2003 Peugeot 307 S review from UK and Ireland

None so far, but only 200 miles travelled!

This is my wife's car, but I thought I'd start this review now. I'll add to it as the miles pile up.

Having read all the comments on this site before the purchase I tried my hardest to convince my wife NOT to buy a 307. Unfortunately women are women and I'm sure you can work the rest out...

Anyway we picked the car up on Saturday. Having lived with a 106 for the last 5 years we know the pitfalls of Peugeots and the best place to get a decent service etc.

The 106 had to go due to rear suspension failure and a knock sensor / ECU issue that could not be fixed economically.

In comparison the 307 is a breath of fresh air:

Roomy cabin - feels like you are in a much bigger car than you are. I'm 6ft 2" and fit in easily with lots of headroom. Legroom in the back looks good even with the front seats fully back.

Excellent visibility - Anyone who complains about the wipers leaving a dirty blind spot on the right hand side of the screen is obviously not sitting in the right position or needs to wash their car more often!

Good driving position - being slightly higher than the 106 you can see a lot more of the road. The pedals and steering wheel feel very natural. The gearbox however can take some getting used to. 1st and second are a long way to the left in comparison to every other car I have driven.

Good road holding - I've driven a wide variety of cars in my time and this is up there with the best. OK so it's not an Impreza, but it's very capable.

OK build quality - So you can see some wiring under the dash and the door trim isn't going to stay on for long, but bare in mind this car is French... Don't expect German build quality if you don't buy a German car. For the record I've had Fiats, Volvos and VW's all of which have had their faults too.

Overly-servoed brakes - feel very sharp, but can take some getting used to. There have been some hilarious whiplash moments in the last 200 miles!

Bodywork - paint quality looks good (I'm a amateur valeter) and it looks like it will wash well. The plastic fuel cap looks very flimsy though.

Apart from my initial reservations I am very impressed with this car so far. I know we've only done 200 miles, but as I say I will update as time goes by.