156, 163 or 200 difference

[666]

Hello z fans
I have question probably asked 100x times, but Im lazy and its easyer to ask
I want to know difference driving trough tight corners with each engine, 200 should have better stearing than 156, hdi has extra weight on front axle, what is your experience.
Asked on 3 Peugeot dealership and each of them advise against thp engine, now found 2 rcz 156 with 40k miles mint condition, full spec., both engines sound normal when starting cold, but both have first chain and tensioner.
Cars have Peugeot 6 months warranty
Is there any survey hove many % of thp engines have problems is possible that when driving hard this engine dont last?
One of 2 rczs owner is old lady so she probably didnt ride hard ...
I know this is sport car and with driving hard, stuff usually dont last long, even new M3 has problems at 100k miles
When I was young R5 turbo and 205 gti were very popular, but we could afford only used ones, but we knew that each one has engine problems and was crashed and repaired, that was reality ...
So thp engine yes or no
Sorry for bad english, I use it rearly

 

[RCZIain]

My 200 has been fine. It's averaged 1000 miles a month with no problems. Been doing about 40mpg too.

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[neilgsxr69]

Hi, I think you will be happy with any of the models. Like any car you can get problems but I feel the thp is no worse or more fragile than any other. Tensioner and timing chain issues have dogged the thp engine and I would budget for a replacement whichever one you buy, the key is regular oil changes with the right oil and making sure the level is kept up with as some engines seem to use oil. The other thing which is common is coil packs but this isn’t an expensive part to replace. Many owners on here drive their cars hard with no problems at all. Condition and service history are the things to look for and if your getting a 6 months Peugeot warranty you should be protected from anything you’ve not picked up on.
Good luck with your purchase let us know how you get on and post us some photos of your new ride. :beer:

 

[tianorth]

The diesel engine (163bhp) is the more bulletproof option, which is one of the ones I have.
With it being a diesel it is still very quick, going round corners, roundabouts etc it is more than capable, having more weight over front axle helps with grip out of corners, not noticed any front end understeering but then I would adjust my speed for the corner and conditions but yes I do throw it into corners with the expectation of sliding but it's not happened yet.
On the other hand I also have the THP engine but with the option you've not stated, the 270 bhp RCZ-R, again same type of driving for corners etc and the grip is brilliant in both RCZ's.

Also not had any mechanical issues with either engine, HDi is 4.5 years old RCZ-R is just under 2 years.

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[666]

Well I have think of R but I dont want to pay so much money and I dont know if I can really use all power that it has...
Shure its really great car, sometimes I think when people arguing about Megane cup, Focus St, Golf R they are all great cars none of them is perfect, buy which one you like most, for me z is most beautiful, dont care if Megane is faster on track, that arguing is for kids, same about quality, today you cant buy bad car its just personal preference what you like, I know that you must use common sense when reading about problems, read a lot about 1.6 hdi problems, but 6 millions engines produced for different manufactures, this cant be bad engine, have now 308 sw 190k and nothing was changed, just some lihgt bulbs, and battery, and I know 2.0 hdi can make 600k without problem.
So rewievs about rcz hdi being sluggish is not true?

 

[DKZ5745]

I have driven only two variants, the 156 and the 200.

I test drove two different 156’s when looking for an RCZ. They were both very rapid indeed. One was the sport and the other GT. The level of equipment is better on the GT, but this doesn’t affect the speed or handling.

I eventually found and bought a 200 GT that had all the kits on. It is of course even faster than the 156, and it does handle better. I would love to try an R, and see how it responds under hard driving compared to mine, but like you, I think that I probably wouldn’t be able to fully utilise the extra power. There would of course be times when it would be nice, and I wouldn’t have to push it as hard as I do mine to get the performance out of it, but as I am more than happy with the looks, equipment, handling and power of my 200 GT I am very unlikely to ever buy an R.

If you have tried the 156’s and are happy with the power, there shouldn’t be any reason not to get one of them. Just have a quick read through these pages, jacking points - coil packs - and of course Timing chain tensioners are certainly some of the things to look for before purchase, and speak with your dealer regarding these issues - showing you have at least some knowledge of the car you are looking at.

The extended warranty should see you OK, especially if you drive the car fairly hard once you are used to the handling, so if there are any issues on the horizon, they should show up before the warranty expires.

 

[Nemi]

What i like about 200 is amplified engine noise inside cabin :eusa-whistle:

 

[frankvdb]

I have the HDi and it did understeer a couple of times when I entered a bend too optimistically.
There are techniques to avoid understeer by turning in harsh to provoke an oversteer reaction of the back, but I'd say that is not for driving on public roads...

 

[DanRo]

If you don't have the budget for the R, then the best compromise for me is the THP200.

Yes the diesel is a safer choices when it comes the having the least problems...
Yes the diesel is more economic....

But when you're looking to buy a car like the RCZ that all shouldn't be the first criterea to determine your choice.

THP200, curtenly the one that have the "sound box", give you much more the feeling you are driving a sport car.
So if you want the most join, choose the THP200
THP200 is much less Issues then the THP156

Believe you will not regret it

If you going to buy the THP156, then buy a second generation one because the first generation THP156 have a lot of issues, much more then the second generation THP156.

 

[666]

I know 200 is sweet spot, handling, engine, sound...R isnt expensive but I dont know, difficult to choose I even dont know which is better looking 1st or facelift, leather seats or not, which colour, xenon is a must...I think I will wait 2-3 months then decide, maybe prices will be lower with new year
what is hdi consumption, driven really hard?

 

[DanRo]

Every car consume a lot if you drive it hard.

If you have money for an R, buy an R it's the best RCZ you can buy

 

[Nemi]

I know 200 is sweet spot, handling, engine, sound...R isnt expensive but I dont know, difficult to choose I even dont know which is better looking 1st or facelift, leather seats or not, which colour, xenon is a must...I think I will wait 2-3 months then decide, maybe prices will be lower with new year
what is hdi consumption, driven really hard?

I know that feeling... It took me couple of months before i decided what i really want :roll: Choosing between mk1 and mk2, black or white, manual or automatic, petrol or diesel, leather or cloth. And yeah, get with xenon headlights :thumbup:

 

[DKZ5745]

I am so lucky, as the 200 I found has all the kits on. It was the colour of choice & a Mk2. If I had to choose just one kit, it would definitely be the Xenons.

 

[RCZIain]

I think my 200 is only missing the leather dash (think mine is vinyl) and the carbon bits.

Although not having seen a full options list I may be wrong!

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[DanRo]

I know that feeling... It took me couple of months before i decided what i really want :roll: Choosing between mk1 and mk2, black or white, manual or automatic, petrol or diesel, leather or cloth. And yeah, get with xenon headlights :thumbup:

I don't understand some of the things some of things you had difficulty choosing :

Manual or automatic : the RCZ don't have a double clutch automatic and is only availeble on THP156, so the engine has to less torque for an automatique gearbox. So in case of the RCZ never choose an automatic gear box.

Leather or cloth => if you have the budget for leather why even consider cloth. Leather looks much better and is much easier in maintenance. So leather for me.

Mk1 and Mk2 that's personal. But the people that designed the RCZ would never have given it the Mk1 nose, that's was a decision of the marketing people. That tipical Peugeot nose was old school, so if you design a car laike the RCZ why give it the front of the old generation Peugeot. The Mk2, if you like or not, fit's the car style better.

 

[stewartwillsher]

I know that feeling... It took me couple of months before i decided what i really want :roll: Choosing between mk1 and mk2, black or white, manual or automatic, petrol or diesel, leather or cloth. And yeah, get with xenon headlights :thumbup:

I don't understand some of the things some of things you had difficulty choosing :

Leather or cloth => if you have the budget for leather why even consider cloth. Leather looks much better and is much easier in maintenance. So leather for me.

Personal preference:
Not a fan of leather upholstery; can be a bit slippy - I like to feel bum stuck to seat (pardon the expression) for acceleration, cornering and braking, depending on what you're wearing, of course.
In winter it can feel a bit chilly and can be a bit ouch in hot sun; like the steering wheel when I forget to put the shade over it.
Best seat material that I have had was a velour with a bit of nap.
Unless you like a sort of worn and used look, cloth will revert more easily to as new with a bit of shampoo; leather, for me has never reverted to "showroom".

EDIT: Forgot to mention the time some plonker got in my leather clad motor with keys hanging from his belt and left scratches that were permanent! :thumbdown:

 

[Plecodoras]

I just wanna add a little bit with the RCZ choice !

I originally bought the RCZ in MK1 200GT form, but this was pure chance as I didn't go out to buy a RCZ in fact didn't go out to buy a car ! I'd gone as a passenger when my son went to buy a VW Scirocco. Luckily for me the car I found like DKZ has commented was fully loaded - more so than the R I currently have. But it could have been the 156 for all I cared because I fell in love with the car, the shape the interior the colour of the leather seats, the double bubble roof all of it, I was there and it was there, the next thing it's on my drive!
The seats in this car were the cream leather almost white in contrast to the leather dash, but now I find you can have quite a few different permutations in the seat colours, I especially like the two tone white / black or cream / grey like DKZ has in his Z. Tianorth has a red leather, the R has different again with the Alcantara leather suede type. So there are many to choose from.
As for the engine, the 200 is rapid even though before this I traded a V6 272BHP SLK350 Merc to get the RCZ and that was fast, this was a different fast ! you feel safer as you have more interior room and not boxed in.
I often caught out cars with the sheer acceleration of the 200, but I have no experience of the 156 but can only expect that it is obviously not as rapid due to the power involved. This said I find the ride in the 200 harder than my R, maybe that's me or a combination of the seats hugging better and lower ride - i'm not sure, but one of the first things I found when on the test drive was the ride quality. Though for me if I didn't know better and have the R, I would say that the 200 is probably the all round car to go for if you can't afford the R.
As it happens I do know better and do have a R, it is very fast, has amazing handling and road holding ability and for those who have mentioned economy, the R is more economical than the 200 ! So bite the bullet and get and R, for those seeking the best, I happen to know a lovely Shark Grey R is on trader !! :eusa-whistle: :eusa-whistle:

Cheers and good luck with your future purchase, just let us know when you get one and post some pics.

 

[666]

Sorry stearing wheel on wrong side :lol:
I have 308 premium 2009 and has more agressive grill then on mk1 RCZ, on mk1 grill is like on normal 308 but it looks ok, and its different feel inside RCZ despite same interior, more premium

 

[Bobby D]

Well I have an automatic. Worst fuel consumption and least power of any RCZ. But, I LOVE IT and the fuel consumption is the only thing I don't like about the whole car. I did test the Diesel which felt much more sporty but if I wanted a sports car I would get some little 2 seater. I might add I'm 50+ and would never have been so sensible back in the day before I came off my bike etc. If you want a luxurious super good looking car then the automatic is the one! Now where are my slippers!

 

[French Letter]

I have a RCZ 200THP Mk2. The Prince engine at that time of production, 2013, had many engine replaced parts for failed units. More reliable.

Check this out to look after you Prince petrol engine:

Peugeot-Citroen/Mini 1.6 THP engine naming, maintenance and servicing – 101 – eTuners

www.etuners.gr