Honest opinions needed please

[bc13247]

I'm thinking of buying a second hand Peugeot 208 but was wondering if anybody had any experience with them and could share their opinions.

The general consensus is that cars made by the French are crap which is putting me off, but is this actually true?

I really need something reliable but I have no idea what to go for!

Please help me decide

Anyone?

I bought a second hand Peugeot 307 about 4 years ago. In that time it's need a new clutch, a heater matrix and a water pump plus the odd tyre/brake pad. It's got 125000 on the clock but it only cost me £1200. They say a new car depreciates by a £1000 a year so I think I've done OK with it. I like it and would consider another one.

I'd never have another Peugeot. They are really cheaply made, I found ours uncomfortable to drive and we had lots go wrong with it.

I've had a Peugeot, a Renault and a Citroen at different times in my 40+years of driving. All drove ok but parts seem to need replacing earlier than you'd hope and are more expensive. Maybe cheaper to buy but dearer to maintain.

I've had a VW, a Suzuki and briefly a [terrible] Vauxhall. I stick to Ford.

My dad is a mechanic so to be fair any problems he could sort it for me, I'd just rather not be forking out for parts as it starts to get expensive! I've not been able to speak to him yet though to ask his advice, maybe I'll wait until I do.

I've currently got a Vauxhall and it's been great (touch wood), although I know a lot of people say they've had problems with theirs

@Tinytigertail Which model did you have if you don't mind me asking and what problems did you have with yours?

It was a 307. The main thing I remember was the power steering going (while we were on the motorway) our mechanic told us that it was a fairly common problem with Peugeots. Overall, I'd say I disliked it because everything felt cheaply made.