8th Apr 2001, 18:14

I too have an XS. I bought it about a year ago and have enjoyed every single moment in the car. I couldn't agree more with the reviewers comments.

From the time when I first opened the throttle I was totally in love and still am. So far I have spent very little on the car, only needing to get a new battery terminal, front tyres and a full service.

9th Apr 2001, 05:38

Fully agree. I am reselling a used 205XS in France but I still enjoy driving it. If I could, I would have kept it. The car is really powerful and you are really kicked at the bottom when you push the right pedal up to the carpet!!

3rd Jun 2001, 21:11

***Update***

Hi, it's the guy who wrote the review above, just to say I finally had to chop in the 205XS due to wearing out 3 starter motors (no comment, mainly my own fault), one gearbox (OUCH! £££!), one battery and another set of front tyres (heheheh...)

I also needed something more reliable for travel to work, so invested in a '98 306 XSi 2.0 16V... review imminent :)

P.S. To all the doubters... I added nearly 40000 (yep, forty-thou!) miles to my 205 in the 15 months I had it, so mile for mile, it wasn't actually toooo costly!

14th Jun 2002, 10:06

I purchased my 205XS in march 2001. Wow, after driving 1.6's previously, and driving friends GTI' si didn't expect this car to be anything like it is. For the insurance cost, and its low end grunt its well worth the money! I can scare off the XR2's, GTE' s and the Golf GTI 16s of the mark to 60, and that is true. A superb car. My next cars a WRX!

3rd Sep 2002, 05:58

Hello mate I agree, I have had two XS's, due two the first one written off and I'm sure the one I've got now is quicker although they are/were both standard, I have raced lots of other vehicles, but the ones I am proud of beating a 1.6Gti (don't ask me how, but I pulled past him, he was definitely racing me), a Suzuki Swift Gti and a Ford Orion 1.8EFi, just to tell you, the 5 door version of the XS is not a different engine, its exactly same, the only difference between the two cars is the amount of doors they have.

11th Oct 2003, 02:30

To the guy who left the comment in Oct 2003 about the turbo;

Get your self a set of twin 40 carbs for the XS, as this gives excellent power and has none of the reliability woes a turbo can bring.

Fit the carbs, get your cylinder head ported and polished and fit bolt on filters.

You could also fit a back box as well.

I have seen an AX GT/205 XS engine with this spec in a magazine give 121bhp and 114.5 lb ft torque.

For an extra performance pep, lighten your car by stripping sound deadening, and remove all stereo equipment and wiring-this will make a huge difference.

I myself plan to do a 205 RALLYE lookalike with the above mods,13 inch white steel wheels, French spec rallye graphics and perspex windows.

8th Nov 2003, 09:30

Hello, I have one 205 XS too. I really LOVE this car!!!

Have a very nice posture and motor.

Yesterday I was "racing" with a friend mine and one Rover 25 start race with us, in one curve he crash... (but the car and the people were OK:) ) and I was surprised because mine make the curve very well...lol

I buy the car one month ago, but day by day I like it more and more.

29th Jul 2005, 23:25

I completely agree with all of the above! I'm on my second XS now and at 131000 miles it's still a wolf in disguise capable of giving huge driving enjoyment.

I've fitted a strut brace and a rear beam from the 1.9 with 60mm Spax all round so now I take roundabouts and country lanes at 70mph without worrying! 306 xsi front calipers with the disks at the rear stop it (too!) well, 1.6 alloys ensure there is enough grip.

The bolt on filter kit from K&N comes with a larger main jet, which although increases you fuel bill, gives you that echoing induction roar with very good throttle response throughout the rev range.

If you can afford the insurance you should obviously buy a GTI, but with 6 points on my license at 21 I only pay 700 quid!

With simple mods costing £300 second hand, this has to be the best car you can buy for easy, low budget, low insurance, reliable (ish), great fun performance.

Peugeot rule!!

17th Oct 2005, 17:05

I had a XS a few years ago, but still remember it fondly. It was in white (which I still think is the best colour for them), an F reg one with the TU3 engine. Sure, it was made of tinfoil and suffered the classic 80's Peugeot tappet rattle, but what a car. I had it 3 years and it didn't put a foot wrong. The only things I had to fix in over 40,000 miles were the warm air mixing valve for the carb air inlet and a broken rear light cluster where my sister backed it into a tree. It would embarrass many supposedly 'superior' cars, but was always overlooked in favour of the in-your-faceness of the GTi. I can still remember now the first time I drove it.

I loved that car and when I see one now (increasingly less often) I think of mine. I've moved on to faster cars since (MR2, CRX, RX-8) but would still love a go in one again.

7th Feb 2007, 11:55

I also owned a 205 xs for 18 months a few years ago. The gear ratios make the car the force it is, a gear for every occasion! The handling was superb and fond memories come flooding back of thoroughly humiliating bigger/newer opposition (BMW 3 series included!). I sold the car when I had finished the project, for no other reason. I then bought a 206 1.6 xs which was decent, smooth, reasonably fast and super reliable. But ultimately boring! This was disappointing as the 206 was the only new (er) car I would consider buying. When I sold it I bought 2 205's again. One a 1.6 GTI with ABS, power steering (which I recommend having owned one without) E/W, and RCL, leather reccaros +more. I also fitted an automatic 1.6 engine block with 28,000 miles since they are the same. I am currently converting a 1996 18D to a 1.9TD... Fun fun fun... something that is lost on my peers at work who all drive cars that are up to four years old... how dull...