Saxo VTS

[Ben P]

Thought this might get a bit of attention.

Basically what do people think of this car?

I want a new car and it has to be fast coz I am absolutely fed up of being whooped by d1ckheads in Vectra V6s and the like.

I know its not a 172 (but I cant afford one and the VTS has free insurance)

Just wondered if anyone had driven one/raced one and if they are as quick as they are often claimed.

I get a decent discount coz at the moment I am working at Peugeot.

 

[BenR]

dont listen to anything derogatory, sure, most boyracers own them, but they are good motors.

 

[Dazz F]

Personally i prefer the 106 GTi, same car different looks with slightly better handling. The Saxo is a great car for the money though, just a little too popular these days for my liking. Wot about one of the 1.4 16v or 1.6 16v Clios, there pretty quick and can be made to look wicked.

Dazz

 

[CS_Matt]

go for a 106 gti instead of a saxo in my opinion.

and very tru, 1.4 clios are suprisingly nippy for what they are.

beats 90% of other standard 1.4s

 

[wongy008]

my opinion

yes dont listen to anyone.bad word anyway. im talking from experience as my bro has a vtr and ive test drove a vts

vts is a awesome car and yes it is blindinly quick for a 1.6, the latest generation vts built after 2001 are supposed to out of factory with 130 bhp.
various magazines tested this car and having nothing but praise for it. it will pull to 60 easily from low 7 to 8 and it certainly feels like it.

best thing about the saxo is not the speed but the handling. it has the best turn in or any car ive driven,( better than my 16v lowered and strut braced) and handling is amazing. only bad thing is go into corner too fast and back off then you can say bye bye to saxo and buy a new motor you will most certainly lose the back end due to the severe lift off oversteer.its caught many saxo owners out

yes its identcal mechanically to the 106 but its cheaper, however the residuals for the gti are much better. almost 1000 more than the equivalent saxo of same age plus the gti are higher specd

draw back of what is a wicked car

gearchange is completely sh*t. it really is soo notchy and not direct at all,

steering is tooooo light

pedals are too crammped

too many saxo on the road and you wont feel your driving something specials as you do in say as in a 16v or willy. you just dont see these cars on the road that much. making it very exclusive

wongy

 

[Nick Read]

Whatever the handling and performance are like (I agree with Wongy on those things), the main point is that it is sooooooo common.

If youre not getting a Williams, which you should - get a 106 GTi, very quick, will hold its value better, and its just the latest in a long line of hot Peugeots.

 

[BenR]

but the insurance is the clincher i would say!!

 

[desmondo]

Id go for the 106 gti. And worry about the insurance later!!!

 

[Rich-D]

Well, Id go for the 106 GTi over the Saxo VTS and I did, becuase I had one for 2 years.

Basically the same car, I have driven the Saxos too (my sister is on her 2nd VTR), but there are a few slight differences...

The 106 is a lot rarer than the Saxo, they hold their 2nd hand value a lot better too, they also have the leather/alcantara interior (big selling point), also a leather steering wheel and gear knob (unlike plastic on Saxo), different suspension than the VTS (not as viscious with lift-off oversteer), the steering is not feather light like it is on Saxos, gearing is still close but slightly longer than a VTS and IMO better, there is a gap next to the clutch pedal to rest your foot (unlike the Saxo) and as a whole the car is generally screwed together & just trimmed/finished better than its stablemate.

Here is a shot of the interior...

http://members.lycos.co.uk/Pug106GTi/Misc/My%20106%20GTi%20Seats.jpg


Those seats are really comfy and theres plenty of space in there as I am 6 3" with size 11 feet and I had no problems. A much nicer place to be than the Saxo.

One thing to note, is that the 106 is cheaper to insure then the Saxo(wierd?!), so another tick in the box.

Handling wise the 106 is absolutely amazing and can outdrive cars costing a hell of a lot more. I have taken it on several trackdays now and you can literally hang the back end out round corners and balance it on the throttle in an almost rwd like way. Compared to a mk1 172 on track, which I did a couple of weeks ago, the 106 is sharper on the steering and slightly quicker through the corners.

Here is mine in action...

http://members.lycos.co.uk/Pug106GTi/Misc/Me_Cornering.jpg


Performance wise, they may only be a little 1.6, but do NOT underestimate them. As soon as you get these things above 5000rpm and they pull like a train all the way to 7250rpm.
The 0-60 time is just 7.4secs and it actually feels quicker due to the car being so responsive.

An easy car to tune as well, due to them being heavily restricted (both 106 & Saxo) and its not difficult to unleash a few more horses. The later cars were rumoured to have 130bhp, but this has never been proven.

They are a very easy car to live with every day too, as below the 5000rpm powerband it is quite docile and smooth. Also they are very good on fuel, even if driving quite quickly.

I recently sold this one...

http://members.lycos.co.uk/Pug106GTi/Pug%20106%20Mine%20Now%20front_side.jpg


After 2 superb years and now I really wish I hadnt!

But, I have just bought a house and I used the money from the Pug as a deposit.

We all have to grow up at some point!

Currently using my parents cars and , my old R5 GT Turbo track car, while I am forking out for washing machines, fridge freezers, setees, etc...

But wont be long until I get something else to replace the 106 (R5 is for trackdays) and I am still unsure what to get?!

Hope that helps.

 

[wallisj]

I had a VTS for 2 1/2 years...they are nice cars...easy to increase power, the problem is that with the westcoast, furio, vtr and vts all having the same looks, they are extremely common.

If you are wanting more racy look, then the rear seats are dead easy to strip out and a friend of mine has just got a stripped out VTS, with a few mods (carbon cooler filter, de-cat grp N zorst and 4-1 stainless manifold (no chip yet i think) and he can do a 1/4 mile in mid 15s

The footwell is cramped, the seats offer no lateral support and the standard ride height is astronomical, the gear change is not fantasic, although the GMC short-shift kit sorts that out. Also GMC 50mm lowering springs are the best. along with the GMC manifold (i had that on mine...made a good difference)

Other than that...nice car, if typical french build quality

Ta
J

 

[Ian P]

Indeed, Wallisj. Typical French quality. A mate had a VTS as a company car and it was constantly in and out of the garage.

A chap I work with now has an R reg 106 gti and is on his second engine already. This second one only has 30k miles on it and blew a spark plug out last week, thread and all.

Good car while it works though, definitely the 106 over the Saxo.

 

[Captain Slarty]

I have no probs with the vts et al.. a good car.

check out this link for details of what can be done...

http://www.create-it.co.uk/m18eut/the_supercharger.htm

also, gmc offer a 180 BHP @ the WHEELS conversion...

thats bloody awesome !

Joe

 

[Jock_071279]

i know where everyone is coming from when they say go for the GTi .. i myself would agree... i currently own a VTR and would only go for it for a change..however if i was decided between the 2 now i would also be tempted by the free insurance/CD payer/passenger air bag that comes standard over the GTi.......

 

[desmondo]

Doesnt the GTi come with a CD player?

 

[Rich-D]

The 106 GTi does now come with a CD player (identical to Saxo one) and passenger airbag as standard!

Only thing different is the insurance. Peugeot are doing free insurance on all 106s *except* on the GTi.

 

[greeper]

I like the look of the VTSs which is a good thing considering how many there are. A few friends own them and the performance is very good as long as there aren’t too many passengers. Personally I think they look better on the outside than the 106, but the interior is less impressive, things tend to fall off due to bad fitting.

106GTi insurance group 13
Saxo VTS insurance group 14.

Either car will not disappoint if all you are looking for is a damned fast little car. Enjoy

 

[Ben P]

Thanks for all the replies.

I have to say I agree with the majority of what people have said.

I prefer the looks, exclusivity and interior of the 106 over the VTS however for me, insurance is the main factor.

I know people have said that the 106 should be cheaper to insure, but from all te quotes I have had here are the best 2:

106 GTi - £1200 FC
VTS - £950 FC

Coupled with the fact that the VTS comes with the 1st year free (so the second year will only cost me around £750 FC) and it is much cheaper.

I really hate the interior compared to the 106 though.

Also something else I thought about, do you reckon Citroen insurance would allow for modifications? Theres no way I would be able to keep it standard there are just too many around.

 

[geordiepaul]

No Cireon Insurance will instantly cancel your insurance if you modify the car!!!! The insurance is through direct line. I enquired about changing the alloy wheels when I have my saxo with free insurance and they blunlty told me that any modification would invalidate my insurance.

I also spoke to people who had ignored this and Direct line had sent someone out to check the car!! Bye bye insurance is all I can say.

 

[Rich-D]

Another good thin about the Peugeot is that you *can* modify the car (to some extent) and it wont invalidate the warranty.

 

[Ben P]

Hmmm thats something to think about.

Ive heard of people getting away with lowering the car, the underwriters have to give you permission and apparantly it depends very much on the kind of person you speak to when you contact them.

Ive got about 4 weeks to make my mind up, so I am going to have to start arranging some test drives.

The other thing was, that if I didnt get the VTS, I would probably consider a 206 GTi. I get a biger discount on these coz they are the model we build, so it makes the price only a few hundred quid more than the 106 GTi.

I know the 206 is a bit soft, and has got a bit of a slating on a post recently, but if the prices were virtually the same I reckon this would be a better car than the 106. Newer, more equipment etc.

 

[Rich-D]

Ben -

All Ill say is drive them both mate...

I dont mean a quick 5 minute potter on a test drive, go to the garage and insist you get a decent test drive.

When I got my 106 GTi I had a good 30 minute drive in the peak district (was at Uni in Sheffield at the time) and that was a "proper" test drive!

My mate got a 106 GTi about 6 months after me and he got given the car, on his own (no supervision) and had it for about an hour.

So do not put up with being fobbed off.

I do like the 206 and cant wait for the new 186bhp model, but the current GTi aint as good as the 106 GTi.

 

[Jordy]

I had a Saxo VTS 16v but the acc. feeling was stronger then the Clio MK2 172 that i have now.