Used Peugeot 5008 MPV 2009 - 2016 review

Think of a large seven-seat people carrier built in France and chances are it might not be the Peugeot 5008 which springs to mind. Nevertheless, is a very agreeable alternative option; indeed, in 2010 it was named MPV of the Year in the annual What Car? Awards.

Useful touches include three full-size individual seats in the second row, allowing you to carry three child seats at the same time. They also feature bases that flip up in the style of a cinema seat, which in turn means they can be slid out of the way to give great access to the third row.

Another advantage of having the second-row seats on runners is that it allows legroom to be shared between all three rows, so while it’s still a squeeze to get adults in the rearmost two seats, it’s not impossible.

As with most seven-seat people carriers, boot spaces ranges from meagre when all of the seats are in use (you’ll squeeze in a couple of shopping bags at most) to massive when the rear row or rows are folded away. While ultimately a Volkswagen Sharan, Seat Alhambra or a Ford Galaxy offers more space, the Peugeot 5008 isn’t far behind.

It’s also much more satisfying to drive than any other seven seat people carrier this side of a Ford S-Max, resisting body roll in corners, gripping well and offering surprisingly accurate steering. The payoff is a firm suspension setup that makes the 5008 notably less comfortable than the pillowy soft Citroen Grand C4 Picasso. It’s also a shame the dashboard is a mess of buttons, some of which (those for the the stereo being a prime example) are difficult to reach. The sat-nav system on top-spec models is also poor.

At launch the engine range consisted of a 1.6-litre petrol with either 118bhp or 154bhp, or diesels of 1.6 and 2.0 litres with 115, 150 or 163bhp. If you want an automatic gearbox it’s worth noting the conventional system on the 2.0-litre engine is much smoother than the jerky EGS robotised manual on the 1.6.

Later in the 5008’s life the two 1.6 petrol engines were replaced with a single 1.2-litre turbocharged unit with 128bhp.

You could spend as little as £2500 on a Peugeot 5008, but we wouldn’t recommend it because for that money you’ll be looking at a car with more than 150,000 miles on the clock. Only when you double that budget does the 5008 market begin to look interesting, with £5000 buying you a 1.6-litre petrol or diesel with fewer than 100,000 miles under its belt. Post-2014 facelift cars start from a little over £8000, while approved used examples with a Peugeot warranty start from £10,000.

Diesels 5008s outnumber petrols on the used market by about 30 to one, but only command a small premium, and all models cost a little more than the equivalent Citroen Grand C4 Picasso.

The officially quoted fuel consumption of the 5008 is fairly typical for a people carrier of its size, as is the way real world economy falls short of the official figures. Opt for a petrol model and despite the car getting up to 64mpg in EU economy tests, the reality is you’ll struggle to exceed 35mpg.

It’s no surprise the diesels are more economical, the star performer being the 2.0 BlueHDI with its 70mpg test performance. In reality all manual 5008 diesels will deliver in the region of 50mpg if driven carefully, while autos record between 40-48mpg.

If the official consumption figures can be misleading, they do have a direct impact on running costs in terms of how much tax you’ll pay. The 2.0 BlueHDI diesel, for example, costs just £20 per year to tax, while the basic Access spec 1.6 HDI is £30 per year. Move any further up the range, however, and you’ll be paying £110 a year or more, while the most powerful petrol 5008s will push that figure up to £230 per year.

Servicing shouldn’t be too pricey, because Peugeot offers fixed price deals that help to keep costs down. If you opt for a petrol or 2.0-litre diesel model the service intervals are set at 20,000 miles. However, for all 5008s we’d advise that a service is carried out annually or every 12,500 miles, whatever comes first.

If you want a petrol Peugeot 5008, the chances are you’ll be opting for the turbocharged 1.6-litre THP, which offers the best compromise of performance and cost. However, most will go for the diesel, and of those it’s the smoother 1.6-litre engine we’d recommend, albeit only with a manual gearbox.

Trim ranges from Active through Sport and Exclusive on early cars, while from the 2014 facelift the entry level model was lost, leaving just Active (which now came with front and rear parking sensors) and Allure spec.

All 5008s came with seven seats and air-conditioning, while moving up the range added extras such as larger alloy wheels, front fog lights, cruise control and different trim. Top spec versions had luxuries such as a panoramic glass roof, head up display, climate control and a rather lacklustre satnav system.

Our favourite Peugeot 5008: 1.6 HDI Active

It’s difficult to ignore that a Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is cheaper than the 5008 and offers an equally clever seating arrangement and a more comfortable ride, albeit at the expense of outright space.

For even more space and a composed drive we’d recommend looking at a used Seat Alhambra, although you’ll need to increase your budget slightly in order to do so.

Or if a sporty driving experience is top of your agenda don’t forget about the Ford S-Max, which is in plentiful supply and handles more like a saloon car than the tall MPV that it is.

Find a used Peugeot 5008 in the What Car? Classifieds here

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