23 Aug 01
Prices: £100-£2500
Engines: 1.6 - 1580cc, 105bhp (1984-86), 115bhp (1986-92), four cylinders; 1.9 - 1905cc, 130bhp, four cylinders
Check for: Accident damage, dodgy history, poor maintenance, overheating, electrical problems, oil leaks, poor brakes, worn suspension, stress fractures in body structure, rust
It's the definitive hot hatch, say the pundits, and the 205GTI gets mentioned in just about every review of a new sporty small car, usually prefixed by the words 'the new (whatever) is no...' Certainly, a considerable number of motoring journalists own, or have owned at some point, a 205GTI. If that's not enough of a recommendation, then try the lightweight 205GTI's precise handling, superb grip and balance, spirited power delivery and good old-fashioned fun for yourself. It seems obvious to go for the 1.9, but the 1.6 version is fast enough not to be a cheapskate option, and because of its lighter weight at the front end, some purists say that it actually handles better.
Either way, the 205GTI is not for the faint-hearted. Even the early 1.6's 105 bhp is a lot of power for a car so small and light, and the chassis is by no means foolproof; always prone to lift-off oversteer, many a 205GTI made an early trip to the breaker's yard after its back end overtook its front. By modern standards, the 205 also feels incredibly flimsy and fragile - which it is. Poor crash protection (even by early-to-mid '80s standards), insubstantial body panels and a tendency to fall apart rather easily can heighten a sense of vulnerability for the uninitiated.
However, if this isn't a problem for you, then decide how much you want to pay: you can get a tatty borderline-MOT 205GTI for under £100 these days, but it will have reliability problems, have been involved in a bad accident at some stage or be in an advanced stage of disintegration (or all three). Best to pay a bit more and get a better one; really mint cars can, and do, fetch as much as £3000, and if you're really keen, there's even a company specialising in ground-up restorations (at around the £5000 mark). But you can get a perfectly decent, usable everyday example for £750-£1200, and a low-mileage investment from £1500-ish.
The 1.9 versions do fetch more than the 1.6s at the upper end of the scale, but there's not much difference between scruffy ones. The only special edition offered was the 1992 '1FM' model; just 25 were made but the Radio One connection isn't really cool enough to command any price premium. Who needs special graphics and media endorsements when you're driving an icon?
Links:
Guide to checking out a used car
Mug's guide to tuning: More bhp for your bucks
