The understated evolution of all that was good in the 205 and 309GTi's.... the 306XSi looks good, has 2.0 litre power and handles brilliantly. It is comfortable on long motorway journeys yet is free from body roll on twisty B roads, it has a large fuel tank and does 30+mpg, it has excellent front seats yet is still comfortable in the back for adults.

It has a remote control Blaupunkt stereo (which really rocks) plus all the usual electrics...windows, mirrors, sunroof, as standard. You get remote central locking, alarm and immobiliser too - In short, whilst many cars today require 'aftermarket additions' to get them up to scratch, the 306XSi comes complete.....er, well except for the wheels. You see, the earlier XSi's (like mine) sadly came with steel rims instead of alloys. This was a major oversight which Peugeot soon put right, however the advantage was of course that I could dispose of the old wheels without remorse and get myself some TSW blades (see pic). They're 15" jobbies with 195/50 tyres. I read a load of stuff at the time saying that anything larger would affect the rear wheel steering. It was of course a load of rubbish since 17" wheels (with 205/40s) can be fitted...just. Too late now for me though.

Anyway I am pleased with the handling on the Yokohama A510-195/50s. It certainly grips better and road noise hasn't increased too much. Amazingly the 195/50s are actually cheaper than the original 185/55s too so I should save some cash long term...or at least get less worried when I 'accidentally' spin the wheels.

Mark's 306XSi good points;

1. Handling - tends to understeer at the limit and not quite as sharp as the 205GTi, but still miles more positive than the average 90's saloon. Power steering just right and by no means over assisted.
2. Looks - a personal thing I know.
3. Driving position - just about perfect (for some people it is too high, but visibilty is excellent).
4. Clutch - nice and light for fast gear changes.
5. Build quality (OK so it's not a Mercedes but it's much, much better than a 205!)
6. Standard features - as mentioned earlier plus; air bag, power steering, steering wheel adjust, seat height adjust, rear disk brakes, twin bulb headlights...
7. Sports seats - spot on (unless you're a fatty)

Mark's 306XSi bad points;

1. Steering wheel - It's about the right size but it's a nasty moulded plastic one. (I would change it but I want to keep the air bag!).
2. Power delivery - I know if I want a faster 306 I should go for the GTi6 (and maybe one day I will). I also know the 8 valve 2 litre XSi engine is primarily a torquey engine and it will pull quite nicely throughout the rev range. But what I don't like is the fact that the power delivery is rather non-linear, such that it's only really above 4,500 revs you really feel the kick. A more progressive power built up would be better. (I guess a re-chip could sort this perhaps, but then my car becomes non-standard and insurance escalates etc.).
3. Front disks - After 12,000 miles I changed my front disks because they were warped and giving me shuddering under heavy braking; problem sorted. At 23,000 miles the problem was back again and now at 24,000 miles I am on set 3 (which so far have been fine). All disks have been standard Peugeot items, but strangely enough my car takes the larger 405 front disks rather than the 306 standard disks. The dealer thinks it might be because mine is an 'early' car. Bearing in mind front disks usually do about 50,000 miles or more, this is not very impressive.

A few more shots of my Pug......click to enlarge

1, 3, 5 are scans, 2, 4, 6 are video captures.....below; scan

Moving Pug 306 gif (if you hadn't already noticed)...took me ages

Now just in case you're wondering if my car ever gets dirty....well it's a very rare occasion, but as you can see below the answer is yes. This photo taken whilst viewing a rally at the head of the Severn valley in Wales in 1997.

Final 306XSi pic, taken May 98..see part 2 - 306XSi pt2

Oh yeah, and finally my bro's 306Dturbo. The car that finally made up my mind for me to go buy a 306 for myself after I'd taken it for a spin. It's well known to be one of the best diesels available and to drive it's hardly different from the petrol variety with plenty of noise dampening to reduce the usual diesel clatter and a nice surge of power when the turbo comes in. If you want a good looking sporty car with group 5 insurance and 40+mpg, this is it! Click pic to enlarge.

Thanks to Jonathan Smith esquire for this photo...

This page updated 1/8/99