2003 Peugeot 307 SW SE 2.0D 110BHP from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Bargain MPV that drives like a saloon

Faults:

1. Tailgate was poorly fitted from the factory, and would not lock. Dealer adjusted in 10 minutes.

2. The rear view mirror fell off - not fitted properly in the factory.

3. N/S rear brake squeal after 2,000 miles - seal replaced (?)

4. CD player will keep skipping to the radio for non existent traffic reports when on the 'Traffic' setting - skips on and off for 1 or 2 settings (Blaupunkt 5 CD multiplay system). Not fixed.

General Comments:

Little bit of body roll when cornered hard, but otherwise the handling is good. Pleased with road and wind noise levels.

Controls are logically laid out, and the equipment level is very good.

Have the 2 extra seats fitted, and don't like the design condition of having to push back the middle row seats before they can be tipped forward - not nice for the 3rd row passengers who want to get out.

The interior is very roomy and comfortable.

Engine performance is very good.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th January, 2004

2003 Peugeot 307 D Turbo 2.0 110Hdi from UK and Ireland

Summary:

An all round great car despite some faults

Faults:

Noise coming from underneath car, sounds like it's from the passenger side, somewhere in the engine compartment. I had the exact same problem with my last 307, and Hdi 90.

Horn works intermittently, and heater sometimes blasts me with cold air, even when set to high. It's going back to the dealer next week to be looked at.

Engine mounts on my Hdi 90, had to be replaced at 6000 miles, which Peugeot suggest is unheard of, but after reading a lot of reviews it seems a common problem.

General Comments:

Having owned the hdi 90, and now owning the hdi 110, I seriously recommend the 110, it's quieter than the 90, and the performance difference is amazing, it's a seriously quick car, the acceleration is great, but both engines seem to get bogged down, if you fail to give them enough revs when you move off. Mine is the top of the range d turbo, and it's a beautiful car, apart from the annoying intermittent noise from underneath. I wondered if anyone else has had the same problem, and if so did they ever find out what it was???

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th December, 2003

10th Dec 2003, 11:29

I believe the intermittent noise from underneath is the mountings on the Anti-Roll Bar. Mine makes a similar noise and I have heard that other owners suffer from the same thing.

Hope this helps?

James.

12th Dec 2003, 23:32

I have the HDi 90 model (6 months old) and find the engine very lumpy at around 1000 - 1200 revs. I took it back to the dealership I purchased it from and they checked it over, the comment was "no faults found" but the service manager did then say it is a known fault on this model, producing a typed piece of paper to back up his statement. He also said Peugeot are aware of the problem, but have not found a cure for it yet and if the problem persists bring it back in six months! Has anybody else suffered this?

2003 Peugeot 307 1.6 petrol from France

Summary:

A nice concept ruined by poor execution

Faults:

Though the car was very new, it suffered from noisy and clunky engine or transmission mounts, squeaky brakes, terrible radio distortion and occasional hiccoughs of the central locking system.

General Comments:

I had this car for a month as a rental, and drove it on many types of roads.

For good points, it has a fair amount of passenger space given the exterior dimensions. The seats are fairly comfortable on long trips (but lack sufficient side bolster support). Most controls are fairly intuitive. The front cabin provides many options for storing stuff.

As far as roadgoing, it has good handling balance in curvy situations (though a good sized bump can unsettle the rear end which lacks independent suspension). It has a nice set of standard features such as a trip computer for gas mileage and distance to empty, exterior temperature etc., and a few sweet touches such as a door lock remote that rolls up the windows. The radio controls on their own stalk take some getting used to, but work well.

As for the bad... The radio sound is pathetic and distorts even the slightest bass. The controls for the dash light dimmer require needless aggravation. The engine is noisy, though smooth enough. It lacks power. The shifter is rubbery and resists rapid gearchanges. Over 150 kph the car looses composure and wants to drift all over the road. The suspension allows too much road and bump noise to permeate the car. The turn signal canceling device is overactive requiring multiple engagement of ones turn signal in certain situations. The fan is very loud at higher flow settings. And as some people have mentioned the anti-glare coating (or something) on the information center readout prevents legibility with polarized driving glasses. The locks sometimes automatically unlocked themselves while we were away from the car!

Overall, the car is not a bad concept and looks nice. But I would never buy one for myself until the noisy suspension, floaty high speed behavior and loose transmission engine mount issues are addressed. I would also opt for a quieter, smoother and more capable engine.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 4th November, 2003