1986 Peugeot 205 Reviews, Pricing & Specs
What owners say
"Overall, owners of the 1986 Peugeot 205 have a positive view of this classic car, praising its fun driving experience, great handling, and performance, especially with the 1.6 engine. Many appreciated its light weight and the sense of connection it offers on the road. However, some drivers noted issues with rust and the potential for understeering, particularly if driven aggressively. Despite these drawbacks, the car remains beloved for its character and spirited drive."
This amazing little car took what VW did with the Golf GTi and imroved it. Amazing acceleration and handling from the 1.6 which is marginally better balanced than the thirstier and more nose heavy 1.9
April 18, 2008I owned it for nearly 10 years, and it was still in very good conditions when I sold it
January 5, 2008A good fun car, much missed. Great for driving on country roads or pootling around town. Cruises well on motorways too. small boot, uncomplicated engine, decent fuel economy; in short nothing not to like for the size and price - a super little car.
April 15, 2012What owners say
This amazing little car took what VW did with the Golf GTi and imroved it. Amazing acceleration and handling from the 1.6 which is marginally better balanced than the thirstier and more nose heavy 1.9
April 18, 2008I owned it for nearly 10 years, and it was still in very good conditions when I sold it
January 5, 2008A good fun car, much missed. Great for driving on country roads or pootling around town. Cruises well on motorways too. small boot, uncomplicated engine, decent fuel economy; in short nothing not to like for the size and price - a super little car.
April 15, 2012Great handling, revvy little 1.6 engine, just makes you want to drive her hard! And she'll love you for it.
January 22, 2008Somewhere in late 1989, my parents decided to buy a second hand small car. After considering Renaults Super 5 against Peugeots 205, the latter came out as a winner. A 3 year old Winchester grey 1986 Peugeot 205 XT came. I only got my drivers license in 1994 and so the car was 6 years old when I got to drive it intensively. I loved it. It's 78hp 1360cc double Weber carburettor engine had a lot of character. Being a French, it started suffering from rust on some body parts. To its defence, it has to be said that the rust occured mainly on badly repaired body panels after a small accident before our time. The engine and drivetrain however were very robust and did more than 240.000km before giving up. It must be said that it hadn't been taken care of as it should have: only oil was added when needed. We have always had our doubts about the real amount of km the car had run before we bought it. It had 80000km on the clock, but it could well have been 180000 if we consider all the worn parts we had to change in its lifetime: clutch, both cardan axles, engine mount (silent block), exhaust twice, ... Near its end, the car started to run more and more heavily on three cylinders before we finally replaced it. The 205 XT (3d) and GT (5d) and its successor XS (3d) didn't feature the GTI's ultrasharp front axle. The car was prone to heavy understeer when approaching a curve too fast. When braking hard or with a Scandinavian flick, it could be corrected to neutral or mild oversteer. When you got it wrong (worn road, moist), the torsion bar rear axle suspension would try and bite your head off to make the car spin 180° or more. I managed a 270° spin once in a tight and very wet bend. Maybe the absolutely awful Uniroyal Rallye 580 in 165/70 had something to do with that too. The 205 XT was a car that put a smile on my face when driving it. I liked it very much. I drove it a lot for a few years and it never let me down. In fact I liked it so much that when my mom replaced it by an Alfa Romeo 33 1.3, I I bought myself a Peugeot 106 XSI 1.6. Without the 205 experience, I would have never bought it.
February 19, 2010A proper 80s sport car : light, dangerous, cheap but so funny to drive, so 'pure'.
March 24, 2008
