208 GTi buyer tips?

[zygalski]

I think I'd like to get one of these for around £6k. That means I'd be looking at a 13 or 14 plate with maybe 50-70k miles.

Are there any things in particular I should look for when viewing a potential purchase?

Any help appreciated.

[Supercell]

I have never owned one, but general things I have read about are Timing Chain failures and squeaking front suspension. Pedals are close together as well so a consideration if you have large feet.

[zygalski]

Ok thanks.
I'm 6'2" and have normal sized feet. I suppose the only way is to test drive one.

[LimSlip]

High pressure fuel pump and carbon build up in the inlet ports/valves are the most likely engine issues. Timing chains don't seem to be a significant problem on the later Prince engines, unlike the earlier ones.

[Lukas239]

im 7 months into ownership of a 13 plate 208 GTI. It was bought at 58 thousand miles with full service history. Thoughts & experiences so far;

Pros;
- Lovely interior & equipment. Touchscreen nav & wheel controls, cruise control, leather, nice seats etc.
- Economical. Part of my decision was that it was a but cheaper to run than other competitors. In my 7k miles so far mine has averaged 43mpg. I saw 51 on a cruise control 400 mile round trip. Insurance is also dirt cheap for a hot hatch.
- Quick. It's genuinely quite fast on a b road if you keep it 'on boost'.

Now, the cons...
- in 7 months, mine has cost £700 in unexpected repairs with potentially more to come. Mine left me stranded with a low pressure fuel pump failure (£450 @ indy garage), and has chewed through coolant because of a water pump (£300 at an indy). It has now started a small rattle on cold mornings (?timing chain https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/8.gif) and the clutch makes a noise (apparently common, not an indicator of needing replacement but we'll see).
- Rattles and squeaks. Top mounts groan in cold weather, i don't care but some do. Squeaks from both doors which i cannot track down.
- Handling. Not really sure here. It seems to steer quickly but Understeer very quickly too. May be tyres, may be me being useless.

In summary you get a really grown up interior and lots of equipment for less than obvious competitors (FiST etc) but the big repairs are starting to annoy me a bit.

[zygalski]

Interesting. Many thanks.