306 xsi or 309 GTi
Discussion
I'm getting fed up with my 106 1.5d. It was struggling to keep at 70 in a strong headwind the other day and it rolls so much in corners I've worn the bottom edge off the wing mirrors 
As a replacement I've been looking at either a 309 GTi or a 306 XSi. I have a £2k budget.
In terms of performance they are very similar (mid-8s to 60, around 130hp) although the 306 has a lower top speed (possibly a good thing for a 21 year old with 3 points?) but obviously there is a big difference in the age of the cars.
From what I've heard the 309 is a better drivers car and they are also very cheap so I could get a minter for £1500 however I think finding a good example will be difficult.
The 306 on the other hand has more creature comforts (air con, RCL etc) which will make daily use less stressful and being new I expect may be more reliable.
My heart wants a 309 and my head wants a 306, what do you guys think?
As a replacement I've been looking at either a 309 GTi or a 306 XSi. I have a £2k budget.
In terms of performance they are very similar (mid-8s to 60, around 130hp) although the 306 has a lower top speed (possibly a good thing for a 21 year old with 3 points?) but obviously there is a big difference in the age of the cars.
From what I've heard the 309 is a better drivers car and they are also very cheap so I could get a minter for £1500 however I think finding a good example will be difficult.
The 306 on the other hand has more creature comforts (air con, RCL etc) which will make daily use less stressful and being new I expect may be more reliable.
My heart wants a 309 and my head wants a 306, what do you guys think?
pdd144c said:
After owning both I'd go for the 309, easier to work on and less electrical isssues. The looms on the 306's are truely awful. A good 309 will be hard to find though! Be easier to find a good 205.
I think electrical issues will bug them both, the 309's age will go against it. My brother has a 306 XSI 2.0 16v, its the 135 bhp engine and it goes rather well! Only problem is at the moment is a noisy powersteering pump but its been reliable for the last 3 years.
I love'd my 309 GTi but i would have to choose the newer car on this occasion.
Insurance quotes on the 306 and 309 are within £30 of each other so that's not an issue.
205 GTi insurance is bout £150 higher and I need a bit more space (used to have a 205, it had no more usable space than my 106!).
I've also heard that the 309 is actually a better drive because it doesn't suffer so badly from lift off oversteer. Having spun my diesel 205 twice, this is worth considering.
One thing that steers me towards the 309 is the fact it has alot in common with the 205 so there is a wealth of knowledge about the engine and most of the running gear. Simpler electrics are also a bonus.
Some 309s seem to rot alot more than others but I think with the lower price of the 309 some rust protection would fit within the budget. Rot, water leaks and poor reliability are the things I fear most with the 309 though.
Thought I'd better add that I do about 25k miles a year.
How does the 306 compare to the 309 in terms of being a drivers car?
205 GTi insurance is bout £150 higher and I need a bit more space (used to have a 205, it had no more usable space than my 106!).
I've also heard that the 309 is actually a better drive because it doesn't suffer so badly from lift off oversteer. Having spun my diesel 205 twice, this is worth considering.
One thing that steers me towards the 309 is the fact it has alot in common with the 205 so there is a wealth of knowledge about the engine and most of the running gear. Simpler electrics are also a bonus.
Some 309s seem to rot alot more than others but I think with the lower price of the 309 some rust protection would fit within the budget. Rot, water leaks and poor reliability are the things I fear most with the 309 though.
Thought I'd better add that I do about 25k miles a year.
How does the 306 compare to the 309 in terms of being a drivers car?
I found my 309 quite forgiving, was a little more progresive than my mates 205's at the time when it came to lift off oversteer, mostly due to the extra weight over the rear.
The 306 isnt that much shorter than a 309 but seems to be a little wider in track so it tends to sit on the road a little better, you still get the lift off oversteer but its not as sharp as the 205. My brothers felt really grippy and didnt seem to understeer as much as other Peugeots ive driven.
The 306 isnt that much shorter than a 309 but seems to be a little wider in track so it tends to sit on the road a little better, you still get the lift off oversteer but its not as sharp as the 205. My brothers felt really grippy and didnt seem to understeer as much as other Peugeots ive driven.
I've found the 306 to 'suffer' more from loo than the 309, but is more controllable than the 309 when doing so. Loo is definitely one of the positive points of both the cars in my opinion, although perhaps not to your preference. Doing 25k in either will leave you with a massive fuel bill!
Don't think you'd need £2000 for a 309 - I picked up a very nice 205 GTi for £1200 just over a year ago. Would imagine the 309's are less not being so iconic.
Am I right int hinking they're pretty much just a 205 with a boot? - they've got the same engines I presume? (1.9 out of the 205?)
Am I right int hinking they're pretty much just a 205 with a boot? - they've got the same engines I presume? (1.9 out of the 205?)
Chris71 said:
Am I right int hinking they're pretty much just a 205 with a boot? - they've got the same engines I presume? (1.9 out of the 205?)
The 309 is not just longer, it has a slightly wider track. Same engine. Different front bumper. Dash is different and the 3 door has some funky levers that allow you to open the rear quarter windows from the drivers seat
It is normally classed as the 205's older and uglier sister...
pdd144c said:
I've found the 306 to 'suffer' more from loo than the 309, but is more controllable than the 309 when doing so. Loo is definitely one of the positive points of both the cars in my opinion, although perhaps not to your preference. Doing 25k in either will leave you with a massive fuel bill!
It's not that I don't want any lift off oversteer, just that when I'm late for work on a wet day and I still haven't woken up properly I know I'll get caught out. I guess the easy answer is to wake up on time!
I see people point about 25k being alot of miles in a 309 though. I guess it would make the hunt for a good one a waste of time to because it would be worn out in a couple of years anyway. Mileage should be less this year though as I've split up with the long distance girlfriend.
Well I currently drive 205 and 309 GTis and have previously owned a 306DTurbo...
306: Handling is OK, bit understeery but I found it hard to catch the rear when it did go as it was hard to tell the difference between rear steer and the start of a slide. Span it once and had a couple of "moments"...
309: Handling absolutley fantastic. Mine is an old example with many worn out orignial bits but is much more planted an predictable than the 205. It will LOO if you REALLY provoke it but it has only done this to me when I've been provoking it. Never caught me unawares like the 306.
205: Different from a 309. More "feel" and harder to drive than the 309 but also more fun. Fantastic when you want a laugh but not when driving home from work knackered. LOO like a good un, just never and I mean NEVER enter a corner too fast and then lift off unless you like hedges. What makes it so much fun also means you must respect it...
Getting a good 309 is cheap but they are very hard to find now, the 306 is the easy option from a buyers point of view but I'd not buy another while I could get a 309 for less. However, I'm happy to do any mechanical job - another reason I don't like the 306 so much, it is harder to work on. Good 205s are no problem but it depends what you want. If you have to pay a garage to do the work owning either a 205 or 309 could get expensive (although good ones can also be reliable!).
Rob (Pug nut!)
P.S. My first 205 GTi made me sell the 306, as I no longer drove it!
306: Handling is OK, bit understeery but I found it hard to catch the rear when it did go as it was hard to tell the difference between rear steer and the start of a slide. Span it once and had a couple of "moments"...
309: Handling absolutley fantastic. Mine is an old example with many worn out orignial bits but is much more planted an predictable than the 205. It will LOO if you REALLY provoke it but it has only done this to me when I've been provoking it. Never caught me unawares like the 306.
205: Different from a 309. More "feel" and harder to drive than the 309 but also more fun. Fantastic when you want a laugh but not when driving home from work knackered. LOO like a good un, just never and I mean NEVER enter a corner too fast and then lift off unless you like hedges. What makes it so much fun also means you must respect it...
Getting a good 309 is cheap but they are very hard to find now, the 306 is the easy option from a buyers point of view but I'd not buy another while I could get a 309 for less. However, I'm happy to do any mechanical job - another reason I don't like the 306 so much, it is harder to work on. Good 205s are no problem but it depends what you want. If you have to pay a garage to do the work owning either a 205 or 309 could get expensive (although good ones can also be reliable!).
Rob (Pug nut!)
P.S. My first 205 GTi made me sell the 306, as I no longer drove it!
Edited by Rob_the_Sparky on Friday 19th January 19:15
Cheers rob, lots of good advice there.
I will be doing all the mechanical stuff myself so the 309 does win on that one. I'm now looking at 106 XSi and Rallyes too because I think the running costs will be lower, insurance a bit cheaper and to hell with the lack of space! I'll see what ebay and PH classifieds can come up with.
I will be doing all the mechanical stuff myself so the 309 does win on that one. I'm now looking at 106 XSi and Rallyes too because I think the running costs will be lower, insurance a bit cheaper and to hell with the lack of space! I'll see what ebay and PH classifieds can come up with.
Rob_the_Sparky said:
Footwell is nicer on the 205/309. I always found the 106/Saxo a bit cramped but OK once you get used to it.
I get 30 to 35mpg from both 205 and 309 GTIs.
Rob
I get 30 to 35mpg from both 205 and 309 GTIs.
Rob
Yeah I found the pedals awful in my 106 but I soon got used to it. Ive only got size 9 feet though, not big shovels like most guys seem to have these days!
How many miles do people think is alot for a sporty peugeot?
I'll be lucky to find a 309 with under 90k and looking at S1 106 rallyes and XSi's they aren't far off. My old 205 managed 170k(and still going!) and it had been clocked, but that was a diesel. My current 106 is letting water in at 60K and the engine bay is full of corrosion.
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