RE: Peugeot Sport 208 GTI: PH Fleet
Discussion
muppet42 said:
I'm glad to see Peugeot have what many deem to be a 'proper' GTi again after what many felt were low points with the 206 and 207s respectively struggling to challenge in their category. However, I still can't get my head round this view, or lack there of, of the dials...
I took this shot specifically to address this concern. It took me a bit of fiddling but I managed to find a decent combination of seat and steering wheel column height, and this photo illustrates the view over the top of the wheel as I see it. Hope that helps!
zedx19 said:
Is this Peugeot back on the form it had up to the late 90's, early 00's? I had a 306 GTi-6 longer than I've owned any other car, over 8 years! It was an absolute riot to chuck about and had a superb gearbox. After the 306 GTi-6 and 106 GTi, I can't think of a decent GTi Peugeot have made, maybe this is it though?
Well I can't give too much away in the first article, but I suggest you go and try one and let me know what you think! 
Really pleased to see this on the fleet, they seem to miss out on all the headlines but are such a great all round package.
I lease a Prestige version for £175/month (no diff, but plenty of standard toys - heated seats, panoramic roof, reversing sensors, sat nav) and absolutely love it. Not driven an ST and I'm sure it's a bit sharper, but the 208 has a much nicer interior, looks to have a lower roofline, and doesn't have quite the same boy racer image to your average bystander.
Re the steering wheel and dials, I'm sure some people struggle but I'm about 5'10 and it's spot on. The wheel actually partly justifies it's flat bottom as you have or lower than normal. If I get in to a 'normal' car now I can't figure out why I have to try and spy dials through a narrow hole in the wheel!
I lease a Prestige version for £175/month (no diff, but plenty of standard toys - heated seats, panoramic roof, reversing sensors, sat nav) and absolutely love it. Not driven an ST and I'm sure it's a bit sharper, but the 208 has a much nicer interior, looks to have a lower roofline, and doesn't have quite the same boy racer image to your average bystander.
Re the steering wheel and dials, I'm sure some people struggle but I'm about 5'10 and it's spot on. The wheel actually partly justifies it's flat bottom as you have or lower than normal. If I get in to a 'normal' car now I can't figure out why I have to try and spy dials through a narrow hole in the wheel!
I have just given my 208 GTI by PS back after an 18 month lease @ £210/month. Cracking car - feels very special for such a small car, fast enough, 35mpg and handles very well, the LSD pulls you round corners nicely. I originally wanted an Fiesta ST but that was more expensive and it didn't look or feel as special as the 208. Only downsides are the front tyres (MPSS) wear quite quickly (around 8k out of mine) and the low speed ride is quite hard.
I have just replaced it with Seat Cupra 300 - quite a bit fasterr but so far doesn't feel anywhere near as special.
I have only seen a handful of GTIs by PS and would hazard a guess that in a few year's time they will be quite sought after.
I have just replaced it with Seat Cupra 300 - quite a bit fasterr but so far doesn't feel anywhere near as special.
I have only seen a handful of GTIs by PS and would hazard a guess that in a few year's time they will be quite sought after.
I've just ended a 2 year lease on a "Prestige" version of this, which has the same engine.
It was a nice enough place to sit, pretty comfortable for a hot hatch and as someone else mentioned, came with all the toys. I likedthe small steering wheel and had no problems with seeing the dials.
It drives ok, I suppose, but there is no steering feel whatsoever and the throttle response/turbo lag is catastrophically bad. Admittedly, all my previous cars have been normally aspirated Hondas, which have had immediate throttle response. This rather ruined the car for me.
Revving it was no fun either, after an initial lurch, nothing much seemed to happen, certainly no "VTEC Yo!" drama.
There's also a nasty exhaust drone at motorway speed. The touchscreen system is awful, too (many owners experienced all sorts of problems), although I gather they have updated this now.
Servicing costs are ludicrous, too (£250 for an oil change) and the rear brake discs were in a right state.
I've not got a Golf GTI. The bigger engine and smaller turbo seems to work much better although it's not run in yet. Unsurprisingly it's an even nicer place to be.
It was a nice enough place to sit, pretty comfortable for a hot hatch and as someone else mentioned, came with all the toys. I likedthe small steering wheel and had no problems with seeing the dials.
It drives ok, I suppose, but there is no steering feel whatsoever and the throttle response/turbo lag is catastrophically bad. Admittedly, all my previous cars have been normally aspirated Hondas, which have had immediate throttle response. This rather ruined the car for me.
Revving it was no fun either, after an initial lurch, nothing much seemed to happen, certainly no "VTEC Yo!" drama.
There's also a nasty exhaust drone at motorway speed. The touchscreen system is awful, too (many owners experienced all sorts of problems), although I gather they have updated this now.
Servicing costs are ludicrous, too (£250 for an oil change) and the rear brake discs were in a right state.
I've not got a Golf GTI. The bigger engine and smaller turbo seems to work much better although it's not run in yet. Unsurprisingly it's an even nicer place to be.
I love my GTi Limited Edition (same spec as Prestige). Bought it at 9 months old for £13k.
Equipment levels are great - heated leather and illuminated glass roof a bonus as well as nav , cruise , dab touchscreen etc...
The drive is great. It's very solid and chunky feeling yet still comfy enough for a 250 mile motorway slog. It's not that exciting in 1st but through 2nd, 3rd and into 4th it accrues MPH very rapidly for a small daily driver and the standard exhaust sounds really decent for a "shopping car" - and no audio enhancement unlike rivals! There's plenty grip available from the chassis and pilot sport 3 rubber.
It's pretty economic too. I'm averaging 43mpg long term and I don't drive like a pensioner. Insurance is just over £200 - I'm 36 lots of NCB. Servicing wise I paid £279 for a 2 year plan from a Peugeot dealer.
I'm usually one for changing my car often but come January I'll have had this 2 years. No idea what I'll replace it with - maybe another 1 series (120d previously) or a 308 GTi 270 if they come down in price a bit!
Equipment levels are great - heated leather and illuminated glass roof a bonus as well as nav , cruise , dab touchscreen etc...
The drive is great. It's very solid and chunky feeling yet still comfy enough for a 250 mile motorway slog. It's not that exciting in 1st but through 2nd, 3rd and into 4th it accrues MPH very rapidly for a small daily driver and the standard exhaust sounds really decent for a "shopping car" - and no audio enhancement unlike rivals! There's plenty grip available from the chassis and pilot sport 3 rubber.
It's pretty economic too. I'm averaging 43mpg long term and I don't drive like a pensioner. Insurance is just over £200 - I'm 36 lots of NCB. Servicing wise I paid £279 for a 2 year plan from a Peugeot dealer.
I'm usually one for changing my car often but come January I'll have had this 2 years. No idea what I'll replace it with - maybe another 1 series (120d previously) or a 308 GTi 270 if they come down in price a bit!
My wife swapped her R56 Mini Cooper S for one of these a few months ago.
She isn’t into cars at all and commutes a short distance each day in it. She did read the reviews of it though as she thought because I am Peugeot hot hatch obsessed I would want one if they were duff.
So far, it’s been really impressive and with just 3.5k on the clock and 18 months old we saved £9k on the list price.
The regular GTI is a little lame by comparison and although the ride is stiff on the PS it feels just right and lives up to my older sporty Pugs spot on driving characteristics (205/309/306 GTIs). When you are in the mood it’s a great drive and feels eager and chuckable in a far more engaging way than a regular 208 GTI.
It had to be Orange Power for us too.
Overall, very very impressive.
She isn’t into cars at all and commutes a short distance each day in it. She did read the reviews of it though as she thought because I am Peugeot hot hatch obsessed I would want one if they were duff.
So far, it’s been really impressive and with just 3.5k on the clock and 18 months old we saved £9k on the list price.
The regular GTI is a little lame by comparison and although the ride is stiff on the PS it feels just right and lives up to my older sporty Pugs spot on driving characteristics (205/309/306 GTIs). When you are in the mood it’s a great drive and feels eager and chuckable in a far more engaging way than a regular 208 GTI.
It had to be Orange Power for us too.
Overall, very very impressive.
I got one on lease about 16 months ago for the tasty price of £132! going to be difficult to get something equal or upgrade without spending a substantial amount more. It's a rare beast and I have yet to see another one on the road, which I love. My thoughts:
Nice seat and nice trim. the infotainment system is s
te. They are fast and the power comes on in a big way around 2,600rpm, they also have real pulling power in higher gears, at motorway speeds 60-100+ is surprisingly easy and the car feels comfortable when it's going fast. they don't feel at home going slow and the suspension is admittedly far too harsh, bordering on a joke at times. the Michelin cup tyres it comes with as standard are very good in the warmer weather but struggle for grip in the cold weather, without being warmed up they skid pulling away and will spin even 2nd & 3rd when the power comes on. The road noise can be a bit much at times as it seems to be its Drone when going 70 in 6th. The exhaust sounds nice and deep and sounds amazing on a cold start in a multistory carpark. you can hear the dump valve quite often in town. They feel very planted and can corner at some surprising speeds. they are practical and i have moved flat twice in one trip. I would love to remap one as they have the same engine as the RCZ of the same flavor which has about 60hp more.
All in all, I have loved my time with the car and feel like it is something a bit more special than the rest in the segment, but it's not without its flaws. Next car will likely be something more refined and comfortable.
Nice seat and nice trim. the infotainment system is s
te. They are fast and the power comes on in a big way around 2,600rpm, they also have real pulling power in higher gears, at motorway speeds 60-100+ is surprisingly easy and the car feels comfortable when it's going fast. they don't feel at home going slow and the suspension is admittedly far too harsh, bordering on a joke at times. the Michelin cup tyres it comes with as standard are very good in the warmer weather but struggle for grip in the cold weather, without being warmed up they skid pulling away and will spin even 2nd & 3rd when the power comes on. The road noise can be a bit much at times as it seems to be its Drone when going 70 in 6th. The exhaust sounds nice and deep and sounds amazing on a cold start in a multistory carpark. you can hear the dump valve quite often in town. They feel very planted and can corner at some surprising speeds. they are practical and i have moved flat twice in one trip. I would love to remap one as they have the same engine as the RCZ of the same flavor which has about 60hp more.All in all, I have loved my time with the car and feel like it is something a bit more special than the rest in the segment, but it's not without its flaws. Next car will likely be something more refined and comfortable.
BenLowden said:
Well I can't give too much away in the first article, but I suggest you go and try one and let me know what you think!
In my opinion, the dash layout is is one of the best features on the Peugeots. I previously had a 308 GT, and I loved the driving position and the positioning of the dials above the steering wheel. A really clever idea that just a gave a different perspective on the traditional layout. culpz said:
Yeah, that sounds about right. The first 208 GTI's didn't so it must have changed when they later re-named it, tweaked with it and gave it the "by Peugeot Sport" moniker. So, if you do look at the older and much cheaper models, you won't be getting an LSD as standard.
See, i never got all the complaints about the harsh low-speed ride on the Fiesta at all. It actually felt more compliant than my Scirocco i had at the time, with 35mm lowering springs installed all-round. I reckon that the styling on most of the B-segment hot-hatches are fairly conservative.
I went from a 15 plate Fiesta ST3 into a 17 plate Scirocco R with 19inch 35' profile tyres and the Roc' is like driving a S Class in comparison to the fiesta. It's the only bad point thing I had to say about the fiesta, well that and the non-existent exhaust note.See, i never got all the complaints about the harsh low-speed ride on the Fiesta at all. It actually felt more compliant than my Scirocco i had at the time, with 35mm lowering springs installed all-round. I reckon that the styling on most of the B-segment hot-hatches are fairly conservative.
I think this might have been for the 30th editions but essentially the same car.
Great advert!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fK9YK4gEEw
Great advert!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fK9YK4gEEw
These things are great, the standard ones are good but the Peugeot Sport takes it up a notch in terms of drivability due to the suspension, track and LSD changes - the power and relatively work a day engine don't tell the whole story, it's the way that they handle and how you can put that power down when pressing on down a winding road, very impressive and a total hoot to drive
I like the black/red cup france paint option too,
I like the black/red cup france paint option too,
Edited by Axionknight on Friday 1st December 09:43
LG9k said:
It drives ok, I suppose, but there is no steering feel whatsoever and the throttle response/turbo lag is catastrophically bad. Admittedly, all my previous cars have been normally aspirated Hondas, which have had immediate throttle response. This rather ruined the car for me.
Revving it was no fun either, after an initial lurch, nothing much seemed to happen, certainly no "VTEC Yo!" drama.
There's also a nasty exhaust drone at motorway's speed. The touchscreen system is awful, too (many owners experienced all sorts of problems), although I gather they have updated this now.
Servicing costs are ludicrous, too (£250 for an oil change) and the rear brake discs were in a right state.
I don't find the turbo lag bad, in the context of its competitors, and it makes a decent enough noise when driven hard to justify revving it out.Revving it was no fun either, after an initial lurch, nothing much seemed to happen, certainly no "VTEC Yo!" drama.
There's also a nasty exhaust drone at motorway's speed. The touchscreen system is awful, too (many owners experienced all sorts of problems), although I gather they have updated this now.
Servicing costs are ludicrous, too (£250 for an oil change) and the rear brake discs were in a right state.
Can't argue with you on the exhaust at motorway speeds though - on my own I just whack the stereo up, but annoying when you have passengers.
Touchscreen menus aren't intuitive particularly annoying when they force you to be distracted from the road by their nature anyway.
Service cost seem to be random between dealers. I booked my first service through local dealers only form, selected standard service at £178, did not tick the optional (but recommend) spark plug change (£80) or pollen filter (£30) figuring I could get these done cheaper elsewhere as actually needed. When I picked the car up an hour after drop off they done the options anyway as part of the standard service. Car had been washed and brought to the entrance as I paid. Far better than I expected from Peugeot!
GrandAndrew said:
I think this might have been for the 30th editions but essentially the same car.
Great advert!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fK9YK4gEEw
Excellent advert!Great advert!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fK9YK4gEEw
I bought mine from the perspective of being a bit of an old fart looking for hot hatch performance but in something I bit more comfortable, softer, everyday usable and slightly less focused than a Fiesta ST.
In Prestige trim it's very well equipped, comfortable and the cabin is nicely trimmed and as the say, a genuinely nice place to be. Handling is good (As opposed to near brilliant for the ST) and performance particularly mid range punch is strong.
On the minus side the steering lacks feel, the engine lacks character, the lights seem poor having come from a Cooper S with xenons and the exhaust note turns to an unfortunately booty loud drone at 70-80mph which kinda spoils what would have been a better than class average motorway cruiser.
As for the steering wheel and Dial issues? I'd say it forces you to sit with your seat set slightly higher and steering wheel set slightly lower than I find is ideal. It's something you'll get used to then the steering wheel every other non-Peugeot you drive will feel HUUUUUUUGE!!! and slow reacting in comparison.
In Prestige trim it's very well equipped, comfortable and the cabin is nicely trimmed and as the say, a genuinely nice place to be. Handling is good (As opposed to near brilliant for the ST) and performance particularly mid range punch is strong.
On the minus side the steering lacks feel, the engine lacks character, the lights seem poor having come from a Cooper S with xenons and the exhaust note turns to an unfortunately booty loud drone at 70-80mph which kinda spoils what would have been a better than class average motorway cruiser.
As for the steering wheel and Dial issues? I'd say it forces you to sit with your seat set slightly higher and steering wheel set slightly lower than I find is ideal. It's something you'll get used to then the steering wheel every other non-Peugeot you drive will feel HUUUUUUUGE!!! and slow reacting in comparison.
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