Peugeot 2008 review

The cheapest 2008 you can buy, the 1.2-litre petrol with a six-speed manual, will set you back from £22,300. Next up, the 128bhp and six-speed manual, starts from £25,100, or £26,700 in auto guise. The range-topping 153bhp unit with eight-speed auto starts from £31,200.

The diesel variant, meanwhile, starts at just shy of £23k, but is really only worth considering if you do a lot of motorway miles. You're looking at between 55-65mpg there, as opposed to 45-55 mpg with the petrols. Against an official claimed range of 48.3mpg we actually managed slightly better, averaging around the 52mpg mark. Not bad.

Monthly payments start at around £300, rising to around £400 for the range-topper in top-spec trim, on a four-year agreement with a six-month initial payment. There’s very little difference in price up against the entry-level Ford Puma and VW T-Roc equivalents, while you’re looking at around £50 more for the Vauxhall Mokka and £75 more for the Volvo XC40. 

Still, There’s little difference between the engines in terms of running costs - you're looking at 50mpg and CO2 emissions near the 120g/km mark.

What are the trim choices like?

As with the 208, the Allure trim variant was ditched in 2022, meaning your remaining options are Active Premium, Allure Premium, GT and GT Premium.

Highlights? Active Premium trim features 16-inch alloys, LED running lights, rear parking sensors, and a 7in touchscreen with smartphone connectivity as standard. Not bad, but you can do better. Allure Premium adds 17in alloy wheels, roof rails, a 3D head-up instrument panel, and 180-degree colour reversing camera. Worth it for the fancy dials alone.

GT variants add a diamond black roof, rear spoiler, chrome exhaust pipe, full LED headlights with ‘Tooth’ design, and 10in colour touchscreen, while top-of-the-tree GT Premium features 18in alloy wheels, keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, lane positioning assist and Alcantara seats. You’ll pay a premium, mind.

Where’d you spend your money?

We’ve made no secret that our favoured engine would be the 128bhp petrol, while the eight-speed auto is arguably better than the six-speed manual, but you can’t really go wrong either way.

Trim? That a second-rung Allure Premium might be the best balance of all of the 2008’s attributes, avoiding the largest alloy wheels but offering some nice tech, including the 3D instrument panel.

With the auto 'box and in that spec, you’re looking at just over £27k, or around £335 on lease.