Used Peugeot 308 cars for sale

Used Peugeot 308 pros and cons

Is a second hand Peugeot 308 a good car?

The Peugeot 308 is a seriously stylish hatchback that manages to look far more upmarket and handsome than the likes of the VW Golf or Ford Focus. It’s like buying those fancy chocolate-covered custard creams from Marks & Spencer, while everyone else is buying bargain digestives from Tesco. 

The styling, especially the glowering front-end and the multi-level look at the back, is seriously striking and there are enough LED lights fitted to the Peugeot 308 for it to double-job as Christmas decorations. It was also one of the first Peugeot cars to get the company’s redesigned ‘shield’ badge (although we preferred the old 3D-shiny lion). The only demerit on the outside is the fact that, at the back, some of the exhaust pipes are stuck-on fakes. Such treachery!

Thankfully, none of that is carried through to the inside, where the cabin looks almost exciting compared to the somewhat drab cabins you get in Ford and VW equivalents. There’s a big sweep of dashboard, optionally covered in a carbon-fibre-like material and lots of nice metal-look trim too. 

There’s a set of instruments — digital instruments — mounted high-up in the driver’s eyeline, and below them there’s the somewhat controversial tiny, hexagonal steering wheel. That’s become a Peugeot tradition of late, and while the wheel itself feels good to hold, the driving position — where the wheel is almost sitting in your lap — won’t suit everyone. It can also block some of the instrument panel, which rather defeats the point. At least the front seats are very comfy, which does help a bit. Make sure you’re happy with the driving position before buying one.

The main infotainment screen is a bit better, although the menu can be very fiddly, and that’s only partly helped by the optional digital ‘i-Toggle’ shortcut buttons. There are some small physical shortcut buttons too, but Peugeot’s habit of putting every control onto the touchscreen makes for a maddening experience at times. 

Space in the back seats is a bit limited, which is a disappointment if you’ve sampled the roomier Golf or Focus, or the absolutely massive Skoda Octavia. The boot is a good size though, and if you need even more space the SW estate has more than 600 litres of luggage room.

To drive, the 308 feels smooth and assured and even quite good fun on a twisty road. The basic 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine is the best overall choice, as it’s engaging to use but very frugal if you’re taking your time. Long-haul drivers might prefer the ultimate economy of the 1.5-litre diesel engine, but that feels underpowered much of the time. 

There is also the choice of two plug-in hybrid versions, with either 180hp or 225hp, which make great sense for short-hop commuters (the best range you’ll see on electric power is only around 20-25 miles) but they get thirsty on very long trips, and they lose a lot of boot space because of the battery. 
Speaking of battery, more recently Peugeot has launched an all-electric e-308, with a decent useable range of around 220 miles. 

The 308 in any version has an easy-going lightness around town, and although rear visibility isn’t the best, parking sensors came as standard on all models, which really helps. Higher-spec versions had radar-guided cruise control, which really helps on long motorway runs. 

The Peugeot 308 is a stylish, good to drive, and potentially very economical hatchback that’s a great alternative to the endless tide of samey-samey SUVs. 

If you’re keen on this stylish family car, you can check out Carwow’s latest used 308s as well as other used Peugeots from our network of trusted dealers. Carwow can help you sell your car, too.

What to look for when buying a used Peugeot 308

The Peugeot 308 is still quite a new car, but beware of infotainment system glitches problems with the customisable ‘iToggle’ digital shortcut buttons. A bigger issue by far is the 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine, which uses a ‘wet belt’ timing belt — one that passes through the engine’s oil reservoir as it spins. This constant contact with the oil can damage the belt, causing premature failure, which can lead to total engine failure too. If you’re buying a 308 with the 1.2, make sure you schedule regular timing belt changes well ahead of the recommended changes. 

The current Peugeot 308 didn’t appear in the most recent Driver Power Top 50 Cars To Own list, but its closely-related sister cars, the 2008 and 208, did and scored well, finishing in 8th place (2008) and 6th place (208) with very good marks for reliability and quality. Peugeot finished 6th, out of 32, in the Driver Power survey of customer satisfaction, with 20% of owners reporting faults.