1993 Peugeot 306 XR review from UK and Ireland

Worn drive shafts - replaced (£200+)

Split heater matrix hose - replaced (£100)

Leaking radiator - replaced (£100)

Gearbox differential knackered @ 67000 miles - reconditioned gearbox fitted (£600)

Coil pack & ECU blown 2 days after gearbox fitted! Coincidence? Undoubtedly caused by engine being started by Plymouth based 'transmission specialists' without earth connected. Coil pack replaced. Reconditioned ECU fitted. (£400)

Head gasket blown @ 70000 miles - replaced & head skimmed (£400)

Catalytic converter replaced following MOT failure @ 80000 miles (£200)

Gearbox differential knackered @ 85000 miles (Yes! Again!) - replacement/repair/sale of car pending!

Tyres very quick to wear. Apparently this is a consequence of the very powerful assistance given to steering a low speeds. Makes parking extremely easy, but scrubs the tyres.

NB - all prices & mileage approximate and from memory.

Purchased in Feb '98 for £6000.

Unbelievably cheap to insure, being classified only as an Insurance Group 4 vehicle.

Very nice car to drive. Nippy for a 1.4 and corners superbly - really does stick to the road with surprisingly little body roll.

A nice looking hatchback whose aesthetics, in my opinion, were not improved upon by the 307.

Surprisingly roomy interior for size of car.

That said, after a relatively well behaved first two years of ownership, this car has in the last two and a half years become a constant drain on my finances. One pricey mechanical failure has followed another every couple of months.