307 HDi's, decent or not?

[andywhy]

A couple of you I know outside of the forum may know I have been fighting with the finance ombudsman for almost 9 months over rejecting my 05 VW Passat. Well, today I found out I lost the case, so I have a £5k piece of shit sat in the road that I want rid of before it dies completely.

I was thinking of perhaps a 307 HDi. My dad has one and besides an initial hiccup when he got it (timing belt causing issues, fixed when replaced), it's been rock solid for him.

Am I correct in thinking it has the same HDi block from the 306 HDi? If so is it reliable? Any common faults to go wrong on the engine or the car in general, things I should be aware of?

This is only a thought at the moment, I'm going to properly research what I buy this time instead of jumping in. Since you guys are all knowledgeable I thought I'd ask here.

I'm not looking for anything expensive this time, I'm done with finance companies and ombudsman's, I just want a car that works, no matter the size. Ideally nothing smaller than a 307 though.

Thanks all.