Peugeot 2008 review

Overview

The second-generation 2008 is a compact five-seat SUV, and this review deliberately selects a 2022 UK pre-facelift Allure Premium with the PureTech 130 petrol engine and six-speed manual transmission. It is neither an e-2008 nor a later hybrid, and equipment from the current range is not silently carried backwards. The attraction is a combination of an expressive cabin, a useful rear luggage compartment and adequate performance for more than urban errands. RoadMatch sees it as a plausible small-family option when those strengths suit the household. Its raised stance does not remove compact-car space compromises, however, and the engine's maintenance evidence is important enough to change a buying decision rather than merely adjust a negotiation.

Exterior and interior

The angular body and distinctive front lighting give the 2008 an individual appearance without making it a large SUV. Allure Premium's cabin uses the small steering wheel and raised digital instruments familiar from the contemporary 208, so the first check is ergonomic. Set your normal seat position and ensure the important displays remain visible, including at the steering angle you use most often. Inspect the cloth and leather-effect trim, exposed gloss surfaces and door storage for damage from normal family use. Try every climate adjustment with a phone connected and a map displayed. If several people share the car, repeat the seating exercise for each driver. Attractive cabin materials cannot compensate for controls or instruments that are awkward in daily use.

Practicality

The dated UK guide gives 434 litres below the parcel shelf with the rear seats upright, and 1,467 litres when the backrests are folded and loading reaches the roof. RoadMatch uses the first figure for the card; the larger one is not space available while carrying rear passengers. Bring your normal bags or buggy and check the loading lip, floor positions and cover fit rather than relying on a photograph of an empty compartment. Sit in the rear behind the usual driver, then test child-restraint access and the remaining room for an adult beside it. Inspect backrest locks and boot-floor supports. This is useful packaging for a compact footprint, but the correct test is your household arrangement rather than an assumption that an SUV badge guarantees abundant space.

Driving experience

Auto Express's accessible used review and Carwow's public generation assessment provide separate external perspectives; their emphasis and later test hardware are not a first-hand RoadMatch drive. The selected manual should be assessed on the surfaces and journey lengths you expect to use. Include patched town roads, a faster section and a low-speed manoeuvre with normal passengers where possible. Pay attention to clutch control and whether the driving position stays comfortable after the initial novelty has worn off. Compare the same route with a conventional hatchback before deciding that the raised body is necessary. The individual car's tyres, wheel condition and suspension wear can strongly affect comfort, so investigate uneven wear or pulling rather than accepting those symptoms as an inevitable character trait.

Performance

The manufacturer's manual PureTech 130 column gives 96 kW and 8.9 seconds for 0–62 mph. The card translates 96 kW to approximately 129 imperial horsepower, keeping that conversion explicit because the period guide's horsepower labelling is inconsistent. The EAT8 automatic has a different acceleration entry and is not this review's transmission. In practice, the useful question is whether the engine responds smoothly when joining traffic or climbing a hill with a loaded cabin. Do not mistake an unusually forceful short demonstration for evidence of good condition. Listen from cold, test each gear and investigate hesitation, oil warnings or undocumented tuning. The standard manual configuration should suit ordinary mixed journeys without needing to claim sporting status for the vehicle.

Fuel economy

Peugeot's period table gives the 130 manual a combined WLTP range of 45.2–52.6 mpg, reflecting specification conditions rather than one guaranteed result for every car. RoadMatch leaves the card's single mpg value blank because an exact selected-trim result was not separately resolved. The ownership calculation instead uses a clearly labelled 47 mpg assumption. Your mix of motorway work, cold short journeys and loaded trips can make a material difference, and fuel receipts are more informative than a dashboard reading after one easy drive. This non-hybrid petrol needs no charging arrangement, but it should not be compared with a plug-in hybrid's weighted figure as if the tests describe identical use. Keep economy expectations separate from the manufacturer's required servicing and oil specification.

Reliability

The PureTech engine is the decisive area for due diligence. Peugeot publicly acknowledges oil-pressure problems related to premature timing-belt deterioration and excessive oil consumption in specified earlier engine generations, with conditional support measures. This does not mean every 2022 2008 will fail, or that every repair will be accepted. Request invoices identifying the correct oil, servicing dates and any belt or oil-system work, then use the VIN's service booklet and a qualified inspection to assess what is due. Ask Peugeot for written campaign and special-coverage information on this exact car. RoadMatch's moderate confidence score is an editorial judgement rather than a fleet failure statistic. A recent service without explanation of earlier gaps should not erase a questionable ownership history or an unresolved warning.

Safety

Euro NCAP's 2019 second-generation 2008 record identifies an Allure PureTech 130 test car and includes right-hand-drive petrol applicability. It distinguishes standard equipment from an optional Safety Pack with more advanced emergency braking, and the historical assessment expired in January 2026. RoadMatch reproduces no numerical ratings and does not apply the pack result universally. The 2022 UK Allure Premium guide lists enhanced pedestrian, cyclist and night-time braking functions, but the build should still be matched to the relevant hardware and documentation. Inspect warning lights, restraint condition and any calibration records after repairs. Check your actual child seats against both handbooks. GOV.UK's registration procedure and Peugeot's VIN-specific completion record remain necessary; a model-level test cannot clear an individual car's recalls or accident history.

Technology and features

The UK guide supports phone projection, rear parking sensors, ordinary cruise control and the Allure Premium Visio Park reversing camera. Its seven-inch central interface should not be relabelled as an upper-grade ten-inch navigation system, nor should later wireless or hybrid functionality be assumed. Adaptive cruise 30 is conditional optional equipment on the manual, with a minimum operating speed rather than automatic stop-and-go behaviour. Demonstrate the fitted functions with your own phone and through repeated ignition cycles. Inspect the screen response, call microphone and camera image, and check whether any warnings remain after sensor or bumper repairs. Obtain both keys and clarify connected-service terms. Choose the technology that solves your real parking or travel needs instead of treating every digital display as an ownership advantage.

Running costs

RoadMatch's £11,500–£15,000 purchase range is an original planning estimate dated 3 October 2026, not a dealer inventory sample or copied valuation. An 8,000-mile year at an assumed 47 mpg uses approximately £1,161 of petrol at £1.50 per litre. Adding a £200 tax planning allowance and £700–£1,050 for routine service, MOT and wear produces roughly £2,050–£2,450 annually. Insurance, depreciation, finance and major engine work are excluded. Verify tax with the actual registration and obtain personal insurance terms before committing. Keep separate money for professional engine checks and any maintenance identified by the VIN's schedule. An apparent saving from skipping paperwork or accepting mismatched tyres can quickly disappear, so compare the full condition-adjusted ownership proposition rather than the advertised purchase figure alone.

Advantages and disadvantages