If you've managed with the 205 size wise, they really were a cracking little car, then the obvious replacement would be one of the last Pug 106 or Citroen Saxo Diesels, up to about 2003 i believe.

You can still find them for sale privately if you look hard enough, all the good points of the 205 and far better rust resistance.

If you find one get the cambelt changed unless you have proof that it's been done (properly) within guidelines, that goes for every cambelt driven engine though.

Would reckon a Focus or Astra would fit the bill, back seats down and they swallow drum kits never mind a few guitars.

My initial idea when I was looking for a car in the same budget was to try and get a '97 3 door Honda Civic - as I wanted something reliable. I'd set myself a max budget of £2k. Then I found a Hyundai instead! It's a 1999 Accent Coupe (3 door, effectively) 1.3 Bari that I bought for just £500 privately. It's petrol but does 42mpg, and is about the size of a Ford Escort, so the hatchback holds a decent amount (should fit your needs). Being a '99 model it also has a driver's airbag. This is one of the best cars I have ever owned in terms of no nonsense motoring- it had covered 41,000 miles. It starts first time, every time and has been astonishingly reliable. The dash doesn't rattle or squeek, the sunroof doesn't rattle or leak (Renault, please take note). Even the electric aerial still works.

I've covered 11,000 miles since I bought it last Sept and only had to have a recon radiator fitted (£180 from an excellent family-run Hyundai dealer in Cardiff. Fair enough, it is 12yrs old!), one headlight bulb (£1.03 fitted at the same dealership) and a reversing light bulb (£1.80odd which I fitted myself easily). The car also waded through last year's snow admirably, it was about 8-10" deep here. If you can find one of these gems I won't hesitate to recommend them. HJ's review points out this car won the Which? Y2K reliability index and the Accent seems to have a very strong reliability reputation in the USA according to Wikipedia.

This £500 car really has sold the brand to me - not least because of the catalogue of horrors our family has experienced from ownership of three Citroens, a Renault, a Fiat, and a 2004 Corsa 1.3CDTi. I've still got the change from the £2k I set aside in my bank and the Hyundai makes me smile whenever I turn the key! Better still, I bought the car with 6 months MOT (it sailed through) 10 months road tax and half a tank of unleaded, effectively dropping the purchase price to £380.

Edited by schneip on 04/12/2011 at 20:15

Hi can anyone please advise me .

Let me say i know very little to nothing about cars but as my ever reliable K reg Peugeot 205 diesels cambelt went around 10 days ago( taking the engine
with it) i am on the look out for another motor .

I have around 1500 - 2000k to spend and do around 10 - 15k miles a year and have been advised an diesel would be best .

I have been looking at peugeot 205 / 307 and Ford focus size cars but i am having trouble finding an genuine one .

i do not know what it is like in the rest of the country but in Birmingham it seems like every private seller is an dealer and even
the small dealers are buying duds from car auctions looking to make a quick buck.

I boot large enough to hold 3 - 4 guitars would be great ( i do alot of gigging )

Any help would be much appreciated.
shahpur

Hi depending on the style of driving you do would depend on weather you buy petrol or diesel, i myself would steer clear of second hand french motors.

I have a 1999 VW Passat 1.8 Petrol estate which has over 280,000 miles on the clock and counting and apart from the usual tyres, brakes, oil change, service and MOT nothing has gone wrong and the car is put through its paces every week with the differnt types of work i do, I paid pennys for this car and as far as im concerned if it will last me another 3 years ill be very happy to scrape it as it would have served me well.

So if you have about £2000 to spend then think german i no repair bills can be on the high side but there certainly better than french ones.