Peugeot 308 SW

Peugeot 308 SW - For Sale;
Peugeot 308 SW - Expert & User Reviews.

Expert & User Reviews (Aggregated)

The Peugeot 308 SW has been reviewed by Experts (7) and Users (21). Its average score is 73 out of 100. This is based on 28 reviews in total.

Top Gear - Expert

Top Gear don’t go into much detail. They repeat that the Peugeot 308 SW is better than the standard 308. Boot space is bigger and rear third row seats are excellent even if only used occasionally. Only scoring a 4 out of 10 does indicate they aren’t keen on it.

When the seats are required the extra back seats allow a family to sit comfortably in the car. There are good ranges of engines that make this MPV a highly economical choice. There is no sliding door option with any of the models.

The low score is probably due to the low residuals. However the diesel option is punchy and economical, so it’s a win on that front.

What Car - Expert

The What Car expert says the Peugeot 308 SW is decent enough to drive, despite the suspension being clunky over bumps. Average scores are given for performance, ride, handling and refinement. To me they are similar criteria. The 308 SW is a heavy car considering it’s in the small MPV class. Oh and if you didn’t already know it’s wind noise is acceptable at speed. The rating given is 3 out of 5. Fuel costs vary between £9 and £15 per 100 miles which equates to getting up to 60mpg (approx.)

Peugeot 308 SW front view pictured above.

What Car - Owners (N=2)

The overall verdict from actual owners scores higher than the Expert review score (by one). Statistically however it doesn’t quite tally because one owner scores it low and the other high. You can’t really learn much from two reviews. Both owned a diesel model. The automatic owner achieved less MPG than the manual. One considers the internal space excellent but the other complains that the 308 SW’s running costs are too expensive and the customer service is lacking. The rating given is 4 out of 5.

Auto Trader - Owners (N=9)

Nine owners left their review on the Auto Trader site. They are detailed, informative and certainly worth a look. All reviewers score the 308 SW's practicality, reliability, running costs and driving a 4 out of 5 (or higher). You certainly can't ask for better reviews. The load space without the back seats is considered very useful. As is the tailgate boot door access. It seems most reviewers aren't using the rear sixth and seventh seats, but are very happy with the three individual middle row seats. The seven-seat option reduces the space (obviously). One moaner, I mean owner had a few gripes including the central glove box getting in the way of successfully belting up. He also got filthy when changing the tyre because the spare wheel was under the rear floor. The overall score is 4.7 out of 5.

Peugeot 308 SW boot view (all seats up) pictured above.

Auto Trader - Expert

According to Auto Trader it is the only 7-seater in its class. I think AutoTrader mean in the low road tax bracket and an estate. They don't actually say. It's overall quality and feel is as good as the golf estate but then again I don't think Peugeot ever where on a pa with them. Although performance scores well due to the huge range of engine choices it's reliability scores low because of the eight recalls. EuroNCAP crash testing scores a top 5 out of 5 but Auto Trader only give a safety score of 4 out of 5 (goodness knows why?). The overall rating given is 3.5 out of 5.

Peugeot 308 SW boot space (rear seats down) pictured above.

Auto Express - Expert

Apparently the styling isn’t great and it’s a bit pricey for what you get. If you’re a genuine car enthusiast then it won’t tick your box. If you want practicality it will. If you want a nicer drive they suggest the Ford Focus or VW Golf. Reliability has scored well, but this is acknowledging the historic problems and a suggestion that things have improved. Although the additional seating is practical, it isn’t as clever as rivals such as the Vauxhall Zafira. The rating given is 3 out of 5.

Parkers - Expert

The Parkers experts like the sun roof and if you’re a sun lover you’ll like it too. The 308 SW sunroof also helps increase the feeling of space inside. The capacity when all rear seats are removed is over 2000 litres. This is surprising when the 308 SW is considered a smaller family car. The front seat can also fold flat allowing items longer than 3 metres to be transported. But if you need it for pure family transportation the rear two seats are only suitable for children on shorter journeys. The rating given is 3.5 out of 5.

Peugeot 308 SW boot seat pictured above.

Parkers – Owners (N=4)

Four owners left their review on the Parkers site. All have scored their Peugeot 308 SW the maximum of 5 out of 5. That’s good but suspicious. I must read them to check they are genuine. Yes I think they are genuine, as one guy has spelt the word comfortable as “comfortabel”. Apparently if you put your foot down it takes off. An overarching theme is comfort and fuel economy. It isn’t pretentious and does what it says on the tin. As I said the overall rating is 5 out of 5.

Car Magazine - Expert

This review was undertaken in 2008. At that time the 308 SW was relatively new to Britain. A handy tip is to get the S or SR trim version because it’s more like the old estate (but what if you don’t want it like the old estate). The Sport and SE spec models come with the big glass roof (for the sun lovers). The middle row seats are identical and you can remove the middle one for additional room for the outside ones. They also move forwards and backwards for additional comfort. There are lots of storage options, which is ideal in a family car. The overall rating is 4 out of 5.

Car Buyer - Expert

I do enjoy the Car Buyer video’s, but with this review there isn’t one. *sad face. The greenest model is the Access e-HDI 115 EGC Stop-Start 5rd, whilst the cheapest is the Access 1.5 VTI. The fastest and top of the range 308 SW is the Allure HDI 150. At nearly £23k would you buy one? Yet again the 308 SW is compared to the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf Estate. The SW has a bigger boot! The rating given is 3.4 out of 5.

Car Buyer – Owners (N=6)

Although six owners have left their reviews on the Car Buyer site there isn’t much detail to go on. The model, registration, mileage and scoring is detailed but the longest review is only 5 lines. The overall rating is 83%.

Conclusion

Most owners love their Peugeot 308 SW even though they don’t use it as a seven seater. People like the “just in case” seats in the boot. They would be handy if needed and very useful to use in an emergency. Its drive prowess isn’t as well thought of as the Focus or Golf but who cares it’s an excellent family car, especially seeing as the diesel models are incredibly economical. Residual values are poor if you’ve bought new but if your buying second hand then you’ll get a good price.

The Aggregated Car Score given by motormum for the Peugeot 308 SW is 73%.