Classic example of getting a design right first time (Peugeot 106 Independence)

Member Name: andy conda

Product:	Peugeot 106 Independence
Date:	13/01/04 (1380 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good value, lively and economical 1.1 engine, good handling on the open road

Disadvantages: looks old compared with 206, not as spacious as more modern rivals

I recently searched out and bought a Peugeot 106 on behalf of my Mum, as a replacement for her ageing Nissan Micra. Not that she isn't capable of buying her own car of course, but I got a particularly good deal buying from a work colleague here in London, so it made sense for me to buy it and then drive it down to her in Plymouth.

106s are currently great value secondhand, as they have been replaced by the newer 206 model, which has depressed prices. I picked up a low mileage 2000/X car for £2,800 in Jan 2004, which seems a bargain for a 3-and-a-bit year old car.

Low running costs are clearly a selling point for this car. The insurance group is low, and road tax is low for the smaller-engined models. The car is still available new, and is often marketed with zero percent finance or free insurance deals, which guarantee appeal to younger buyers.

So much for the value, this car is also pretty nice to drive. The engine is only a 1.1 with 60bhp, but belies its small size and pulls pretty reasonably on the open road. Notably, the gearing is quite high, which means that 70mph is much easier on the eardrums than some other small cars. This car does not have power steering (think it became standard in '01), but this is only noticeable at parking speeds, and even then this is not too much of a problem as the car has slim 155-section tyres.

The 106 is often described as a girly car, but as a bloke I still think it looks good. Our car is in Moonstone Silver, which suits the car well. Even on this base model you get body coloured bumpers, decent wheeltrims, and a cool little mesh grille. There are also a few nice touches that you wouldn't expect on a base car, like the hydraulic lifts for the bonnet, and the RDS stereo (only 2 speakers sadly) and rev counter inside.

Much has been made (both in "proper" motor magazines, and in other dooyoo reviews) of the 106's closely spaced pedals. I have size 11 feet and I
had no pr
oblems with these, and certainly never found myself accelerating and braking at the same time or anything like that. The only criticism of the pedals is that some people may find them offset to left. I think this is quite common on small European cars (Saxo, Clio, Punto etc) and may have something to do with them being primarily designed for left hand drive.

The quality of the 106 seems fine. After 3 years, it's still in good shape and nothing has fallen off or shown signs of excess wear. I'm no great fan of French cars, but have to say that this car seems pretty good. Our family have always had Japanese cars (and always found them very reliable!) so it will be interesting to see how the Peugeot compares.

Downsides? There are other cars with more safety features (Yaris, Polo) and there are others with more space in the back (Corsa, Punto, Clio). The 106 can't compete on either front, as the orignal design dates back over 10 years. But for a fun to drive car with low running costs, this is an excellent choice. This is a testament to just how right the original design was, and it's no surprise that the 106 continues to survive alongside the larger and heavier 206.

Summary: