206cc 2.0SE

Useful tourer that is good in town

I have owned the car from new and have done 63,000 miles. I am 6 ft tall and the driving position is a bit cramped but it hasn't stopped me doing long continental journies. The car has been economical and reliable, but parts prices and the cost of work when required makes me wonder whether I have been paying German prices for parts! I have had the car serviced annually, even though the book indicates it is not required, and I make sure that the oil and filters are changed, mainly because a lot of my motoring is around London; when I didn't change the oil one of the hydraulic tappets got stuck; I was lucky, changed the oil and filter and I have not had a recurrence or any damage. The car is serviced by a Peugeot garage in London. I am on the original clutch and things that have been replaced have been the normal wear and tear parts, as well as 2 pairs of front discs (the first ones were pattern parts, but a false economy as they wore out very quickly), a catalytic converter (£600), power steering pipe (£300) and a number of Goodyear Eagle tyres that seem to get punctured very easily by screws and nails (one rear tyre lasted 40,000 miles before being punctured, whereas the front tyres ought to do 25 to 30,000). In comparison to a lot of convertibles this is a very practical car with a good sized boot and you can squeeze in 4 people for very short journeys but, unless your passengers heights are well below average, this is really a 2 seater. The car still feels modern in comparison to the rental cars that I drive, the fuel consumption is a remarkably good 40 to 42 mpg if you stick to 70 mph on the motorway and don't cane it through the gears, and around 27 mpg around London; not bad for a 2 litre. If you drive more quickly and you have the law and visibility on your side, it is very happy to cruise at 100 to 110 mph but fuel consumption tends to be around 28mpg. I would say that the car is undergeared overall and it can be a bit noisy at speed (there are a few sqeaks and a bit of wind noise) but acceleration and grip is pretty good, but it really isn't a sports car. Mechanically the roof, engine and gearbox has been reliable and I have had no problems. The roof seal on the drivers side has leaked when left parked in a rainstorm; a few large drops but no more. Replacement roof seals are very expensive at around £1,000 including fitting and I haven't bothered. Bodywork is still good but the panels can be dented fairly easily in my experience but tend not to be horrifically expensive to replace. Electrics have been good up to now although I now have a warning light for the passenger airbag that needs attention, together with central locking that randomly operates when the car is started; just after the last service! However, the car is great with the roof off, has good all round visibility (although the thick windscreen pillars can block visibility) and is pleasant tourer and shopping car; it will be a very difficult car to replace.

Report as offensive