Does the Clio have any get up and go? Is the 307 that much better? Diesel prices for these cars are the same. I am concerned about highway driving sturdiness and space in the back hatch. There will be 1-2 people. Thanks again everyone. I want to be sure.

Get the Peugeot 307. It has 5 doors (hatchback). The Peugeot 206 looks like a deformed raisin. Both Renault and Peugeot are good, sturdy cars in France but I think you will have a little more room in the Peugeot -- I've never been too keen on the new Renault dashboards either. If it comes down to between the Peugeot 307 and the Renault Clio, take the Peugeot 307. I think the 206 will not be too your liking or big enough.

As I've said on your several other posts, the 307 diesel is a great car. It has more get and go, is larger, and roomier than the 206, and a whole lot more so than the Clio. As I recall you said there was only about an $18 difference in the price for a full week. Why would you even hesitate to spend that much to guarantee more comfort and power?

Patrick: right on! Plus the 307 has the following option: you can fold down the 2 back seats for even more room in the hatch. More power for $18 more? No question there especially on France's highways.<BR>

The 307 is a larger car than the Clio and yet officially gets better mileage (both diesels). Being larger, it does take up more room on the road and in narrow streets. I happen to prefer smaller cars. There is one annoying element to the 307. I could never figure out how to lock the trunk separately from the doors, which meant that if someone wanted to do a quick grab of my luggage while I get into the car, he could. It is not a likely occurence but there have been warnings about grabbers out of rear seats in Seville traffic, so how long will it take someone to lurk around a parking lot to do the same thing to the 307? Besides, half the time I forgot to lock the trunk because I do not normally lock my car door while I am in it.

Michael: Did you keep you hand on the handle as you closed the hatch? In most European cars, this is how you lock your car from the outside. Why wouldn't you lock your cardoor when you are driving? Someone could unsuspectingly open the door to your car and get in while you are looking the other way at a stoplight. Just a thought.

Re trunk locks: we tried everything. We discovered that when you open the driver's door, the entire car is unlocked, including the trunk. I may have been lucky, but I never had problems with an unlocked door, but I do lock doors where no one is sitting.

Hi<BR><BR>Clio and 206 are about the same size. 307 is slightly larger. All have fold down rear seats, but this reduces security (OK for airport to hotel, but not to leave parked all day).<BR>The best diesel engines are Peugeot HDI which for these cars come in 1.4l (70bhp), 2.0l (90 and 110 bhp) versions.<BR>All have a maximum speed of 100+mph, with maximum economy of 63mpg(imperial ... say 50ish US).<BR><BR>You can read about them in English here : http://www.whatcar.com<BR><BR>Peter<BR>http://tlp.netfirms.com<BR>

Maybe there was something broken on your car, Michael. That wasn't the case with our 307. In fact during the two months of travel, we'd often pull up in front of a place to unload before parking. I'd go to open the trunk and then realize it was locked and have to get the keys out of the ignition to do so. As I recall we locked it separately by turning the key one way instead of the other, but I wouldn't swear that's how it was done. In any case, it sure stayed locked.

Patrick and Eyespy - the $18 (it is more than that for me in Canadian pesos!) isn't keeping me from the 307. It seems that the Europeans I talk to tell me the Clio is a good car. Perhaps it is the difference between what a European would like and what a North American would like. Also, I might be travelling alone and don't need much space. And, I remember from when I lived in Paris years ago, how hard it was to park in that country! It seems like having a small car is best for getting into tight spaces. But, you all have convinced me to take the 307. Thank you!

Second try:<BR><BR>Margotg: go for the Clio or a similar car. The Peugeot HDI engine is said to be more efficient than the Clio diesel, and cleaner too. So if the 206 has the HDI engine, go for that car, assuming that the rental costs are about the same.<BR><BR>Patrick: My new 307 (June 2002) did not have a trunk lock. I am aware that different productions of the 307 had variations and had problems getting a repair because of that. In my evaluation of the lease I mentioned that I thought that the lack of independent lock on the trunk was a mistake.