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Hi Sinead,

To be honest, I'd avoid it. The 307 was never a great car to begin with and it was probably one of the lowest points for Peugeot build quality. They tend to suffer every electrical problem going, the cabins and interiors are very fragile and the suspension is prone to outright failure. 

If you still fancy a Peugeot, see if you can stretch your budget to a 308 - that was a much better built car, has decent reliability and if you get the 1.6 diesel then 65mpg in daily driving is a reality for you.

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Hi Shane,

That car has a timing belt.

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Hi Shane,

If it's a small petrol hatch you're looking for then I think the best options are either a Ford Focus with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost turbo engine (the 100hp version is the sweetest) or either one of the three Volkswagen Group hatches (Golf, Skoda Octavia or SEAT Leon) with the brilliant 1.2 TSI turbo. Both engines, if driven gently, should yield close-to-diesel fuel economy.

Incidentally, your point about higher seats being easier to get in and out of for elderly drivers is well made. It might be worth checking out something nearly-new along the lines of a Golf Plus or Ford C-Max in that regard.

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Hi Mike,

It depends which engine is in your car. The 2.0-litre diesel is every 150,000 miles (241,000km) or two years, while all models with a 2.4-litre diesel (or petrol engine for that matter) come with a 108,000-mile (174,000km) interval - or two years again.

Always err on the side of caution with timing belts.

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Hi Andrew,

You're in an enviable position! I'll take your points one by one:

1) Mileage: you definitely do enough miles to see a benefit in having the GTD diesel model, assuming much of it is on the motorway. But the Golf R and GTI aren't really all that bad at a cruise either...

2) Gearbox: I personally would prefer the manual, though I accept that it's a very personal thing in a performance car and if you're used to automatics then stick with the DSG. For the record, it doesn't detract from the car one little bit.

3) GTD vs. GTI: if you read my review you'll see that I was pleasantly surprised by this car, but it took very hard driving to make it shine. At regular speeds (i.e. most of our driving) it felt quite ordinary, whereas the GTI always feels special.

I must admit that, if my budget stretched to the Golf R (and it's cheaper than ever now), I'd go for it. It's always going to be rare and exclusive (though perhaps hard to sell on) and as well as the extra performance it has a brilliant four-wheel drive system.

Nonetheless, I reckon the Golf GTI Performance is probably the best all-round choice, as you've identified for yourself. It's a sensational car, noticeably better to drive even than the regular GTI. You won't regret it one little bit.

Let us know which way you go in any case and here's some more reading for you:

Volkswagen reduces the price of the Golf R

Volkswagen Golf GTI five-door manual road test

Volkswagen Golf GTD road test

Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance (manual)

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Hi Carol,

There's a specific issue with the 2.0-litre diesel whereby it can cut out unexpectedly - it's a problem with the engine management system but it's a pretty easy fix. You will need to take it to a Ford main dealer if your car develops the problem. 

Other than that, they're pretty solid. Keyless ignition systems give a bit of bother but few Irish cars had that so it shouldn't be a major worry. The cabin trim can be a bit fragile too - listen for rattles and look for loose bits.

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Hi Barbara,

If the C-Max is in good condition and has a full service history, go for that one. It'll be more reliable than the Renault.

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Hi Rory,

Full service history? Then you could be looking at around the €7,500 mark. Not a full history? Then probably more like €6,000.

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Hi Karla,

Well, you're looking at two different sizes of car there. If you want to physically downsize, then the Ibiza is the one to go for - it's smaller than the Golf (based on the same chassis as the Volkswagen Polo), but still pretty spacious, rather handsome and nice to drive. They're very reliable too, but quite noisy and uncouth on a longer journey. A Focus is roughly the same size as a Golf, but if it's painless, economical motoring you're after than a 1.6 TDCi Focus could be the answer - plentiful, well-made, sweet to drive and 55mpg.

What do you think?

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Hi Lynda,

Yup, by and large Suzukis are very reliable and if you're going to get a Vitara, then the petrol model is the one to go for - Suzuki's record with diesels is patchy at best until quite recently. There are no major reported recurring problems but just make sure that the previous owner has had it serviced properly - the service intervals are quite short and many owners have been tempted to skip scheduled services. Walk away from anything that doesn't have a full and complete history.