Peugeot 308 review - Practicality, comfort and boot space
The 308 is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of practicality - a large boot and decent towing ability are compromised by poor passenger space
Peugeot has crammed in a lot of standard kit to help make the 308 cabin a comfortable place to be. The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake, there’s a front armrest and a centre console housing two cup holders, while the driver will appreciate the automatic function for the headlights and wipers, along with voice recognition for the phone and sat-nav systems.
Cruise control and rear parking sensors add to the 308’s practicality, as does the 60:40 split-folding rear seat configuration which is convenient if you need to transport bulkier items but still need space for passengers.
Size
Measuring 4,365mm from head to tail, the 308 sits between the Ford Focus (4,378mm) and Volkswagen Golf (4,284mm) in terms of overall length. The French hatchback is the widest of the three, at 2,062mm, although at 1,465mm high, sits lower to the ground than its two rivals.
Legroom, headroom & passenger space
As mentioned above, the 308 has a lower roofline than both the Ford Focus and VW Golf, and it tapers away even more towards the rear of the car. While this design trait helps the 308 look suitably sporty, it hampers interior space for rear passengers, and taller occupants may find it a little uncomfortable.
We also found the wide C-pillars and small rear windows made it feel a little claustrophobic in the back, so if you’re going to be regularly ferrying passengers around you may wish to consider an alternative five-door hatchback.
Boot
The 308 makes up for its compromised rear passenger space with a decent-sized boot. At 412 litres, it’s luggage capacity betters that of the Golf, Focus and Kia Ceed, although it won’t trouble the load lugging skills of the Skoda Octavia which offers a class-leading 600 litres. There’s a slight penalty on overall boot space if you opt for the 308 plug-in hybrid model, with the PHEV offering just 361 litres.
Towing
If you’re thinking of putting your 308 to use as a towing vehicle, you’d be better off with the BlueHDi diesel model which is rated at 1,550kg in terms of braked trailer towing capacity. The plug-in hybrid models are almost as capable, able to tow up to 1,500kg.
