That’ll do nicely
No big dramas, problems or faults. Just a stylish and of-the-moment family car. By Jake Groves
I wish I had some sort of mega scandal to break on these pages. Explosions, crashes, getting stranded – that sort of thing. But none of that has happened. Instead, the 308 has simply been a great car. Damn.
The much-discussed design certainly helps. The exterior is much more dramatic than other cars sharing parts with the 308. But it’s the inside where form and function really come together. It has just the right amount of premium feeling for the price, the i-Cockpit steering wheel and dials combo works a treat for me and the infotainment system is one of the better ones I’ve used, complete with its customisable i-Toggles.
Then there’s the way it drives. It’s not lighting quick, or the last word in performance handling, but the steering is alert enough for it to feel interesting going the long way home and that buzzy three-cylinder is potent enough to feel like the 308 could get out of its own way. The ride is a real win, feeling like Peugeot’s engineers have found the fine line between comfort and compliance.
There have been a couple of niggles, but they’re not much to shout about. I despise start-stop at the best of times, but the 308’s system is irritatingly jerky as you come to a stop and too slow to react when you want to get going.
The other annoyance is that, towards the end of my time with the 308, my phone stop ped communicating smoothly with the infotainment, rendering Android Auto inaccessible. I suspect it was a recent software update from my phone that killed the relationship. Even so, Bluetooth music still worked.
The whole experience reminded me of when I ran a Mazda 3 – that was stylish to look at, premium to sit in and had some properly sorted dynamic traits beneath the skin, too. Still is. So the Peugeot is in excellent company, to my mind anyway; I’d argue it’s one of the best family hatchbacks out there right now. A Focus is too tired. A Golf, too obstructive. Even the Vauxhall Astra – a 308 parts-sharer and a looker itself – isn’t quite in the same league interior-wise. It shows how far Peugeot has come within the last 10 years, and I’m excited to see where the brand goes next. @_jakegroves
Count the cost
Cost new £28,130 Part exchange £20,765 Cost per mile 18.5p Cost per mile including depreciation 80.0p
Peugeot 308 Allure Premium PT130 EAT8 Month 6
The story so far
Our 308 leaves, having done its duties with aplomb
★ Fitted into life like an old pair of trainers
- |t’s gone
Logbook
Price £28,130 (£28,130 as tested) Performance 1199cc turbocharged three-cylinder, 129bhp, 9.7sec 0-62mph, 130mph E ciency 49.6mpg (ocial), 39.3mpg (tested), 129g/ km CO2 Energy cost 17.2p per mile Miles this month 2320 Total miles 11,960