Peugeot 208 long-term test – living with France's Ford Fiesta

Don't be fooled by the 'GT' badging – the Peugeot 208 GT is not a grand tourer in the conventional sense, but having completed over 1000 miles of motorway driving in the last month, I've well and truly put its long-distance abilities to the test. And regardless of what we’ve thrown at it, the French supermini has proven to be a trusty companion. 

Sitting on cruise control for hundreds of miles on end is something the 208 is perfectly happy to do, and although it sounds rather gruff while accelerating up to motorway speeds, its 134bhp three-pot motor provides more than enough performance for the task. However, what has also become clear while covering this many miles is that the 208’s flaws go beyond the poor view of its digital dash. 

On sunny days, the cabin’s satin chrome and piano black trim frequently redirect the sun’s glare squarely into the eyes of the driver. In my usual driving position I also find my knees to be a little cramped, interfering with steering inputs in some scenarios, while the central infotainment display is a touch too far away for comfortable operation on the move – a full-body lean towards the screen is required for accurate, quick commands.

These are quirks I’ve learned to live with, however, along with the way that, despite detecting the key for initial access, our 208 fails to recognise it for engine start almost every time I enter the car. Yet on a second attempt it will always start without fail.

Less easy to overlook is how the 208 GT takes start/stop frustration to the next level. While most pure combustion-engined cars will automatically stop the engine when rolling to a halt and start it again just before you move off, the mild-hybrid 208 goes through this cycle even at a complete standstill. Foot on the brake and with no command for forward movement, the system repeatedly stops and starts the engine every 30 seconds or so, which becomes particularly tiresome given the three-cylinder’s tendency to gently rock the car whenever it fires up.

The Peugeot’s outstanding fuel economy is something you really can’t argue with, mind. Even though its hybrid system is self-charging and requires no intervention from the user, the GT easily achieves a circa 55mpg average on a longer trip, only dropping to the mid-40s in much less efficient, shorter city runs. Coming from my Mercedes-AMG C63 with its all-time best of 26mpg, this is something I can appreciate.