With styling by Pininfarina, an Italian design company more famous for designing Ferraris, the 306 was a choice drop-top when it was introduced in 1994, being both classy and practical. It can seat four and its chiselled good looks have a lasting style. However it's starting to feel its age.
The 306 hatchbacks have a great reputation for precise handling and good cornering, but the loss of the 306’s metal roof has a big effect - imperfect road surfaces cause the whole car to shudder.
Build quality is poor by today’s standards and the cabin has a distinctly ’90’s feel. But, at least the insulated hood does a reasonable job of keeping out road and wind noise, and the heated glass rear window is better than the plastic ones on the 306’s contemporaries.
Go for a 2.0-litre if you can, it's a more enjoyable drive than the 1.6.