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 I like French cars...well, I like the idea of certain French cars. I've visited there a few times and lived there for a period in my 20s but somehow managed to drive only non-French metal while in the hexagon - I've never actually driven a domestic Frogmobile. Mon dieu! My impression of the French is that they are incredibly capable engineers who only make cool poo poo when they feel like it, which isn't very often - especially these days. The A110 is still probably my ultimate dream car. Here are some of the better known ones:                   Top Gear recently made a funny segment on how modern Peugeots are poo poo. While true, I'd like this thread to be something more than people parroting that or the usual car forum platitudes about the DS/SM. Anyone here own a French car, or have driving impressions of one? Americans - funny stories or advice about sourcing parts and expertise? blk fucked around with this message at 04:47 on May 19, 2015 |
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May 19, 2015 04:44
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Anyone saying Peugeots are poo poo hasn't seen Le Mans. For them to keep up with Audi for so long in P1 is a testament to their engineering prowess... Left bank failures notwithstanding.
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May 19, 2015 06:43
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French cars are plentiful on this side of the pond. They have a bad rep, but for every one with weird French problems there's a handful that just quietly soldier on. The Danish police had Peugeot 406s at one point ten years ago or so, and around that time Peugeot 206, 306 and 406 occupied the top three spots of units sold for several months. The Toyota Aygo/Citroen C1/Peugeot 107 triplets were also super popular, and cheap as dirt. They drive just like any other econobox does. Not terribly bad, not terribly sporty. Gets the job done. That being said, gently caress newer Renaults with taillights off by default and crap, blinding, low LED front DRLs.
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May 19, 2015 10:14
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The family had a Peugeot 505 wagon, and unfortunately for the point of the thread, its probably the worst car we have had. It had chassis rust damage bad enough that it would not pass inspections at 11 years old and had to be scrapped. From Wikipedia, I think it had the 89hp 1,6 petrol, which also made it pretty underpowered. It had however loads of luggage space (as many mid 80s to 90s french wagons seemed to) and it looked pretty cool from the front. Good for Africa, maybe not so much salty Northern Europe. Think this but with rust holes in the doors and wings
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May 19, 2015 12:00
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Humbug posted:The family had a Peugeot 505 wagon, and unfortunately for the point of the thread, its probably the worst car we have had. It had chassis rust damage bad enough that it would not pass inspections at 11 years old and had to be scrapped. From Wikipedia, I think it had the 89hp 1,6 petrol, which also made it pretty underpowered. It had however loads of luggage space (as many mid 80s to 90s french wagons seemed to) and it looked pretty cool from the front. Good for Africa, maybe not so much salty Northern Europe. I'm not sure if it was a 505, but a friend's parents had one that looked exactly like that in the 80's here in the US. Another friend's parents owned a Le Car. There were quite a few French cars around back then but they had a terrible reputation for quality, deserved or not.
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May 19, 2015 12:15
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An old neighbor of mine had a collection of about 10 Peugeots of varying ages, in the 10 years I lived there I only saw one of them ever run.
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May 19, 2015 15:05
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Every now and then, I forget just how goddamned beautiful Concorde was...then I get a reminder. 
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May 19, 2015 20:15
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I really miss my 504, it was slow but could go anywhere. I miss my diesel 505 sometimes too but mostly because it had a leaky exhaust seal that made it sound like an old slow diesel single. Felt pretty classy rolling along going plonk-plonk-plonk.
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May 19, 2015 23:32
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The Traction Avant is probably my favorite car-that-looks-like-it-came-from-a-gangster-movie.
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May 20, 2015 05:03
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May 20, 2015 05:19
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StandardVC10 posted:The Traction Avant is probably my favorite car-that-looks-like-it-came-from-a-gangster-movie. It's driven by a lot of gangsters in the Tintin books. I bought a poulet roti at that Safeway last Thanksgiving!
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May 20, 2015 06:08
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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespa_150_TAP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rocUxtLIgs French engineering can be pretty cool
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May 20, 2015 06:50
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Two of my favourite French cars are the Bagheera and Murena. Just look at those seats. 
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May 20, 2015 08:04
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I feel like this is the right thread to ask in, anybody know what happened around Rönneby, Sweden this weekend? I saw 10s of old (looked like the one below) Citroens when i was driving around and on the way home with my parents.
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May 20, 2015 08:28
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French cars are not universally terrible. Like with every other car maker, you have models and years you should avoid. For example, Renault is said to have had atrocious electrical problems about 10 years ago. On the other hand, Peugots and Citroens from 10-20 years ago are said to be very good used cars, since they are under appreciated and well made. I'm owning a '96 Citroen XM and my parents drive a Peugot 406 Break. The Peugot is over 10 years old and has 265.000 kms on the clock. It just passed the German safety inspection without any problems. It rides well and its 2L Diesel engine feels powerful and is frugal. The XM is not such a success story, as its rocker panels are rusted due to being put on a lift incorrectly (its an XM thing, you wouldn't understand), compromising its otherwise very good rust protection. The subsequent rust angered the safety inspector and some other issues, like worn rubber bushing between rear subframe and chassis didn't help. I'm currently pondering whether to have to car fixed up or replace it with another XM. Other than that, the car has been very reliable, especially given it's 19 years old and has done 250.000 kms. I had to clean some connectors and switches but the engine and the hydropneumatic suspension have not given me any trouble. Overall, its still holding up well for a nineties high-tech luxury car. I think, one issue with French cars in Germany (and elsewhere) is that they are cheap and seldom bought out of enthusiasm. Therefore, their drivers do not care for them as well as they should and poor reliability follows.
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May 20, 2015 10:29
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Owner of a Peugeot 207 here. Got it brand new in 2010(paid about 11k), it's the 99g diesel version which has a 1.6l engine. Thanks to this it's decently sporty when required, handles nicely and is low on fuel consumption, already got 132k km on the clock so far(getting about 1100km out of a full 45l tank, and that's when it beeps to tell me I should fill up again in the next 100km or so) Friend of mine has a 2009 207 with the 1.4l diesel which handles like poo poo in comparison, vague shifting and no guts. The only issues I've had with mine is that it eats headlights(gotta put in a new one every 8 months or so) and one of the internal dashboard lights died(near the vent controls), according to the dealer it requires tearing off the dash to replace. Overall: A bit on the boring side, but reliable as hell. Repairs and maintenance are overall pretty cheap, mainly because it's a popular econobox. On the other hand, I got a loaner 206 after getting in an accident in 2013 and it was the shittiest car I've ever driven. Partially because it was a loaner and the stick shift was loose as hell and the brakes were soft.
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May 20, 2015 10:43
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Plankalkuel posted:French cars are not universally terrible. Like with every other car maker, you have models and years you should avoid. For example, Renault is said to have had atrocious electrical problems about 10 years ago. On the other hand, Peugots and Citroens from 10-20 years ago are said to be very good used cars, since they are under appreciated and well made. Explains why my dads laguna had tons of electrical poo poo just stop working, all the time. He now has a Citroen DS3, which he loves. No problems at all while he's had it, except for morons thinking it's a laugh to climb up on the roof and break of th antenna while on drunken nights out... I really want a french car in the future, I like Citroen, but the engines aren't really what I want at the moment. From the numbers they have bad performance with lovely MPG for what you get out of it. But you get a lot of the stuff that the germans charge a ton for as standards / cheap upgrade, which is nice. I'd love to have a Renault Alpine from the 60's.
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May 20, 2015 10:56
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Something, I'm becoming acutely aware of is the fact that PSA's spare parts supply policy is horrible. For example the clutch for my 3L V6, a very common engine and also found in contemporary Peugots, is permanently out of stock. Even if you build the most reliable car in the world, refusing to supply wear & tear parts will get you. This applies to models as young as six years and extends to iconic cars like the DS, CX and SM. Enthusiasts usually help themselves, by doing low volume custom production but that is mostly concentrated on well established classics. PSA is exceptionally lovely in that regard 
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May 20, 2015 13:19
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Once you've owned a French car, your automotive taste will either stay French forever, or become 100% anti-French forever. There is no middle ground. Also, if you drive a German car, you have to rag on French cars all the time, or the warranty is void. My initiation to French cars started when my dad switched his company vans from Toyota HiAces to Citroën Jumpys (Peugeot Expert, Fiat Scudo). They were ugly, but super functional, reliable and inexpensive. A year or so later, he added a Citroën Evasion van (Peugeot 806, Fiat Ulysse, Lancia Zeta), which was significantly more plush than the Jumpys, a very comfortable "boss van". My dad still claims it's the best car he's ever owned. Later, he upgraded the Jumpys to the newer generation and got rid of the Evasion. Later yet, when he laid off his two employees and downsized to just himself again, he replaced everything with a bigger Peugeot Boxer van (Citroën Jumper, Fiat Ducato, Ram ProMaster), complete with an electronics workbench etc. in the back. The lease is ending soon, but he's definitely going to keep it, it's perfect for what he does. He also had a Citroën Xantia van for a year or so, that he got as a part trade for the Evasion. I borrowed that car as much as I possibly could, since I had sold my Corolla a couple of months earlier. On the civilian side of things, a year or so after my dad bought the first Citroëns, my parents were replacing their third Mercedes (1996 C250 diesel), which was a heap of poo poo. The positive experience from the vans got my dad looking into their sedans and wagons, and he got totally hooked on the hydropneumatic suspension system. Then he found out that he could get a used Citroën C5 for about half the price of a Ford Mondeo etc. of roughly the same vintage and mileage, never mind any Mercedes worth spending money on. So they bought their first C5. It was a frightfully ugly car, and the interior was not very well put together. But it was ridiculously comfortable and reliable apart from the usual wear and tear on a well-used car, certainly a lot more reliable than their last Mercedes had been. At 280,000km, they replaced it with a newer used C5 wagon, which has been absolutely flawless so far. It's comfortable (of course), quiet and ridiculously roomy. Plus, you can raise and lower the back end with a button near the hatch, for easier loading/unloading. As for myself, I've only owned three cars so far. A 1988 Corolla, a 2008 Fiat Panda and my current car, a 2000 Peugeot 406. I've actually loved the design of the 406 for a long time, so I figured it was time to get one before big thirsty cars become completely outlawed. I honestly don't think I'll own a non-French car again anytime soon, the 406 has me completely spoiled. It's comfy, roomy, well put together (seriously) and quick enough to get out of its own way. It also handles like no ~1,5 ton family sedan has any right to, you have to drive like an absolute nutter to make it understeer, and it feels like it lives and breathes for curvy roads. And it'll sit comfortably at 150kph for hours and hours, "long legs" have always been a Peugeot strength, these are cars built to cross countries in comfort. French suspension = best suspension. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 18:57 on May 20, 2015 |
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May 20, 2015 13:44
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 This is my Peugeot 306 Gti6. Fun Facts: 125kw/167bhp N/A Gallic Fury A 6 speed gearbox from 1996. A turning circle of 11.6m/37 ft, which sounds pretty big for a little car but that's only when turning left. If you're turning right it's 13.7m/45ft. No French electronics to worry about! - they're Italian! I got this on a bit of a whim, and it's my French car coming from several Subarus and a Toyota. I haven't been at all disappointed. Nice revvy engine, slick 6 speed, really responsive handling with a strong tendency to gracefully lift off oversteer make for a good time when you want to throw it around a bit. You can tell they put a lot of effort into making these proper driver's cars. Reliability wise mine's been pretty good despite being a bit rough around the edges cosmetically from some PO neglect. Only major issue has been repairing a stress crack under the top engine mount, which is apparently pretty common. Mechanically it feels less tired than my last Subaru did at this point in its life. I think Peugeot dropped the ball a bit after these, the 206 Gti 180s aren't meant to be too bad but you lose the 6 speed and apparently the newer gti models are a lot more tame. Pretty sure my next car's going to be a last gen Clio RS or Megane 265..
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May 20, 2015 15:15
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spleen merchant posted:
Did they design this for their entry into NASCAR and never enter? 
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May 20, 2015 16:47
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I've owned a BX, a xsara, then a 206SW. The BX was the most comfortable car over ever owned and I wish I'd kept it in storage. Beige plastic car with brown interior and magic suspension. The xsara was an unkillable workhorse I traded in because I got a severance package I should have saved, but I traded it against the 206 which was amazingly practical, surprisingly sporty for a 2.0hdi, and had terminal electrical gremlins when I got rid 6 years later. The guy I sold it to at work gave up fixing cars after working on this, it broke him. I also ran the xsara on 100% biodiesel for nearly 2 years, it smelt incredible and had nearly zero particulate results on the MOTs.
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May 20, 2015 18:41
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My dad drove a Peugeot 505 wagon when I was younger and picked up a 504 sedan for my stepmom, that then became my older brothers car at some point. My brother eventual bought a 505 diesel sedan years later. Can't remember anything terribly wrong happening with the cars, tho I was pretty young. I know my brothers 505 died a pretty impressive death, but I don't remember details. Hopefully he will add more grizzly details about those cars... This is in the US as well, so Peugeot's are very uncommon.
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May 20, 2015 18:53
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I had a S2 106 Rallye for a few years and ended up dropping a 16v TU engine from the GTI in to it and it was fun with minimal electronic issues since it had next to none and was relatively cheap and easy to work on. PSA and Renault went through the same early/mid 2000's where quality took a nose dive (see Merc as an example) and some of the new stuff is nice in the quirky French way again.
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May 20, 2015 20:58
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 Une bonne car dans la réalité!
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May 20, 2015 21:45
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Mr. Wiggles posted:
Over in maple leaf, right? That car has been kicking around seattle for years, I have no idea how its still on the road.
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May 20, 2015 22:13
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Negromancer posted:I know my brothers 505 died a pretty impressive death, but I don't remember details. Hopefully he will add more grizzly details about those cars... Dad's 505 wagon was a great car with the only failing being it was an auto. I remember him doing donuts in the rain in the school parking lot. 504 was a champ too but some rats started living in it and made a nest of the wiring harness while it was in storage.
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May 20, 2015 22:54
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Plankalkuel posted:French cars are not universally terrible. Like with every other car maker, you have models and years you should avoid. I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed, from the title I was hoping for something more along the lines of "Hey guys, I just bought an '83 Renault! "
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May 21, 2015 06:55
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Bad Angus! Bad!
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Negromancer posted:Over in maple leaf, right? That car has been kicking around seattle for years, I have no idea how its still on the road. Because of course Seattle has more than one Le Car 
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May 22, 2015 03:14
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This thread was started on a russian forum the day after this one was started here. warning, NSFW ads. http://www.yaplakal.com/forum11/topic1116462.html 
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May 22, 2015 18:51
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blk posted:I like French cars... Okay, here you go. 
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May 22, 2015 23:39
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DICKPOCALYPSE NOW posted:Because of course Seattle has more than one Le Car Yup, I see that one kicking around greenwood all the time.
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May 23, 2015 01:01
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Yeah, if I could get one I would let it join the Yugo's place in my life in the role of "maligned small euro hatch that's tons of fun".
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May 23, 2015 02:50
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I saw some sort of Renault SUV-looking thing in Imperial Beach the other day. Had Mexican plates. Why was this never driven by a Claudia Cardinale lookalike in a 60s Bond film?
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May 23, 2015 03:12
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I've lusted after the Alpine A310 + GT Pack for years now. The only thing I know about French cars is that they either look really bad, or Really. loving. Sexy...
Reacon fucked around with this message at 12:54 on May 23, 2015 |
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May 23, 2015 12:52
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Mister Kingdom posted:Okay, here you go. Now I wanna watch one dance like a lowrider
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May 23, 2015 15:40
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Some French talent from the classic car collections at Pau historic grand prix this weekend. I have very little clue exactly what I am/was looking at.        
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May 24, 2015 22:25
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French cars I've owned so far (not in order of appearance): Peugeot 405 Mi16 (my very first car) Peugeot 405 SRi Break Peugeot 104 SR Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 Peugeot 306 GTi6 Peugeot 106 XR Renault 5 (1st gen) Renault 5 (2nd gen) Renault Clio (1st gen) Renault Clio (2nd gen) Renault 19 Renault 14 Renault Megane (1st gen) Citroën Visa Citroën BX14 Citroën GS Club Mon dieu! NotJustANumber99 posted:Some French talent from the classic car collections at Pau historic grand prix this weekend. I have very little clue exactly what I am/was looking at. Citroën GS (with the back of a Renault 4L peeking out) Renault 5 Turbo Renault Alpine A310 (with a Renault R8 behind it, and behind that a Renault 4CV) Renault Alpine A110 (with a Peugeot 504 Cab to its left) Citroën SM Renault Alpine A110 Citroën DS Renault R8 Last one I can't say off the top of my head, but behind it are two Citroën Traction Avants.
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May 25, 2015 05:24
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Nidhg00670000 posted:French cars I've owned so far (not in order of appearance): How did you like the Mi16? They made it over to the states and I wonder how fun/high maintenance they are.
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May 25, 2015 09:55
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blk posted:How did you like the Mi16? They made it over to the states and I wonder how fun/high maintenance they are. Hella fun, but they rust like you wouldn't believe. I looked at a couple the last time I was looking to buy a car, and I ended up with a 406 instead at roughly the same price because maintaining an Mi16 through salty slushy winters would be an absolute nightmare.
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May 25, 2015 20:39
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