Rorty good fun! (Peugeot 205)

Name: ja9ae

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Product:	Peugeot 205
Date:	19/05/02 (426 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Performance, Cheaper than GTi, Carbs (if you like that sort of thing)

Disadvantages: Economy, Heavy controls

I've had my 205GT for a couple of years now and it's been great fun! Even though it's got 136,000 miles on the clock now it's still eager and I still find my self having to restrain it.

In basic terms, it's not much different from the 205GR, it has a similar 1.4 engine, but with a notable addition: a nice webber carb. This not only makes it sound better, but also provides considerably rortier performance. Although if it has been adjusted for better performance it can be a little jerky and uneven at low-revs, as soon as the needle starts to climb the gauge things change.

The result of putting your foot down can be that extra power is delivered in a lump which can often lead to unwanted wheel-spin on less then perfect roads. Once you're away however the handling, although hardly sports car like, is much better than other smaller cars of a similar age, and you feel more confident to push on in corners than, say a fiesta of the same vintage.

On the down side, it can be very thirsty when pushed, but if driven in a more relaxed manner gives around 38-40 mpg. It also has a thirst for oil. The official figure is 1/2 a litre every 600 miles, but I found that the figure was more like 450-500 miles. This probably relates to age more than anything else. Apart from that the only other downsides are that the controls are quite heavy, so you'll get a good workout at the wheel, and it's not as good at stopping as it is at accelerating. You'll also need to work quite hard with your insurance company if you have no no-claims bonus.

In short, if you want a cheaper alternative to a GTi and don't mind a twin-choke carb sucking your wallet through the fuel tank then this car is both very good fun, and more practical, having as it does, 5 doors.

Summary: