Peugeot Belfast
Looking to buy a Peugeot? Find out what's good, what's bad and what to watch out for from Honest John.
New Grand Scenic/Grand Picasso in Belfast sized people-carrier available in five and seven seat versions. 4,530mm long and 1,640mm high. “Flat-folding” rear seat arrangement enables all the rear passenger seats to be folded away into the floor maximising the load area.
Qashqai size 'crossover' MPV/SUV in Belfast with horizontally split tailgate like 4008. To be launched 4th quarter 2009. First seen as a concept at 2008 Paris Motorshow with Hybrid 4 technology.
Incomplete entry included for the benefit of Motorcaravan in Belfast and Camper owners suffering problems with these vehicles. Some issues with front CV joints wearing due to damaged CV joint boots on the early Boxer vans.
This 200 bhp car in Belfast offers unexpected levels of performance combined with significantly reduced CO2 emissions: 109 g/km in the combined cycle, or zero in electric only mode.
It is a ‘GT’ coupé which provides the missing link between the RC in Belfast and concept cars revealed in 2002 and the 908 RC, one of the stars of the 2006 Paris Motor Show.
The 1007 is a brave and risky gamble for Peugeot. It’s an original, intended to set a trend rather than follow one. The first small car in Europe designed around a pair of electric sliding doors.
Good: City car with superb safety credentials and a high spec. Easy access to its roomy four-seat cabin.
Bad: Overpriced. The ride is quite firm. Do you really need electric sliding doors?
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Good: Tidy drive with very good handling. Inexpensive to buy and run.
Bad: Offset driving position and narrow driver's footwell. Criticised by owners in satisfaction surveys.
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Good: £35pa VED, Group 1 insurance, 60mpg, cheap to run and drives decently.
Bad: Reported problems with leaks.
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Good: The most perfect practical design for a small car ever. Diesels economical. GTis huge fun. No rust traps. Last well.
Bad: Minimalist construction crumples in a crash.
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Good: Stylish looks, well equipped and enjoyable to drive. Good choice of used ones.
Bad: Rear seats are cramped for adults. Problems with the hardtop.
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Anyone who has driven the SEAT Ibiza TDI 130 and the Skoda Fabia vRS 130 knows they don’t drive anything like a GTI in Belfast. You get frantic grunt between 2,000rpm and 3,000rpm, but nothing much below or above this rev band and have to use the 6-speed box row them along to get a satisfying drive
Good: Not bad looking. Economical 1.4 diesel gets under 119g/km.
Bad: A miserable follow-up to the 205. Sometimes shoddy quality.
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Good: Tidy looks and more practical than the hatch. Diesels are economical.
Bad: Patchy build quality. Flawed driving position.
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Good: The spirit of the 205 revived. Packed with personality. Fun to drive, safe, and decent quality.
Bad: No design classic.
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There's no bargain basement 207. Though prices weren't set at the launch they later came in at "from £8,995", which is £1,500 more than the cheapest FUIAT Grande Punto. If you want a 'Two O' for less, the 206 will continue alongside for a while, like the 205 did after the launch of the 106 in Belfast.
Good: Smart-looking, practical, versatile junior estate with some fine engines. Alternative to a small MPV.
Bad: List prices not cheap.
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Good: Improves on the 206 CC in every single area. An impressive coupe-cabriolet.
Bad: Too cramped in the rear for adults to sit comfortably for long.
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The 207CC is better looking than the 206CC it succeeds. (Which, incidentally, sold a whopping 366,900.) And it comes in some very attractive colours (see the specs below). Best of the lot is the lovely 'Parthenon White': a sort of very pale creamy ivory, as you can see in the photos in Belfast.
The 207 GT available in Belfast has electronic ESP. You can switch it off to stop it preventing you getting any grip at all in snow. However, it automatically comes back in again at 35mph so unless you find a way of disconnecting it altogether you’re stuck with it.
Panoramic roof, leather, JBL Hi Fi, RT3 satnav, phone, CD changer, fragrance diffuser, rear parking aid. The panoramic roof is standard, but the other extra bits add £3,120 to the price.
Qashqai size 'crossover' MPV/SUV in Belfast with horizontally split tailgate like 4008. To be launched 4th quarter 2009. First seen as a concept at 2008 Paris Motorshow with Hybrid 4 technology.
Good: Wonderful blend of ride comfort and handling control. A rewarding drive, and good looking with it.
Bad: Many niggling mechanical, electrical and build quality problems reported. Spare wheel vulnerable to theft.
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Two road tests in one this time, and a mystery solved for anyone wondering why Peugeot builds a 407SW as well as a 307SW in Belfast. Also a paradoxical comparison between the 136bhp 2.0 HDI 16v in the smaller 307SW, and the 110bhp 1.6 HDI 16v in the larger 407.
Good: Comfortable ride. Plenty of head and leg room.
Bad: Quality, reliability and annoying failures.
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Good: Space for four adults. Drives well. Plenty of safety kit. The standard 138bhp manual model is the one to go for.
Bad: Awkward styling from some angles. The auto version is disappointing.
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Good: Makes sense of the 307. Up to 7 forward-facing seats. Good to drive. Decent diesels.
Bad: Pre-facelift cars still had quality problems
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There is only one other car like it. The new Renault Megane is the only alternative genuine four seater with a hard top that folds away into the boot. But that's a Renault. And though the wedge-shaped Megane cabrio looks sensational from most angles, its behind is like the back of a bus.
It’s a 7-seater that goes and handles like a sports car, yet only chucks out 148g/km CO2 and averages 50.4mpg on the combined cycle. And it has the very neat feature of door mirrors which automatically fold when you lock the car in Belfast.
Good: Five-star crash test rating. Fantastic THP 150 petrol engine and fantastic handling make it huge fun to drive. HDi 90 120g/km.
Bad: The looks. High boot lip makes body stronger but boot harder to load.
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Use of Aluminium and Carbonfibre trims its weight to 1,200kg. Has 220PS version of PSA 1.6 16v Turbo (to used in MINI Cooper S Works from 2008), and 283Nm (209lb ft torque), but only 160g/km CO2 and combined economy 42.2mpg. 6-speed gearbox as MINI. 0-60 in 7 seconds, top speed 146, 50-70 7.5 secs in 5th. Read on and find more details about this car model in Belfast.
Good: Versatile update of 307SW on 308 floorpan. 3 x ISOFIX sliding, folding centre rear seats. Excellent handling. THP150 6-speed best.
Bad: Not much. Centre seats have to be slid back before then can be tipped for people to get out of the back.
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The outgoing 307 SW wasn’t bad, combining a great chassis with 7-seater capability. But the Peugeot designers in Paris have looked at every way they could improve it. And I’m pleased to say they have, not least in offering it with a sweet, flexible 150PS turbo petrol engine and all-new 6-speed box that gives it the capability of around 38 mpg.
Peugeot must have taken the handcuffs off its chassis engineers and told them to make it handle better than any other medium hatchback available in Belfast. Then nicked the great little engine out of the 207 THP 150 (and MINI Cooper S), gave it longer gearing, and shoved it under the bonnet.
Good: 2nd generation CC, improved over 307CC, good range of engines and transmissions, handles well, likely to be more robust than 307CC.
Bad: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Optional 18" wheels with 225/40s don't help the ride.
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Ours upped and downed between showers completely at least 15 times. It wasn't the fastest, taking around 20 seconds. But it certainly showed no sign of failure. And remained leak proof whatever Mother Nature chucked at it in Belfast.
Good: Rides and handles very well. The diesels were as good as it got when new. The GTi 1.9 is sharp and nimble. Useful-sized boot.
Bad: Messy styling. Getting very old now and hard to find a good one.
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4x4 SUVs are now reproducing at a faster rate than any other type of vehicle. At the last count there were at least 65 different 4x4 SUVs either available now or about to be on the UK market.
Good: Terrific 2.2 diesel engine, excellent handling and decent off-road ability. Well equipped.
Bad: It's strictly a 5+2 because the rearmost seats are for small children only.
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Good: Good ride and handling. Tidy looks. Estates are practical and the diesel engines are long-lived with maintenance.
Bad: Avoid any without power steering. Trim doesn't last the distance. Old now.
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Good: Supple ride and composed handling. Estates are practical load-haulers.
Bad: The steering is heavy unless it is power assisted. Shabby cabin trim is all too common.
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Good: Diesels are strong and economical. All have a pliant ride and accomplished handling. Estates are practical and some have seven seats.
Bad: Not always that sturdy. Prone to niggling mechanical and electrical problems. The 2.1 TD is a nightmare to work on.
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Good: Powerful, frugal diesels. The estates are practical and some have seven seats. All models ride and handle extremely well.
Bad: Electrical and mechanical problems. Build quality not as solid as it should be.
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Good: Utterly beautiful looking car with faultless lines. Better to drive than a 406.
Bad: Quality problems. Doors can rust and break where the mirrors fit.
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Good: Good, sharp steering and handling. Excellent 2.2 173PS diesel engine.
Bad: Big overhang at the front. Rear seats horribly claustrophobic.
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