Peugeot 308 vs Honda Civic vs Fiat Bravo

With half a million sold worldwide, the 307 was such a massive hit for Peugeot that it decided on a low-risk strategy for its replacement. As a result, the lines of the 308 are so familiar that it’s hard to tell the newcomer apart from a 207. Under the skin, however, the French firm promises its latest family hatch has taken a significant step upmarket with higher quality, better refinement and more luxury than before.

Trouble is, Fiat was trying the same tactic with its Bravo. To see if they were a step forward, we lined them up against our class favourite, Honda’s Civic.

The 308 is much improved – the soft-touch dashboard is particularly well executed, and the car's road manners are mature, demonstrating a very well judged balance of ride and handling.

Overall, it’s a capable five-door, but it fails to inspire. It doesn’t help that the Peugeot still has weaknesses. The five-speed manual gearbox leaves much to be desired, passenger accommodation is no more than average and the firm’s new 1.6-litre VTI engine struggles to shift the 308’s bulk.

That meant the Peugeot was vulnerable to attack from the Fiat. Although it’s not as grown-up, the Bravo is more charismatic, not least because of its impressive 150bhp turbocharged engine, and it represents great value for money.

Ultimately, though, the Civic was out in front, due to its excellence in so many areas. The Swindon-build model enjoys great residuals, is highly practical (with the exception of the small rear doors and poor visibility out the back), boldly styled throughout and comes across as very well engineered. That’s why it remains our pick of the family hatchback class.