308 GTI BPS: Sensible Family Transport
Discussion
So I've Bought the new Parental Shifter.
A replacement for the already missed Subaru Legacy,
A Peugeot 308 GTI "By Peugeot Sport". As a long term JDM fan I've always maintained that long car names indicate a high spec model.
The compulsory shell fill up on the way home picture:
I'd taken a while to come to this decision. I needed 5 seats, a decent boot and some space in the rear. 200 Hp per 1000 kg would be nice, as would a manual gearbox with LSD.
I did a comparison spreadsheet of all the possible contenders.
The Cupra and 308 were early contenders, but for my price range the Cupras I saw were generally modified, lots of owners, Cat N, etc. Then this 308 came up. One owner, Full dealer service history, matching Rainsport 5 tyres, recent discs and pads and the dealer also had the callipers re-built by BCS, so they come up with a lifetime warranty.
I picked it up yesterday and had a pleasant slog round the M25 back home. Once off the motorway I had a ball. This is a fun thing to drive. The engine is just brilliant, lots of torque, you can feel the LSD pulling you around and out of corners, and despite the 35 profile tyre on 19" wheels the ride is surprisingly pleasant. And the brakes are really impressive.
The seats are very comfortable, the wheel is comically small and driving position is distinctly odd, but you get used to it quickly. But I suspect I won't be using the seat massage function very often. Why Peugeot didn't fit a heater element I have no idea.
A replacement for the already missed Subaru Legacy,
A Peugeot 308 GTI "By Peugeot Sport". As a long term JDM fan I've always maintained that long car names indicate a high spec model.
The compulsory shell fill up on the way home picture:
I'd taken a while to come to this decision. I needed 5 seats, a decent boot and some space in the rear. 200 Hp per 1000 kg would be nice, as would a manual gearbox with LSD.
I did a comparison spreadsheet of all the possible contenders.
The Cupra and 308 were early contenders, but for my price range the Cupras I saw were generally modified, lots of owners, Cat N, etc. Then this 308 came up. One owner, Full dealer service history, matching Rainsport 5 tyres, recent discs and pads and the dealer also had the callipers re-built by BCS, so they come up with a lifetime warranty.
I picked it up yesterday and had a pleasant slog round the M25 back home. Once off the motorway I had a ball. This is a fun thing to drive. The engine is just brilliant, lots of torque, you can feel the LSD pulling you around and out of corners, and despite the 35 profile tyre on 19" wheels the ride is surprisingly pleasant. And the brakes are really impressive.
The seats are very comfortable, the wheel is comically small and driving position is distinctly odd, but you get used to it quickly. But I suspect I won't be using the seat massage function very often. Why Peugeot didn't fit a heater element I have no idea.
Edited by Cambs_Stuart on Monday 10th June 11:01
Nice. I like how they are not an obvious hot hatch unless you know what you are looking at.
I test drove one back in 2017 before buying an RS Megane 265 Cup instead. The test drove took place in completely foul weather which didn't allow me to understand much about the car. As a result, most of what I remember is the long throw of the gear change and how small and dark it was in the back.
I look forward to your further thoughts!
I test drove one back in 2017 before buying an RS Megane 265 Cup instead. The test drove took place in completely foul weather which didn't allow me to understand much about the car. As a result, most of what I remember is the long throw of the gear change and how small and dark it was in the back.
I look forward to your further thoughts!
Looks great and good work on the spreadsheet! I was really intrigued by one but unfortunately the omission of heated seats ruled it out as the missus has back issues. Be interested to hear how you get on with the multimedia screen long term and whether it's just something you need to get used to or is generally a bit of a let down. Whatever, sure the engine and handling will more than make up for it. Enjoy
Very nice! I didn't realise these existed, 'peak Peugeot' in my brain is still the GTI-6 which goes to show how out of touch I am. The weight characteristic is particularly impressive for a modern car...
The spreadsheet had me chuckling a lot too - especially the Impreza comments - nice way of laying it out and I'm glad you found something that was towards the top of the list. Forgive my ignorance, what's so special about the brakes? Are they just difficult to get parts for, or something more complicated.
Will it be given a chance to shine on track alongside/instead of the Clio....?
The spreadsheet had me chuckling a lot too - especially the Impreza comments - nice way of laying it out and I'm glad you found something that was towards the top of the list. Forgive my ignorance, what's so special about the brakes? Are they just difficult to get parts for, or something more complicated.
Will it be given a chance to shine on track alongside/instead of the Clio....?
From memory, the 270 Peugeot Sport ones use Alcon calipers which whilst excellent, require expensive pads and/or discs, and are very expensive to replace.
I think Peugeot did a great job designing these, both from a style point of view, and engineering. I prefer the smooth lines of this to the aggressive angles of it's replacement, and performance wise 270bhp from the 1.6 THP is impresive, and close to 1300kg is only a tubby bloke more than a GTI6 which is amazing.
I'm keeping an eye on the prices of the more rarely seen 308 GT with the 200bhp engine version which I'm hoping will fall into obscurity as they age and become a performance hatch bargain.
I think Peugeot did a great job designing these, both from a style point of view, and engineering. I prefer the smooth lines of this to the aggressive angles of it's replacement, and performance wise 270bhp from the 1.6 THP is impresive, and close to 1300kg is only a tubby bloke more than a GTI6 which is amazing.
I'm keeping an eye on the prices of the more rarely seen 308 GT with the 200bhp engine version which I'm hoping will fall into obscurity as they age and become a performance hatch bargain.
Loving the use of a spreadsheet in car buying decisions. I do the same and it really helps when comparing different models. I had the 308 GTi BPS and 208 GTI BPS on my list last year but the budget couldn't quite stretch to the 308, so went for an over-priced 208 30th instead (the pre-cursor to the BPS) and I love it. Interesting what you say about the ride, my 208 on 18s is anything but pleasant 
Thanks for all the comments! I also had a 306 GTI6, 20+ years ago...
The Front brakes are 380 MM discs, Godspeed sell them at a mere £750 a pair. The callipers are made by Alcon (I think they're the same as the RCZ R) and are notorious for seizing, so having them rebuilt by a specialist who gives a lifetime warranty is a Very Good Thing.
The multimedia isn't as bad a reviews suggested. You press one button to open the heating, one button to open radio, or sat nav etc. It's not quick, and it's not as good as Android Auto; the sat nav didn't pick up the A1 was closed yesterday, for example. I've also not yet worked out how to stream audio from my phone to it. The Audio sound is really good for an OEM system.
Originally I did want a Megane RS, but having sat in the back of a couple at track days there was no way my 6"+ son would have been comfortable in the rear for any length of time. The back is also very dark due to low down seats and high window line, so not great for transporting family. The Vauxhall GTC VXR was similar.
This may get a day out on track, but to be honest, the consequences of crashing/blowing up this car are a bit more sobering than in my Clio so it will take some thought.
I have to say the 2015 onwards Alfa Giuletta was a close contender, let down my a small boot/rear seat space, no LSD and auto only. But they are surprisingly fun to drive and all the examples I saw had really impeccable service histories. A re-map and LSD at Autolusso wouldn't have been much money either. They're a lot better than some of the reviews make out.
The Front brakes are 380 MM discs, Godspeed sell them at a mere £750 a pair. The callipers are made by Alcon (I think they're the same as the RCZ R) and are notorious for seizing, so having them rebuilt by a specialist who gives a lifetime warranty is a Very Good Thing.
The multimedia isn't as bad a reviews suggested. You press one button to open the heating, one button to open radio, or sat nav etc. It's not quick, and it's not as good as Android Auto; the sat nav didn't pick up the A1 was closed yesterday, for example. I've also not yet worked out how to stream audio from my phone to it. The Audio sound is really good for an OEM system.
Originally I did want a Megane RS, but having sat in the back of a couple at track days there was no way my 6"+ son would have been comfortable in the rear for any length of time. The back is also very dark due to low down seats and high window line, so not great for transporting family. The Vauxhall GTC VXR was similar.
This may get a day out on track, but to be honest, the consequences of crashing/blowing up this car are a bit more sobering than in my Clio so it will take some thought.
I have to say the 2015 onwards Alfa Giuletta was a close contender, let down my a small boot/rear seat space, no LSD and auto only. But they are surprisingly fun to drive and all the examples I saw had really impeccable service histories. A re-map and LSD at Autolusso wouldn't have been much money either. They're a lot better than some of the reviews make out.
Edited by Cambs_Stuart on Monday 10th June 18:36
Grumbler said:
I was recently looking for a 308, 2016 onwards, petrol and there is literally no choice between 1.2T(130) and 1.6T(260+). A real shame to not have a mid-power one.
Do you mean that there is not choice? Or just that none were available when you were looking? I'm pretty sure the 1.6 THP was available in the 308 in 125, 156, 205 and 225bhp versions.
The MPG readings are unreal. But having covered 200 miles and used a lot less than half a tank I think they could be accurate.
I think it's a handsome car. A bit lower, wider and with bigger wheels than a standard 308. But it's subtle.
It was roughly 60% the cost of an i30N or civic tyre R or 75% the cost of an equivalent mileage/age Leon Cupra or Golf type R.
Anyway, I've got a sneaking feeling there is no way to get the stereo to support android auto. As the panel also controls the heaters I can't just swap it out for an aftermarket unit.
However, it does have a calendar and a calculator. Which is nice.
I think it's a handsome car. A bit lower, wider and with bigger wheels than a standard 308. But it's subtle.
It was roughly 60% the cost of an i30N or civic tyre R or 75% the cost of an equivalent mileage/age Leon Cupra or Golf type R.
Anyway, I've got a sneaking feeling there is no way to get the stereo to support android auto. As the panel also controls the heaters I can't just swap it out for an aftermarket unit.
However, it does have a calendar and a calculator. Which is nice.
Cambs_Stuart said:
Anyway, I've got a sneaking feeling there is no way to get the stereo to support android auto. As the panel also controls the heaters I can't just swap it out for an aftermarket unit.
You can upgrade to a later head unit to give you AA, as I've just done it in my 208. I used a kit from Magpie Autos - not cheap but it gives you a plug and play solution that is already coded to the car. It brings the infotainment more up to date and I'm very happy with it.CarlosV8 said:
Cambs_Stuart said:
Anyway, I've got a sneaking feeling there is no way to get the stereo to support android auto. As the panel also controls the heaters I can't just swap it out for an aftermarket unit.
You can upgrade to a later head unit to give you AA, as I've just done it in my 208. I used a kit from Magpie Autos - not cheap but it gives you a plug and play solution that is already coded to the car. It brings the infotainment more up to date and I'm very happy with it.Nice one OP.
When I had my previousn I30N there was someone on the forum I frequented who'd had one before his I30N and was very impressed with it.
IIRC he said there wasn't much it re the performance and the Peugeot was much better on fuel. I think he mentioned he didn't like the small steering wheel or something but that was about the only negative!
I think they've very much gone under the radar and are a great buy.
When I had my previousn I30N there was someone on the forum I frequented who'd had one before his I30N and was very impressed with it.
IIRC he said there wasn't much it re the performance and the Peugeot was much better on fuel. I think he mentioned he didn't like the small steering wheel or something but that was about the only negative!
I think they've very much gone under the radar and are a great buy.
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