On a completely different sidenote, I drove a Peugeot 107 yesterday. It was a 5-door one with the 3-cylinder 900cc engine. I will describe it with only one word: BRILLIANT!
The car belongs to a friend, and it was what drove us around Athens shortly after we said goodbye to 2013, and started the old tradition of exploring the nightlife of our capital city to the absolute maximum. As I was the only one who didn't live there, I had arrived to Athens just at 10pm, after a 2h drive and so I hadn't caught up with my friends who had started with wine before I left my home. So, I was to be the designated driver up until this was legal. The car was this 107. The scenery, downtown Athens. Starting from 1.30am of January first.
At first we were two, then three and eventually five grown-up, full sized, handsome adults. The car felt like a Playmobil at first, acceptable with three people and struggling with five guys on board. It was actually surprisingly nimble and agile, allowing me to really enjoy waving through the traffic, while crossing the historic centre of an ancient city, ruined by modern civilization. While the clutch, brake and gas pedals felt very light and not communicative at all, as did the gear lever and to a lesser degree, the steering, I found this 107 to be quite fun. It was so easy to maneuvre and the tiny engine had a nice "spark", as I felt it to be very "alive" (as opposed to lethargic to rev), something that was matched by an equally alive engine noise. During the time I spent behind the wheel, I felt very engaged, not because of the feedback of the car's controls, but because of the overall experience of total control of it. Being not very good with words, let alone words from a language I lernt at a later point in my life, I find it tricky to describe the way the 107 engaged me.
Comparing the 107 with the Fiat Panda I used to live with up until a couple of years ago, the 107 was not as much fun. The Panda, being very narrow and tall, was adequate enough for 5 adults, yet its 1.2l I4 engine had as much as hard time as the single litre one from the 107, with five people inside. The driving experience of the 107 was more consistent though, as it behaved and maneuvered exactly as I expected it to, at any point. The Panda felt even more light and easy to use around town, but due to its dimensions, and very high CoG, you felt like you were driving flat out, even at 40 km/h. Though quite fun, this could be tiring at some point, since you could never calculate how far you are from landing on the Panda's side. I had managed two times to get two wheels of the ground, and both times I almost sh*t myself!
I characterize the 107 brilliant, because it's the cheapest city car you can buy here and for the intended use, I can't think of anything that could be done better. It's small on the outside, but small-ish inside. All controls are light enough, making it easy to operate. A probably fake sense of nerve, spark, aliveness comes from the 3cyl engine, which makes up for the lightness of the controls, and brings you a nice smile as you are stuck in traffic.
Yes, the seats could be a bit better, you could have full door moldings, instead of some plastic parts and then painted metal. You could have a proper instrument cluster including a temperature gauge (this really annoys me!). But then it would cost more. And at this price, it's by far the most value-for-money 4-wheeled thing you can buy for your everyday downtown commute.
Repeating a big part of the same route later of that day, with me driving my S60 and the 107's owner sitting right next to me, only proved my point again. For your everyday commute around and across a congested city centre you don't need anything more than an 107. Or a C1, or an Aygo.
Being a fan of cars that are designed to do one thing, and do this with success, if I was to buy a new commute-car, I would have quite a hard time deciding between this one and the Panda. The Panda is slightly more expensive, but has a proper interior, and dimensions more ideal for its use. The sensation of driving near the limit almost all the time, can be tiring, though, as its glory comes from the fact that its easy to use under the conditions its meant to be driven.
NOTE: I forgot to say something about the seating position. It's weird and kind of cramped. To most people this feels annoying, but to me it resembles the seating position of my Clio, and while far from ideal, I'm used to it. Comparing it to the Panda, it's far better, as the seating of the Panda, is closer to sitting on a bar stool, rather than a car.
