I haven't got/had either the veedub or the Peugot, but I can highly recommend the new Mazda 3's.

Mine is a 2005 model, and I love it! Such a smooth easy car to drive and for their size they have a lot of interior space. I'm quite tall but still don't have the driver's seat all the way back whereas in a number of other small to mid-size cars it's either all the way back or doesn't go back far enough.

The Peugot I think would be more expensive to service/fix as there are fewer of them on the road so more likely that parts would have to be ordered in etc if that makes sense? Mazdas while not as common as Corollas or Lancers are at least frequent enough that most mechanics will be reasonably experienced with them.