2012 Peugeot 308 Review

[Janoc Florez]

Thereis no better way of reviewing a car than living with it day to day for six months. I took ownership of my Peugeot 5008 not thinking I would enjoy living with an SUV, but the Peugeot joined the family and flourished.

Some of the best cars in the world are utterly ridiculous if you attempt to live with them day to day. The 5008, by contrast, is so easy to live with that you take it for granted. The comfortable cabin, the huge boot, the torquey 2.0-litre diesel all make it perfect for my daily needs.

With its novel source material and striking design elements, guest reviewer and automotive expert Vaderfan explores whether the Peugeot 9X8 is worth the US$199.99 asking price, or if you should look elsewhere within the competitive field of LEGO Technic sets.

The box has the usual all-black 18+ box design, with a nice lime green border at the bottom with Technic elements. The car is displayed at a 3/4 angle, with logos for LEGO, Peugeot, and the 24h of LeMans prominently captured.

There are a pair of vents behind the cockpit that have been replicated seamlessly here. Even better, if you look through them you can actually see some of the engine detailing underneath the body panels!

This gives you a closer look at the mechanical features, which were visible during the build process but covered up by the bodywork. You can see the large blue spring on top, which controls the suspension, along with a red gear attached to a differential for the front wheels.

The front half shows a better look at the gears and differentials linked to the front wheels, along with the hybrid motor simulated by a pair of Technic weapon barrel elements. You can also see the central axle (between the lime green beams) that connects the steering mechanism to the hand-of-god steering knob.

One thing I must commend the designers is their excellent job at using many existing Technic panel pieces to effectively recreate the shaping of the real Peugeot 9X8. Despite its tricky angles, the LEGO model looks very accurate to the real deal.

Peugeot Cycles have returned to Australia; you can already get their e-bikes at stores across the country and their road bikes look likely to join the range. The legend and legacy of Peugeot bicycles stretches back to 1882 and many enthusiasts will know the brand from their racing bikes from the 1970s and 80s. Australian cycling pioneer, Phil Anderson, started his professional cycling career with Team Peugeot Esso Michelin and in 1982 won a stage of the Tour de France as well as the white jersey (young rider classification).

Back in Europe, the CycleEurope group acquired the license to make Peugeot Bicycles and in 1992, and after the Peugeot family signalled a withdrawal from bikes, the license and production stopped in 2004. Six years later in 2010, bicycle production was restarted when CycleEurope (which produces Bianchi, Gitane and Puch) was able to renew their license.

Australian importer Sola Sport (formerly Netti Atom) started importing Peugeot e-bikes and in 2015 importer Eurocycles took over this distribution, also focussing on the Bosch powered electric bikes from Peugeot. I got excited when Eurocycles director, Rick Krassoi, mentioned the Peugeot was also making road bikes. Eurocycles imported the RSR01 road bike to test market interest. Will the nostalgia and memories of classic cycle racing propel Peugeot road bikes back into public consciousness?

The RSR01 I reviewed is the 2015 complete bike, although in Europe the RSR01 has been available as a frame-only option since 2013. The 2016 model will see some changes and the RSR01 frame will become more aerodynamic, but will be available as a frame only. The successor to the bike on review, the 2015 RSR01, will be the 2016 RSR03 which has different wheels (Fulcrum Racing 5) and Shimano disc brakes instead of caliper brakes.

The stem, handlebars and rounded seatpost are courtesy of 3T; the Ergonova handlebars have a distinctive and comfortable flat section on the top which provides a comfortable grip. Moving the hands down to the dropbars is also comfortable, though the lever reached needed adjustment to ensure it was comfortable. The rubber hoods can be easily pulled back to get access with a 2mm hex tool to the adjustment screw.

A Fizik Ardea saddle was fitted on the RSR01; it is a good looking saddle but the first ride confirmed that it was completely unsuitable for me. I switched to my Prologo Nago Evo Pas which not only fits me well, but also has red highlights, so matched the black and red style of the RSR01 wonderfully.

The Peugeot is matt black with a distinctive red line following the top tube and seat stays. An ultra-cool style which can hold its own in the peloton of looks. Look closely and you will see that the chequered squares, which were the trademark design on Team Peugeot cycling jerseys, are subtly integrated into the red and grey graphics. A silver Peugeot lion adorns the headset and other subtle graphics add definition, repeat the model name, and show the French heritage (it was designed in France). In stark contrast to the thin steel downtubes and colourful graphics of race bikes from days of old, the less than subtle white PEUGEOT is printed on both sides of the downtube to announce the brand, loud and clear. Peugeot really need to get their brand recognised again to play with the established brands.

My second ride was much better, I immediately felt much better setting out on the bike and this was where I can really begin to enjoy the bike and understand the ride characteristics. The 140km ride included plenty of descents and climbs so provided a good range of Australian cycling conditions. After this ride I was able to summarise the performance of the Peugeot in two words: confidence and comfort.

The RSR01 frame is the same size as my own bike, though the top tube is more horizontal, rather than sloping. The wheel base is also two centimeters longer and coupled with a frame built for compliance, it adds up to a comfortable and forgiving ride.

When the Shimano Dura Ace Di2 electronic shifting was first launch, Matt Bazzano of Shimano Australia set me on a Di2 bike at Eurobike in Germany. Shifting was a breeze, it made a nice whirring sound as it changed gears and hassle-free maintenance was promised.

The Ultegra edition of Di2 has the technology trickle-down advantage and a better price point. It essentially offers the same reliable performance with only the weight and materials changed so that it belongs just under the Dura Ace level. Transitioning from the mechanic to electronic shifting has taken quite a while for me to get used to.

The battery life of the Di2 was also good; over 500km and I was still getting a green light on the junction box. The integrated battery is hidden from sight inside the seatpost of the frame which is a far cleaner and attractive solution than an external battery.

Competitive cyclists who race or are looking for the performance edge will miss agility and responsiveness. The 2016 edition of the RSR01, however, is a more agile frame and could fill the gap for hill-climbers and racers.

The central console and dash wrap around the driver like you would find in a much more expensive model such as a Jaguar. The media screen is controlled with a line of matte silver paddles which took me a day or two to navigate and then I found simple. It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto too.

The seats are very stylishly upholstered in woven houndstooth fabric, which is also used on the dash and door panels, bot only the edges of the seats are trimmed with pleather and, I'll be honest, as much as I enjoyed the beautiful interior I was VERY nervous of our daughter eating, drinking or doing anything in the car!

The reversing camera image at first seemed computer generated as it's so clear, and although I found it different at first I loved the various camera view angles available, especially the bird's eye view that made parking so easy because I could see my position in the lines (in the image below and in the video review there's a black box around the car in the image as I had a door open at the time).

The second-row seats in the 5008 all slide and move independently. There are top tethers for each one, all of which are clearly labelled in plastic guides on the back of each backrest, AND there is also ISOFix in the seat base of ALL THREE second-row seats, which is fantastic!

The third-row seats had a slightly different method of folding up and down that I hadn't seen before, in terms of how they come in and out of the boot floor. Their mechanism was nice and light and simple to use and I could sit comfortably sit in the third-row seats (I'm 162cm) with enough headroom and leg-room behind a rear-facing child seat AND there be enough legroom for me to sit in the driver's seat in front of that! However, I don't think there is enough space for a 180cm passenger in the first and third rows with a rear-facing child seat in the second-row.

Although the second-row seats slide forward, with child seats installed in the outer positions of the second row there is still not enough room for someone to squeeze through the gap. I found you would need to uninstall a child seat in order to access the third-row seats.

There are no top tethers or ISOFix in the third-row seats, so I didn't fit any in there, and I believe the 5008 is more of a great five-seater with a generously sized boot and the option of carrying more friends or family when needed, but probably not every day!

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better there are also fold down tray tables in the back of both front seats, we found that our daughter in her child seat couldn't reach to use the tray tables as she sat too hight but the passengers that weren't in child seats could use them easily.

Storage was quite minimal in the 5008, in the front, there are two cup holders good for disposable and reusable coffee cups, the front door bins could hold a large refillable water bottle. A wireless phone charging tray in front of the gear lever and there was a space for a wine bottle in the central console box! No sunglasses holder though and the glove box was small, only room for my wallet with the manual. In the second row, there are just the small door bins and two net map pockets and the third row just has a cup holder on one side.

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