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Although a few eyebrows were initially raised when the Peugeot 307 was introduced, it hasn't taken the British public long to get with the program. It may not boast the driver appeal of its forebear, the 306, but the Peugeot 307 range is a hugely improved all-round product. As a used proposition it takes some beating. Why opt for yester-tech when a nearly-new 307 is still so hard to better?
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What you get
The sleek lines of the 307 disguise the fact that it's the tallest car in the sector. Only the slightly awkward rear view betrays the Peugeot's loftiness, and this helps contribute to making the 307 one of the biggest cars in its class, specifically in terms of head and legroom. Another side effect of the high roof and cab forward design is the biggest windscreen of any family hatchback. It's a serious piece of glazing, a flush pane that soars higher than expected, giving the interior an airy feel.
Peugeot have paid great attention to the way that cars are typically used. Step from a 307 into a ten year-old car and apart from the claustrophobic feel, the first thing you'll notice is that there's nowhere to put your take away, nowhere to store an atlas, not enough space in the glove compartment, nowhere to store anything out of sight of prying eyes and nowhere you could conceivably place a bottle. The 307 addresses all of these problems, ingeniously offering enough room in the cavernous front door bins to carry a 1.5-litre bottle and building in lessons learnt from years of MPV production such as sliding underseat storage trays. It even features an air-conditioned glove box to prevent your chocolate bars from becoming astronaut food and cargo nets in the hatch to stop luggage from looking like it's been on a spin cycle after spirited driving.
Trim levels run from Style through Rapier, LX, GLX and warm hatch XSi, and a choice of seven interiors and five 'ambiences' together provide some 79 combinations of interior finish including colour coordinated dashboards. Multiply that by 14 exterior paint colours, five trim levels and six engines and the chances of finding two identical 307s becomes tiny. Henry Ford must be turning in his grave. Staving off any thoughts of your own mortality, the 307 is one of the first cars in its class to feature six airbags as standard. In addition to the familiar twin front and side bags, curtain airbags protect both front and rear passengers from flying glass and side impact in the event of an accident. Active head restraints, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, automatic hazard light deployment under heavy braking and fuel supply cut-offs combine to make the 307 an impressively safe environment for the family.
Other thoughtful applications include a boot which automatically locks when you pull away, protecting the contents from opportunistic thieves while stopped in traffic, and door linings that are fitted with reinforced cowlings that shield the lock elements. For those that want additional versatility, there's a choice either of an estate variant in either standard or 'SW'-badged mini-MPV guises. Go for the SW and you'll have the potential for carrying seven passengers.
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What to look for
No significant faults have yet to be reported but a few niggling problems were experienced on early cars. These included rather uneven body panel alignment, interior carpeting that easily comes unstuck and electrics which have been known to briefly die before spontaneously resurrecting themselves. It must be stressed that these issues afflicted only the very first batch of cars and Peugeot is confident that these teething troubles were soon ironed out. Otherwise the 307 should be an extremely safe bet.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 2002 307 XSi) Consumables for the 307 are reasonably priced. An air filter is around £10 with an oil filter retailing at approximately £15. Spark plugs are £9 each with a timing belt weighing in at the £30 mark.
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On the road
A range of six engines offer something for most tastes, with only a fire-breathing GTi version noticeable by its absence. Practical five-door and achingly pretty three-door variants are available, initially with a choice of four engines. A 75bhp 1.4-litre petrol unit kicks off the range, followed by a 110bhp 1.6 and a 138bhp 2.0-litre flagship. Diesel devotees are dealt a 2.0-litre HDi turbo diesel variant familiar to Peugeot 306 drivers the world over. Genuine innovation hit these shores slightly later in the form of a 70bhp 1.4 and 110bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel engines. Performance is par for the course, with the 90bhp 2.0-litre HDi diesel hitting sixty in 12.8 seconds and the hottest 2.0-litre XSi managing the sprint in 9.2 seconds. Average fuel consumption figures are 54.3 and 35.8mpg respectively. The 307 feels refined and supple on the road, but never shows the sort of manic side the 306 possesses. The ride is comfortable with body roll well suppressed although the potential for greatness can be felt in the chassis.
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Overall
Apart from a slight nagging doubt that it could let its hair down a little, the Peugeot 307 barely puts a foot wrong. As a used buy it's pretty safe although some may be swayed by sportier rivals. A sound used proposition.
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