Peugeot 5008January 2010
Recommended.
Peugeot's new 5008 doesn't quite lead the MPV class, but it's a serious contender.
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Fifth Gear Peugeot 5008 review
WE LIKE
1. Looks2. Handling
3. Practicality
WE DON'T LIKE
1. Head-up display2. Sat-nav
3. Stubborn traction control
This is the Peugeot 5008, the new compact MPV which has just gone on sale in the UK.
The 5008 is an important car for Peugeot, not least because it's part of a model offensive that the manufacturer hopes will build on the success of the 3008 and attract new customers to the brand.
Peugeot has finally ditched the shark mouth grille they've persisted with for the past decade and replaced it with a cleaner, arguably more conventional nose. It's a definite improvement and neat touches on the flanks give the car a purposeful look. It might not have quite the stand out looks that would have made it a head turner, but it's a decent looking MPV.
The car shares its platform with PSA stablemate, the Citroen C4 Picasso (which is itself descended from the 308), but unlike that car, Peugeot has decided not to offer its MPV with a choice of seating configurations - the 5008 comes as a three-row, 7-seater only.
All 5008's include air-con, an electric handbrake and ESP stability control and top of the range models feature cruise control, dual-zone climate control, a head-up display, panoramic glass roof, Bluetooth connectivity and rear parking sensors.
There are five engines to choose from. Both petrol engines are 1.6-litre, but produce either 120bhp or 156bhp depending on which version you pick. The familiar 110bhp 1.6-litre HDI is the base turbo diesel or there is a choice of 150 or 163bhp outputs from the larger 2.0-litre HDI engine.
The manufacturer's primary focus is on increasing driver appeal in its new cars.
Well, that's easier said than done. The MPV class is a particularly tough nut to crack anyway, and Peugeot claims to have threaded the trickiest needle of all - engineering driver enjoyment into dedicated 7-seat family transport.
It's a pity then that the first thing you notice out on the road is what the 5008 has lost rather than what it might have gained. The big Peugeot's ride has clearly sacrificed some of the Grand Picasso's cushioned pliancy, and though never uncomfortable, undulations the Citroen would have effortlessly smoothed are only adequately dulled by the 5008.
Fortunately for Peugeot, and partly as a result of the firmer setup, the car does prove more proficient in the bends. With a surprisingly keen turn in and plenty of grip, the 5008 corners well for a car of its size. The light steering may lack the detailed feedback of the Ford S-Max's, but its entertaining elasticity makes brisk progress a real possibility.
While the 5008 might not be nimble enough to be labelled agile, Peugeot still deserves credit for concealing some of the car's bulk behind effective body control and excellent rigidity. Refinement is generally good too, even if the presence of road noise at speed means it falls short of class leading.
Predictably, the turbodiesels suit the 5008 better than the petrol engines. The 110bhp 1.6-litre HDI is the pick of the bunch, primarily because it's noticeably lighter and more refined than the 2.0-litre equivalents. It should also return better fuel efficiency. Peugeot quotes 53mpg, but somewhere closer the 45mpg would be more realistic.
Inside, Peugeot has given the 5008 the raised driving position it believes is currently essential to buyers. It's hard to avoid the sensation that you're sitting on top of the car rather than in it, but the raised centre console does at least make you feel snug. The head up display is a redundant gimmick, and best avoided.
The dash though is reasonably good looking, even if it does make excessive use of shiny plastics in places. Fit and finish are both good, but that impression does fade the further you get from the steering wheel - the fold-out plastic trim which covers the stowed rear seats for example seems particularly cheap and flimsy.
This is a shame because the two rows of innovative rear seats are very good. All can be moved and lowered individually to reveal (lots) more space, and the legroom only gets reduced for the final two. Access to the third row is made easier by making the seats in front collapsible.
Overall, the Peugeot should consider the 5008 a success. As compact MPVs go, the car is practical, spacious, good-looking and pretty good value. The manufacturer has also gone some way to delivering on its new brand promise; the 5008 is certainly a healthy step towards greater driver involvement.
That compromises have been made to achieve this should come as no real surprise to anyone, and while the car might fall a little short of the qualities that would have made it class-leading, it is comfortably good enough as a package to be considered a serious option in one of the toughest segments.
Fifth Gear overall car ratings
STYLING
Peugeot's new design language has arrived. Along with the 3008, the 5008 is a sign of things to come, and the news is generally good. The MPV's nose is far more elegant than it might've been had it come off the production line five years ago and the car's size is well concealed by clean, angular lines.
HANDLING
The ethos behind Peugeot's current product offensive is greater driver enjoyment so it's no coincidence that the 5008 handles reasonably well. There's a decent amount of grip and little understeer, but don't try turning the traction control off because you can't. The steering is direct enough to instil confidence, just don't expect S-Max levels of involvement.
COMFORT
The 5008's respectable handling comes at price. The firm suspension means the car doesn't ride quite as well as the Citroen C4 Grand Picasso with which it shares its underpinnings. The cabin is reasonably comfortable though, and the rear seats can be moved forward and back for extra legroom.
QUALITY & RELIABILITY
Peugeot insists it has raised its game in the quality stakes, but the 5008 doesn't completely bear this out. The dash and raised centre console are fine, but further back in the cabin the car becomes markedly more utilitarian. As such, the Sport trim seems to suit the 5008 better than the conspicuously flashy Exclusive.
PERFORMANCE
The 156bhp THP 1.6-litre petrol engine is the quickest version of the 5008 (0-60mph in 9.7sec) but its extra performance doesn't translate into desirability. Peugeot's diesel engines are a better bet. The 2.0-litre HDi delivers 251lb ft of torque in noisy fashion, but does make for effortless progress; the 1.6-litre HDi has been around forever in one form or another, but is hard to fault.
ROOMINESS
As you might expect from a seven-seater, the 5008 delivers a spacious cabin more than up to the job of swallowing a large family. Utilising the third row of seats will inevitably shrink the boot, but stow them away and there's plenty of room to play with. Lowering all the seats reveals a van-like load space.
STEREO / SAT NAV
Peugeot's poorly designed sat-nav is an option even on the top-of-the-range Exclusive trim. The stereo is adequate, but for a bit more cash Peugeot will install two 7-inch video screens in the front head restraints that can be connected to a games console or DVD player.
RUNNING COSTS
Peugeot claims the 1.6-litre HDI engine will return 53mpg, but somewhere closer to 45mpg would be more realistic in the real world. Peugeot quotes an optimistic 38mpg for the smaller 120bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine.
VALUE FOR MONEY
The entry-level Peugeot 5008 is cheaper than than the C4 Grand Picasso and the Ford S-Max, but things largely equal out further up the range. The mid-level Sport trim should be the big seller and its equipment levels aren't bad, but we'd still tick the glass roof and rear vision pack option boxes.
ENVIRONMENT
The 5008 is admittedly a little smaller than most full-size MPVs, but the best-in-class CO2 figures are neverthless excellent. Fully loaded, it is emitting 20 g/km per passenger and you can't do much better than that.
This review has been tagged with: Peugeot | Peugeot 5008
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User reviews (6)
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pim12 June 2010
I recently drove several 100s of autobahn miles in the 2.0 diesel versions of both the s-max and the 5008 as rentals, and despite the rather LOUD diesel in the peugeot, stupid reflections of the dashboard in the window (did noone at peugeot notice during the design phase?) and its crappy audio system, the ride in the peugeot was an order of magnitude better. The stiff seats in the s-max, its susceptibility to side winds, its disappointing handling, and lack of power made it a bit frustrating ride. The peugeot engine was a surprise, always happy to accellerate, up to top speed, uphill, sixth gear, didn't seem to matter... the ride was not soft, but actually stable. And the front seats are heavenly comfortable. (Back seats not so much...) If it weren't for the noisy diesel and the dashboard reflections (and bad readability on a sunny day), this'd be the most excellent long distance car in its class.
Report as inappropriatealexbrown1017 June 2010
I own since March a 5008, same observations as pim above, plus: * when the ventilation is on manual and you have let's say 17 degC outside and you want to cool down the temperature inside (in a sunny day) the airflow will always be warm even if you manually decrease the temperature level to the minimum. The only way to cool down the interior is to drive with open windows or to use the AC (or switch to auto when again AC starts) hence an unnecessary use of the AC... * after the first 2000 km the steering wheel started to vibrate when breaking from 120 km/h * the navigation system tells you to turn much too late and lacks the save current position feature * the engine (HDI, 1.6 l, 110HP) is great, very flexible and amazingly powerful * sometimes the computer freezes on zero on the instant fuel consumption feature, but after the car comes to a halt, it gets back to normal * very stable on high speeds (in curves) * good value for the money
Report as inappropriateAnonymous03 August 2010
It's not exactly beautyfull practical, but not as much as the s-max. Lacs quality.
Report as inappropriateAdrien08 August 2010
@alexbrown Any car will vibrate on braking if you warp your brake discs. This usually happens due to thermal shock. E.g. getting them wet when they are very hot. For this reason, you should never squirt cold water into the wheels, or go through a car-wash when you've been doing some heavy braking - even deep puddles should be avoided. Maybe should get the discs checked, since it reduces your braking efficiency, and increases braking distances, which has safety implications
Report as inappropriateWehid20 December 2010
This car is average but the service from Peugeot is so poor that I will never get a Peugeot again. I got the 1.6 HDI EGC. The engine has good pull and is offering about 38MPG combined and about 30MPG local. Gear transmission change in the auto is awful, you can literally feel each gear change as you clear the blood from your nose which has bounced off the steering wheel with every gear change. Additional extras?? None you do not even get Bluetooth connectivity. The service from Peugeot has been poor for most parts. Sales filled paperwork incorrectly, credit department processed paperwork incorrectly and then did not want to know and logistics delivered the vehicle a month late. If you want to deal with a company that barely meets expectations don't deal with Peugeot as for me they have not even done that. I have complained to multiple department been promised calls and get absolutely nothing. If I had to make the decision again I would have paid more and worse case I would have even turned to Ford as these guys were useless.
Report as inappropriatePaul06 January 2011
On the whole not very happy with the car or the service from the Dealer garage. I have an intermitted problem with the parking sensors going off in the wet (even when I am just driving along) - this is still an outstanding issue. I have had to have a new 'head' unit for the radio as some of the features were not working. I have had a warning light on the dash saying that the parking brake had a fault (can't remember the exact message) but the garage said no fault. The automatic headlight adjustment (vision pack was purchased) broke so has had to be replaced as well. The bluetooth software inbuilt to the car would not/could not cope with my basic works Nokia 2323 phone. When I asked the garage if there was an update to the firmware - they suggested i change my phone (Phone kept hanging after disconnect a call). I have had to go back to my old Nokia 6300 in order to use bluetooth without issues. The car has been back to the garage more than I care to count over the last 4 months and I have only done 5K miles. That said - since I have involved the Dealer Principal the service has started to improve.
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