Any european car owners out there

catbrat, Dec 9, 5:50am
I am looking at a pugeot 307cc Auto have been told they have problems
with the gear boxes anyone had any problems,possibly would look
at a 208 with a glass roof, have never had a pugeot before,
was also looking at Renault megane auto anyone had issues with these
a friend suggested a Citreon c4 2008 I looked at one nice car but unsure
of it
have to replace a VW beetle written off,really don't want another one
don't like Japanese cars
any advice please

gsimpson, Dec 9, 5:58am
FIAT is another option

gammelvind, Dec 9, 6:01am
Skoda, look nice now

mm12345, Dec 9, 6:03am
Chery could be worth looking at - they aren't Japanese

tamarillo, Dec 9, 6:44am
The French have only very recently given us decent autos with 5 or more gears, they tend to make manuals mostly, but in our market manuals don't get bought.
Despite being a europhile I'd admit that the Peugeot autos have had some failures. I'd tend to want a NZ new car with full service history and a thorough Independant check. Then I'd get auto serviced with full flush.
Mostly the Peugeot and Citroen oily bits are the same, both company's are part of psa group and use same mechanicals. Renault is different.
I'd steer towards the Peugeot Citroen cars and make sure your happy with the auto especially on open road as they will mostly be just 4 speeds, which might be a let down after your beetle.
Other suggestions;
Skoda or VW golF. Both share mechanics with your beetle.
BMW 120i. Rear wheel drive and well sorted mechanicals.
Mini copper. Do you like them?

Are you super keen on convertible? Those French ones with metal hardtop folding into boot have complex mechanisms and make car heavy.

What's your spend?

intrade, Dec 9, 7:37am
peugeot citroen are the most hated crap i was in a training course at bosch germany and we all agreed psa is the worst crap ever. Thats from professionals whom fix vehicles in europe.

You had a thread about this befor or your mother or somone did .

intrade, Dec 9, 7:46am
renault is parts problem in nz for availability and price . renault auckland order the part in france and ask you to pay 500% more then you can order it retail from any renault reseller in europe.
vag groupe have good parts supply now in nz unless you got a unique example like i own 6 speed manual transmission diesel. but i did get the intake gasket think 18$ it was from nissan-vw whangarei as where it costs 6 pound in the uk so almost the same prices some stuff is to expensive when it comes to cluch kits for a t4 van they wanted 2000$ and we got it for 449 euros . the cilinder to actuate the clutch on the other hand i purchased from giltrap auckland 200$ from oversees it would have been 185$ , i dont mind a bit more expensive but not up to 500% like some gungsters like renault charge.

tamarillo, Dec 9, 7:50am
Op, Intrade really doesn't like French cars. I respect his knowledge though think he is a tad overzealous here. Certainly German cars get more respect from mechanics than French ones though. But I've had some great French cars that gave me many miles of great service (Peugeot and Citroen ).

poppy62, Dec 9, 8:58am
I own lots of European cars and have done so since the 1970s. Also owned a wrecking yard specialising in Euros for many decades. I totally disagree with Intrade on his assessments. I think the Peugeot/ Citroen range are very good and would not hesitate to buy one if the need arose. The mechanicals of the cars are excellent and long life and like all other vehicles are subject to good maintenance schedules. A current Citroen Picasso (2001 to cart G/kids) has just clicked over the 200k mark trouble free. There are a lot of Peugeot /Citroen cars for sale on TM with big Kms. The issues that Intrade bashes on about are usually related to electronics. Up until the 2005 period the electronic sensors and relays etc., were not sourced from China, but since then ('05 ) most vehicle manufacturers have resorted to sourcing electronic components from China, that have resulted in a lack of quality and thus some inherent problems have arisen right across the motoring spectrum and is just an issue with some cars. This equates to the many recalls that have occurred in all makes and models of most cars including Japanese and Korean as well. My opinion is that if you like the car and you are happy with the way it drives, looks and fits your needs and that you have it checked out by a reputable garage or franchise dealer and it has a good service history, then go for it, life's too short to worry about what ifs and maybes. BTW parts and consumables (filters, belts brake pads etc) are some of the cheapest on the market provided you shop around. You can always ask on here anyway. If you are considering Renault, I would advise that the Manual box version is the best option. The DS3 Citroen, C4, C3 are sister cars to the Peugeots and share many components. I personally prefer the Citroens, as there are a lot of unique features that only the French and Citroen can do.

djrandomguy, Dec 9, 2:16pm
the new psa range have taken out car and engine of the year with the engine and drivetrains subjected to over 1 million kilometres of testing before being put into production. in short the new line up is great. Also the PSA Tu engine resides under the bonnet of the 2nd generation of BMW's Mini, it was redesigned and had many changes made but plenty of people happily drive around in Mini's with a Peugeot engine without even knowing. The 307 is not Peugeot's finest hour, the roof adds weight and the transmissions are only 4 speed and prone to clapping out. That said, a decent Peugeot/Citroen mechanic will by now be able to tell you what goes wrong with them and what to avoid if you have your heart set on one. Personally I think the earlier 306 convertible is a better looking car.

mush13, Dec 9, 5:36pm
try this link http://australiancar.reviews/reviews.php#!content=recalls&make=Peugeot&model=307&gen=725&pno=0

Factory recalls should all be done I would look at the common problems listed at the bottom of the page. The 308 looks a lot better and I have driven a diesel 307 & early diesel 308, I think the 308 is a lot better and the latest version of the 308 gets a fairly good write up.

janbodean, Jul 9, 11:32am
I have a 307 with the 2000 cc motor and it is a fabulous car. Have now had it for several years and it has absolutely cost me nothing other than the usual maintenance, Prior to having the Peugeot I too had VW and did not find either of them reliable even though both were late models. My son in law had a similar experience with a two year old VW. I have owned Fiats in the past and liked them but for me I will stick to Peugeots. They are a lovely car to drive, economical, peppy and well made. As they say in the ads 'Try us you'll like us".