hodgy0_2

Ok ok, not strictly a new toy

We bought it for our eldest who has just turned 17 to learn to drive in, we ware aiming for her to have her driving licence by the new year









And it is really quite good, drives beautifully, the steering is spot on, ride and handling – lovely, really composed (whatever that means – I have copied that from an old car review)

In no way “fast” but enough to keep up with traffic flow (1.4 petrol), electric windows and (working) air con

The car is immaculate (vicars wife – I **** you not) and less than 70k miles

And well under a grand, brilliant value

Matteeboy

It's a petrol; WOO HOO!

Looks very tidy; ideal!

jaygsi

iTrader: (46)

My mate wants the gti version as he's never had one before, but he has had 2 of the 1.6 and they do handle well believe you me

Thank goodness for old people or all of the nice classics would be gone by now

hodgy0_2

Mmm, the 16 valver would have been awesome I bet


Sadly not as a first time learner car though - Peugeot is the only French make I would buy tbh

I am amazed at what a good drive it is (but I do drive a Audi so I suppose easily pleased)

Maz

iTrader: (34)

Nice one Hodgy. The 306 is definitely a great little driver's car. I'm sure dad will be borrowing it regularly.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Old school French.....good simple mechanical bits, only spoilt by the other bits that fall off or break (mostly trim and electrics). I keep getting lumbered with 208 and 308s with a plethora of issues as we do work for a dealer who has a thing for cheap French stuff at the auctions, consequentially I'm sick of any French car made on or after 2002 (Yes, that would be the same year as the Megane II starts production - its not a coincidence ). So, the 306 gets my thumbs up

Flimsy engines that fail at any hint of neglect, heavy chassis, lardy lifeless handling, electronic, airbag and ABS gremlins.....why would you want a new French car when older ones are so much better?....if you can find one still in good nick.

Guy who I used to work with recently picked up a low mile 306 1.9 TD with the old XUD lump, obviously well cared for and went well and 40+mpg to boot with none of the fragility that the current HDi lumps suffer when badly maintained.

Would you believe up until recently they were still using the very same 8valve 1.4 TU lump; nowt wrong with it - more robust than the replacement Prince engines (as long as the cambelt is done). In a 306 the 1.4 was just about ok....but in a 1007 or 207 which are both over 200kg heavier, bloody hell does it struggle.

CutMasterT

iTrader: (2)

I recently picked up a 306 1.9TD, a high miler one with 130k on it, but was only £500 with a full years MOT. Its gonna be my daily commute banger

Anyone know if the clutch cable can be adjusted on them? The pedal has hardly any move to it.

scoobyboy1

iTrader: (16)

Had a 306 XSi 2 litre 8v a few years ago(same colour as the OP) as a daily to keep the miles off my Evo at the time.
Always found myself driving it then the Evo as it was a great little car that didnt cost to much to buy or run, so kind of gave it death everywhere and didnt worry where I parked it, until I lent it the missus one day and she smashed it up, ended up selling it for spares.

Owned 2 Peugeot's(106 GTi, 306 XSi) in my life, and both have been reliable and great to drive, which is probably the only French cars that have not fallen apart in my ownership!!!

*matthewturb2000*

iTrader: (11)

Had a s16 few moons ago was nice car but the electrics got the better of it, ended up scrapping the old girl

Paben

iTrader: (5)

Great cars. I bought a 1.9 diesel 306 5 years ago for £1k, expecting it to last 18 months if I was lucky, and it's still going strong. It handles well, brakes are excellent and if it sounds like an old tractor at tick over, so what? It's strictly for local shopping and the tank gets filled right up about three times a year. 110k miles now.

shytorque

Yep .Looks bang tidy that.
Have you had any insurance quotes on it yet? .
My daughter has just passed (17 also) and only car that is reasonable to get a quote on is the Aygo at about £1500.
Old fiestas etc were £2k plus...
Aygo will be more too buy but cheaper to insure.

jaygsi

iTrader: (46)

Friend of mine about 20 when he was 17 paid £4500 for toyota Yaris insane, i still can't believe he paid its

thenewgalaxy

The steering in these cars is delightful.

Modern cars feel so dead by comparison.

hodgy0_2

This is the plan so far (and congratulations to your daughter btw)

Well, we have the car insured on my wife's policy atm

My daughter is insured on a special Leaners insurance - a flat £70 odd a month (and you can pay on a rolling basis - 3 months gives best value)

(On these types of insurance they don't really care what car it is and any claim does NOT affect the main insurance)

This insurance is only valid whilst they are a learner, it becomes void on passing

Then when she passes we will get one of those Black Box insurances (I suspect with these types the exact make/model is of less importance) we live in a pretty low risk area for insurance so I am hoping the first years can be had for under £1500

But I suspect to a certain extent you just have to accept that first years insurance is going to hurt.

And yes the steering is really really good

My only problem at the moment is that, it seems every time I get in a car i need to put fuel in, and this is just another one on the list (women seem to be allergic to petrol/diesel!!!!!)

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Nice find, the older pugs are great little cars, looks like it'll give her a good few years and if it gets the odd car park scrape along the way it's no biggie.

shytorque

Ah right.
We insured my daughter on our Focus for a month before her first test, for about £120 I think.
It took her four attempts to pass and clearly the instructors were all at fault for the failures ... nothing to do with the daughter you understand ,if you listen to her version...!!!

I think she has mentioned the black box to bring the price down but we are certainly expecting it to be no cheaper than £1500.

Hope your daughter passes first time and doesn't get any of them " stupid examiners" my daughter had...!!

hodgy0_2

lol - are you sure you don't know my daughter!!!

you have just described her too

hopefully with this little car now on the drive, the plan is for her to do a lot of driving (with me sh1tting my pants beside her)

so every time one of the other kids needs driving to <insert activity here> she can drive, she also has a Saturday job so she can drive to that too

boy it is going to be a hard few months!!!!!!

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

I've had 4 Peugeots over the years (205GTi, 106 petrol, 106 derv and 406 petrol) and each one was a brilliant drive. Yeah the 205 broke down plenty of times but that wasn't generally the engine, just shït round it

The two 106's were probably the most reliable cars I've owned and any parts/servicing was cheap as chips too. I wish they'd kept some of that ethos compared to the unreliable kelp they churn out now

Hodgy, brilliant little car!

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

My g/f has one of these on a P plate, not as tidy as that, just on 60k miles. She's had it for 12 years and done about 30k miles in it. Its perfect for driving around the mean streets of Lewisham & the suspension takes a battering on the humps but other than squeaking, just soaks it up. The only grumble is that her stereo cassette has a loose wire and only comes on/goes off every time you hit a bump/pothole.

Indicator stalk gave up the ghost a couple of nights ago in a cloud of smoke, so its with the auto-electricians today getting fixed & as a treat, they're going to fix the stereo

Can't fault it really, g/f gurns about maybe having to get a new car but its perfect for what she/we need most of the time. My car is not so practical around London...

Cheap motoring in a perfectly capable and fun car

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Apparently radio is not repairable