Peugeot 308 - talk to me

[UK345]

I have been asked to source a Peugeot 308 for a friend and have a budget of £2000 to work with. It needs to be a petrol and probably the 1.4 model. Whats the common faults with these cars ? I would be looking to buy a 2009/2010 model

[Jimbo.]

£2k for a 2009/2010 hatch? Pushing it a bit, non?

[daemon]

Jimbo. said:

£2k for a 2009/2010 hatch? Pushing it a bit, non?

Nope.

Very doable

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

[daemon]

UK345 said:

I have been asked to source a Peugeot 308 for a friend and have a budget of £2000 to work with. It needs to be a petrol and probably the 1.4 model. Whats the common faults with these cars ? I would be looking to buy a 2009/2010 model

The 1.4 might be a bit underpowered.

I guess check if a belt change is due and look for FSH and a years MOT.

Cant think of any specific problems with them.

Decent little cars.

[CX53]

[drdino]

daemon said:

The 1.4 might be a bit underpowered.

I guess check if a belt change is due and look for FSH and a years MOT.

Cant think of any specific problems with them.

Decent little cars.

The EP3 engine has a chain as far as I am aware... Make sure it doesn't rattle like a tractor on startup!
Other than that, whatever you would check on any used car. Make sure all of the equipment works, no warnings/telltales, and also make sure the important telltales (MIL, ABS, restraints) prove-out on key on.

[UK345]

Cheers for the replies. We have had a 307 was 5 years so wanting to upgrade it to the 308. I am spoilt for choice and they seem like a good little bargain. We had considered the Astra of the same era but have decided that the 308 is the better car. The focus is too overpriced.

[Thorburn]

UK345 said:

It needs to be a petrol and probably the 1.4 model. Whats the common faults with these cars ?

Watch out for excessive despair and remorse. Yet to see a 308 that doesn't suffer from this.

[Muddle238]

I had a 2008 308 SE 1.6 VTI for a few years. Good enough car, came with a brilliant panoramic glass roof (SE trim level only I think). Engine seemed good enough, didn't really have any problems with it, however the 5-speed manual could really have done with a sixth gear for motorways. My suggestion would be to look for one of the later models when they ditched the 5-speed.

Otherwise build quality seemed fine, nothing fell off and nothing corroded. Can't remember too many squeaks or rattles either. Decent enough boot etc. My main dislike was the lack of sixth gear, also mine had a slightly indecisive throttle potentiometer - it would jump from idle to about 1,500 with no middle ground.

Would recommend a 6-speed SE model.

Edit: The 1.6 VTi is really the minimum displacement I would recommend, maybe because I had the glass roof option but it's not the lightest of cars, the 1.6 was perfectly adequate but I would not have thought the 1.4 is a better choice. It will probably need thrashing everywhere which will wear out your ear drums and see you in petrol stations more often. IIRC the reviews at the time suggested the 1.6 HDI was the best unit.

Edited by Muddle238 on Tuesday 31st May 09:30

[ajh38]

308's are good, solid cars, a mark up on the previous 307. They are a little dull.

Personally I'd look for one of the diesels rather than the petrol as I think it suits the car better, pulls well at low revs like diesels tend to do. The petrol engines in these do tend to use a bit of oil.

It is upping your budget all the time but I'd want a 1.6 HDi 110 bhp Sport model.

[Monospace]

I am fairly confident this generation 308 is more of a facelift 307 than entirely new car, if memory serves. So whatever applies to 307 should apply here.

I prefer the petrol, it feels more sprightly handling-wise and still seems economical.

[daemon]

ajh38 said:

308's are good, solid cars, a mark up on the previous 307. They are a little dull.

Personally I'd look for one of the diesels rather than the petrol as I think it suits the car better, pulls well at low revs like diesels tend to do. The petrol engines in these do tend to use a bit of oil.

It is upping your budget all the time but I'd want a 1.6 HDi 110 bhp Sport model.

The 1.6HDI, particularly at that age is going to be troublesome - notorious for DPF problems, EGR failures and turbo problems.

Its the one i would avoid - the 1.4HDI and 2.0HDI are much better

BUT, if you're not doing the miles, best avoid diesels all together.

[ajh38]

daemon said:

The 1.6HDI, particularly at that age is going to be troublesome - notorious for DPF problems, EGR failures and turbo problems.

Its the one i would avoid - the 1.4HDI and 2.0HDI are much better

BUT, if you're not doing the miles, best avoid diesels all together.

I've never seen one with the 1.4 HDi, don't think it was produced, certainly not in the UK.

I'm not a fan of the 1.4 VTi, I wouldn't have one. I had the 1.6 in a 207cc back in 2008, it's ok but my preference would still be the 1.6 HDi. Injectors are the biggest thing to worry about on them but it wouldn't be enough to put me off. If you get one late enough you will get the 6 speed box and £20 per year RFL too.

[MJ85]

daemon said:

ajh38 said:

308's are good, solid cars, a mark up on the previous 307. They are a little dull.

Personally I'd look for one of the diesels rather than the petrol as I think it suits the car better, pulls well at low revs like diesels tend to do. The petrol engines in these do tend to use a bit of oil.

It is upping your budget all the time but I'd want a 1.6 HDi 110 bhp Sport model.

The 1.6HDI, particularly at that age is going to be troublesome - notorious for DPF problems, EGR failures and turbo problems.

Its the one i would avoid - the 1.4HDI and 2.0HDI are much better

BUT, if you're not doing the miles, best avoid diesels all together.

I agree. I've just shifted a car with the 1.6 HDI. In its short time with us, it had no end of problems. I'd run a mile!