We have looked upon Peugeot’s subcompact car leadership across European auto market due to their cunning strategy in the last article. The strategy of focusing into green friendly environmental segments, but how does it fare its perceived image of being the least reliable brand? Was it due to the bad and ugly Peugeot reliability feedback that it pulled out from North America auto market in early 1990s?
We have seen contrasting reliability performance recently on the winning Citroen at WRC as well as triumphant Peugeot’s debut at Le Mans. Sebastian Loeb’s C4 and its predecessor Xsara contribute the wins at WRC for five years in a row beating other European and Japanese makers, where as at Le Mans Peugeot broke the German’s Audi several years of dominance with the latest Peugeot Diesel technology. There has had been Millions of Euro pouring into the competitive events, and it has been excellent marketing promotions. Exactly the required promotion improves their reliability hurdles and thus flipping current perceived image of PSA group products.
Logically a simple based technology automobile would outlast its high technology counterparts, and generally the smaller subcompact car has the less technology advancement. Furthermore after four years of hard abusing usage a car is designed to be scrapped, and additionally thanks to the Scrappage or Old Junker trade in on government subsidy.
Hence the European subcompact car does not suffer as much as their bigger sibling, but if the cost of maintaining escalates there is always an option for Scrappage alternative anyway. However for those who would like to keep their subcompact car beyond 4 years; their only choice would be the less inspiring (reliable) Japanese cars with the exception of sportive Honda. And to some degree the upper class of Corolla hatchback or the rising Suzuki Swift or the returning and improved Mazda 3.
Other potential subcompact car which is worth to try are the classic 1990s era of BMW series 1 or similarly from Audi as well as Ford, forget the current Minis though they are the last on reliability list. Providing your brother is mechanic or you are willing to do some DIY maintenance at your leisure though.
There could be other possible combination, but may not be the ideal solution for anybody. This combination is suitable for mainly city daily ride. Replace your daily driving Japanese subcompact car every 7 to 10 years cycle and keep old classical European for the occasion drive for as long as you desire. A well maintained Japanese subcompact car should last this period easily, most of ours did; furthermore their residual values are higher over here than the European’s.
Our choice is based upon daily driving functionalities; tall sub 1600 cc city car with 
high visibility and lots of cargo space for work (passengers on long week-end) combines with tough durable 1990s classic European car. The choices could be Honda Jazz with Volvo 740 turbo estate or pre millennium M series BMW or perhaps W201 190E 2.3-16, but my current choice is Suzuki APV automatic in combination with Volvo 940T and for DIY projects there is another two classic European sedan; Volvo 740 and e28 BMW.
For now the classic Peugeot 505 GR and Citroen are on the leisurely waiting list, I have lots of admiration on their exemplary ride quality but they need more TLC.
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