Peugeot 308 S HDi 90 Review & Road Test

We Review / Road Test the Peugeot 308 S HDi 90

So you want a small family car? Something the industry would call a C-Segment car. Something like a VW Golf or a Ford Focus or the new Vauxhall Astra. What else would be on your default list? We’d argue you should certainly consider the Mazda3 – a seriously underrated car – and no doubt a Hyundai/Kia would come in to the mix.

For many that’s about as far as the options would stretch. Which is a bit sad, as there are a fair number of cars in the C-Segment that actually offer different options to the mainstream. And one of those is the Peugeot 308.

The Peugoet 308 has been with us since 2007 and replaced the not-very-loved 307. At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking the 308 is nothing more than a facelifted 307, but it is substantially changed from its predecessor even if it does sit on the same underpinnings.

But is it better built? The 307 had a pretty woeful record for build quality and reliability, but thankfully the 308 seems to have set that aside. The interior is now a decent place to be – something you’d have been hard-pushed to say about the 307 – and all round build quality seems to be up with the best.

Once big surprise is not just what a decent place the interior of the 308 is but how big it feels. Not every car in this sector has a feeling of space, but the 308 really does. The car we have – the 308 S HDi 90 - is pretty close to the bottom of the range but even here – despite the ‘greyness’ all around – there is a distinct quality feel to what’s on offer.

Another surprise is how well this Peugeot 308 drives, with its pint sized engine and hub caps. There is ample grip – until you really push hard and then you just get some fairly benign understeer – and the steering is surprisingly sharp with some decent feedback.

Don’t run away with the idea that this 308 S is in any way ‘Sporty’. It’s not. In fact the ‘S’ could stand for slow if you just looked at the performance figures – 0-62 mph takes rather leisurely 14.1 seconds – although it does feel nippier than that around town.

But despite that less than scintillating power under your right foot the 308 is a decent drive. It’s quiet and comfy in a French sort of way and yet still manages to handle commendably well. It’s not a patch on Peugeots of old in the fun handling department, but in its own way it offers decent driving dynamics which suit a C-Segment car. The truth is that most buyers of a family hatch would rather have  comfy ride than exciting handling. And the 308 does deliver a comfy ride.

But we reckon that a lot of the good ride is down to the modest rubber this particular 308 is wearing. Steel rims, hubcaps and less than low-profile tyres probably don’t sound the most exciting combination on offer, but they do make this 308 able to absorb the bumps and potholes of the average UK road an awful lot better than the bigger wheels – and lower profile tyres – of its more expensive siblings.

So the 308 handles well enough – if not exactly cutting edge. It’s as roomy as you have any right to expect from car of its size and it’s now properly bolted together. It even looks pretty good. Some of Peugeot’s big-gob styling exercises are less than convincing, but the 308 is a pretty decent looking car. But is it good value for money?

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By Cars UK