Faults:

My 309 is sometimes hard to start when cold, and can run hairy (jolts and splutters) for the first few minutes before warming up. After driving for some time, the engine runs on after turning the key, which can probably be blamed more on my mechanic's fumbling with the carburettor than the car's own fault, but he did find it difficult to work on. I have taken to dropping the clutch, because letting it run on is bad for the engine.

The paint on the boot lid is slightly sun damaged, although it is difficult to see because the car is silver.

The 309 isn't exactly pretty, I suppose it has an oddball look, typical to aging French cars.

General Comments:

I bought the 309 as a cheap means of driving to university, but I have grown rather attached to it over the 14 months of ownership. It is really fun to drive, the engine is peppy and the handling superb. It clings to the road, and I can overtake much more expensive cars through round-abouts. It has good acceleration in town, but is slow to reach higher speeds on the open road.

Perhaps the best thing about the car is the ride quality. It has always been Peugeot's strong point and the 309 doesn't disappoint. Passengers have commented on how well it sits on the road, and how smoothly it travels for a car resting on 21 year old suspension.

It is economical too, and I have driven all the way to university with the fuel light on. That's about 40 minutes of travel.

Faults:

Nothing drastic:

A minor oil leak in the gearbox.

Rear windscreen heater does not work (common problem).

Horn stopped working.

Rear brake lines starting to show signs of perishing.

CV and steering boots have split, but this is not unusual in a 13 year old car.

General Comments:

Good, practical car. It has been perfectly reliable during the time I've owned it and starts first time, every time.

Engine is bulletproof. Excellent on long trips thanks to fairly high gearing for a 1.6. I noticed that another review of the same model mentioned that it revs at 4300 rpm at 70 mph. Either something is badly wrong with that car (severe clutch slip??), or the owner has not discovered 5th gear. Either way, mine revs at just under 3000 rpm at the same speed.

Handling is also very good.