USED Peugeot 308 Hatchback (07 - )

My car

Took this car for the 24hour test drive as thinking of upgrading from my 206 GLX Auto. Plenty of room and also very quite. Wind & road noise was minimal. Glove box capacity greatly reduced as over half of it is filled with a fuse box. Plenty of other storage room to compensate for this. The drive was smooth and road humps were not a problem as it rode these out quite smoothly. Cruise control was very useful on the motorway. The dash makes the car look roomier due to its angle and layout is good. Couldn't switch the lights off so asked the sales man where the switch was. I was told these are always on but the garage could disable this feature upon delivery if required. I was quite impressed with the 308 so ordered the 308 THP 140 SE Auto. Didn't test drive this version as none avaliable. Much higher spec and more powerful engine. Will review this model once delivered.

My car

I am now the proud owner of this car having taken delivery on 01.03.08 and what a stunning car it is. This is my sixth car having owned an Escort, MK1 Focus, MK2 Focus, Fiesta and New Corsa before it and this car has turned more heads than any of them (perhaps because the others were a bit dull :0)

Anyway, the car is fantastic. So far I have driven it over 700 miles and that was on just one tank of fuel returning 62,7 MPG which is really good going considering the cars weight. The engine is powerful, quiet and ultra smooth - you wouldn't say it was a diesel. You can't hear it in the cabin at all. The car accelerates smoothly and quickly when needed and can manage quite steep hills in Wales without strain.

The suspension is also very smooth making the ride quiet and very comfortable.

The cabin (mine in black simple leather) is jaw droppingly gorgeous. Very comfortable, spacious and of a very high quality. The SE glass roof, ambient lighting and scent diffuser all add to the quality and enjoyment.

There is plenty of storage space throughout although the glovebox is relatively small. The RT4 multimedia system is brilliant allowing you to store 180 of music with complete Sat Nav and Phone functionality.

Buying a new car. I would urge you to consider this car.

My car

I took this car for a 24 hour testdrive just before christmas. I have to say, I was most disappointed.

I have previously owned a 206cc HDI 110 which of course had the same engine. The cc was fun to drive but had quality and elecrtical issues. The 308 is supposed to herald the start of much higher quality cars along with the 207. I was therefore amazed to find that the new high quality materials being used, were undermined by the inclusion of same very cheap plastics which were present in our 206cc.

The excellent engine which I had loved in the cc, felt strained under the weight of the 308 and the car in general provided no driving enjoyment whatsoever. In addition, the car crashed and banged over bumps and there was very noticible wind noise when going over 50mph despite it being a very calm day.

The trip computer refused to stay on for more than three seconds. This annoyed me greatly as it meant I was unable to leave the computer showing current mpg. I have checked, and there is no way of altering this.

The boot had an awkward entrance making it difficult to get things in and out, and it wasn't wide enough to fit my golf clubs in. Also, it was quite hard to get in and out of without scuffing the large plastic casings above the door sill.

Finally, the economy wasn't great, returning mid 40's.

I shall certainly not be buying one. I'll stick with my 2006 Astra for now.