Nippy little diesel (Peugeot 206 LX 1.4 5dr)

Member Name: r_welfare

Product:	Peugeot 206 LX 1.4 5dr
Date:	02/03/03 (3166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very economical, fun to drive, nippy

Disadvantages: Lack of rear legroom, that dashboard!, long-term build quality questions

This review relates to my experiences of a 2003 model Peugeot 206 1.4 HDi LX 5-door. I had the car on hire for a weekend and racked up some 400 miles in it.

Now, the 206 has been the most popular new car in the UK with private buyers for some time, and it's not hard to see why. The styling strikes a chord with a lot of people (more on that later), Peugeot UK do some excellent special offers and finance deals, and the range of engines and trims is so vast there is literally something for everyone.

Anyway, I came across this new 1.4 HDi diesel model when I had cause to hire a car for a weekend. I was expecting a Corsa 1.2 so that was something in the little Peugeot's favour straight away...

First impressions of the 206 centre on the exterior styling. I don't profess to be a fan of it's shape or detailing, but I think it's one of those cars that you either love or hate. Having said that, the 3-door looks better than the 5-door, and the higher-spec models look better than the lower ones, especially in the Moonstone silver this car came in.

Question to Peugeot after four years of production though - why oh why oh why are the wipers still set up for left-hand drive?

Inside, and the biggest downside of the car (in my opinion) sits literally in front of you - yep, it's the dashboard. OK, everything is well laid out and easy to get at, but the quality of the moulding is horrible - the grain seems to have been moulded on an elephant's backside (so zookeepers have told me, anyway). And it rattled throughout the weekend, which indicates that Peugeot still haven't quite got the quality right - however, everything else felt solid and well put-together, so full marks otherwise. The car still suffers from the typical small-car problem of very oddly patterned upholstery though. The boot was a useful size and there was plenty of room up front, but with the seat slid back to accomodate my not-substantial 5
9;10", there was very little rear legroom - almost as bad as the old Rover Metro in that respect.

A new feature I hadn't noticed on earlier LXs (I've had experience of a 2000 model prior to this) was the radio display (up high in the dashboard) does all sorts of Knight Rider-type information bulletins, such as "ICE ON ROAD" and "LEFT FRONT DOOR OPEN". All very useful and so much better than the Maestro and 80's Renaults that used to talk to you.

Compared to the 106/Saxo, Peugeot must be commended in designing a small car that can finally accomodate big feet on the pedals properly. No worries about hitting two pedals at the same time with my size 11s - in this respect the 106/Saxo can be downright dangerous.

Out on the road I found the little diesel Pug a revelation. Sure, I know that small Peugeots are renowned for being good riders and handlers, so that was never in question. Rather, it was the engine that impressed me most. The badging on the back says "206 HDi" (why is it that car makers are shifting away from putting the engine size in the badging these days?) so naturally I assumed, after a few miles of driving, it was the 90bhp 2-litre version. Upon studying the rental documentation I then discovered it was the new 1.4 unit with 68bhp.

A good little engine! Starts instantly, very well surpressed noise (except when idling, when you get a full London taxi impression) and decent flexibility too - up to 2000rpm it tends to be a bit flat, but then taps a rich seam of torque up to 3500rpm before tailing off beyond 4000rpm. It certainly cruised well at 90-95mph on the M3 and A31 (speedo must have been broken, officer).

The best was yet to come. I travelled 370 miles, and yet only used £20-worth of diesel. What's that, about 60mpg? Factor in that the car was literally brand-new (540 miles on the clock when I picked it up) and I employed a wide range of driving styles on al
l manner of roads, and it all seems to good to be true.

So there you have it. The Pug was (to some) stylish, well-equipped, reasonably roomy and well screwed-together, nippy and *very* economical. It costs £10,855 with air conditioning and metallic paint (or £30 a day from Avis) and, if I could justify spending that much on a car (and even more so, justify buying a brand-new one), I might just put one on my drive!

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