Faults:
I bought this car as a ticking time bomb. I got lumbered with repairs totaling £2000 in the first month.
Alarm system needed total replacement at 38000 miles (not under Pug warranty).
Tyre's are continuously being replaced, whilst the balancing is constantly being redone.
Battery has disconnected from the wires as a result of corrosion.
General Comments:
The gti6 has its ups and downs in that if you want a real hardcore driving experience, you can't look & get further than this.
Some of the standard equipment such as the Clarion stereo leaves a lot to be desired, and I do believe the exhaust tail end could of been better image wise. However, standard equipment is plentiful with Leather / Alacantra seats, rain sensor wipers, A/C, steering wheel stereo control.
The interior has plenty of equipment, its just that I feel the quality is not what you would expect from an £18k car in year 2000. The shape of the dash looks low budget, the glove box can't fit a CD in it, the central console has some flimsy silver plastic surrounding the A/C knobs and the instrument panel holding the speedo' and temp gauges just look rather apathetic.
I love the seats, the look of the car, the power, the handling, the mature discreet look of one potential track day car.
The acceleration in 1st gear I personally find is lame when comparing it to 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th. I would guess a comfortable 7.4 seconds to 60mph from a standing start and a confirmed at least 145mph top end. Drive this car around a track day circuit, and I'm absolutely sure it will leave some known sports cars in its wake. An Audi TT could be a prime example of this. The all round performance of this car for the money I paid is truly unbelievable. There is nothing on the market that can compare. The handling is just awesome when pushed to the limit, and leaves you thinking 'just how hard can you push this car before it does loose itself?'.
The exhaust note is crisp and gives a slight burble noise under idle mode, and a lairy note when pushing through the gears. This is 6 gears by the way, and all of which are truly a pleasure to be handling. I could not go out tomorrow and buy a 5 gear car after this.
If you do decide to purchase this car, a lot of money will be spent in regards to low fuel consumption (about 22mpg if regularly driven hard & about 30mpg is not), service, tyre's and quite possibly insurance being a group 16. As a young guy myself, I prefer to to make the sacrifice and keep this absolute monster for one great driving experience I don't think could be replaced in the same price bracket.
29th Jul 2005, 08:48
The 306 GTI-6 is twice the car the TT is as a driving tool, regardless of petty arguments about 0-60 times. To be brutally honest, the GTI-6 is not a particularly quick car in the greater scheme of things, but that chassis is to die for. I haven't driven another front wheel drive car that combines such amazing front end bite, throttle adjustability and steering feel. It can be pushed to the limit, and slightly beyond, in total confidence. A TT, 180 or 225PS, wouldn't be left for dead on a typical British B-road.
The TT is a looker, and it's beautifully made, but you need more than a warmed over Golf chassis to keep up with a car like the Pug.