Peugeot 3008
Mileage 5598 List price £33,225 Target Price £31,616 Price as tested £33,315
Test economy 32.8mpg
ONE MONTH IN and my passengers are already commenting favourably on the smoothness of my Peugeot 3008. Its engine may have only three cylinders, but it’s surprisingly quiet, especially around town. It actually makes a rather pleasant and nicely subdued growl when called into action, too, rather as if prodding the accelerator pedal has woken up that lion that lives on the front grille.
In fact, the 3008 is a nice car to drive generally, with quick steering that’s further highlighted by the tiny steering wheel. My wife thinks the wheel looks too small and is trying too hard to emulate that of a Formula 1 racing car. Personally, because it’s at at the top and bottom and has just two spokes, I think it looks more like a pretzel. No matter how hungry I get, I haven’t yet found myself taking a nibble at it, though.
In use, you soon get used to its size; if anything, it’s the at top and bottom that take the most getting used to as you shuf e the rim through your hands. There is, perhaps, no reason for a steering wheel to be any bigger, and it leaves me wondering what driving would be like if we abandoned the wheel altogether and made do with a joystick, as has been proposed in various concept cars over the years.
Not everything has been going well, though. When I rst paired my Apple iphone with the 3008 via Bluetooth, it failed to add my contacts list or previous calls. Despite repeated attempts, these still won’t appear. Not knowing the name of the person phoning you isn’t so bad, but having to nd and type out a phone number manually when you want to call someone is a chore.
Likewise, the Apple Carplay phone mirroring doesn’t always work. Whether these niggles have been caused by the car’s infotainment or by my phone, I don’t know. I’ve asked young people who understand such things for help, but so far no solution has been forthcoming. I’ll keep you posted. Just probably not by phone.
‘I think the wheel looks like a pretzel – but I haven’t taken a bite of it yet’