Peugeot 3008 Review

The 3008 looks great inside, helped by a stylish, high-tech infotainment screen and a digital information display instead of traditional dials.

All models have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can connect your phone, and most models also come with built-in sat nav. Most entry-level models made before 2021 have an 8-inch touchscreen on the dashboard, with Allure models getting a 10-inch screen. All versions sold new after a range update in late 2020 have the 10-inch screen.

The infotainment system isn’t quite as easy to use as those found in some rival cars – and it’s not the fastest to respond to your touch. It might take some time to get used to the menus and find all the systems but it’s very usable overall. Buttons underneath the screen help, letting you jump quickly between major features.

On the whole, the 3008 feels like a car built for comfort rather than sportiness. The interior plays its part: the front seats are supportive and offer you lots of scope for adjustment, so it’s easy to find your preferred driving position. That said, the 3008 features what Peugeot calls its ‘i-Cockpit’ layout, so you get an unusually small, low-set steering wheel with an information display above (rather than behind) it. You get used to the 3008’s unusual layout but it won’t suit everyone and some drivers find that it can be hard to see the display without moving the steering wheel lower still.

Whatever you think of the 3008’s dashboard layout it’s hard not to be impressed with its high-quality appearance. The combination of design and materials gives it a more premium feel than you’ll get in many similar cars. In fact, it’s hard to find a car at this price point that feels as nice to sit in and use.

Space is always important in a family car, and although the 3008 is a mid-size SUV it feels bigger inside with lots of space for four adults. You could even squeeze in five if they’re not too large – a flat floor between the two outer back seats means there’s a good amount of legroom in the middle. If you’re looking at a car with a sunroof, be aware that you’ll have less headroom in the back seats compared to cars without one.

You’ll have lots of places to put your odds and ends in the 3008, with a big space under the central armrest (connected to the air con, if you want to keep a can of drink cool). There are two cupholders between the front seats and a tray in front of the gearstick, as well as big pockets in the front and back doors and a reasonable-size glovebox.

If you’re after a seven-seater take a look at the Peugeot 5008, which is essentially a stretched 3008 with an extra row of seats.

The Peugeot’s boot is one of the largest for this type of car, with a capacity of 591 litres. For comparison, the Skoda Karoq’s boot measures 521 litres and the Renault Kadjar 472 litres. Non-hybrid models come with a movable boot floor, which you can raise to create a completely flat load space with no lip at the boot entrance.

The 3008 plug-in hybrid models have a considerably smaller boot at 395 litres to make room for their batteries. They also don’t have a movable boot floor, but it’s less of an issue because the floor’s default position means there’s no lip to lug stuff over at the boot entrance.

While the non-hybrid 3008s have the movable boot floor, all models let you fold down the back seats for extra space. The backs of the seats are split 60/40, giving you flexibility if you want to carry longer items but also need space for someone in the back row. However, some rivals have an even more flexible 40/20/40 split in their back seats.

You can lower the 3008’s back seats using pull-handles in the boot and the seats fold down almost flat.

One feature of the 3008 that not many rivals can offer is the ability to fold down the front passenger seat. If you’ve got a really long load to carry, this could be very useful. It’s a standard feature on Allure models and upwards in the range.

If comfort rather than sportiness is your priority in a mid-size SUV, the 3008 is one of the best options. You and your passengers get a smooth ride on any road, even in models with big wheels and thinner tyres.

You sit behind an unusually small steering wheel, which means you turn it less than in other cars to move the front wheels. That makes for relatively effortless manoeuvring around town. The 3008 also feels solid and stable at higher speeds and it doesn’t lean as much through the corners as some SUVs with softer suspension can do.

You can choose between petrol, diesel or plug-in-hybrid power in the 3008. Most of the engines are excellent and all give good performance. If you’re regularly hauling a full car of people and/or things, however, it’s probably worth avoiding the entry-level diesel engines because they don’t quite have the oomph to shift heavier loads comfortably. The big seller is the ‘PureTech’ petrol engine, which gives you a great balance of price and performance.

The plug-in hybrid models could save you a lot on fuel, but they cost more than the rest of the range. Still, they do offer lots of power.

There’s no option for four-wheel drive in the regular 3008. Some models do come with a system Peugeot calls ‘GripControl’, which can stop the front wheels slipping in tricky conditions. If you want power to all four wheels, you’ll need to go for the Hybrid4 300 model, which uses one of its two electric motors to drive the back wheels while the petrol engine drives the front ones.

If you do lots of long journeys, you could be tempted by the better fuel economy of the diesel 3008s. According to official figures, the diesels give you 57 to 70mpg. The petrol engines should give you 46 to 51mpg.

The plug-in hybrids have an official range of up to 235mpg, but what you get in the real world will depend on how you use the car. The maximum battery range in pure electric mode is 39 miles. Once all the charge is gone you rely solely on the petrol engine, so fuel economy may not be all that special.

Vehicle Excise Duty (car tax) will vary depending on the engine and when the car was first registered because the rules changed. Most petrol or diesel cars registered from April 2017 have a flat tax rate of £155 per year, but some of the more efficient models registered in March 2017 or earlier will be just £20 or £30 a year. While you may save money on fuel in a plug-in hybrid, watch out for tax if your car cost more than £40,000 when new because these cars attract a premium.

With lots of equipment as standard, and lots of cars available used, the 3008 looks to be very good value for money. Hybrid models could give you great fuel economy if you only do short journeys, but many attract high rates of car tax. And because they’re only available in the top trim levels, they can cost more to buy.

Peugeot was the top-ranking manufacturer in the J.D. Power 2019 UK Vehicle Dependability Study, which was a great vote of confidence in the reliability of the 3008.

All 3008s come with a three-year warranty, covering unlimited mileage in the first two years from new and up to 60,000 miles over three years. This isn’t a particularly impressive warranty offering, with rivals like Kia offering seven years and 100,000 miles on its cars.

The safety organisation Euro NCAP tested the 3008 in 2016 and gave it a maximum five-star rating. Testing criteria has become more stringent since then, so some newer rivals will have been tested to higher standards, but the 3008 comes with some of the latest safety features as standard, including automatic emergency braking and lane-departure warning. There are also Isofix child-seat mounts on the front passenger seat and on the outer back seats.

There are four basic trim levels available in the 3008 – Active, Allure, GT Line and GT – although all of them also come in Premium form, which really means you have eight versions to choose from. The trim offering changed over the years, with the GT Line models being dropped at the end of 2021.

The good news is that even the most cost-effective trim – Active – has lots of desirable features, including 17-inch alloy wheels, a moveable boot floor, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. Extras for Allure models include larger (18-inch) alloy wheels and sat nav, while Allure Premium adds a foldable passenger seat and roof rails.

GT Line cars have LED headlights and a wireless charging pad for your phone, as well as two-tone alloy wheels and even an interior fragrance system. Yes, perfume. GT Line Premium models have keyless entry and start, which lets you lock, unlock and start the car without taking the key out of your pocket or bag. You also get heated front seats with a massage function.

The top-spec GT model has 19-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control and electrically adjustable front seats, clad in leather. The boot lid is electrically operated – you can open it by waving your foot under the rear bumper, which is nifty if you’ve got your hands full. There’s a panoramic glass roof, too. GT Premium adds a 360-degree camera system to help you manoeuvre, and an upgraded sound system from the hi-fi company Focal.

The petrol engine range starts with a 1.2-litre model called the PureTech 130, and it’s all you really need. It’s got enough oomph for good progress around town and feels responsive at motorway speeds. You can find this engine with either an automatic gearbox or a six-speed manual.

If you want extra power there’s a 1.6-litre petrol model called PureTech, which comes only with an automatic gearbox. It’s definitely got a bit more punch, but it isn’t so easy on fuel. On older 3008s, you can also find a different 1.6 petrol, called THP, which isn’t quite as efficient and has slightly less power.

Doing a lot of longer journeys? There are several ‘BlueHDi’ diesel engines to choose from, in sizes from 1.5 litres to 2.0 litres and with various power outputs. They’re all worth a look, with enough power for most types of driving and with better fuel economy than the petrol options.

You can also choose from a couple of plug-in hybrid models, which give you a short distance of electric-only driving and could be a great choice if most of your journeys are less than 30 miles. The two models are called Hybrid 225 and Hybrid 300. Both have lots of power from the combination of their electric motors and petrol engines, but they do tend to be more costly to buy than diesel or petrol models.