308 GTI by PS - experiences and alternatives?

[smiley_boy2501]

Came from a 208 GTI by PS and I am currently in a MK2 Focus ST. The soundtrack is great but I just can't seem to love it. It seems more GT than got hatch. A bit too heavy, rolls a fair bit and often feels like it's having trouble coping with everything going on. It also has a significant lack of feedback.

It was always going to be a stop gap between newer cars and as such I'm looking at getting something newer and a bit more focused.

Top of the list is 308 GTI as I absolutely loved my 208 if a bit jarring at low speed then focus st mk3 facelift.
Anybody have experience with the 308 GTI 270 version? Any other alternatives?

I'm after focus sized rather than fiesta. Not keen on coupes but not averse to saloons/estates.

Budget is essentially 20k for up to 3 years old ish.

[mikeyr]

Can't give you any more than brief impressions from a half hour test drive. But I was very impressed, nice ride, fun, much quicker than the tiny engine should have been capable of!

We were sorely tempted but house move/life got in the way. Remember the interior was great, felt a real step up in quality compared to other new cars I'd been in. Whether materials bear up to daily life I don't know.

At the time you could get it new on finance for a total of about 22/23k, huge saving over list price.

[Jag_NE]

they look cracking value on the used market. I had a diesel auto 308 as a rental in France and I liked the interior and the drive. A pokey petrol should make for a good all round car.

[ZX10R NIN]

They're a very good & accomplished hot hatch that's underrated but at 20k I'd be buying the best RS275 I could find:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or if you could stretch then the i30N Performance:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[GTID]

I'm looking for one at the moment too, you will get a lightly used 18 Plate for £20k or a 2 year old one for £17-18k from a main dealer. They seem like amazing value for money considering the spec.

Have you driven one yet? I've got one booked over Christmas, slightly worried by the interior and driving position from what I've seen and heard but will go in open minded and decide for myself. Evo mag loved their long termer and even seemed to prefer it over the much loved i30N.

Get yourself on the 308 GTI owners club on Facebook, seems pretty active.

[jaimiep]

I’ve got one and love it when it’s working. Bought new with finance and paid £22k. I think the interior, driving position and small steering wheel are very good once you’re used to it - the satnav is far better than my 2016 A6 I part exed it for.

However I’ve owned it for 29 weeks and 10 of those it’s been in getting repaired due to 2 ECU failures and difficulties obtaining the parts from PS. It really is shocking and I probably won’t get it back until the new year now.

I just wish it worked as you would expect.

[steve-5snwi]

That i30 is 100 yards from where i work

[dmsims]

Don't buy French ste

[kuro]

GTID said:

I'm looking for one at the moment too, you will get a lightly used 18 Plate for £20k or a 2 year old one for £17-18k from a main dealer. They seem like amazing value for money considering the spec.

Have you driven one yet? I've got one booked over Christmas, slightly worried by the interior and driving position from what I've seen and heard but will go in open minded and decide for myself. Evo mag loved their long termer and even seemed to prefer it over the much loved i30N.

Get yourself on the 308 GTI owners club on Facebook, seems pretty active.

I find the driving position is fine one you set it up and I have no problems with obscured instruments. Mines just a GT line but I really like the car and as others have said the interior quality is a huge improvement over previous generation cars.

[smiley_boy2501]

Thanks for all the input guys. The 208 was plagued by the driving position issues as well but tbh it didn't affect me so I'm not worried. I'll still test drive though.

Reliability is a worry as my 208 had to go in a few times under warranty (diff, valve caps) but overall was fine over the 2 years I had it. I would buy under warranty anyway so just hope to be lucky and sell on before it runs out.

ZX10 (and others):

Ive looked at the megane in various states of tune and just wondered whether it would be too much as a daily? Sounds very accomplished at going fast and being fun but I want to be able to drive round inner Manchester and do a 4 hour motorway journey without getting a stiff back.

I30 is a possibility if one came up around that price mark NOT in that ice blue. I hate it.

[ZX10R NIN]

Test drive the Megane they're not as stiff as you think, the ride isn't as stiff as a Type R I'd say at least test drive one.

i30N not in blue:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[anonymous-user]

jaimiep said:

I’ve got one and love it when it’s working. Bought new with finance and paid £22k. I think the interior, driving position and small steering wheel are very good once you’re used to it - the satnav is far better than my 2016 A6 I part exed it for.

However I’ve owned it for 29 weeks and 10 of those it’s been in getting repaired due to 2 ECU failures and difficulties obtaining the parts from PS. It really is shocking and I probably won’t get it back until the new year now.

I just wish it worked as you would expect.

I know someone who was a Peugeot Salesman when the 308 was new, and at the time he told me they had tons of customer cars parked up waiting for new ECU's. He said he would do the handover to the excited customer knowing they would soon be back requiring a new ECU. Good to see that things have not changed in 10 years.

I have owned three Peugeots, a 205 XS that was fantastic, a 205 GTi that had been thrashed to death and a brand new 206 CC. The 206CC was the interesting one because as soon as the novelty wore off I realised it felt like a car that had already done 100k miles. I have forgotten the majority of the niggles but every single one of them p'eed me off in some way. from memory:

1)Big red stop light would come on randomly, restart the car and it would go away.
2)Something in the exhaust manifold rattled at certain revs.
3)Gearbox whine when you lifted off the throttle
4)Roof would not always beep when it was fully opened.
5)Numerous rattles and squeeks

and best of all, 15 minutes before the new owner came to collect the car it would not start due to the starter motor not engaging. I ended up bumping it down the road to get it started and parked it back on the drive. I was so nervous and stressed when the new owner came to collect it that I miscounted the £10k but carried on and just hoped it was all there. New owner gets in the car and thank god iit starts. His son then says "open the roof dad" so he did and I watched and listen which seemed to happen in slow motion. I immediately realised it hadn't beeped and the new owner said "Is it supposed to beep when it has finished" to which I replied "I don't think so"

Few nervous days after that thinking he would get in touch but I never heard from him again. This was on a 12 month old car by the way.

I know we are always told that French cars are as well built as anything else these days but I don't think that is the case. I have driven Renault and Hyundai hire cars and I would say the Hyundais feel much better screwed together.

If I had spent 22k on a car that was in the garage for 10 weeks I would be furious. I assume if you sell it the depreciation would be massive.

[GTID]

jaimiep said:

I’ve got one and love it when it’s working. Bought new with finance and paid £22k. I think the interior, driving position and small steering wheel are very good once you’re used to it - the satnav is far better than my 2016 A6 I part exed it for.

However I’ve owned it for 29 weeks and 10 of those it’s been in getting repaired due to 2 ECU failures and difficulties obtaining the parts from PS. It really is shocking and I probably won’t get it back until the new year now.

I just wish it worked as you would expect.

That's shocking. Is this a common issue with them? How's Peugeots customer service been during this time? Must admit my previous experience with French cars isn't great, had major issues with both a Clio RS and Twingo RS which has almost put me off Renault for life as much as I love their Renaultsport cars.

I wasn't all that impressed with the i30N. Felt sharp but not especially quick to me, also think the 308 looks much nicer.

[smiley_boy2501]

This is the kind of thing I'm worried about. A lovely car inside and out and should be great to drive judging by the 208 but awful reliability in these new PS versions. Any ideas if the face-lift has helped with the issues?

Maybe an I30n could be the way forward. I'll aim to test drive the shortlist.

Any one got any experience with how the focus stacks up against these?