but in all likelihood not a diesel this time as running costs(repairs/tyres mainly) not been as good as I had hoped!

Are the costs specific to diesels? The 1.7 cdti is a powerful and economical motor. Once you've paid for the repairs, is it not worth reaping the benefits?! Wheel bearings and glowplugs are fairly cheap to replace (unless the glow plug snaps on attempted removal).

Unless your annual mileage is very high you'll probably get better value for money from a petrol. As well as the Ibiza (or Polo or Fabia) 1.2 TSI, consider a Fiesta 1.4 or Toyota Yaris 1.3. All these have plenty of 'pull'.

Used French cars are more vulnerable to abuse or neglect by a previous owner, but a well-looked-after Clio 1.2 TCE could be worth thinking about.