard at a 1.4 hdi 206 sw as my next daily hack for the cheap tax and mpg. Might end up with the 2.0 as they're tried and trusted more!

But all 206s parts are cheap and plentiful so don't worry to much about it.

[mr_fish]

I have a 1.4 HDi 206 owned for the last 5 years, never given me much in the way of hassle. At one point I was doing a 90 mile round trip a day for work. That was for a whole year. Stuck some miles on it then. Currently on 179k and has just been mapped in the way of intercooler and a newer generation 1.6HDi turbo. Never below 50mpg and I've seen 630 miles out of my tank before on a road trip to from the South West to Dover and back.

As said they are a bit sluggish in standard form but didn't bother me as long as it got me from A to B.

[Moh]

I have a 1.4 HDi 206 owned for the last 5 years, never given me much in the way of hassle. At one point I was doing a 90 mile round trip a day for work. That was for a whole year. Stuck some miles on it then. Currently on 179k and has just been mapped in the way of intercooler and a newer generation 1.6HDi turbo. Never below 50mpg and I've seen 630 miles out of my tank before on a road trip to from the South West to Dover and back.

As said they are a bit sluggish in standard form but didn't bother me as long as it got me from A to B.

That's exactly what I'm after to be honest mate. It's not that much of a biggy if it lacks performance as long as it can get me around. The car I went to see however was the total opposite to what the seller described it to be, so still on the look out for a well kept car if anyone has anything to offer??