GTi first review on Top Gear - vivaro
Anyone remember the above, around 1999, clarkson said it was OK, but then says but I know what i'd rather have and is seen driving off in a 205 GTI.

Edited by Pugugly on 22/03/2009 at 10:25

206 gti first review on top gear - DP
Peugeot have never matched the 205 GTI.
206 gti first review on top gear - Andrew-T
I've still got one, for old time's sake. 50K on the clock, and it still goes for 80-mile rambles every few weeks ...
206 gti first review on top gear - Rattle
A friend has the 206 140 version which I breifly drove for about 400 yards before I got scared!

A lovely car, Top Gear put the 205 and 206 GTI round the track and the 206 beat it in terms of cornering and speed.

My friends has now done at least 70k and he has owned it for three years and put 30k on it, the only thing he has to get fixed is a block injector.

A nice comfortable car but a little thirsty, he is just keeping his as he knows it is reliable its cheaper and less hassle just to put up with the < 30mpg.
206 gti first review on top gear - Rattle
The 206 did feel very nice but then I haven't driven that many cars, the driving position was awful but I was not allowed to mess with the settings so that was probably why. The gear change was also quite notchy but then aren't all French cars?
206 gti first review on top gear - midlifecrisis
Nope. My 407 coupe isn't notchy in the slightest.
206 gti first review on top gear - Rattle
But the 407 is not a cheap shopping trolley. I was meaning hatch backs really, all of them have felt like that. My friends Clio is the same and my old learner car was the same too.

The 407 was designed to be wonderful to drive.
206 gti first review on top gear - vivaro
So, does anyone remember that episode, and have a link for it?
206 gti first review on top gear - Pugugly
Have you tried Googling Top Gear and 205GTi and clicking on video. I would for you but....
206 gti first review on top gear - Rattle
The video is on Youtube unless its been remvoed for copyright reasons.
206 gti first review on top gear - davidh
I was underwhelmed by its seeming lack of go - I remember clearly out accellerating an earnest yoof in a chavved up blued led one in my old 2.6 Omega chariot.
206 gti first review on top gear - stunorthants26
I drove a GTi 206 back in the day and it didnt move me in the slightest - gearbox was floppy and a stiff clutch, plus the famous 'elephant hide' dashboard.
Having also driven a 205 1.9 GTi, I can honestly say if id traded that in for the 206, id prob have cried myself to sleep at the lunacy!

Only car that came close to feeling like an 80's hothatch back in the late 90's was the MG ZR with the biggest engine. They were better built than later ones and huge fun - we had them as runarounds for the service department and we drove the wheels off them - raw and edgy but point and squirt ability that was so much fun - few cars could whizz around the back lanes with so much ease when compared to todays heavyweight hatches that need 250 bhp to overcome their lardy kerb weights.
206 gti first review on top gear - DP
The closest in my opinion was another Pug - the 306 GTI-6 / Rallye. Slightly less edgy than the 205, but still wonderfully agile, and quite oversteery when you got it stoked up. Beautiful ride quality for a hot hatch as well, and the best PAS setup I have ever experienced. All the feel in the world, and perfect gearing.

The one the 205 GTI was compared to a lot in its own time was the Renault 5 GT Turbo which was a hideous car. I drove two of them, and they were all grip and no finesse. I would actually argue similar for the later hot Clios. I've never been truly convinced by Renault's take on the hot hatch, despite the rave reviews. Somehow the Peugeots always had more delicacy and finesse to them.




Edited by DP on 22/03/2009 at 19:11

206 gti first review on top gear - PeterRed
My mate had a 205 Gti 1.9 in the early 90s. A wonderful piece of kit. Plenty of power and wonderful handling. Far better to drive than my Strada Abarth 130tc.
206 gti first review on top gear - Jonathan {p}
There's a big following of these cars, where owners put the 405 or BX Mi16, you can get around 180-200bhp out of these engines, then they do go like stink.