Peugeot 306 Cabriolet (1994 - 2002) 2.0 Roland Garros 2d Auto Owner Review
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In their own words
I fell in love with the looks of the car many years ago, and finally bought one in 2014. Unfortunately it had been 'restored' by a baboon who stripped several cylinder head bolts amongst other things, so I replaced it with a sad-looking Roland Garros Cabriolet a few months later. It had been standing for 2 years so I expected a long restoration, but it passed it's MOT after just a couple of week's work, and has been running without a fault ever since! There are very few Mk1 306 cabs left, and even fewer Roland Garros' (about 40) so few people know what it is, but the auto box is perfectly matched to the MK1's 2.0 single cam engine so this ancient-looking Pug often gives newer car owners a surprise when I'm accelerating onto the dual carriageway. I've run it every day for the past 2 years, snow or shine, and it hasn't missed a beat or needed any maintenance except for topping up fluid levels and putting air in the tyres. Far, far, far more reliable than any of the "bomb proof" classic Mercs or VWs I've had in the past. Seemingly the simpler electrics on the Mk1 make it more reliable than the Mk2 - I've never had any niggles with the roof or window motors, and it doesn't leak in heavy rain either. About the only things I would say to watch out for are: 1) Electric hood problems are quite common, but usually very easy to fix with the help of the owner's club 2) Mk2s can suffer from leaks around the windscreen rubber, but Mk1s (with the rectangular headlights) don't get this problem because the rubber's made in a different way 3) Central locking on the boot can jam. Simply fix it by disconnecting the lock plunger. 5 minutes work and no inconvenience since the boot central locking only locks the boot, but doesn't unlock it. 4) These cars are very sensitive to the correct type of tyre. If the car feels vague or wallowy despite having good suspension, check on the tyre make. Cheap tyres ruin the handling so ensure it has Michelin Pilot Sports, Hancook Ventus or similar fitted, and it'll handle like it's on rails.
How reliable do you find the car?
My 2nd 306 Cabriolet. First one was a bodged mess so didn't last long, but this one runs beautifully and hasn't needed a day's work on it in almost 2 years!Does the car do everything you expected it to do?
Great in the summer, plenty of room for 4 people with the hood down as you would expect. But it's super-reliable, has plenty of room in the boot for a week's shop, and with the optional hard top is the best winter car I've ever owned! Never misses a beat even in seriously subzero temperatures, and the powerful heater and well insulated hardtop mean it de-ices the windows much quicker than any of my neighbour's cars so I can normally drive away in a couple of minutes even if the ice is too thick for a scaper.About their car
- Fuel type Petrol
- When purchased February 2015
- Condition when bought Used
- Current Mileage 114,000 miles
- Average MPG 30 mpg
