Peugeot's award-winning crossover can be had for just £7k – should you take the plunge?
Style and substance are a rare combination in the crossover class, but Peugeot managed to balance the two quite neatly for the second-generation 3008, which recently bowed out after seven years of production.Inside it was stylish, practical and spacious; outside it was handsome, chunky and far more good-looking than the somewhat potato-shaped first-generation car.Morphing the 3008 from a crossover-ish hatchback to a more conventional compact SUV played well commercially and boosted the car’s popularity in the UK – hence the dazzling variety of second-hand examples on offer today, priced from as little as £7000.In fact, so warm was the reception that dealers initially struggled to meet demand: over its seven-year lifespan the 3008 would become one of the world’s most popular SUVs, shifting 1.3 million units and picking up the Car of the Year award on the way. No pressure on the new one then…Autocar tester and COTY judge Matt Prior described the 3008 as “the best Peugeot in a long timeâ€, heaping praise on its interior and functionality.Those are attributes that, combined with a muscular stance and futuristic i-Cockpit, make a used example more tempting than austere rivals such as the Seat Ateca and Nissan Qashqai.It’s worth mentioning, though, that when we put the 3008 through our exhaustive road test in 2017, we found its driving experience lacked the polish and finesse implied by the design.The 118bhp 1.6-litre diesel engine was a little rudimentary, and while it was a reasonably smooth unit, it was loud and tappety inside the cabin.The engine was punchy enough and pulled well to begin with, but power ebbed away higher up the rev range. The steering didn’t give much feedback in corners, but at least the softer ride soaked up bumps and lumps well.The 1.6-litre diesel motor was an economical lump, though (returning 53mpg), as was the later 1.5-litre BlueHDi 130 (50mpg). Both feature heavily in the classifieds.That being said, the 1.2-litre Puretech triple is a fine choice if you’re more inclined to buy petrol.The three-cylinder engine has more than enough pep and would return more than 40mpg without too much effort.Beware the infamous disintegrating ‘wet belt’ issues, though (see ‘Buyer beware’, right) – it’s already up there with the Porsche 996’s IMS bearing and the P38 Range Rover’s air suspension in the ‘Common Used Car Pitfalls’ hall of shame.Of course there were other petrol and diesel engines in varying states of tune, and you can have a hybrid or PHEV if you opt for the newer, sharper-looking facelifted model.Anyone looking to swerve high benefit-in-kind costs should definitely consider the later Hybrid4 300, which can travel from 25 to 30 miles on electric power alone.Our pick would be the Puretech triple in the well-specced Allure trim, which came with 18in alloy wheels, a suite of driver assistance modes, a reversing camera and smartphone mirroring, so it still feels suitably ‘new’.If you want your used 3008 to stand out, then you can up the trim game to GT Line, GT Line Premium or GT – and these won’t really cost you any more second-hand.Regardless of trim and engine, the stylish 3008 is a tempting compact SUV. This practical, handsome and economical Peugeot should definitely feature on your used family SUV shortlist.Â
