How does a normal clio RS compare to a 208 GTi though? I'd like to see that battle. Much as I'd love a clio RS, I wouldn't want the cup, not a fan of rock hard suspension.

If peugeot can manage to make the 208 GTi as a more composed ride then the clio RS then I can imagine it doing very well. Corsa VXR = chavvy and crude. clio RS = appeals to younger generation & people who love sitting on rocks. beyond that you have the much more expensive mini cooper S.

Servicebox FTW in some regards. Many parts NLA for 309s now, but still some 205 & 309 (and similar-floorpan Citroens ) stuff on there.


But not all service desk drones appreciate part numbers being quoted at them .

One in particular went ape-st - all I wanted was a rad cap and how did I know it was the right one for my engine??? (umm,the pic matches what's on the car, DUR!! ) - so I go to another Peugeot place and give clear-but-vague directions as to what I'm after nowadays

If Peugeot hadn't been going for two centuries and had such an illustrious history, I'd mutter "good riddance"... But they have lasted 200 years and it's sad that they produce such dross while losing sales and cash .

I could compare them to MG-Rover and its antecendents, but that would be unfair as Renault were (still are? could be wrong! ) the state-owned concern while Peugeot made a fair fist of it being privately owned then latterly known as PSA but not subsidised by the state. There's nowt as ironic as irony .

Nothing to add other than I've been in a few 508's and pound for pound the interior quality is about on par/more solid than a 3 series. Seriously!

After chatting to a few members of their corporate sales team I didn't realise that PSA pretty much own Faurecia, who, make interiors for everyone you can think of including Audi!

508 is doing OK, particularly on the fleet sales ahead of predictions in the UK. Peugeot/Citroen as a whole are holding their own in the UK as well with 2012 sales up in line with the market which can only get better with new metal on the way.

The UK isn't the problem - falls of 10%, 13% and 21% in Spain, France and Italy so far this year is their problem.

For many it is a problem(also outside of UK, in Germany 205 was famed too), and if they cannot make it properly, than they better merge with some South Korean company, or maybe they can become part of VAG group making budget cars. Also they should make sportier petrol 508 model to rival Bmw as they used especially with 405(which beat rear drive 3 series at its own game) and 406, otherwise they have to acknowledge German dominance.

They've been here before with the 205 it saved them from ruin but will history repeat itself?

I started working for Peugeot in 1972 and for the last 25 years with my own small independent Peugeot workshop.I`m now retired,got out just in time as my loyalty to Peugeot is just about finished.We were regularly doing jobs on late models that were very very rare on 306`s and 406`s and were just unthinkable on 505`s and 504`s.In the 70`s,80`s Peugeot`s were all over Africa because they were so tough,now it full of Jap` cars.Would you want to drive a 307 or a 308 for miles down a bush road? These days they are just unreliable,rattly "play station cars".

GTi like cars sell in the UK and Germany but the market elsewhere is virtually nil (USA and Japan are the other two markets but PSA aren't really in them) so, yes, it is important but PSA are doing just fine in UK and Germany as it stands. It is the rest of Europe their sales have collapsed in.

This was the end of our Peugeot yesterday afternoon... (I'll come back to that).

Reading this thread reminded me of how many Peugeots we've had over the past 16 years and how good they have been for different reasons, based on what we wanted at the time.

In my 'younger' days, our first Rally car was a 205 1.9Gti Group N, that was a great car. Then a family member had the 106 Rallye (1.3), cracking car when you were reving the nuts off it - low in the rev range was hopeless, but really fun to push harder. We then had a group N 1.3 Rallye as our Rally car, while also having a 106 XS road car. I also got a Saxo when they first came out. So in the mid to late 90's we had sporty Peugeots and they were great, fun driving cars.

Fast forward to 2006 and I was running my own car instead of a company one, so I opted for a 407 HDi, it was quite dull as a drivers car, but actaully one of the best cars I've owned. It was cheap to run, never broke down an did 130,000 faultless miles over 4 years. The only critism was the tyre pressure monitors have a tendancy to fail and snap as they get old. Our local dealer service was superb, and the car was really well kitted with Bluetooth as real bonus, back in 2006 this was a great piece of kit compared to all my colleagues in BMW's with ear pieces. So it wouldn't set the world on fire, but for what I wanted it was great.

I replaced it with a Merc C320CDi, a truly amazing car, real drivers car, but blimey it cost to run it, tyres brakes etc, so a far 'better' car but I paid to run it.

Last year we needed a small car for my wife, so opted for a low mileage 207 1.4. Very dull driving experience, but she didn't care, we could comfortably get 3 kids in the back (one in a booster seat), plus plenty of luggage, it looked good, was very comfy and ok on the economy. When I switched jobs I started to use it as a daily runner, I agree it was very dull to drive, but I was also really suprised how easy it was to use day in day out and very cheap to run. Our local dealership again have been stirling. It developed 1 annoying fault, which they fixed and always looked after us.

So to yesterday, again the little Pug has done a great job, my wife was stationary waiting to turn right, and was rear ended by a van, which pushed her into on coming traffic and she was t-boned by a VW Polo. The near side taking the full force. Luckily she was on her own, but the car has stood up really well and everything did it's job. I don't think we'll be getting it back again sadly.

I had a quick look at a 208 today and it does look good - we will be looking for an economical small supermini - so I'll hunt about for the best deal, and may even consider an end of line 207 as there are some great deals. It has done so well in the accident for a small car that I am seriously considering another - despite it's dull road characteristics.

So while I agree that a true drivers Peugeot has not been around for some 15 years, the recent cars have all had a lot of their own merits that appeal to none petrol heads, the normal everyday motorist and the new 208 seems to follow that trend. I hope they do continue to be succssful as I'm a Peugeot fan for many reasons now.

The 407 Coupe was a fantastic car. Especially the twin-turbo V6 diesel in GT trim.