Faults:

Needed a new starter, new fan belt, new indicator stalk, and a new exhaust at about 100,000 km.

General Comments:

This car has been very easy to repair myself, which I like. Parts are cheap. There is no rust. All the electricals work, but are basic. You need to adjust the clutch sometimes, but it is easy.

I've come to really like the manual choke. To start when cold, pull out the rod on the dash, and a light on the dash is lit until you push it back in after the engine is warm. Fuel consumption can be good (petrol) when you get this right, and the performance is quite sweet. The car drives and handles extremely well; certainly not slow. The spark plugs correctly gapped made a difference.

The driver's seat is a bit ripped, but the rest are like new. The car seems large inside, but looks narrow from outside, I read this was a part of the design concept, to have thin panels and doors, but it says it also has side impact protection. Get this: the interior fan works on every setting!!! Is that believable?

The leg room in the back is very good because there's no tunnel for gears, it's front wheel drive, and the gearbox is under the engine and shares the oil.

The car seems front heavy if you don't keep the front tyre pressure correct.

Motorway driving is great.

I like having a rear boot rather than a hatch, and the boot holds a lot of stuff. The lights for the boot still work. Really.

No headrests, and a radio with one speaker, but the sound is good.

I only bought the car instead of hiring one to travel to an interview, but I've been amazed. The engine makes a nice noise.

Faults:

Just regular usure pieces (brakes, tires) and the dynamo at 440000 km!!

General Comments:

Buying this car is the best thing I have ever done. I drove it each day during 17 years. I never had any big problem, and it never left me on the side of the road. I still own it now, but I have another car (605 2.0 turbo). My 305 still turns each weekend and I hope I'll keep it many years...