QuestionI hope i dont insult you with this but it concerns our second car a Peugeot 306 1.8 auto xt 1995, bought a year ago in france where we live, its in really good nick but seems to have very little power for a 1.8, i realise the box will sap a bit but is there any other reason it might be a bit sluggish. Kick down is okish but not amazing, new oil, plugs and filters when we bought it, and very low mileage, any ideas?
Answer
Well, it is a Peugeot "Pronounced Pu-Git in the USA" and is more along the lines of an economy car in the trim you described it. This is nowhere near the same caliber car as in the WRC models. You may try getting the transmission filter changed but I feel it will yield only minimal improvements if any at all. My suggestion, for power and comfort I suggest the Honda Civic, Accord, and Prelude as able city cars with a little more muscle. If you really want the scalded cat performance from the Peugeot, a performance cat back exhaust, cold air intake, larger/lighter rims, polyurethane engine and transmission mounts, and a new set performance shocks and springs would punch it up as much as you could for the car it is without blowing an exorbitant amount of money and time. On my Civics I use a 17" alloy rim "19 lbs lighter overall", Cold air intake "crisper throttle/less restriction", Cat back or full performance exhaust "less restriction", Poly Engine mounts "more positive transmission of power to the road", and performance shocks and springs "allows you to gain more traction and deliver more power to the wheels".
Expect to pay $500-$1000 without the rims and tires / $1500-$2000 with. You will also sacrifice ride quality and the low noise emissions of the vehicle. My advice is to let sleeping dogs lie and be thankful that it is a great a car as you described it as.
Regards,
John
