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Just test driven the Peugeot 3008 diesel hybrid - It's impressive!

Discussion in 'Other Cars' started by GrumpyCabbie, Jan 26, 2012.

  1. Bodgerx

    Bodgerx Junior Member

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    Let us know how you get on with fuel eco. Are you in the UK?
     
  2. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    No, he's from Luxembourg where I believe, diesel is much cheaper than petrol.

    I must say he'd right about the interior. It is a vast improvement on Peugeots of old and significantly better than the Prius hard plastic.

    Keep us informed how you get on with your 3008 hybrid though. It will be great to hear real life experiences of this rare vehicle. Also, (and I'm being cheeky here) could you post some pictures too?
     
  3. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Sweet! Keep us updated Krouebi!
     
  4. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Tideland, do you not get Peugeot over in Canada? I'd have thought with the Quebec connection you'd have the French manufacturers offering their vehicles to you. The 3008 hybrid is a nice motor and at the beginning of March the RHD Renault Fluence ZE (electric) is released here. I'm sure the Fluence electric (lhd) would be a hot seller over in Canada too, esp as the price is very very competitive.

    Got my name down for an early test drive when they arrive. Have already driven the LHD version but it's not quite so easy driving on the left in a LHD car AND concentrate on how well the car drives.
     
  5. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Nope. Rien. Although there are some French cars off the coast of Newfoundland (what is that island called? St. Pierre & Miquelon? France owns that island I believe.)
     
  6. Dolce_Vita

    Dolce_Vita Member

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    How is the automated manual in the 3008 Hybrid4? An automated manual is an interesting choice for a hybrid... is it very jerky and slow to shift?
     
  7. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    It's pleasantly surprising. I've previously driven a Peugeot with one of these automated manuals and it was dreadful; too slow, lurched too much and if you floored it - well you'd know about it when it goes from 1st to 2nd at high revs.

    But they seem to have tweaked the version on the Hybrid4. It was very smooth (not like the Prius but like a normal automatic), though it lurched a little when I floored it at 50. It was quick to change but doesn't lurch like the earlier version. Apparantly they've updated the system from old and also the electric motors having instant torque, help keep it running smooth somehow.

    I think the economy advantages of the system outweigh the slight lurching at high rev gear changing. If you drive it like a normal car then it'll be absolutely fine. Drive it like a rally driver and it won't be fun. It is a significantly cheaper system to install than a traditional automatic though.

    If you get the chance to test drive one of these when they arrive in Oz, do it. It's actually a really nice car and nothing like the 30 year old outdated stereotypical Peugeot our American friends remember.

    It has all the gizmos of a Prius in a larger, more European feeling vehicle. For a family it's a much nicer choice than the Prius, though not sure how it will compare with the forthcoming Prius+. Guess it depends on pricing?
     
  8. telmo744

    telmo744 HSD fanatic

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    Just read a review which finds it jerky and slow...
     
  9. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    One way to find out - give it a test drive.

    As I said before, previous versions of this technology are dreadful BUT they appear to have corrected and improved it for the hybrid4.
     
  10. telmo744

    telmo744 HSD fanatic

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    And compared to a BMW X1 2.0d S drive, wins marginally in fuel consumption...6.2l/100 for the BMW and 6.1l/100 for the 3008HYbrid4... (MPG UK45.5 and 46.2) or (MPG US 37.9 and 38.5)...
     
  11. krouebi

    krouebi 2012 Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4

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    Hi there,

    Back in 2006, at a moment when our rather infaithful Mercedes ML320CDI was agin in the "clinic", we had an E220CDI as a replacement - for a couple of months .

    During that period, the Citroën C4 Picasso was launched, and we took a test drive with a vehicle equipped with the same kind of transmission. In "ordinary" driving conditions, it did not like to be rushed - as the Mercedes. This, however, was 6 years back.

    The same transmission in the 3008 HY4 is quite different - much, much smoother, as long as you don't drive it "pedal to the metal". People who buy a 3008 for that purpose are wrong off from the start - regardless of version. It's just not that kind of vehicle.
     
  12. PriQ

    PriQ CT+iQ

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    Then again, if you bought a Picasso back then, it would have been because you wanted the most beautiful MPV in its class ;-)
    [​IMG]
     
  13. krouebi

    krouebi 2012 Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4

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    Hi there,

    On March 28 I took over my almost-new (2.032 kms) Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 Limited Edition. The delivery experience was positive, as the italo-congolese lady charged with this was not only quite attractive, but also knew her product very well.

    The first impression at the wheel was fine, although of course it's quite a different beast from the Prius. From the driver's seat you'd have a hard time telling you were not at the wheel of an Audi Q5 :rolleyes: - but the price tag is different.

    Before delivery (the first 2K have been run on the dealership's winter wheels) I had the OEM Michelin Primacy HP (strictly summer tires) replaced with all-season Goodyear Vector 4Seasons. This may cost some mileage and be slightly more noisy, but I want to be mobile wherever I am.

    The standard headlight lamps are 65W H9 halogens - deceiving on a 40K EUR vehicle. They were immediately replaced by a set of "compatible" Chinese-made Xenon units which are quite OK - no stray light, and you can see where you're going.

    Quality- and feature-wise this is a BIG step up from the Prius, especially in this (really) Limited Edition. The seats are nicely upholstered and supportive, the driver's side is electrically adjustable, the passenger side manually, including height.

    Turn the key = READY, and move off. Unlike the Prius, it will move off on E-power even with a cold engine, until more power is demanded, but even then it cuts the combustion engine much more often from cold than a Prius. This is nice, especially as after all it's a Diesel (although it's not too loud).

    Interior room is as in the Prius, but different, as you sit more upright. Luggage space is a bit down, especially if you take in all the "secret" underfloor compartments the Prius can offer - but still quite sufficient and very regularly shaped.

    The driving experience is quite different from a HSD vehicle, especially on hills and at higher speeds. The Diesel engine is quite torquey, so even mountain passes tackled with the cruise control engaged at 100 to 120 kph are done in 6th - meaning that the engine turns at respectively 1,956 and 2,348 RPM. Quite a different world from the Prius where the engine will spin at twice the RPM in the same conditions.

    The navigation system is fine, with a power foldaway high-resolution screen on top of the dashboard where you can see it, and fine possibilities for "tailoring" the system to your personal needs. The sound system is good, but not overwhelming, if you're a fan of BOOM-BOOM-BOOM. I'm not :). And you're not bound to run out of music: It has a USB port, 10 GB HDD, a SD slot, and a MP3-capable DVD player. I have not tried if the USB port will also support an external HDD, but already with conventional media you have 82.5 GB total capacity which should last for a while :rockon:.

    Driving the beast is nice. It's quiet, you have an absolutely panoramic view (all around and thanks to the panoramic glass roof also up) - and if needed, the 200 combined HP seem all to be there :eek: :mod: . The HUD is easier to read than the one in the European Prius, and the combined effect of the nav screen folding flat, the HUD display disappearing into the dash, the automatic parking brake kicking in and finally the outside mirrors folding flush with the vehicle when you shut down and lock the car is not bad at all.

    The speedo reading is fine for a European vehicle: Subtract 5 KPH from the indicated speed, and you're dead on the speed indicated by a GPS speedo. And the cruise control works perfectly, adjustable in 1 KPH and 5 KPH steps.

    Coming from a 3rd Gen Prius with LRR tires, the "E-braking" effect of the Peugeot surprises you at first, but you very quickly get accustomed to it - in fact it's probably also more readily accepted by other motorists than the endless coasting the Prius is capable of.

    In the two weeks I've had it it's been twice across the Alps to Italy - and as I did another round trip on the same route with the Prius just a week before, I can come up with a non-scientific (but quite true) comparison. For this kind of driving (at up to 130 KPH) the Peugeot comes out a clear winner in driving impression and driver fatigue. It does lose on consumption, of course - but not by nearly as much as you would be thinking. On the two southbound trips, the Prius had a fuel consumption of 5.47 l/100 kms and the Peugeot used 5.79 l/100 - but due to the cheaper Diesel fuel, the trip actually cost slightly less with the Peugeot. Northbound the difference was much more marked, with the Prius using 5.52 l/100 kms and the Peugeot going through no less than 6.7 l/100 kms - but the weather conditions were a lot worse when driving the Peugeot back with heavy rain and wind most of the way - and I was pushing it a little bit :eek:.

    I'm very satisfied with my "experimental" purchase so far, and note with satisfaction that the gearbox seems to be adapting to my driving style.
     
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  14. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Thanks for the review. The comparison to an Audi is quite justified - they've copied a lot of the switchgear, or it seems so to an uneducated eye (mine :) ).

    I liked the Peugeot Hybrid when I drove it. You get SO much more car than the Prius for only a few thousand more - it's much more solid in many ways.

    It'd be nice to see a couple photos if you have them? Front, side, rear and interior and maybe the engine bay to show how it compares.
     
  15. telmo744

    telmo744 HSD fanatic

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  16. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    That's not good at all is it, even on a car that size.

    I wonder if it will improve in the summer months?
     
  17. krouebi

    krouebi 2012 Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4

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    well, this one is me. And while it's not exhilarant, I'm not too shocked - and I see my avg is quite a lot better than the other two.

    Like with our previous HSD hybrids I drive normally - I don't exceed the speed limits, but I don't slouch along the motorway behind the trucks, either.
     
  18. GasperG

    GasperG Senior Member

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    Then the question is - what was your MPG with Prius, considering your normal driving?

    P3008 Hybrid4 is rated in EU test cycle 3,8 l/100 km
    Prius is rated 3,9 l/100 km
     
  19. telmo744

    telmo744 HSD fanatic

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    Pleased to meet you!
    Congrats on your purchase, and thank you for your contribution. You might (not) be surprised, but this first diesel-hybrid is turning heads...so keep in touch... :clap2:
     
  20. ProximalSuns

    ProximalSuns Senior Member

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    35mpg vs. 28 mpg for Highlander, the current highest mileage hybrid AWD or 30 mpg for Subaru, current highest mileage non-hybrid AWD.

    It's 18" longer than a Prius. A Prius size version should get to the magic 40 mpg for AWD.

    Puegot, Volvo, Toyota gives you an idea of how sadly far behind US auto manufacturers are in technology and design.