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Buyers Guide 306 GTi-6
The 306 GTi-6 is French and build quality isn’t up there with German rivals. Having said this Peugeot did make an attempt at better build quality and as such the 306 isn’t quite as bad as say the Renault Clio or the Citreon Saxo. It generally feels much stronger and more grown up.

If you look in the Ownership section of this website you’ll see the typical problems I had with my GTi-6 and what repair costs are. The below is just an outline of things to look out for when viewing potential cars to buy.

Suspension

Expect dampers and springs to last well, typically 90k can be seen before dampers start leaking. Balljoints, droplinks and top mounts generally wear out much quicker and as little as 40k can be seen before these need replacing. Any knocking from the front suspension over rough ground will usually be droplinks or balljoints. Both are quite cheap and easy to replace. Rear suspension comprises of just dampers connected to a torsion bar system. Incorporated in this is “passive rear wheel steer” which under heavy braking turns the rear wheels, through the use of flexible bushes. These are usually tough and little problems occur.

Engine/Exhaust

The engine is extremely strong and can pass 200,000 miles with little problems. Servicing regular is vital and changing the cambelt extremely important. I cannot emphasis enough how important changing the cambelt, pulleys and waterpump every 30-40k maximum is. Cambelts are known to snap easily, resulting in at best a full top end rebuild, at worse a replacement engine. Servicing should be carried out every 10,000 maximum although I personally would recommend 6,000 miles. This should comprise of fresh oil, oil filter and air filter. Exhausts are generally tough and cheap to replace, a CAT will set you back around £120 fitted, backbox £50 fitted, from the garages I used. The manifold is very tough and should last the life of the car, its very difficult to check however due to the tilt of the engine. If the exhaust manifold is cracked it can cost £500+ to replace, mainly due to labour charges. Cambelt, pulley and waterpump typically costs £300-£400 to replace including labour. Engines should start up without smoking and rev cleanly without hesitating. The engine should pull well low down and pull harder higher up the rev band to the 7250RPM limit. The engine should be allowed to reach 90 degrees for oil temperature before revving hard, thrashing from cold will only damage the engine.

The 6 speed gearbox is very tough and should last the life of the car. Some people experience problems with 3^rd gear, however, well looked after examples should be fine. Gearboxes are generally notchy and stiff from cold, but once the engine is warm the gearbox should be smooth, precise and crunch free. The gearbox has very close ratios, this helps keep the engine on boil, so don’t be surprised to be changing gear more often then normal. 6^th gear is actually no taller then 5^th on your average car. The clutch is tough and typical cars with light footed owners can expect 100k+. Mines currently on 92k with no slipping or signs of wear, original box and clutch.

Electrical

Air conditioning is weak at best and generally does not work. This is due to a pipe along the front of the car which rusts and allows gas to leak, stopping the aircon from working. This pipe is expensive and can cost £140+ to replace before labour. Everything else is tough and should last the life of the car. All electrics should work, automatic wipers should work and the remote central locking should function properly.

Brakes
Calipers are tough all round and should last the life of the car. Discs and pads are cheap to replace, ABS is tough and the car should brake straight and true from any speed. Handbrake is weak and always will be, tightening the cable can help but the handbrake will still be quite poor. Cars best left in gear.

Bodywork
The fully galvanised body means there should be no rust at all anywhere on the car. Any car with rust should be fully examined as these are usually poorly repaired crash damaged cars. Panels are thin and easy to dent so expect plenty of shopping trolley dings. Alloy wheels can also weather badly, but are easy to replace or get refurbished. Badging varies between cars, some have GTI-6 badges on the back, some on side, some none at all.

Running Costs

Insurance is high, especially for young drivers or those with little no claims bonus. For example, I’m 27 with 9 years no claims, no speeding points with car garaged, fully comprehensive it costs me £314. Fuel consumption is poor, expect 30mpg at best, typically the 62 litre tank will get you 350-400 mile driving steady, 300 mile maximum with a lead foot. Road tax is currently just under £200 for 1 year.

Statistics & Figures

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