PBH Bora vs PBK 306 Peugeot

[kbelcon]

Hey guys, im in a predicament between purchasing a PBH Bora and a PBK Peugeot 306. Any help or comments would be greatly appreciated. The price im getting on both is about the same

[damieG82]

well believe it or not, this could be a bit of a mismatch. The 306, albeit PBK which makes it a 2000 or 01 model, is a design which was launched in 1993, with very little changes done to its running gear since. It has worldwide acclaimed handling and excellent stability, but its 1.6 engine runs out of steam in some situations, as it too is based on an old PSA engine design with an updated 16 valve head (as opposed to the previous 8 valves). Safety wise, it has a barely there 3 star rating... not at all saying its a bad car, but lets just say its not as modern as a Bora. Parts are also more expensive since there are few parts dealers locally.

The Bora u considering was launched in 1998. Its a very solid car, with better stability owing to a more modern and heavier chassis. VW offset this with a very torquey 1.6 engine so it fosters more confidence than the 306 in knowing u'll have all the power u need for just about any road situation. The Bora however, while a competent handler, cannot match the nimbleness of the 306, and the steering isn't as quick or delivers the same level of feel. It has a 4 star safety rating, quite a few parts suppliers, and the ability to be easily tuned (if u into that kinda thing) since VW's 1.8 turbo engine in various states of tune will be an easy swap. The Bora is also chunkier than the 306 so IMO it has more presence, without looking bulbous like many modern day cars *cough... toyotas... cough*

The Bora also has more features, like 4 wheel disc brakes, height adjustable headlights, one touch power windows with external opening/closing, and the sweet indigo/red interior lighting... some even came with ESP (a german phrase across the back windscreen is a telltale sign that model has it). The 306's only outta d ordinary feature is automatic wipers.

Finally, looks also gotta be considered... both are very scandinavian in design, with the 306 being more svelte and having more curves. Despite its deficit on features etc, I'd take a 306 hatch sport (with sunroof ) over a Bora anyday... but thats just me.

Questions?

[kbelcon]

Thanx a mil man. No questions ur post gives me all the info I need. I just recently sold my C32 laurel with rb25 conversion. Ran sweet but not into much mods. Will touch you back for some info on a good mechanic when i get the vehicle.

[Pointman-IA]

even though price of the two are roughly the same, you should check out the service history of each individual vehicle.
Let a PUG/VW Expert accompany you to check these vehicles.

>>Just my two cents<<

[ek4ever]

^^True....the 306 has proven to be quite reliable if maintained properly....Boras on the other hand is a hit or miss....the first set brought to TT were prone to mechanical and electrical problems...I know personally of 3 ppl who got rid of their Boras cause they were problematic...another friend of mine maintained his own meticulously and still had problems and had to do an engine rebuild....so don't expect reliability to be on par with the Japanese brands.....good luck though

[Skyline_babe]

one thing to add
the transmission in the 306 is cased away and when it starts to give problems, thats a different story....its alot of head ache
vws dont have such probs,they have lots of low wend torque...