2015 PEUGEOT 308 Review

With the climate control always on, a fast-paced driving style and four people with their luggage onboard most of the time, the 2015 Peugeot 308 in this configuration consumed 6.5 liters of diesel in the city and 5.5 liters on the long haul. Any way you look at it, an average of 6 liters per 100 kilometers driven (39.2 US mpg or 47 UK mpg) is a figure to be reckoned with.

We've hit the nail right on the head regarding roominess and fuel economy, the most important aspects of the overall ownership package in the C-segment. Therefore, time has come to examine the 2015 Peugeot 308 1.6 e-HDi in its finer details, starting with the standard features. 

While the entry-level Access grade doesn't even feature the 9.7-inch touchscreen infotainment, the almost middle-of-the-road Active model doesn't come with full-LED headlights and those little extras that morph the 308 into an appealing proposition.

The car we reviewed is an upper midrange Allure model with Start&Stop technology, which offers as standard both of the previously mentioned features, sans satellite navigation. Too bad the sat nav isn't intuitive nor as good as the SYNC suite of the 2015 Ford Focus facelift.

Other garden variety features worth mentioning include electric power steering, two-zone climate control, a center armrest, power windows, Dynamic comfort level 2 front seats, cruise control, a six-speaker audio system that reads MP3s from USB sticks, electric parking brake, 16-inch Topaza Diamantees alloys, rearview parking camera, power folding side mirrors, the whole nine yards.

All these will set you back €21,311, which is good value after you find out how much a Mazda3 or Volkswagen Golf are going for when similarly equipped. I'm still trying to get my head around why the Peugeot press office didn’t equip this 308 Allure with the €484 satellite navigation, but I do admire how little needs to be spent on extras.

The perfect configuration for most people is this €21,311 Peugeot 308 Allure 1.6 e-HDi plus the sat nav (€484), heated front seats (€226), a smoker's pack (€25), 17-inch Rubis Diamantee wheels (€484) and the most important detail for your passengers' enjoyment – the panoramic sunroof (€726).

All these clock in at €23,256, which is about €300 more than an unspecced 2015 Volkswagen Golf Comfortline 1.6 TDI 110 HP with the DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. With highlights such as cruise control and a better-than-Trendline trip computer, it's pretty obvious that the Golf Comfortline is seriously more costly than the 308 in its Allure specification.

If we've started pointing out the less lucrative trivialities, I'd also like to tell you a number of other niggles that hamper down the Peugeot 308's potential. Most of all, why the heck must I adjust the air con from the touchscreen infotainment system?

A dedicated HVAC control unit with physical buttons on the center stack would've been miles better. Imagine yourself travelling at high speeds and you want to activate the rear demister and set the temperature 2 degrees higher because it's getting cold. These two operations would require your visual attention more than an HVAC would, which is a tad on the unsafe side of driving a car at motorway speeds.

As it's often the case with panoramic glass sunroofs, the 308's option takes a small bite from the available headroom for the rear occupants, but I didn’t experience any problems with fitting my 1.83 meters (6 feet) in there.

The real trade-off regarding the panoramic sunroof is that the rear reading light cluster is moved behind the headrests, which translates to insufficient illumination due to insufficient distance between the 308's ceiling and the light-obstructing headrests. Though the glasshouse and pillars are adequate for good all-round visibility, the letterbox-shaped rear windscreen opening makes the parking camera handier than a pocket on a shirt.

I'm not afraid to declare myself a fan of the Peugeot i-Cockpit and minimalist dashboard design, but the Connect infotainment is not up to modern standards. Nevermind its lagginess, the unfathomable menu layout will prove troublesome before you ultimately get used to its modus operandi. A simple Bluetooth phone connectivity feature and the fair-sounding audio system wash away some of the aforementioned problems.

Our test vehicle didn't have push-button start, but we're not complaining. The zero-cost Maille Marston Noire Mistral interior upholstery isn't too shabby either. Though the European Car of the Year 2014 title wasn't awarded to the Peugeot 308 for its alluring exterior design, it's hard to think of a better-looking proposition in the compact hatchback segment except for the drop dead gorgeous Mazda3.

I like how the rear quarter windows form a perfect C near the C-pillar and how Peugeot managed to raise the ground clearance over the old 308 while giving the car a lower center of gravity. Any angle you look at the thing, the new 308 is a more enticing visual proposition than the usual suspects in the C-segment.

The counterclockwise rev counter may lead you to believe that this vehicle has some Aston Martin-grade performance DNA in its genes, but don't forget that this is just an eco-conscious turbo diesel, not the visceral 308 GT warm hatch. 

Underpinned by the all-new PSA EMP2 platform, we're well aware that talking about a chassis is probably a little dull, but bear with us for a moment. After €630 million were poured into research and development, it's easy to spot the differences between the Efficient Modular Platform and the antique PF2.

Built to be more robust and stronger than its 14-year-old predecessor, the EMP2 chassis plays a key role in the 308's weight reduction, by an average of 140 kilograms (308 lbs) compared to the previous generation.

With McPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam mounted on trailing arms at the rear, the 2015 Peugeot 308 isn't impressive at first glance, yet the suspension is sportier, while the dampers are better set up than before.

Other important changes include the 63 mm taken out of the front overhang, a lower roofline and redesigned suspension pick-up points that give the rear wheels a mildly curved range of movement instead of a vertical one.

What the latter jibber-jabber translates to is that bump-thump forces that are produced when going over rough surfaces are transmitted longitudinally as well as upwards in the body shell, which makes up for a smoother ride. Still, going for bigger than 18-inch wheels will ruin the 308's ride quality.

It's a treat in city traffic and when trying to navigate in a tight parking space, but once you step on the loud pedal over 80 km/h, prepare for the unexpected. I don't mean to make a drama out of it, but the steering feel is extremely vague and thick-skinned at high speeds, even for a Frenchie. After the first few motorway miles, I got the hang of it and ignored the misdemeanor.

While we're speaking about motorways, the first time I've stopped for fuel at a service station, I left the gear stick in neutral and didn't engage the electronic parking brake because the surface was flat and roll away risk was minimal.

Even so, I was thoroughly shocked to hear the vehicle ring an alert resembling that of a nuclear alarm siren's racket. Swear to God I've never heard such a sonorous "apply parking brake" notification, which is why I deemed necessary to record the recital and share it with you.



Then there's the 1.6-liter e-HDi's get-up-and-go. The reaction times at low revs are fair enough for an engine set up to be as economical as possible. Furthermore, you can pull swift starts off the line if you release the clutch faster than normally intended.

Relaxed, creamy and responsive, the oil burner's limitations become clear if you downshift into fourth and try to perform a 50 to 80 km/h (30 to 50 mph) torque delivery test. I don't know how to soften the blow, but those 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of twist are not enough for overtaking duties. By using third to perform the same task, you would find the 1.6 e-HDi revving beyond its max torque curve, which ultimately renders the overtaking maneuver pointless.

When it comes to sporty cornering duties, the 2015 Peugeot 308 can be committed to an apex if you know better than the dead weight sloppiness of the initial turn of the steering wheel. Even the most butterfingered driver is able to sense minor understeer, which doesn't go away after lateral load has built into the chassis while mid-cornering.

Vector in the abundance of grip at the front and a traction control system that can't be turned off completely and you'll find yourself behind the wheel of a compact hatchback that is better suited for the unhurried type, not the spirited driver.

Don't think for a moment that the 2015 Peugeot 308 1.6 e-HDI Allure is a better proposition than the ever-popular Volkswagen Golf equivalent and its more appealing platform brother from SEAT, which is incidentally called the Leon (Spanish for lion).

On paper, the Opel Astra is also a better deal than the overall experience you're offered by the French-built compact hatchback. Still, try to look beyond details not worthy of attention. The respectable Lion of Sochaux still has a lot to figure out before trying to oversee the crowded C-segment hatchback roost.

Going for a trim level more exotic than the Allure is also bad for depreciation, so don't be overzealous with the equipment or your pockets will be hit hard on resale. I'll end the 308's review by asking you a question:

- do you prefer the Germanic meticulousness that lacks soul and excitement, or are you prepared to make a few minor compromises to fulfill yourself more by going Français? Better still, why not consider trying Japanese?