RE: Peugeot 308 GTI | PH Used Buying Guide
Discussion
The Wookie said:
Driver101 said:
I'm surprised that you are surprised Wookie.
This is a very well known and documented problem.
It surprises me because normally anything remotely like this would generate a sThis is a very well known and documented problem.
t storm!Looks like I’m going to be the one creating it tomorrow
Both are low volume cars and the moans maybe don't rise to the top.
Driver101 said:
Both are low volume cars and the moans maybe don't rise to the top.
Having spent a significant proportion of my life in previous years driving round in circles at walking pace trying to reproduce obscure NVH issues on prototypes I have to disagree with that pointHence my surprise
That was a good read.
I have had two 308s, albeit in PureTech 130 guise - an impressive engine in its own right.
They were both good cars and I currently have a 208 GTi with the same engine, albeit with less power but nonetheless the 0-60 is compatible with many cars with 60/80bhp more. Weight is truly key. Granted, it's a 208 - French, cheap hard plastics everywhere and questionable build quality but it really does shift and is hugely entertaining. We've had it 2.5 years since new and got it very cheap and it fitted the bill at the time - easy to park for the wife, quick, good mpg etc. I'm not a huge French car fan whatsoever but I did like the 308 when it came out and both served me well. In my opinion it looks better than a Focus (Fords are hideous these days imo) and nothing else in this segment, apart from a Golf, was a contender.
Anyway, the 308 GTi......I have considered one for a while but the brakes are hideously expensive and are prone to sticking caliper pistons due to the chrome plated pistons (correct me if I'm wrong). I couldn't warrant paying circa £1k plus for brake discs on a sub 300 bhp Peugeot at the end of the day. There are mod kits out there but it's more coin.
These 1.6 engines are very frugal, mine averages 36mpg with town driving: 50 mpg is achievable on a run. The infotainment is not the best and the fact the climate control settings are inbuilt into it is nothing short of dangerous and gimmicky. Looks are subjective but I think the 308 is a good looking car unless it sports Coupe Franche paint work, that is.
I have had two 308s, albeit in PureTech 130 guise - an impressive engine in its own right.
They were both good cars and I currently have a 208 GTi with the same engine, albeit with less power but nonetheless the 0-60 is compatible with many cars with 60/80bhp more. Weight is truly key. Granted, it's a 208 - French, cheap hard plastics everywhere and questionable build quality but it really does shift and is hugely entertaining. We've had it 2.5 years since new and got it very cheap and it fitted the bill at the time - easy to park for the wife, quick, good mpg etc. I'm not a huge French car fan whatsoever but I did like the 308 when it came out and both served me well. In my opinion it looks better than a Focus (Fords are hideous these days imo) and nothing else in this segment, apart from a Golf, was a contender.
Anyway, the 308 GTi......I have considered one for a while but the brakes are hideously expensive and are prone to sticking caliper pistons due to the chrome plated pistons (correct me if I'm wrong). I couldn't warrant paying circa £1k plus for brake discs on a sub 300 bhp Peugeot at the end of the day. There are mod kits out there but it's more coin.
These 1.6 engines are very frugal, mine averages 36mpg with town driving: 50 mpg is achievable on a run. The infotainment is not the best and the fact the climate control settings are inbuilt into it is nothing short of dangerous and gimmicky. Looks are subjective but I think the 308 is a good looking car unless it sports Coupe Franche paint work, that is.
Driver101 said:
Juanco20 said:
The Wookie said:
The calipers have internal dust seals and the pistons have a tightly controlled surface finish developed from and validated by an extensive testing regime to ensure they don’t have any issues. We literally submerge them in a bath full of salty, muddy crap and cycle them hundreds of thousands of times over the space of months.
The setup also isn’t unheard of and has been used for many, many years on road cars, even Defenders have a similar setup. The only thing that’s advisable is to clean the sliding area of the pistons before they’re pushed back into the calipers on a pad change, easily done as they’re a closed bridge caliper that needs to be removed during a pad change anyway.
I’m sorry if you’ve had an issue with it and obviously it’s impossible to eliminate every problem that might occur in service but it’s the first I’ve heard of it being a common problem and Peugeot are actually a pretty fastidious customer. I’ve actually travelled to France visiting dealerships to attend to owners cars for issues far less serious than what you’re describing.
The brake issue is very common. I was a member on a 308 GTI facebook page and loads suffered from it. Some managed to get them changed under warranty while others seemed to have more difficulty The setup also isn’t unheard of and has been used for many, many years on road cars, even Defenders have a similar setup. The only thing that’s advisable is to clean the sliding area of the pistons before they’re pushed back into the calipers on a pad change, easily done as they’re a closed bridge caliper that needs to be removed during a pad change anyway.
I’m sorry if you’ve had an issue with it and obviously it’s impossible to eliminate every problem that might occur in service but it’s the first I’ve heard of it being a common problem and Peugeot are actually a pretty fastidious customer. I’ve actually travelled to France visiting dealerships to attend to owners cars for issues far less serious than what you’re describing.
This is a very well known and documented problem.
waynephatg said:
That was a good read.
I have had two 308s, albeit in PureTech 130 guise - an impressive engine in its own right.
They were both good cars and I currently have a 208 GTi with the same engine, albeit with less power but nonetheless the 0-60 is compatible with many cars with 60/80bhp more. Weight is truly key. Granted, it's a 208 - French, cheap hard plastics everywhere and questionable build quality but it really does shift and is hugely entertaining. We've had it 2.5 years since new and got it very cheap and it fitted the bill at the time - easy to park for the wife, quick, good mpg etc. I'm not a huge French car fan whatsoever but I did like the 308 when it came out and both served me well. In my opinion it looks better than a Focus (Fords are hideous these days imo) and nothing else in this segment, apart from a Golf, was a contender.
Anyway, the 308 GTi......I have considered one for a while but the brakes are hideously expensive and are prone to sticking caliper pistons due to the chrome plated pistons (correct me if I'm wrong). I couldn't warrant paying circa £1k plus for brake discs on a sub 300 bhp Peugeot at the end of the day. There are mod kits out there but it's more coin.
These 1.6 engines are very frugal, mine averages 36mpg with town driving: 50 mpg is achievable on a run. The infotainment is not the best and the fact the climate control settings are inbuilt into it is nothing short of dangerous and gimmicky. Looks are subjective but I think the 308 is a good looking car unless it sports Coupe Franche paint work, that is.
That's some serious lurking!!I have had two 308s, albeit in PureTech 130 guise - an impressive engine in its own right.
They were both good cars and I currently have a 208 GTi with the same engine, albeit with less power but nonetheless the 0-60 is compatible with many cars with 60/80bhp more. Weight is truly key. Granted, it's a 208 - French, cheap hard plastics everywhere and questionable build quality but it really does shift and is hugely entertaining. We've had it 2.5 years since new and got it very cheap and it fitted the bill at the time - easy to park for the wife, quick, good mpg etc. I'm not a huge French car fan whatsoever but I did like the 308 when it came out and both served me well. In my opinion it looks better than a Focus (Fords are hideous these days imo) and nothing else in this segment, apart from a Golf, was a contender.
Anyway, the 308 GTi......I have considered one for a while but the brakes are hideously expensive and are prone to sticking caliper pistons due to the chrome plated pistons (correct me if I'm wrong). I couldn't warrant paying circa £1k plus for brake discs on a sub 300 bhp Peugeot at the end of the day. There are mod kits out there but it's more coin.
These 1.6 engines are very frugal, mine averages 36mpg with town driving: 50 mpg is achievable on a run. The infotainment is not the best and the fact the climate control settings are inbuilt into it is nothing short of dangerous and gimmicky. Looks are subjective but I think the 308 is a good looking car unless it sports Coupe Franche paint work, that is.
dfm37 said:
Sensibleboy said:
But it also suggests the owner has an imagination that extends beyond the obvious Golf / A3 / A Class/ Focus options.
Thats true but I feel like if you're going for a French brand at the minute you'd be mad not to be looking at Renault See past the image, and you'll get a practical car, that when driven hard is probably the most exciting car of it's type. I include CTR, N30i etc in that comparison.
I test drove one for about half hour and liked it, felt quick and steering feel was nice. I didn't struggle with the steering wheel/dash issue but that's probably all dependant on body shape and seat preference, can see how it would be annoying for others though! One thing I was struck by, it seemed nicer quality inside to a similar era Merc A Class so that was a pleasant surprise. They were selling them for just over £20k new though!
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
boozyjay said:
I sold my 308 GTI 270 with 38,000 miles on the clock, never had an issue with the brakes at all, guess I was lucky. I had the front pads changed once in that time and yes, they were expensive but it's a performance car.
It wasn't a 2017 (pre-facelift) car in Cumulus Grey with the Denon stereo upgrade was it?Car magazine put it above the Golf GTI and Mini JCW in a group test, I thought that at the price reductions they were offering it was a bargain. But also a sign of how they struggled to sell them..!
https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/comparis...
https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/comparis...
It's interesting to read this as I have purchased a pre-facelift 270 only a few weeks ago.
I test drove a standard 308 several years ago and was convinced that I didn't like the i-Cockpit layout but I have to say that you fall in to it amazingly quickly. Set the wheel low so you see the instruments over the top of it and it works surprisingly well. I would definitely prefer a few more physical buttons but the touch screen works well enough even if it is a bit slow to initialise.
Recently did a trip to Scotland and the seats were perfect. Massage function just takes the edge off a long journey although I think I need to adjust the lumbar support a bit more.
Thankfully the brake discs had been replaced less than 5,000 miles before I bought the car but I went in to this knowing I would have to fork out for stainless pistons in the calipers as the standard ones appear to fail with amazing regularity, and that discs wouldn't be cheap but should last a while on a car this light.
Performance is rapid but very smooth. I would like a little more drama in something this quick but it does pick up and scrub off speed very quickly, as well as handling sublimely. Steering feel isn't the best, to be expected with modern cars, but it gives you enough confidence that the car will stick. Unfortunately the dealer put some awful Chinese tyres on the fronts so I will be eating through those as quickly as I can to get something decent on the car!
Hopefully I won't suffer the fuel tank issue but I do have an extended warranty. I'll get the gearbox oil changed soon but I'm hoping that this will be a reliable car as there seem to be a few approaching 100k miles. Time will tell. Loving it so far though and it's a very nice left-field choice.
I test drove a standard 308 several years ago and was convinced that I didn't like the i-Cockpit layout but I have to say that you fall in to it amazingly quickly. Set the wheel low so you see the instruments over the top of it and it works surprisingly well. I would definitely prefer a few more physical buttons but the touch screen works well enough even if it is a bit slow to initialise.
Recently did a trip to Scotland and the seats were perfect. Massage function just takes the edge off a long journey although I think I need to adjust the lumbar support a bit more.
Thankfully the brake discs had been replaced less than 5,000 miles before I bought the car but I went in to this knowing I would have to fork out for stainless pistons in the calipers as the standard ones appear to fail with amazing regularity, and that discs wouldn't be cheap but should last a while on a car this light.
Performance is rapid but very smooth. I would like a little more drama in something this quick but it does pick up and scrub off speed very quickly, as well as handling sublimely. Steering feel isn't the best, to be expected with modern cars, but it gives you enough confidence that the car will stick. Unfortunately the dealer put some awful Chinese tyres on the fronts so I will be eating through those as quickly as I can to get something decent on the car!
Hopefully I won't suffer the fuel tank issue but I do have an extended warranty. I'll get the gearbox oil changed soon but I'm hoping that this will be a reliable car as there seem to be a few approaching 100k miles. Time will tell. Loving it so far though and it's a very nice left-field choice.
I test drove one before buying a Renault Sport Megane. My memory was of the boosty nature of the engine, a very long throw to the gear change, it being very dark inside, small in the back and with poor visibility to the rear.
I also feel the brakes and wheels are overspecced for what it is. I had no issue at all with the steering wheel and dials, but do dislike the backwards rev counter.
I also feel the brakes and wheels are overspecced for what it is. I had no issue at all with the steering wheel and dials, but do dislike the backwards rev counter.
The i-cockpit is fine, might take a couple of days of getting used to but certainly not worth dismissing the car over. Same also goes for the climate controls being relocated to the infotainment screen (I notice the mk8 golf isn't getting the same criticism) but the auto mode is actually pretty good and you can just set the temperature and leave it alone IME.
Don't judge these without driving them, they are utterly superb drivers cars, especially the 270 with the LSD. I've had fast Golfs and a Focus ST but was still looking to buy one of these last year, but I couldn't find the spec I wanted within budget.
Don't judge these without driving them, they are utterly superb drivers cars, especially the 270 with the LSD. I've had fast Golfs and a Focus ST but was still looking to buy one of these last year, but I couldn't find the spec I wanted within budget.
Missus had one of these to replace the F56 JCW that was stolen from her driveway.
Was infinitely better to drive, apart from the gearchange.
She had it for about 7 months, it felt like we were just waiting for something to go seriously wrong such as the Alcon calipers which are known to be an issue.
The main dealer network is crap and we were quoted over £450 for a service, once I rang up and explained it had the spark plugs less than 1000 miles ago their suggestion was to 'leave the spark plugs' but the price of the service didn't drop at all.
Surprised many other cars on the road, would definitely run out of road before you ran out of chassis and it returned better MPG than the 1.4 Turbo Astra Elite that replaced it (we got a dog).
For a modern hot hatch the engine was a highlight, even if the sound was a bit naff, the engine itself was full of character, loved revs, had that old school laggy feel without it being an inconvenience.
Build quality was surprisingly good, apart from a rattling tweeter in the doorcard and the seats were fantastic.
Was bought for £17k with 7k miles, was sold to a dealer for £16k with 8.5k miles. This was last year.
Was fun while it lasted but it wasn't here to stay.
Was infinitely better to drive, apart from the gearchange.
She had it for about 7 months, it felt like we were just waiting for something to go seriously wrong such as the Alcon calipers which are known to be an issue.
The main dealer network is crap and we were quoted over £450 for a service, once I rang up and explained it had the spark plugs less than 1000 miles ago their suggestion was to 'leave the spark plugs' but the price of the service didn't drop at all.
Surprised many other cars on the road, would definitely run out of road before you ran out of chassis and it returned better MPG than the 1.4 Turbo Astra Elite that replaced it (we got a dog).
For a modern hot hatch the engine was a highlight, even if the sound was a bit naff, the engine itself was full of character, loved revs, had that old school laggy feel without it being an inconvenience.
Build quality was surprisingly good, apart from a rattling tweeter in the doorcard and the seats were fantastic.
Was bought for £17k with 7k miles, was sold to a dealer for £16k with 8.5k miles. This was last year.
Was fun while it lasted but it wasn't here to stay.
stavers said:
boozyjay said:
I sold my 308 GTI 270 with 38,000 miles on the clock, never had an issue with the brakes at all, guess I was lucky. I had the front pads changed once in that time and yes, they were expensive but it's a performance car.
It wasn't a 2017 (pre-facelift) car in Cumulus Grey with the Denon stereo upgrade was it?Agree with comments re. gear throw, brakes and engine boost.
Test drove one and wanted to like it but found the engine response and brakes too immediate, meaning mm-precision inputs needed and no real joy of progressive inputs, but combined with a really long throw gear change just felt very peculiar, as if they all came from different cars and did not belong together.
Steering gave very little feedback plus the dash is huge which made me feel disconnected from the road - so it was actually quite unnerving trying to use the (immediate) power as I was not confident on what the front wheels were doing.
Maybe a bit less effort in the brakes and a bit more on the gear change and feedback would have been better.
Test drove one and wanted to like it but found the engine response and brakes too immediate, meaning mm-precision inputs needed and no real joy of progressive inputs, but combined with a really long throw gear change just felt very peculiar, as if they all came from different cars and did not belong together.
Steering gave very little feedback plus the dash is huge which made me feel disconnected from the road - so it was actually quite unnerving trying to use the (immediate) power as I was not confident on what the front wheels were doing.
Maybe a bit less effort in the brakes and a bit more on the gear change and feedback would have been better.
boozyjay said:
stavers said:
boozyjay said:
I sold my 308 GTI 270 with 38,000 miles on the clock, never had an issue with the brakes at all, guess I was lucky. I had the front pads changed once in that time and yes, they were expensive but it's a performance car.
It wasn't a 2017 (pre-facelift) car in Cumulus Grey with the Denon stereo upgrade was it?Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff