Peugeot 306 1.4 Boulevard

The car feels very stable and can attain good speeds, and you suddenly forget this is a 1.4 liter. The diesel 1.9 version offers some economy in fuel expenses, but the compromises are not worth it (the Diesel 1.9 is quite slower in acceleration and does not offer the same promises in top speed). I would definitely prefer a 1.9 or 2.0 HDi if available, but if not, then a 1.4 petrol is just as good while not being such a big burden on your pocket when you buy it or pay for insurance. Also, the petrol versions are much more lenient in terms of repairs and break down less often. The one thing I can say about the 306, is that it is the only Peugeot that made me feel like driving a real car because all other models (from the same era: 206, 406) had some nasty feeling of floating on the road, while the 306 feels like it knows where it's going: it sticks to the road and follows your steering manoeuvres very sharply. It is a car i find myself attracted to all the time, always a safe bet when you can't find an appealing used model (I had many used 306 petrols from 1.4 to 1.6 and one 1.9 Atmospheric Diesel and never had a problem with any of them).