Peugeot 208 review

The Peugeot 208 is an attractive prospect as a cash buy, with a brochure price that’s lower than most of its obvious rivals, including the Audi A1, Skoda Fabia and Volkswagen Polo. That said, the 208’s resale values aren’t predicted to be as strong as those cars', so it is likely to be worth less after three years.

Running costs are pretty good. In our real-world tests, the 1.2 PureTech 100 petrol managed 47.9mpg, which is more than similarly powerful engines in the Renault Clio and Polo. Of course, the diesel engine will be even more economical, but it's also far more expensive to buy. Low CO2 emissions help keep company car tax competitive, but servicing costs are quite high relative to mainstream rivals.

GT adds further cosmetic tweaks inside and out, and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, along with the visibility aids. Top-spec GT Premium trim mirrors GT trim but adds special 17in alloy wheels, Alcantara and cloth seats, keyless entry and adaptive cruise control.

Peugeot as a manufacturer finished a fairly disappointing joint 22nd out of 30 in the 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey. That places them below Skoda, Seat, Audi and Volkswagen. In fact, of their obvious rivals, Peugeot only managed to draw with Vauxhall and finish above Ford. 

Every 208 gets a three-year warranty, consisting of two years of unlimited-mileage cover from the manufacturer and an additional year that's provided by Peugeot’s UK dealer network. Kia and Hyundai offer the longest standard warranties in the class.