The £20k Peugeot 208 is an excellent daily driver, just don't carry too many passengers
After a month of mixed used, it's become apparent that our supermini’s practicality clashes with its ride quality
As much as we’d like to see a modern take on the 106 Rallye, Peugeot’s PSE range is no more, with the discontinuation of the 508 in late 2024 killing off the first and only Peugeot Sport Engineered model, the 508 PSE. While the incoming electric 208 GTi could bring some of that magic back, the closest we’ve been for a while has been the range-topping 208 GT version I lived with.
While it may not engage like its lightweight ancestor, the 208 can certainly challenge it in terms of practicality. Ours continues to lap up long-distance journeys better than you’d ever expect from a little ’un, and it still regularly achieves economy figures that beat even those of the 106. A glance at the powertrain status display during low-speed moments through villages and the like frequently reveals that its mild hybrid system is using only electric power gathered through regenerative braking.
> The Peugeot 208 GTi is back: we've had a first look at the new £35k hot hatch
Less practical, of course, is the small steering wheel’s tendency to completely block the driver’s view of the gauge cluster. But this aside, I can see its advantages, its diameter giving the impression of quicker, more direct steering than you’d get with a regular-sized wheel. Feel is almost non-existent, but even on eco-centric Michelin Primacy 4 tyres, deliberate inputs result in the front-end response you’re hoping for. We’d still be intrigued to see where some sportier tyres could take things, even though they would likely impact economy.
What they couldn’t do is mask the 208’s unsophisticated ride, something that is becoming more apparent the more miles I cover in it. Despite the plump 40-profile rubber, the suspension’s reactions are far from refined, the car thumping over poorly maintained roads with no benefit to body control as a byproduct. After a stint in a Ford Focus ST Edition, the 208’s ride was noticeably less comfortable for day-to-day driving. The Peugeot is, of course, a considerably cheaper car from the class below, and designed for a different purpose entirely, but you can’t help but feel it should at least provide everyday ride quality of a level above that of a track-focused special.
A recent journey with three passengers revealed how additional weight makes matters even worse. While most 208s are unlikely to be used in such a way very often, you still wouldn’t expect the startling jolts that are sent through the cabin when travelling over bumps you wouldn’t think you’d need to avoid. The hybrid powertrain, meanwhile, didn’t seem to notice the increase in load at low speeds; shame the suspension can’t take a leaf out of its book.
This story was first featured in evo issue 327.
| Total mileage | 3725 |
| Mileage this month | 898 |
| Costs this month | £0 |
| mpg this month | 53.5 |
