“The handling is much better than that of the old model.”
The Peugeot 308 has been a permanent fixture in the Peugeot range since 2007. Since then, three generations have carried the same name, with the most recent achievement dating from 2022. It was this car on which Peugeot’s new logo made its appearance, and also the first model with a completely new infotainment system. How do riders experience these steps?
Peugeot’s new desired identity goes beyond the new logo. The brand must radiate more luxury and sportiness, an ambition that we have never heard before in the car industry. Well, the 308 is no longer the runner it used to be. In the peak year of 2015, the French managed to sell no fewer than 29,054 (!) copies in our country, mainly thanks to a very favorable additional tax climate for business drivers. In 2023, interest dropped to 2,270 units, although that is still more than the Peugeot 3008 sold. As a result, direct SUV cannibalization at Peugeot seems limited.
Peugeot 308
No more pack mule?
The fact that the Peugeot 308, and especially the 308 SW, were so popular in 2015 was of course partly due to the amount of space in relation to the price. The previous 308 was therefore a pack mule par excellence. That is why it is all the more striking that drivers of the new 308 do not write anything about ease of use in their reviews. Would the upgraded image desired by Peugeot really pay off?
A distinguished car should at least have good seats. Peugeot seems to have succeeded in that area. As long as you opt for optional furniture. “The AGR seats with massage function fit perfectly, you can sink quite deeply and with my 1.96 meter height, the seat doesn’t even have to be in the rearmost position,” writes the satisfied driver of a 308 GT HYbrid. About the position in the cockpit: “The steering wheel adjustment was quickly found, although a bit lower than in my previous car (a 208, also with a small steering wheel), but gives a good seating position.”
A 308 SW driver shares the experience with these optional seats. “I am very happy with my choice of the AGR chair. The options for setting are endless and after some adjustments in the first weeks we have now found the right setting. The seat extenders in particular are a nice addition to the standard seats for me, who is 1.86 meters tall. I would always advise them.” About the interior in general: “That makes a good impression on me. The design is modern yet clear. We had experience with the small steering wheel, we got used to it quickly, and the materials make a solid impression.
Yet not every tall rider is completely satisfied. “What is a major disadvantage is the low entry and the very short seat seats (despite a ‘seat extender’),” writes the driver of a 308 Allure. “Because I am 1.98 meters tall and my other half is 1.60, it is always a lot of adjustment. She can find a great attitude, I struggled a lot with it in the beginning but ultimately chose a compromise,” he writes. What that looks like: “Seat at its lowest, seat still pushed far forward (so knees are bent considerably) and the steering wheel as far towards me as possible. If I move the seat further back, I can no longer comfortably reach the steering wheel with my arms.” It’s not all doom and gloom. “The advantage is that you quickly get used to the small steering wheel, the counters are always visible and the center console is nice and soft to lean on.”
Infotainment and controls Peugeot 308
With the new generation 308, Peugeot also introduced a new infotainment system, which is increasingly the nerve center of the modern car. “The digital cockpit is clear, bright and sharp,” writes the driver of a 308 Allure with business pack. “It contains all essential information and is customizable with widgets. This screen and the central touchscreen are also perfectly visible with Polaroid glasses, which is not unimportant!” What is the further experience like? “The central touchscreen is responsive enough, but not as snappy as a modern phone. The extra i-Toggles under the main screen are a pleasure and also adjustable. Below we have some favorite shortcuts such as Android Auto, Air conditioning on/off, 360 degree camera and seat settings (heating).”
This driver does criticize the lighting of these screens. “The brightness of the digital cockpit and touchscreen is always maximum during the day. Only when the car finds it too dark does the screen switch to dark mode, then the brightness of the infotainment and cockpit can be adjusted. However, there are no gradations here, so if you drive under some trees, night mode is turned on. At that moment you turn the setting brighter. That same evening you want to drive away and the screens are on full blast. The car cannot detect semi-darkness compared to complete darkness, which is terribly irritating!”
Another user may have difficulty getting used to the controls or did not take the time to customize the system, like the previous driver. “The cockpit looks beautiful, but that’s about it. The options are not intuitive to operate, which means that it is sometimes simply dangerous to turn up the heat a little while driving, look up a radio station or do something else simple.” The voice control also receives little sympathy. “The lady who is built-in responds nine times out of ten with ‘I don’t understand you’, which is highly irritating. And she understands a command such as ‘seat heating on’, but not ‘massage on’. A complaint that we read in several reviews.
Driving the new 308
When it comes to driving, Peugeot has set the bar high, and according to drivers of the new 308, it has now been raised again. For example, the driver of a 308 SW 1.2 PureTech 130 writes: “The driving behavior in particular, by which I mean the steering feel but also the suspension and damping, is better suited to what my wife and I like. The 308 goes more in a dynamic direction than our previous Skoda Octavia, which is mainly focused on comfort.” How does this manifest itself? “There is more feeling in the steering wheel, especially when cornering, and bumps or other short bumps are processed more tightly by the car. The Octavia sometimes wanted to sway half a turn, the 308 is immediately back on track without being hard and bouncy. A nice compromise.”
Another rider, who rides a similar version, goes one step further. “I have now driven 5,000 km with this car. The handling is much better than the old model. For this purpose I temporarily had a Ford Focus and I must say that I think the Peugeot has better handling. And that means something.” Indeed, Fords are also highly regarded when it comes to driving.
The 1.2-liter three-cylinder is also popular. “With regard to technology: 130 hp is fine for our country. The automatic transmission is of the traditional type, unlike the DSG of the Octavia, and works fine. The right gear is chosen well and I never felt the need to switch gears manually with the paddles,” says the former Skoda driver.
“Manual pinball/shifting makes little sense,” writes another rider, “the paddles do not respond quickly and you cannot upshift or downshift multiple times in succession.” Still, he is generally quite satisfied. “This car drives well enough in the mountains. Uphill you have enough energy to pick up speed, even with someone in the back and a full trunk. The sport mode is useful here because the gearbox is sharper to provide the right torque after corners.”
This driving mode does not appear to be a perfect solution. “The sport mode also makes the steering unnaturally heavier, which just makes for a very lousy ride. With that small steering wheel you have little leverage, which makes it a chore to make turns, and it does not mean that you have more ‘feel’.” The chassis is found to be ‘good with conditions’. “The chassis of this 308 is excellent for two people, as soon as there are two adults in the back you immediately feel that speed bumps and roads with cobblestones or poor road surfaces are considerably less comfortable!”
Maintenance, malfunctions and irritations
Users report relatively few problems with their 308, the car certainly seems reliable. The biggest annoyances relate to the new infotainment system. “One time all screens remained black. Only after switching it off, waiting 10 minutes and switching it on again does it work again,” writes a rider who experienced this. “Another time the system indicated that the software did not belong to the car. Turned it off again, this time it took until the next day for it to work again.” Another annoyance, which we also read from others: “The system startup is very slow. If you had the radio on quite loudly last time, it will start again at that volume. And with that slow start-up you cannot quickly adjust the volume.”
One driver reports even more bad luck. “One morning the car started to run wild when the ignition was switched on, literally all the alarms went off. We could also no longer lock the car because keyless entry also failed. Then it turned out that the battery had failed, even though the car was only 3 months old.” That can happen of course, but you hope that such a part will last longer.
It seems that Peugeot is having success with the new 308 in the areas where this brand wants it. The new generation is no longer seen by its buyers as a practical pack mule, but more as a luxury good. When it comes to driving, the car certainly maintains that desired image, the interior finish and the optional AGR seating furniture also score points. Striking: no one complains about the small steering wheel and the readability of the instruments. The new infotainment system is received with mixed results, but will be better if drivers take the time to arrange it according to their own needs. However, the system could start up faster and it is hoped that it will become more stable after the necessary updates. That would certainly improve the experience considerably for many drivers.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl