Nearly new buying guide: Peugeot 208

Inside, there’s Peugeot’s infamous i-Cockpit layout. The display with the speedometer and rev counter has been designed to be seen from over the steering wheel, rather than through it. For many, it could block your view of the dials, so we’d recommend test driving the 208 before committing to a driving position that might not suit you.

The materials used make the interior feel upmarket and put the Peugeot up there with more premium small cars. The absence of physical buttons for most of the secondary controls means you have to go through the infotainment screen just to adjust things like the air conditioning temperature, though,and this can be distracting.

There’s plenty of room up front. Alas, the rear room is a little tighter than in the 208’s main rivals, and the boot isn’t as big as some other offerings, but it can still hold five carry-on suitcases. 

What you need to know about a nearly new Peugeot 208

Prices start at around £14,000 for early 2020 1.2 petrols. Rangetopping GT Line models are closer to £17,000. You’ll need £21,000 for the all-electric Peugeot e-208 version.

The 1.2-litre Puretech 100 has an official WLTP economy figure of 55.6mpg, the Puretech 130 51.9mpg and the diesel 1.5 71.4mpg. The fully electric e-208 has an official range of up to 217 miles on a full charge. 

Buyer beware

Engine: Owners have reported issues over the years on older models including belt failure, excessive oil consumption, crank seizures and misfiring as a result of carbon build-up. There have also been problems with faulty oil pumps and dodgy engine warning lights.

Transmission: Some owners of older 208s have reported trouble engaging reverse.

Brakes: Owners have mentioned having to push harder on the brake pedal, which could be due to air in the braking system. There’s a chance that the brakes were not bled properly at manufacture.

Electrics: The infotainment touchscreen software is starting to develop a reputation for freezing or failing completely, so you can’t use any of its functions – radio, media interface, sat-nav, settings or anything else. A software reset might solve it, but some owners have had to replace the entire unit.

Recalls: There has been a recall for the steering geometry, which could be incorrectly set. Just 10 cars are affected, so it’s unlikely you’ll come across one, but check anyway. Another recall involved the highpressure fuel pump, which hadn’t been tightened correctly. Models affected were made betweenJanuary 2019 and March 2020.

Reliability: It’s too early to know if the secondgen 208 is reliable, but the firstgen 208 wasn’t. It came second to last in What Car?’s Reliability Survey in the small car class. Electrical gremlins afflicted more than 15% of 208s, centred on the infotainment system. Peugeot as a brand came 22nd out of 30. 

What to buy

Our top spec - Allure: Active is great, but we’d go for Allure trim, with 17in wheels, dual-zone climate control and electric rear windows. GT Line adds gadgets such as an auto-dimming mirror, but at some expense.

Our pick - Peugeot 208 1.2 Puretech 100: The 1.2-litre Puretech 100 has plenty of power for A-roads and motorways. Good economy is another plus. The more economical diesel might make more sense if you cover a lot of miles, but we’d go for this one for everyday driving.