Practical experience Peugeot 5008 SUV: room… for improvement?

Up to and including the front doors, the Peugeot 5008 is ‘just’ a 3008, after which you see a less steeply sloping roofline and a considerably right-sided rear window. It provides so much space that the 5008 can optionally accommodate seven people. The 5008 is not as popular as the 3008, but it appears that quite a few people need this extra space.

Engine-wise, the 5008 is no different from the 3008. In principle, they share the same three- and four-cylinder engines. Plug-in hybrid powertrains were ignored by the 5008: a battery pack turned out to be incompatible with two extra seats. That will be different with the new one.

Space and ease of use

How do users use all that space? “Our 5008 is a seven-seater,” reports a driver who owns a 5008 Blue Lease GT Line. “You can use the rear two seats if necessary. Sitting there as an adult is not a good idea; it’s not a Ford Galaxy. It is still doable for the little ones in the third row, but not optimal.” Another driver, who has a similarly equipped 5008, is more positive. “Very spacious interior, we have already used the seats that can be folded out in the third row several times. Folding and unfolding is a piece of cake.” Not only the driver is satisfied. “The comments from the guests we transported in the back were positive. Getting in is easy, getting out is a bit more difficult.”

The next owner will make maximum use of the interior’s possibilities. “Two children in the second row, the middle seat folds flat in an instant. The third child in the third row of seats, also arranged in the same way. And still plenty of space. The five filled weekend bags could be put down without difficulty.” Another paean to space: “Went to Italy with a ski box and a full trunk. The three kids are great in the back and when we arrived at the campsite, no one could believe that all the stuff we brought with us had come without a trailer.”

Seating comfort and chairs

There is no shortage of space, but what about it? “After a bit of searching I found the ideal seating position,” writes the owner of a 5008 GT Line. “I adjusted the seat a little higher, so that I can see the entire display neatly above the steering wheel. The small handlebar takes some getting used to, but the handlebar is light as a feather and after a few days you will like it. And a few days later I thought it was great.” About the rear seat: “The rear seating position is very limited in terms of headroom for people taller than 1.90 meters due to the glass roof. Tilting the back of the chair back a notch provides a few extra centimeters, but it still remains tight.” In practice, his passengers appear not to be bothered by this. “My fellow passengers in the back felt that they did not get out of the car feeling cramped after the long drive.”

The owner of a Peugeot 5008 in Allure trim is less satisfied with the seats. “The (standard) seats are okay, but not more than that,” he writes. “My wife loves the chair, but she is also a lot smaller. It is better to choose an AGR seat as an option, I think.” There is also good news: “The second row of seats with three separate seats is good. The seats are also good.” A Blue Lease Executive driver finds the furniture to be inadequate, literally and figuratively. “The chairs look very racy and sturdy, but they are not. The seat is too short and the entire chair is far too soft. You are really sitting on the box and have little support. I’m 1.78 metres, so an average height, but I can’t find a comfortable position yet.”

Infotainment and controls

Peugeot’s i-Cockpit 2.0, a further development of the dashboard from the 208 and 308, made its debut in the Peugeot 3008 and 5008. A digital instrument cluster is a standard part of this. In any case, the cockpit will appeal to the following rider: “Enjoy the beautiful interior and the well-thought-out design. We can’t even think of much that should be done differently; the screen responds slowly, but you get used to that too.”

The owner of a 5008 GT is also enthusiastic. “The interior and especially the i-Cockpit is really beautiful to look at and offers many possibilities. You have to take some time to know how everything works.” He gives an example of this and also a disadvantage. “When you drive in the dark, the lighting of the screens is very bright. To mute the lighting, you have to press the center touchscreen five times before you can adjust the settings. This should be easier.”

The next rider won’t encounter that. “The ease of use is excellent. The piano keys are now world famous, but they also work very well. The air conditioning is easy to operate and so is the radio. You can also easily adjust the car’s settings, if necessary.” The instruments have also received praise. “What is very nice is the digital display. You can arrange it as you wish and I often have the navigation active between the speedometer and tachometer.” Yet the Peugeot also fails. “The reversing camera is slow. It takes quite a while before it works and then switches off again. It also works slowly when you activate Spotify and press ‘play’. I sometimes have to wait a whole minute…” There are more riders who complain about the speed of the system. “All functions work very slowly,” says the driver of a 2017 5008 GT Line. “Press the seat massage button and it feels like it takes a full minute before something finally happens. Start navigation? You can easily be a kilometer further before the module is loaded.”

Driving the 5008

Well, there is still something to be said about the operation. Fortunately, drivers are unanimously positive about driving. “The car has fairly tight suspension, but is soft and comfortable on major changes in the road surface, speed bumps and heavy bumps. You only feel small bumps,” says the driver of a Peugeot 5008 GT Line with a 180 hp PureTech engine. “The ride itself is good, it doesn’t lean much in fast corners. The steering is very direct and the straight-line stability is very good. The crosswind sensitivity is also not too bad, even though it is a higher car.”

The driver of a 5008 GT BlueHDI also experiences this. “The driving behavior is wonderful. Especially on the highway, the car sits like a rock on the road. When you drive on N-roads, you do feel the bumps, but I don’t find that disturbing.” Another response in this vein: “The driving behavior is fine. It lies like a plank on the road and despite the height of the car, the wind sensitivity is not too bad.” The 5008 can put those comparisons with houses and planks in its pocket, just like the following compliment from a 1.6 e-THP driver: “The car is fast, very quiet inside, quite comfortable and has fairly tight steering. Even at very high speeds you can continue to talk to your fellow passengers in a normal tone.”

In addition to this 1.6, Peugeot also supplies a 1.2-liter three-cylinder. “With the 1.2 petrol engine it is not a speed monster,” explains the driver of a car with such a PureTech engine. “And with four adults on board plus a mountain of luggage, it is clear that this bike works better in our flat country, but all in all I think it’s fine.” Another rider also finds this motorcycle a size too small under certain circumstances. “A small downside is the traction on very steep highways (more than six percent), you can no longer reach 130 km/h.” A third driver is completely enthusiastic. “I am very pleased with the engine! 1.2 three-cylinder… Oh what doubts I had, but what a nice engine! It never feels underpowered.”

Maintenance, malfunctions and irritations

Drivers of the Peugeot 5008 do report some problems, sometimes bigger and sometimes smaller. A notable issue that is reported more often is a moving hood at speed. “The wavy bonnet at speeds above 120 km/h does not give a feeling of quality,” says the driver of a 5008 Allure. Drivers of the Peugeot 3008 SUV also mentioned this problem in their reviews. One rider solved it himself using a rubber strip.

The flap at the rear is also regularly referred to in a negative sense. “The automatic tailgate more often than not does not work in the sense that it unlocks, but does not swing open,” writes the driver of a 5008 GT Line. “Then you still have dirty hands from that first push.” Another GT Line driver is also somewhat frustrated. “The tailgate is the biggest irritation of all. It rarely opens in winter. If it does, the delay is so great that you have already pressed the button three more times.”

This is not the only problem this driver had to deal with: his 1.6 THP engine was replaced after only about 18,000 kilometers. “After a month of searching, it was discovered that the tappet of an intake valve was missing. Disappeared? Disappeared, gone, lost! The engine was then exchanged under warranty.” After that, things went well for about 100,000 kilometers, until… “around 120,000 kilometers the timing chain with water pump and accessories was replaced. According to experts, this should never be possible with this mileage.” In his review, the rider writes about a few more annoyances that detract from the experience. A 1.2 PureTech driver also reports engine problems, including oil leaks and a worn timing belt. The owner attributes this to the leasing company, which did not consider replacing the belt necessary at 100,000 kilometers. Possible problems with the timing belt are known with this type of engine.

Drivers of the Peugeot 5008 SUV are therefore largely satisfied, especially with the interior space and handling. The operating concept also receives the most attention, although the next generation 5008 must definitely have a faster infotainment system. The current one is considered too slow by almost all drivers. Finally, Peugeot would do well to take a closer look at both the front and rear hatches: they seem to move when they shouldn’t and vice versa. The car therefore offers a lot of space, but there is also room for improvement. Bring on that new Peugeot 5008.