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A rather small steering wheel

Posted by Terje Bjørnstad
peugeot 208
The instruments are read over the steering wheel, no through.

All I knew about this car was that it was French and had a rather small steering wheel.

 

peugeot 208Look and feel

-Small car, I thought when I picked up the car where it was parked next to a blown-up Peugeot 3008. When I got in, I still got a good sense of spaciousness. The A-pillars are pulled far forward. As mentioned, the steering wheel is small and therefore takes up little space. It is thick and feels good to the touch. The instruments are gathered in one cluster in front of the steering wheel and a touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard. The air conditioning system is placed on the center console in the usual way. I wouldn't call the interior exclusive, but elements in chrome and soft plastic give a good and solid impression. The height adjustment of the driver's seat takes place at the rear edge of the seat cushion, and the seat back is not stepless. Nevertheless, I easily found a comfortable driving position.
 

Tinted windows from the B-pillars upwards, chrome-plated plastic on the side mirrors, alloy wheels, fog lights, manual air conditioning, leather steering wheel, electric windows at the front and a pleasant fabric on the seats tell us that we are a bit up on the equipment list. I like the color too, - "gray shark". Therefore, I give a strong four for look-and-feel.
 

peugeot 208
I like the color "gray shark"

peugeot 208Driving pleasure

Does a small steering wheel increase driving pleasure?
 

At least it feels right in the city. "Handy" is probably the most appropriate expression. Out on the road, I can't say that the small steering wheel offered any advantages. We drove a lot with strong winds. The Peugeot 208 is no more side-sensitive than other cars in the Polo class, but it felt a bit unusual to adjust for side wind with the small steering wheel.
 

Unused, but not unsafe.
 

There are several aspects of this car that make it a car for ladies. The first is the small steering wheel, - the second is the pedals. I barely managed to pry my size 46 Ecco shoe between the brake pedal and the center console to step on the accelerator. French and online? Hm, that was before I put the car in gear. The gear lever felt as large and clumsy as in a truck.
 

The petrol engine with 1.2 liters and three cylinders didn't feel particularly clean either - at least not in terms of sound. It had an exceptionally rough ride when pressed, and you are forced to push the engine when you are going out on busy roads and on downhills. At highway speeds, the engine ran smoothly with a nice sound, but as soon as it was pushed, the rough, uncultivated sound returned. The engine was supposed to deliver 82 horses, and there is no reason to doubt that the power was there, but the sound image helped to create the feeling of driving an underpowered car.
 

With approximately 8000 km on the odometer, the drivetrain felt a bit sluggish when driving in a queue. You could hear the drivetrain well, and like all small French cars, there was often a slight squeal in the gearbox at certain revs. That's how French small cars have always been. I like small French cars, and the Peugeot 208 is no exception. I happily describe these French qualities as "charming". Let me also add that the Peugeot was very good on the road. Typical French and typical Peugeot.
 

peugeot 208
Both tall and short drivers can find comfort behind the wheel.

4Comfort

I found a comfortable sitting comfort after a few seconds, despite the fact that the seat cushion can only be lifted at the rear edge and that the seat back is not continuously adjustable. I am 1,88. The other 1,62 driver also immediately found a comfortable position. I give a four for comfort and how it takes bumps and speed bumps better than many cars in the class above. The 208's long wheelbase (253 cm) is actually 1 cm longer than the first generation of the Saab 900 family car.
 

I give credit for the engine sound under pressure, but add that the sound image during stable driving is pleasant.

peugeot 208Place

The long wheelbase gives good length in the cabin. Four adults sit comfortably. The fifth passenger gets a little tight in width, but it works fine over shorter distances. I used the car to transport a flat-packed kitchen table. The length of the load meant that I was forced to push the driver's seat far forward and straighten the seat back. It surprised me that even then I actually managed to find a fairly comfortable sitting position.
 

The trunk is the size of a Volkswagen Polo. It holds one large suitcase, or two small ones. If you need more space, you have to fold down one of the rear seatbacks.

4Safety

In terms of safety, the Peugeot 208 is on par with the Polo. The NCAP measurements show that the 208 has somewhat better protection for children in the car, but worse safety for pedestrians. The Peugeot group (PSA), like Renault, has long been in the top tier with regard to safety. I don't know if it makes a difference, but the small steering wheel together with the forward A-pillars actually also gave a sense of increased safety.
 

An important active safety detail that you can order in your Peugeot 208 is the "heads up display" where the most important information is projected onto the windscreen. This was not installed on the car I tested.

5Economy

According to the sales brochure, the petrol consumption on mixed driving is 0,58 liters per mile. You should be able to get down to 0,39 when driving on the road, but I couldn't get the consumption below half a liter on mixed driving in the 14 days I drove the car. It is difficult to drive the car without pushing the engine. A 208 with e-HDI is higher on the wish list, but cannot be defended from a purely economic point of view. A 93-horsepower 1,6-litre e-HDI engine increases the purchase price by a fresh 40 thousand Swedish kroner, but then you also get a higher equipment version.
 

I think it is possible to buy the tested version with automatic air conditioning, "heads up display" and winter tires for around 200. That is a very good price. Peugeots are reliable cars that can withstand high mileage. They are also far less susceptible to rust than their German competitors.
 

A lot of car for the money

 

positive1

  • Long wheelbase, good cabin length and road holding
  • Easy to find a comfortable driving position

negative1

  • Penetrating sound when the engine is started.
  • The drivetrain feels a bit sluggish and produces unrefined sounds.
peugeot 208
Small car, but long wheelbase
peugeot 208
A great steering wheel.

 

See

kingdom of witches
The drive went to "The Witches' Kingdom"
kingdom of witches
1.0 liter summer car

Astra without turbo

Posted by Terje Bjørnstad
astra16b
It looks good in snow white paint with 17" alloy wheels.

It's been a while since I drove a new car in this class without a turbo. A mature engine that requires high revs, and which delivers poor performance, high noise levels and high fuel consumption, brings thoughts back to the 90s. If we look through the fingers at the engine, we actually find a pretty alright car.

 

Look and feel

Astra looks good in white - Summit White or Snow White. 17 inch light alloy rims adorn the car. Together with digital driving lights and fog lights, we anticipate a campaign model. The Astra bears the stamp of being a German car, both from the outside and behind the wheel. The car seems solid and safe. However, the premium feeling disappeared as soon as we sat down. Two glaring orange displays scream at you that this is cheap. Missing armrests and flat standard seats also drag down the look-and-feel category. I also draw for the jumble of buttons on the middle part of the dashboard. They require getting used to.

 

astrad
Facelifted model with wider smile

Driving pleasure

The engine detracts from driving pleasure. It must have enough revs to pull. It makes noise. I engage fifth gear already at 60 km/h. When I get to 80 km/h, I get an intense desire to upshift - but there are no more gears! With this engine, you get the best traction when the revs are around 4000. Then the engine noise is intrusive. Further down the rev curve there is sadly little to gain. I experience the engine as particularly "surly" to use a Swedish expression. But the reality is still not so bad. After all, at 3000 revs in top gear we are driving at 109 km/h. I also get a better impression of the engine at speeds from 120. The car feels very safe at motorway speeds - and there it actually gives some driving pleasure.
 
Apart from the engine, the car is good to drive. Suspension, steering and brakes are what I expect in a German car.
 
A few words about the engine in the test car. The EcoTec engine produces 115 horsepower and has VVT (variable valve opening) technology. In Norway, this engine has been removed from the price lists. In contrast, it is the motorization in the entry-level models in Sweden and on the continent. In Norway, only a very limited range of engines is currently offered. Personally, I would choose the turbocharged 1,4 liter petrol engines of either 120 or 140 horsepower.

 

astra16c
No engine designations on the tailgate as this has the step-in engine

Comfort

On the comfort side, the Astra scores well. It offers a good balance between driving pleasure and comfort. The seats in the test car are not as good as the sports seats, but do fine for me. A large back seat passenger complained about the sitting position in the back seat. The Active model line is supplied with standard seat profiles, but with a thicker seat cover that seemed very durable. I recommend spending a few kroner extra to upgrade to sports seats. In the same vein, I would recommend upgrading the infotainment department. However, the dual zone air conditioning works well.
 
The mentioned engine noise at Norwegian speeds detracts the points somewhat.

Place

Due to the Astra's long wheelbase, the length of the cabin is very good. At the level of a class above. Inside, it feels as if you are in a mid-range car. However, the trunk is average for the class. It has a double bottom where a cover can be folded in, or possibly taken out completely. Astra as station wagon or 4-door sedan version offers luggage space for families with children.

Safety

The A-pillars are, in typical Opel fashion, powerful and dominant. At no time have I felt that they reduce visibility. I think it is important to adjust the sitting height so that you do not sit too low. The thick bars, however, give a feeling of sitting in a solid cage - i.e. a sense of security. All relevant safety equipment is in place. For increased safety, it is possible to order intelligent lighting that adapts to driving conditions and adaptive cruise control.

 

astra16a
Indelicate info screens and a jumble of buttons.

Economy

In general, owning an Astra is good value for money. Expect a slightly higher loss in value than the best sellers from Volkswagen and Toyota. The relatively low score is due to the high fuel consumption of the test model. On paper, it should be 0,63 liters per km with mixed driving, but perceived consumption on the main motorway was higher. Much higher. That's why I checked with Astra owners' user experiences online. The same conclusion is drawn. If I compare with 1,4T/140 (previously tested on the same stages), you can roughly count on 50% higher consumption.

positive1

  • Length in the compartment

negative1

  • Noisy and low traction engine
  • High fuel consumption
  • Unusually tasteless information displays in the dashboard
  • Far too many buttons on the middle part of the dashboard

 

Destination: Purpose – lunch