Skip advert
Advertisement
Long-term tests

Peugeot 308 CC: 6,647 miles

First report: Coupé-cabrio is a welcome addition to fleet in the late summer sunshine.

Pros
  • Peugeot’s airwave neck heating system is a really neat piece of kit, enabling owners to enjoy top-down motoring all year round. Another useful function is the one-touch electrically powered sliding front seats. Hit a button on the side of the chair and it gracefully slides forward, making it much easier for passengers to get into the back seats.
Cons
  • While the 308 suffers from some body flex, this isn’t my main gripe. What bugs me most is the feel of its major controls. A rubbery, slack and imprecise action marks the gearbox down, while the steering lacks weight and feedback. This is a real pity given how sharp the chassis feels in bends.
Find your Peugeot 308
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

Our glamorous new Peugeot 308 CC has only just arrived on the fleet, but it’s already proved a big crowd ‘puller’! My first real trip in the drop-top was up the M1 to the Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire, where I was a judge at The Caravan Club Tow Car of the Year awards.

Advertisement - Article continues below

It’s the third time I’ve been given the opportunity to cast my vote in this test, and 2009’s competition was tougher than ever. You’ll have to wait until later this year to find out the result – but I can reveal that the winner wasn’t the Peugeot!

Despite having a healthy towing weight of 1,400kg, the coupé-cabrio wasn’t taking part. Instead, its task is to inject the Auto Express fleet with some wind-in-the-hair thrills. And as the team’s convertible queen, I’m well placed to assess the CC’s drop-top credentials.

As long as it’s not raining, I love driving with the top down. The thing about the 308 is that when the weather turns nasty, it can fall back on its folding metal hard-top – so it promises to be a convertible for all seasons.

But with four seats and hatchback underpinnings, it needs to be practical as well as stylish. So, a roof-down trip to the seaside with a friend and her two children would be stern test.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

Ioniq electric

2021 Hyundai

Ioniq electric

31,484 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £9,300
View Ioniq electric
Qashqai

2018 Nissan

Qashqai

47,278 milesManualPetrol1.3L

Cash £13,525
View Qashqai
Kodiaq

2021 Skoda

Kodiaq

38,572 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £21,500
View Kodiaq
Tucson

2020 Hyundai

Tucson

53,200 milesManualPetrol1.6L

Cash £12,200
View Tucson

There was no problem getting the little ones into the rear, as Peugeot’s optional one-touch electric front seats slide out of the way to make access easy.

It was a different matter squeezing all the buckets and spades, a picnic basket and boogie board into the boot, however. When the roof is stowed, carrying capacity is halved, dropping from 465 litres to a measly 266 litres.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Worse still, loading and unloading is almost impossible through the narrow aperture below the roof mechanism.

What also niggles me about the 308 is that even though the bodyshell feels reasonably stiff, when the roof is retracted the car still suffers from scuttle shake. Overall, the ride is supple, but it can crash over rough surfaces, which further highlights the body flex.

Elsewhere, the over-light steering takes a little getting used to, while the gearshift feels rubbery and slack – and the sharp brakes have to be used sensitively if you want to avoid lurching to a standstill.

But on the whole, the car has impressed. I’m not even too worried about driving it when the temperature drops, as our top-of-the-range GT model comes with the firm’s fantastic Airwave system.

This sees a vent in the headrests blow a stream of warm air across your neck and shoulders – and when used in tandem with the heated seats, it should help me to keep nice and snug, even on chilly autumn and winter days.

For now, though, I’m just focusing on enjoying the last of this summer’s sunshine.

And if the weather stays fair, I may even hitch up a caravan and take the Peugeot on holiday!

Extra Info

The new arrival is powered by exactly the same 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine as found in the 207 CC that appeared in our recent group test of the new Fiat 500C.

And having driven both Peugeots, I think it’s clear that this unit is overstretched in the larger car. While the 207 CC proved punchy and responsive, the 308 CC needs to be worked hard to make similar progress.

I’ve always been sceptical about convertibles powered by diesels, but the extra torque one of the firm’s HDi units would provide, not to mention the economy boost, would really benefit the 308.

Dean Gibson
Senior sub editor

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,820Avg. savings £4,935 off RRP*Used from £13,090
Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,065Avg. savings £2,474 off RRP*Used from £15,965
Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,415Avg. savings £5,924 off RRP*Used from £12,050
Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £14,995Avg. savings £3,158 off RRP*
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment
Xiaomi YU7 - front cornering

New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment

BMW or Mercedes would do anything to keep the new Xiaomi YU7 from sale in the UK and Europe, and this is why
Road tests
14 Jul 2025
Electric Car Grant in detail: Which cars will get the UK EV discount?
Auto Express creative director Darren Wilson charging the Lexus RZ

Electric Car Grant in detail: Which cars will get the UK EV discount?

The government has set out its plan to help reduce the cost of affordable EVs by introducing a new £3,750 Electric Car Grant for new EVs sold under £3…
News
18 Jul 2025
Electric Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake will keep going long after rivals need to stop
Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake - front action

Electric Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake will keep going long after rivals need to stop

The second of Merc’s new-era EVs is here in the form of an attractive estate with a huge range
News
14 Jul 2025