The Peugeot 206 (1.4)is a nice little car. It looks good, although I can see why people may think its a girlie car. As well as looking good, I have found it to be very fuel efficient and provides a smooth drive in most circumstances.

My car came with free insurance for a year. The insurance is in Group 4 so shoulnd't be too expensive once the free year is up. I also got 1 year's tax free and as it is a low emissions car it will only cost £100. You also get your services free for a limited period.

I am particularly impressed with the level of safety provided by the twin airbags, which you can switch off if you use a baby carrier. Other good things about the car is that visibility is good, it accelerates well and is quite nippy on the motorway. It provides a comfortable ride for passengers and is reasonably spacious in the back seats. The boot can hold quite a lot for a small car, particularly if you put the seats down. I managed to fit an ironing board in length ways.

There are a few things that could be improved on the 206. The gears aren't very tolerant and aren't particularly smooth. The indicator light flashes from the inner side of the light and so it is difficult for other motorists to see, unless they are coming head on. Also, the contraption for moving the seat forwards is a bit flimsy. The front passenger seat in my 206 squeaks which is very annoying.

Overall, I enjoy owning a 206 and hope that Peugeot's aftercare service will deal with any small ailments such as squeaking seats.

It cost me £9100, but I got £500 off by haggling and saying I would buy it in a different town if they didn;t PLEASE drop the price. I also asked for free mats, which they also gave to me. SO, it's worth asking.

UPDATE!

Well I took my 206 in for its first service. The squeaky seat was fixed, it was due to the material on the seat needing tightening. So, now I don't have t

o go mad listening to the squeak. They checked the gears and they said they couldn't fault them. So, I guess the 206 just has clonky gears. This is a shame as to me gears are important especially when my old banger had much smoother gear changes.

Some more things I have noticed is that the boot is centrally locked. You cannot lock it independently. This means that if you were stationary at some trafic lights, for example, someone could open your boot! I have to make sure I remember to centrally lock the whole car. The screenwash bottle seems to run out really quickly. Perhaps this is because the spray is very powerful. You have to check it regularly. The passenger seat belts are good as there are three proper belts rather than a useless lapbelt in the middle.

Oh and that damn squeak is back!!!

UPDATE March 2004

Its still going really well. Haven't had anything done to it so far, apart from the rear wiper blade being replaced during the 2 year service. It passed its first MOT without any intervention. I also got 5% knocked off the MOT fee, I'm not quite sure why. That's the second time I've had money knocked off for no reason. The 2 year service was supposed to be 160 quid, but they only charged me 120 quid. Of course I didn't complain!

About a year ago my tyre was punctured and I went to every tyre place in the town where I live. None of them stocked the 206 tyre, which I found very inconvenient. I was avoiding taking it to Peugeot because normally dealerships charge excessive prices. I ordered a new tyre from Kwik Fit, then on the way home I passed Peugeot and called in just to find out how much it would cost there. It was half the price and included all the wheel alignment and balancing! So, I have been pleasantly surprised with their services department. The normal prices for services seem quite expensive, but I've never had to pay the proper price. The car is
still great, I've only done 10,000 miles though. The gears are still a bit stiff, but I've got used to it. I can't fault the car and plan to keep it a little while longer. Oh, except for the pedals. They are so tiny! i have size 4 feet and I find it difficult sometimes, there's not much room there.