207 GTi / RC Opinions

[Dan Friel]

I'm off to look at one this weekend. Has anyone had any good / bad experiences of running one? In general the reviews seem to be excellent, and it's not too hard core which is perfect for these roads. I'll be using this car in the UAE..

[marcusRX]

I ran one for 2000 miles and thought it was a good fun car. Nothing broke , nothing dropped off it. The ride was a touch hard but nothing you couldnt live with , the seats were great and the performance was energetic - its a great little engine and im sure there is more than plenty of opportunity to squeeze more bhp out of them I did think the car could do with a 6 speed gearbox as it would readily hit the limiter in 5th...on a private road or autobahn etc etc !!!

Edited by marcusRX on Sunday 25th May 16:05

[Danny GT]

I totally agree the car feels like it needs a 6 gear. I have had 4 in my garage now and they have sold within 2 weeks!!!

The car really does take off and continues until its off the clock!!

Great car.

[Craigc2]

I aggree there pretty good engines a re-map would really release some more BHP and torque!

Could see 200+ BHP i woulda fort

[Dan Friel]

Took my new RC to Dubai Autodrome for a track evening tonight. Proved to be excellent entertainment, even wih my inability behind the wheel..

[Mr Whippy]

They do sound like pretty good cars from most owners. Magazines never rated them too highly, but magazines are not the gospel on such things, we all have opinions afterall

There may be more accomplished cars in certain areas, but it's the package that is important, and I think the GTi180 is a good overall package, a bit smaller but still decent quality vs the ST170 from Ford, and a bit bigger and better quality vs the Clio's.

Dave

[Dan Friel]

The car costs less than £10k (new) here. I couldn't find anything else that would match the performance for the price. Very very entertaining so far and user friendly.

[busta]

According to tonights top gear, the same 1.6 engine will be producing 218hp in the forthcoming 308 converta-coupe-whatsit, so no reason why the lump in the 207 wouldn't easily achieve the same.

£10k sounds dirt cheap! What have we got so wrong in this country to have to pay so much more?

[Dan Friel]

I reckon that a nearly new one in the UK would be a sound purchase. They much depreciate like a stone.

It’s not all good news here compared with the UK…

1. A Mini Cooper S (with the same engine as the Pug) costs a cool £20k! And people snap them up.
2. Hidden speed cameras everywhere..
3. Large speed bumps that appear at the end of 120 kph roads.
4. Road accident death rate TEN times that of the UK.
5. Will be 48 degrees today, with 80% humidity
6. You tend to drive everywhere with a white and modded X5 impeded into your back bumper – with flashing xenon lights.

Edited by Dan Friel on Monday 21st July 05:49

[Mr Whippy]

busta said:

According to tonights top gear, the same 1.6 engine will be producing 218hp in the forthcoming 308 converta-coupe-whatsit, so no reason why the lump in the 207 wouldn't easily achieve the same.

£10k sounds dirt cheap! What have we got so wrong in this country to have to pay so much more?

It'll weigh about 1500kg though, so not that fast anyway.

I wish Peugeot would wake up and start putting the bigger engines in the smaller cars. Who wants a bus of a 308 CC with a 1.6 engine? V6 at least for that type of car!

Dave

[RichardD]

Mr Whippy said:

It'll weigh about 1500kg though, so not that fast anyway.

I wish Peugeot would wake up and start putting the bigger engines in the smaller cars. Who wants a bus of a 308 CC with a 1.6 engine? V6 at least for that type of car!

Dave

Isn't the idea of having a small turbo engine purely for VED ? So big engine power with small engine CO2 rating. Downsides being added complexity / plumbing and lack of a multi cylinder soundtrack ...

[Mr Whippy]

RichardD said:

Mr Whippy said:

It'll weigh about 1500kg though, so not that fast anyway.

I wish Peugeot would wake up and start putting the bigger engines in the smaller cars. Who wants a bus of a 308 CC with a 1.6 engine? V6 at least for that type of car!

Dave

Isn't the idea of having a small turbo engine purely for VED ? So big engine power with small engine CO2 rating. Downsides being added complexity / plumbing and lack of a multi cylinder soundtrack ...

Well, as much as it's nice to look at current car makers combined mpg figures, most of the time they are bollarks.
I can't see such a heavy barge being so cool on the fuel front. It'll sound like a hair dryer, which will be right for a glorified hair dressers car.

I bet even an old 2.0 135bhp 306 Cabriolet will do more mpg in the real world, and be faster...

Peugeot, stop making fat crap cars!

Dave

[RichardD]

Mr Whippy said:

RichardD said:

...Isn't the idea of having a small turbo engine purely for VED ? So big engine power with small engine CO2 rating. Downsides being added complexity / plumbing and lack of a multi cylinder soundtrack ...

Well, as much as it's nice to look at current car makers combined mpg figures, most of the time they are bollarks.
I can't see such a heavy barge being so cool on the fuel front. It'll sound like a hair dryer, which will be right for a glorified hair dressers car.

I bet even an old 2.0 135bhp 306 Cabriolet will do more mpg in the real world, and be faster...

Peugeot, stop making fat crap cars!

Dave

IMO the engine choice is purely for CO2 and not mpg - so they can get a lower reading when they trundle along the road with the little engine being off boost - to get the manufacturers CO2 reading.

All that effort just to jump through hoops and as you put the rest of the time probably no better than a bigger engine mpg wise due to having all that mass to hurl about.

[Mr Whippy]

RichardD said:

Mr Whippy said:

RichardD said:

...Isn't the idea of having a small turbo engine purely for VED ? So big engine power with small engine CO2 rating. Downsides being added complexity / plumbing and lack of a multi cylinder soundtrack ...

Well, as much as it's nice to look at current car makers combined mpg figures, most of the time they are bollarks.
I can't see such a heavy barge being so cool on the fuel front. It'll sound like a hair dryer, which will be right for a glorified hair dressers car.

I bet even an old 2.0 135bhp 306 Cabriolet will do more mpg in the real world, and be faster...

Peugeot, stop making fat crap cars!

Dave

IMO the engine choice is purely for CO2 and not mpg - so they can get a lower reading when they trundle along the road with the little engine being off boost - to get the manufacturers CO2 reading.

All that effort just to jump through hoops and as you put the rest of the time probably no better than a bigger engine mpg wise due to having all that mass to hurl about.

CO2 is proportional to mpg, since all the carbon that comes out of the exhaust (pretty much) is from the fuel in the first place!

I expect a book figure of 50mpg, but most owners will get 36mpg or something equally not as impressive.

I'd rather have the 2.7 V6 diesel in it, with a decent ish sound, decent shove, and decent mpg.

Dave

[Dan Friel]

The days of V6 anything are rather limited...

[Mr Whippy]

Dan Friel said:

The days of V6 anything are rather limited...

Well, on paper yes.

But back in the real world, over-powered cars can tend to do not so bad mpg wise, vs a small engined car owned/driven by someone who enjoys to 'drive', which can end up being ragged much more and not doing so great on mpg either.

A big diesel especially, won't suffer as much vs a big petrol NA. The 2.7 V6 200bhp diesel would be well matched to a big Coupe type car where the owner had costs in mind (running). The last thing you want is a small thrashy 1.6 4 pot turbo being revved loads to get a big car moving at all.
Ie, my brother had a 406 Coupe 2.0 at one time and only managed 26mpg. Not so hot when the V6's would get 23-24mpg anyway, and have the sound track and proper grunt when you wanted it...

Dave

[Dan Friel]

The only issue I have with what you say is that the new turbo engines do tend to have tonnes of torque. The Gti has 260Nm at 1600rpm, so really doesn't need to be thrashed and provides high mpg with low CO2.. and 90% of owners won't be "driving" then anyway.. This is the way that the manufacturers will continue to go.

[Mr Whippy]

Dan Friel said:

The only issue I have with what you say is that the new turbo engines do tend to have tonnes of torque. The Gti has 260Nm at 1600rpm, so really doesn't need to be thrashed and provides high mpg with low CO2.. and 90% of owners won't be "driving" then anyway.. This is the way that the manufacturers will continue to go.

260Nm is a fair bit, but not with 1500kg+ to tow around

It'll still be thrash enough to get moving.

But yes, any 'driver' won't be buying one anyway. Peugeot stopped being 'the drive of your life' the moment their cars went BIG and flabby!

Dave

[Dan Friel]

Name a light weight, modern and safe hot hatch (and one sold in the UAE) and I'll buy you an ice cream! For my compromised life style the car does ok.

[Mr Whippy]

Dan Friel said:

Name a light weight, modern and safe hot hatch (and one sold in the UAE) and I'll buy you an ice cream! For my compromised life style the car does ok.

What you have got is probably about right for what you want, small, but big power from a proper hot hatch engine, big displacement, moderate tune, instant response NA.

Unless of course we get the new super-mini's with bigger engines and more power and focus, which we are seeing glimmers of thankfully

Lets just hope they start making them less tall and MPV like. I'm sure the new Corsa VXR is taller than it is wide, or it looks it anyway!

Dave