2007 Peugeot 307 review
January 23, 2008 by Karl Peskett
Drawing prospective customers to the 307 are attributes such as visibility. The glasshouse is tall, as previously mentioned, allowing plenty of light into an otherwise dreary cabin. The A and B pillars are not too thick, especially from the inside, and everywhere you look you have a great view – the only exception being the rear window, which is cut off prematurely at each side.
Leg room and head room in the rear seats are very good for a car of this size, easily bettering the squashy Renault Megane’s rear seat. The front seats are quite firm, cushion length is fine, fabric is easy to maintain, but lumbar adjustment is missing. On a $35,000 car? What you do get is a springy lower back section that feels like it was suppose to be “self-adjusting” but ends up acting like a sort of vertical trampoline.
The mis-matching dash and door trims (which are meant to look the same, but end up falling short) lessen the 307’s appeal somewhat, as does the cheap-looking, ill-fitting silver console that stands out in the dark interior more than a bikini-clad Jennifer Hawkins in a monastery. And not in a good way.
The dip in the dash also serves as a wonderful dust-collector, although it is easy to clean. The driving position is a bit of a worry, with pedals offset to the left, the steering wheel ending up slightly further away than expected (although it adjusts for reach as well as height), and no footrest. Transferring your foot from accelerator to brake pedal ends up being an exercise in yoga mastery. Your shoe, if size 10 or larger, can get caught behind the under-dash panel, leading to a few heart-pounding moments.
Is this a used car test? I thought the 308 had replaced the 307.
End of Feb for 308 apparently.
No used car tests here at Car Advice. This is a last hurrah before it’s replaced.
I drove a 307 2.0Hdi wagon with the six speed auto several months back. A mate had one on loan from the dealer. Huge fun and devastatingly practical, I thought. The biggest icky thing was the lack of a footrest.
By overseas accounts, the 308 has restored Peugeot’s almost vanished reputation for ride and handling composure. It was at its most famous in the 504 and 505 years. I had a 504 in my youth and can vouch for their ability to stroll over speed bumps like nothing happened.
My Golf must be on its best behaviour now.
Thanks Jbot. Saw a 308 on display at the airport last week (in NZ) so thought it must have been released already.
Hey Golfschwein……..didn’t know you were a pug lover…..I grow up in them..{and Fiats shhhh}
I know where your coming from with the foot rest thingy though! You are 6.2 though aren’t you? Big FEET???? I guess Ill see Friday?????
I love the coupés in them……..Im a 2 door girl though!
Oh yes! Mine was a, ahem, rarer 504Ti that had the Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection for a rip-snorting 110 bhp against the standard 504’s 98 bhp.
It was buttercup yellow with Renault Australia’s stupid Renault 16 buckets that gave me terrible back ache, the only car ever to do so. On a Fiat car club navigation run in 1984 in Perth’s hills, I got it to oversteer and crash into shrubbery on a totally straight gravel road. My mate who was in the passenger seat has dined out on the story ever since.
I still loved it, though. WHEELS ran an absolutely identical car up against the Volvo 144 of the day in its June 1973 edition. I’ll show you Friday! :)
Sounds good!
Unlike Karl, I like the front end styling. It’s the rear of the car which doesn’t do it for me.
Nothing to do with the Peugeot but you know what FIAT stands for….Fix It Again Tony…Woo Hoo
And LOTUS, No name? Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious :)
Is there a petrol?
Awww Duck why would you want a petrol. Pug are far better with Derv in the tank
No Name,
Have you seen the price of diesel at the moment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeh sure have but you go 30-40% further on diesel
Anyone have a view on the 308 yet? I’m thinking of buying the 307 XSE HDi 2.0 auto (there’s some pretty good savings plus a 6 yr 160,000km extended warranty) but not sure if I should just wait for the 308.