Saxo VTS vs 106 GTi

Chrispy · Post by **Chrispy** » 16 Jul 2005, 15:34

Hi all,
I know I'm jumping the gun by a fair while yet, but I'm looking at what my next choice of car's gonna be. The Xantia is nice and comfy but I want something small, quick and that handles well. I was looking at Skoda Fabia vRS's but they about 10k. Other things that have sprung to mind are Saxo VTS's and Pug 106 GTi's. What are they like? I've been in a 106 GTi as a passenger and it was like a total go-kart...went well and handled brilliantly. Also been in a Saxo VTR (not a VTS) and that was ok too....obviously not as rapid (no-where near) but handled quite well.
What are they like for common faults and fuel economy? I'm fully prepared to go easy on the throttle to ease out a few more mpg.
I was looking more at the 106 to be honest as I prefer the look of it but I thought I'd get some opinions off you guys first.
Cheers,
Chris.

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 16 Jul 2005, 16:07

May i ask your age, if your driving an Xantia then presumably maybe closer to 30, if this is the case then why on earth would you want a silly car like a saxo in comparison....stay with your comfy beast....it'll be downgrading you know.
If your prepared to go easy on the throttle to get better mpg then it defies the whole point of having a saxo/106 which are there to drive a bit faster and have fun in just like the zx...well as quick as you can in a 1.9d....
Oh just to let you know i for some reason have a passion of hating Saxo's, they just look poo and sat in one at an auctions with Wilkobob and there really small inside...smaller than my mates 3-door r-reg fiesta....i also hate 3-door cars hehehehehe

rbruce1314 · Post by **rbruce1314** » 16 Jul 2005, 19:32

106s can have heater matrix problems (like Xantias [:D][:D][:D]) but I do not know if saxos are the same.

Chrispy · Post by **Chrispy** » 16 Jul 2005, 20:38

I'm actually 24! 30...the cheek....[:)] The reason I got a Xantia is cos they're cheap and pretty reliable, and I can do most things DIY, unlike the BM I had before.
Reason I'm after a GTi is the Xantia is simply too much of a heavy slug to enjoy spirited driving. B roads are not a pleasure in the thing as it's underpowered and too heavy round the twisties with excessive body roll. A smaller car provides the fun factor a Xantia can't.
My other choice was going to be a 306 HDi in Dturbo spec and then I'll get it re-mapped. That would be just about adequate I guess.

Paulmi16 · Post by **Paulmi16** » 16 Jul 2005, 23:51

If you have a burberry cap, like subwoofers, neon light and want to be a chav then a Saxo will be perfect for want. The 106 is rarer but does seem to have a better image and reputation than the Saxo.
Paul.

Post by **CitroJim** » 17 Jul 2005, 00:02

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by mezuk04</i>

May i ask your age, if your driving an Xantia then presumably maybe closer to 30, if this is the case then why on earth would you want a silly car like a saxo in comparison....stay with your comfy beast....it'll be downgrading you know.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I'm 46 and drive a 205GTi for silly grins. Age is not a barrier to having fun. You can tell though that I'm a child of the 70's by the furry dice in it.
Chrispy: Have both - a 106 GTi and a Xantia - enjoy the best of both worlds...

Chrispy · Post by **Chrispy** » 17 Jul 2005, 02:45

Jim, I agree 100%. In fact, I found it rather irritating that someone would try labelling me with an age simply due to the car I drive. My mates at college years ago had Rover 214's cos they're cheap and never really went badly wrong. I'd love to have 2 cars, 1 for each purpose but sadly I lack both the funds and the space to do it. It's £800 a year just for me to insure the Xantia and thats with 2 years NCB, no accidents ever and the car parked on the driveway. Living in Beirut doesn't particularly help though I imagine.....
To be honest, I actually prefer the 106 to the Saxo. It looks a little better in my opinion, and a tad less chavvish than the endless hordes of Saxo's you see driving about.
I was keen on knowing about reliablity stuff with the 106, and economy too. Obviously it's no diesel, and if driven hard will not be the most frugal of cars, but it would be nice to get 35mpg if driven sensibly. I've had fast cars before and driven them sensibly (a Honda CRX Mk2 and a Toyota MR2 MkI, and the BMW E36 320i Coup) and so I am capable of it, just shaving my foot down occasionally to put a grin on my face! [:)]
Anyone got any experience of these cars or am I best asking the rather silent Peugeot forum? [:)]

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 17 Jul 2005, 05:42

I remember the Top Gear review of the 106 Gti and Saxo VTS.
Both get the same engine, but to get the Citroen to 60 mph faster, they made 2nd gear a little higher, so it could do 60 in 2nd gear and get the magical 0-60 figure. The 106 is slower to 60mph because it needs an extra gear change, but is faster overal because it hasn't had 2nd gear made aritificially high.
They are the same car pretty much, you decide which car and image you like best. Its up to you.

Jshodgson · Post by **Jshodgson** » 17 Jul 2005, 14:59

I had a VTR for 4 years and returned better MPG than my TD Xantia. Handling was excellent and Tyres lasted me 15000 miles on the front. I am 6foot 2 and a large chap and the cabin is tight and the pedals especially but I did over 70k in mine with no complaints.
Build quality is crappy and there is no room under the bonnet which makes DIY tricky.
I converted mine to LPG - what ever anyone tells you DO NOT EVER EVER do this to a VTR. It killed 2 Cats, 2 coils, radiator, air filter and returned crap MPG and crap performance so I had it properly removed and restored the car back to its normal self. A complete waste of time and a lot of money.
My friend had a 106 and it had the same build quality issues and space restrictions.

Chrispy · Post by **Chrispy** » 17 Jul 2005, 22:28

Ha! Check this out....just got an insurance quote for the 2 from Tesco's. The saxo is cheaper to insure by £100 a year. They're both expensive mind....£1080 for the 106 and £980 for the Saxo......although I am paying £800 for the Xantia at the mo. According to Parkers, the Saxo is an insurance group higher too....mad...
Ah well, Saxo it is! All I need now is a Burberry cap and some 'w4nker lights' for the bonnet.....hmmm....

nitro74 · Post by **nitro74** » 18 Jul 2005, 03:50

Hello
I used to have a 106 gti 16v, and I used it for almost 5 years.I must say it was an amazing car, 106 and saxo are allmost same cars techincally if I am not wrong saxo is very little bit quicker at 0-60 on the other hand 106 is bit faster at the top speed, but it is such a small difference. I would say as both cars are technicaly almost same go for the the one wich looks better and more beautiful for you or if you are buying a second hand go for the cleaner and better looked after one
good luck

cornishbx16v · Post by **cornishbx16v** » 18 Jul 2005, 14:15

The 106 gti handles better than the saxo, For those that can remember the original topgear review it was mentioned! however, it is strange as they both have the same chassis, shell, drivetrain, and engine yet one handles better!
i would go for the 106! purely because its a rarer car and pug didnt make a cheaper lesser powered version like the vtr! book figures vary hugely as when pugeot set there figures it was normally done with a full tank of fuel and a passenger in the car whilst most others citroen included did it with just enough fuel and only the driver!