Second-hand Sense: There is a well-founded argument that French cars are now really coming into their own with distinctive styling and improvements in the driving pleasures for which they are traditionally known. My own view is that this began with the Peugeot 206 in 1999.
The car's development and design represented a big challenge for Peugeot - it was the car that replaced the very popular 205, whose GTi version virtually defined small performance car motoring. Would the 206 win hearts as the 205 did?
Confirmation was pretty instant when it arrived. Compared to cars such as the Ford Fiesta or the Toyota Starlet, the 206 won hands down and it certainly was better looking and more modern than the 205. The car has since maintained a steady popularity, especially with young drivers and women. Both the conventional hatchback and the later coupé or soft-top version, especially in black, are fine looking cars with lots of road presence. The later 206 c.c. is especially evident outside hairdressers and other fashionable locations.
The car looks bigger than others in the supermini class and the choice of engines is very good - from the sedate 1.1 petrol up to bigger diesel engines. You don't have to go far up the cubic centimetre scale to enjoy the finest benefits of diesel - the 1.4 Hdi engine is one of the best around.
The 206 has that soft feel that many French cars have, but it handles very well, if feeling a little overwhelmed when confronted with uniquely Irish surfaces. The 1.1 is not the best performer around but, it's quite adequate for city driving. The 1.4 diesel is a great little country car with rewarding consumption. The 1.6 will do the best overall job for city and longer journeys.
Inside the fittings and seats are again soft but no less effective for it. Design of the built-in radio and stereo system are clever, appropriate and typically French.
The 206 did well in the EuroNCAP crash tests and was described as a car that gave "an all-round performance protecting the adult occupants. The structure provided a safety cage, with the driver's door frame showing only minor distortion". There was criticism of the three-year-old child's restraint failing to contain the child's head in both front and side impact. The restraint meant for an 18-month-old was forward facing and didn't protect the child's neck in the frontal impact.
Very small numbers of the 206 have been recalled for faults with passenger air bags, front suspension systems, brakes and seat belt anchorages, mostly in the early years. There was one major recall in 2000 for problems with the brake servo assistance system. You can check with a dealer to see if a particular car has been affected by a recall and check whether the work has been done, if necessary.
The 206 doesn't come cheap because of its looks and general style. A 2002 1.6 petrol coupé with 39,000 on the clock has an asking price of €18,000; a 2003 diesel with a 1.4 engine and 33,000 on the clock has an asking price of €14,900, while a 2003 1.1 petrol with 15,000 has an asking price of €14,500.