Filed under: Latest News
Jon Reay
Well, yes and no. Helping out Car Dealer magazine for a few weeks meant some tedious train journeys, so I was happy to be handed the keys to one of the long-term fleet.
I was even happier when I realised it would be the Peugeot 208 - a car I have been dying to drive since its release last year.
The Peugeot 208 is good looking and effortlessly youthful - with a funky image too. Not many small hatchbacks look good in five-door form either - and I carried on being impressed as I blipped the key fob and the motorised wing mirrors electronically folded out.
Very smart, I thought. However after driving it around a bit, I have mixed feelings. On the plus side, the engine is so smooth on the motorway that I didn't realise it was a three-cylinder until someone told me.
And it sounds sporty too, once you've turned down the powerful sound-system via the good looking touchscreen controls.
But then again, the combination of a jumpy clutch and an unpredictable throttle response means driving away from junctions makes me feel like I am 17 years old again, as I lurch away like a learner driver.
The gearbox feels about 17 years old too, and I can't figure out a way to have a comfortable driving position and see the dials at the same time.
These niggles aside, once you have the little Peugeot up and running, it is a very nice car to spend time in. Almost perfect for a young chap just out of university then - and certainly better than sitting on a train for hours on end.
The knowledge
Model: Peugeot 208 Active Vti 1.2
Price: £14,550 (as tested)
Engine: 1.2-litre, petrol
Power: 82bhp, 118Nm
Max speed: 109mph
0-60mph: 13.8s
MPG: 65.7 (combined)
Emissions: 104g/km
Mileage this month: 398
Costs this month: £0