Actually Clarkson regards this review as one of his greater mistakes! After they completed filming and he had some time with the car he realised that he really liked it.
I like how he complains about the styling being bland. Because the escort, astra, golf, etc, are all uber stylish....? Hardly! The 306 was still the best looker in its class. And the handling is still better than any current peugeot.
I actually had a very early 306 like this. It was a K reg 1.6 XR in green, with a gold stripe down the side and a beige interior! But for £500 i wasn't complaining!
My first car was a 1996 Peugeot 306 1.9XDdt. The turbo lag was amazing, you'd get nothing for ages but all of a sudden someone would be behind you pulling you right back in to the seat. And I still think they are beautiful cars (the later models even more so). They've aged well, and stick a private plate on it you'd be hard pressed to tell if the car is older than 5/6 years old. God I miss my 306!!!
I have a 1994 L registered 306, only a little 1.4i, but I absolutely love it. She’s on 95,000 miles now and she still looks brand new, though, that could be my careful maintenance. The handling is fantastic, but the ride is very comfortable. Actually completed a 560 mile round road trip and it still had 10 litres of fuel in the tank.
This looks like a perfect first car for anyone looking for a cheap little hatchback. It's quite spacious, seems to handle pretty good, and with this 1.4 fuel injected engine you can even get good fuel economy. There isn't much to go wrong with these cars I think. If it doesn't have rust, seems like a good deal even today, what do you guys think?
I had a 1998 1.4 306 for 7 years which I bought in 2013 for £650. Pound for pound, Easily the Best car I’ve ever owned! Coming from someone who’s owned Audi, VW, Ford, Renault and Toyota... I can honestly say the 306 was the best to drive as well. Superb car. I now have a 2017 308 which is also great and very underrated!
My daily driver for the last half a year has been a 1995 306 sedan at that, ooh fancy! I also have a 309 that I had to take off the road because I can't find the parts, although I seethed with hatred when Clarkson made fun of it, it's way better than the 306 in every regard. Both have the 1.4 engine, except the one in the 309 is carburetted and goes like mad while in the 306 it can barely get out of it's own way.
@@GlamStacheessnostalgialoungeI wouldn’t disagree with that about the 309s feeling more pokey with the same sized engines but don’t forget spec for spec the 306 was on average over 100kg heavier!
Well to be fair the 1.4 isn't too bad...well I'm from a failed eastern european state where 90% of traffic are 20-30 year old NA diesels so the 1.4 still performs admirably. Pretty happy with mine...well besides the fact it burns more oil than a two-stroke with only 150k km on the clock...
I think he was just being overly harsh here tbh. He criticised the performance of the 1.4 model but didn't provide any context for that criticism - It was on a par with all its 1.4 rivals from Ford, Vauxhall, VW etc. No better, no worse. To criticise the entry level model as being boring really misses the point tbh. At least with the 306 you could have some fun around the bends, unlike with its rivals at the time.
the torsion bar rear suspension is great.. when it isn't 25 years old mine used to throw itself off the road at 130+ kph because of this, at least a 500 euro repair only for it to last a year or so. The rear left bearing gave out and you could basically camber the wheel with your hands lmao
i still use my P reg XSI 8 valve everyday , Its the slowest hot hatch ever made , that doesnt matter . 300 miles to the tank , super comfy ride and seats .feels sturdy , grips really well . 5th gear pulls from 30mph so you can be really lazy. bad bits are no 6th , steering cant turn far enough , headlights are poor ,new rear pads are very thin , crap pedals , road tax is £280 !
"The 309 however, is a dog. It has all the grace, poise, beauty and elligence of the inside of a powerstation." hahahaha BOLLOCKS. The 309 GTi is just as good a handler as the 205, I promise you.
A nice little car with a little pleasant handling side to it. Not ago cart car by any means, but better than a boring nissan or toyota. Still, I really don't get this "superb handling" thing. It really wasn't superb by any standards. I liked more the pleasant and ergonomic interior. As for the Jaguar interior, pretty much any other car will have a larger cabin than a Jaguar
typically anti french review, style boring? come back in 93 to see what was in competition in terms of style, not even talking about handling as it still competes with many modern cars, even without all this electronic stuff
So Clarkson was still ranting about Peugeots back then. I wonder what caused his bias? Rumours are that Peugeot declined to offer him a back-hander. Clarkson only likes what he gets for free. EDIT: Peugeot also refused to allow Top Gear to review one of their cars after they negatively reviewed a previous Peugeot model, so I guess Clarkson has just been getting his own back. I'm surprised he didn't just punch Peugeot's boss, the British public support workplace violence.
@@adammclaughlin845 I'm a complete an utter Peugeot fanboy and I can confidently tell you the 306 was the last good Peugeot. Anything after it is pure garbage. I sat in a 508 and it was less refined and comfortable to drive than a 20 year older 306, let alone a 406 or 605 even.
A Mazda Miata Hmmmm......i myself like the facelift version more. But i still don't know wether i like the fase 2 ór the fase 3 the best. Fase 2 has a more "meaner" look to it with the clouded headlights.
@@MrMineboy1999 How could you like the 1.4 in comparasion with the 1.8?! It's so painfully slow might as well drive a diesel. Only thing it has going for it is fuel economy but I'd take a 1.6 over it any day.
![MACAU GP 2000 : Peugeot 306 VS BMW E46. Final lap [TAXI OST]](/img/n.gif)
Actually Clarkson regards this review as one of his greater mistakes!
After they completed filming and he had some time with the car he realised that he really liked it.
I owned a 306 when I lived in France in the 1990s. It was the 1.6 liter version. I loved it! Great car!
I have 20 years old Peugeot 306 1.9xTdi and he still works.Really good car.
I like how he complains about the styling being bland. Because the escort, astra, golf, etc, are all uber stylish....? Hardly! The 306 was still the best looker in its class. And the handling is still better than any current peugeot.
Yeah, this was nonsense. The 306 was, and still is, a very pretty car for its type.
My uncle had a 1.6 when I was a kid.
Really liked it, modern looking, loads of space even in the back.
Great car.
I had 306 xt leather seats alloys same colour as this one.
Sturdiest car I've ever driven. Undestructible haha
I'm probably alone, but I find the ZX more attractive. Still very pretty this one.
I actually had a very early 306 like this. It was a K reg 1.6 XR in green, with a gold stripe down the side and a beige interior! But for £500 i wasn't complaining!
My first car was a 1996 Peugeot 306 1.9XDdt. The turbo lag was amazing, you'd get nothing for ages but all of a sudden someone would be behind you pulling you right back in to the seat. And I still think they are beautiful cars (the later models even more so). They've aged well, and stick a private plate on it you'd be hard pressed to tell if the car is older than 5/6 years old.
God I miss my 306!!!
My Dad had a ZX with the same engine. He would floor it, the needle would hit around 3000 revs, and then whoosh! Great fun.
I have a 1994 L registered 306, only a little 1.4i, but I absolutely love it. She’s on 95,000 miles now and she still looks brand new, though, that could be my careful maintenance. The handling is fantastic, but the ride is very comfortable. Actually completed a 560 mile round road trip and it still had 10 litres of fuel in the tank.
i have a Dturbo from 96 with 300000 miles
This looks like a perfect first car for anyone looking for a cheap little hatchback. It's quite spacious, seems to handle pretty good, and with this 1.4 fuel injected engine you can even get good fuel economy. There isn't much to go wrong with these cars I think. If it doesn't have rust, seems like a good deal even today, what do you guys think?
I had one it was pretty darn comfy to
I had a 1998 1.4 306 for 7 years which I bought in 2013 for £650.
Pound for pound, Easily the Best car I’ve ever owned! Coming from someone who’s owned Audi, VW, Ford, Renault and Toyota... I can honestly say the 306 was the best to drive as well. Superb car.
I now have a 2017 308 which is also great and very underrated!
@@dgbservices6049 yeah they are great i also had a 1.8 one wich was rlly darn fun to drive
My daily driver for the last half a year has been a 1995 306 sedan at that, ooh fancy! I also have a 309 that I had to take off the road because I can't find the parts, although I seethed with hatred when Clarkson made fun of it, it's way better than the 306 in every regard. Both have the 1.4 engine, except the one in the 309 is carburetted and goes like mad while in the 306 it can barely get out of it's own way.
@@GlamStacheessnostalgialoungeI wouldn’t disagree with that about the 309s feeling more pokey with the same sized engines but don’t forget spec for spec the 306 was on average over 100kg heavier!
Imagine this review if they had given him a bright red or blue metallic 1.6 XR or even 1.8 XT instead of this!
Well to be fair the 1.4 isn't too bad...well I'm from a failed eastern european state where 90% of traffic are 20-30 year old NA diesels so the 1.4 still performs admirably. Pretty happy with mine...well besides the fact it burns more oil than a two-stroke with only 150k km on the clock...
I think he was just being overly harsh here tbh. He criticised the performance of the 1.4 model but didn't provide any context for that criticism - It was on a par with all its 1.4 rivals from Ford, Vauxhall, VW etc. No better, no worse. To criticise the entry level model as being boring really misses the point tbh. At least with the 306 you could have some fun around the bends, unlike with its rivals at the time.
the torsion bar rear suspension is great.. when it isn't 25 years old
mine used to throw itself off the road at 130+ kph because of this, at least a 500 euro repair only for it to last a year or so. The rear left bearing gave out and you could basically camber the wheel with your hands lmao
He's right the diesel ones were really good - there still lots of 'em about...
But i liked the 309.
Rugeley Power Station! Now all gone, of course.
brilliant... he's got one! haha
11 years ago
i still use my P reg XSI 8 valve everyday , Its the slowest hot hatch ever made , that doesnt matter . 300 miles to the tank , super comfy ride and seats .feels sturdy , grips really well . 5th gear pulls from 30mph so you can be really lazy.
bad bits are no 6th , steering cant turn far enough , headlights are poor ,new rear pads are very thin , crap pedals , road tax is £280 !
I was looking at the stats for the XSi recently, I couldn't believe the 0-60 time. Still quicker than my 1.9TD though. Great car to drive!
306 GTi 6 is the best!
Поныне не выглядит устаревшим. Классика девяностых.
It seems that the Best Balanced Chassis Maker was Peugeot and now it's Ford.
How?
"The 309 however, is a dog. It has all the grace, poise, beauty and elligence of the inside of a powerstation." hahahaha BOLLOCKS. The 309 GTi is just as good a handler as the 205, I promise you.
You don't even need a GTi. I have a 1989 Look with the 113 bhp engine, and it's almost as fun to drive as a Porsche 718 Boxster.
MY CAR! :D
What ?
Still my car XD
Anyone know what power station this was filmed at? I'm intrigued.
Yes this was at Rugeley in Staffordshire. The opening bit was inside the large dry cooling tower. Nearly all gone now.
@@martin-mi3cg Cheers!
OH MY GOD among the Astra the escrot lol common the civic ? the fiat tipo ? the mazda 323??
I think that In Top Gear were always anti-french, I think that Peugeot had great cars designs.
A nice little car with a little pleasant handling side to it. Not ago cart car by any means, but better than a boring nissan or toyota. Still, I really don't get this "superb handling" thing. It really wasn't superb by any standards. I liked more the pleasant and ergonomic interior. As for the Jaguar interior, pretty much any other car will have a larger cabin than a Jaguar
My uncle had one
have you seen the 508 or the 208?
typically anti french review, style boring? come back in 93 to see what was in competition in terms of style, not even talking about handling as it still competes with many modern cars, even without all this electronic stuff
hahah Clarkson soo young lol :-)
So Clarkson was still ranting about Peugeots back then. I wonder what caused his bias? Rumours are that Peugeot declined to offer him a back-hander. Clarkson only likes what he gets for free. EDIT: Peugeot also refused to allow Top Gear to review one of their cars after they negatively reviewed a previous Peugeot model, so I guess Clarkson has just been getting his own back. I'm surprised he didn't just punch Peugeot's boss, the British public support workplace violence.
Its amaizing like Ford nowadays, Peugeot made such amaizing drivers cars back in the day. Nowadays they just make dogs.
So I'm guessing you've driven every new Peugeot model, and know what you're talking about, rather than just listening to Clarkson's ranting?
@@adammclaughlin845 I'm a complete an utter Peugeot fanboy and I can confidently tell you the 306 was the last good Peugeot. Anything after it is pure garbage. I sat in a 508 and it was less refined and comfortable to drive than a 20 year older 306, let alone a 406 or 605 even.
@@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge 308 GTi 270 is a great car.
The 306 was gorgeous without facelift. Then it became ugly.
A Mazda Miata Hmmmm......i myself like the facelift version more. But i still don't know wether i like the fase 2 ór the fase 3 the best. Fase 2 has a more "meaner" look to it with the clouded headlights.
I had a 1993 306 with massive 75 hp. It was shit.
My 1996 306 1.6 had 90hp, loved it.
I had a 1.8 and the 1.4 i liked ehm both
I have XS from 2000, 1.8 16s 352000km and i always like my car !
@@MrMineboy1999 How could you like the 1.4 in comparasion with the 1.8?! It's so painfully slow might as well drive a diesel. Only thing it has going for it is fuel economy but I'd take a 1.6 over it any day.
old top gear is so dramatic