Used Peugeot 5008 (Mk1, 2008-2017) review - How practical is it?

Unlike the Citroen C4 Picasso the 5008 doesn’t come in normal and ‘Grand’ versions. The Peugeot is offered only as a large seven-seater MPV, so it’s naturally a practical car. There are compromises though, because the third row of seats is cramped and – potentially more significantly – there's not much storage space in the cabin either. Specifically, there’s nowhere on the dash to store loose items and the 5008’s glovebox is tiny, although there is some storage under the floor beneath the middle row of seats – which also have tray tables. When you think about how much stuff families need to store in the car, we reckon Peugeot could have tackled the issue better.

That said, the car has comfortable seating and a good driving position with great visibility from the higher ride height, and standard parking sensors make urban driving a breeze too.

Dimensions and cabin design

At 4,529mm long and 1,837mm wide the Peugeot 5008 is almost 6cms shorter than the Citroen C4 Grand Picasso and 25cms shorter than the Ford S-MAX.

The Peugeot’s clever seat-folding system makes getting into the rear seats easy enough for almost anyone; each seat can be moved separately. There’s loads of headroom too, even if you have the glass roof, which loses a couple of cms of airspace.

But while the third row of seats is good enough for children, adults will find it a bit cramped and it's not ideal for long journeys. There are three Isofix child seat mounting points in the middle row, and of course three-point seat belts for three adults too.

Boot space

With all of the seats folded down you get a huge 2,506 litres of boot space, which means carrying large items is easy. It easily beats the SEAT Alhambra – an MPV from the class above – which offers 2,297 litres with its seats down. Even with the seats in place the 5008 has an impressive 679 litres of boot volume.

Equipment and technology 

The Peugeot 5008 might be a big family MPV, but it still looks good on the outside and has a very smart interior. The headlights, front grille and bumper were updated as part of a mid-life facelift, bringing the looks into line with the newer models in Peugeot range.

Like the 308, and 2008 crossover, the 5008’s windscreen is very large and gives good forward visibility, while the darkened pillars and wrap-around lights help the car stand out from the MPV crowd. Opt for Allure spec, and the panoramic glass roof panel gives the interior a palatial, spacious air –  as well as creating interesting new perspectives for passengers in the back.

In the cabin, the large, sweeping dashboard means the interior is as stylish as the exterior, and the chrome dials and raised gearlever, which sits on a stepped section of the centre console, are both features that help to raise the interest levels.

The layout of the buttons and switches is straightforward and it doesn't look cluttered. The fit and finish are pretty good too, with lots of soft feel plastics and everything screwed together solidly. If you want to improve the ambience further you can specify leather trim, while the exterior can be finished in optional pearlescent white for a really extravagant feel.

Top 5008 models come with a colour head-up display that projects information onto the windscreen in front of the driver, while the pop-up nav system that sits on top of the dashboard is standard on the Allure but optional on the Active.

The system is called Peugeot Connect Navigation and also includes Bluetooth, but DAB digital radio remains an optional extra on the Allure.

If you want Bluetooth connectivity on the Active model, you need to specify it as part of one of the optional Connect Navigation packages.

Safety

Thanks to a five-star rating from Euro NCAP, we're sure that the 5008 is a very safe car – and the solid handling helps it to feel safe on the road as well. A long curtain airbag that stretches all the way back along the sides of the car is standard on all versions, as are ESP, emergency brake assist, and tyre-pressure sensors.

When the 5008 was independently crash-tested, Euro NCAP awarded 89 per cent for Adult Occupant safety, 79 per cent for Child Occupant safety but only 37 per cent for Pedestrian safety. By comparison, the Vauxhall Zafira scored 94 per cent, 83 per cent and 53 per cent in the same categories.

Deadlocks, marked parts and an integrated stereo all help improve security.