The Peugeot 308 GTI: A Hot Hatch with a Lot to Offer

When it comes to hot hatches, few manufacturers have as much history and expertise as Renault-Peugeot. The 308 GTI is one of their most recent offerings, and it's clear that they've been paying close attention to the competition. With its 1.6-liter turbocharged engine producing 272 horsepower and 330 Newton meters, this little car packs a punch.

One of the first things you notice about the 308 GTI is the engine. While it may be smaller than some of its competitors, it's actually quite strong when it comes to performance. However, there is one notable drawback: more turbo lag than most hot hatches. This can make it feel slightly unrefined at first, but once you get past that initial hesitation, the car really begins to shine. It's also worth noting that the 308 GTI is a very light car, which makes it incredibly agile and responsive.

Another thing that sets the 308 GTI apart from its competitors is its driving position. The steering wheel is small, the doors are positioned above it, and the rev counter actually displays RPMs in reverse. It's an unusual setup, to say the least, but one that pays off when you're driving aggressively or on a twisty road.

When it comes to low-speed comfort, the 308 GTI is generally pretty good. The car can handle bumps and potholes with ease, making it a great choice for everyday driving. However, once you start driving more quickly or on rougher roads, things can get a bit uncomfortable. The car seems to lose its footing and starts shaking and shimmying, like it's struggling to stay in control.

In the world of hot hatches, there are few cars that deal with this issue as well as the 308 GTI does. It's clear that Renault-Peugeot has put a lot of thought into how their car handles on different road surfaces, and they've made some real improvements over previous models.

Of course, not every car is for everyone. Some will prefer the handling of the i30 Performance, with its 2-liter turbocharged engine producing 275 horsepower and 378 Newton meters. This car may be a bit more expensive than the 308 GTI, but it's also a great option if you're looking for a high-end hot hatch experience.

The i30 Performance is definitely one of the better hot hatches on the market right now. It's a track-ready beast that can handle even the most demanding roads with ease. However, it may not be as much fun to drive every day as some other cars on this list.

In fact, many people will argue that there's no car quite like the Honda Civic Type-R when it comes to handling and performance. With its 2.0-liter turbocharged engine producing 306 horsepower and 420 Newton meters, this car is a real track monster. However, beneath its tough exterior lies a surprisingly comfortable and practical interior.

The Civic Type-R may not be as flashy or attention-grabbing as some other hot hatches on the market, but it's a genuine all-rounder that can handle anything you throw at it. It's also incredibly fun to drive, making it one of our top picks for any serious car enthusiast.

So, what's our final verdict? While the Peugeot 308 GTI is definitely a great car in its own right, it's not quite as good as some of its competitors when it comes to handling and performance. However, it does have some unique strengths that set it apart from the rest, including its noise level (or lack thereof). With its high-end price tag and limited availability, we can't recommend it for everyone.

Overall, our top picks are the Honda Civic Type-R and the i30 Performance. Both cars offer an unbeatable combination of handling, performance, and practicality that makes them a must-have for any serious car enthusiast. While they may not be as flashy or attention-grabbing as some other hot hatches on the market, they're genuinely great cars that will leave you grinning from ear to ear.

Other notable mentions include the Renault Sport Clio and the Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo. Both of these cars offer a unique blend of handling and practicality that makes them a great choice for those who want a hot hatch without all the bells and whistles.

In conclusion, if you're in the market for a new car, we've got some fantastic options to consider. Whether you're looking for a track-ready monster or a comfortable family car, there's something on this list for everyone.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI'm in the new Renault Sport me again next to me is to say it Leon Cupra or next to that is a Honda Civic type-r next to that is a Peugeot 308 GTI and next to that is a high-end III 30 n performance now we're gonna have a drag race but before we do make sure you subscribe to this channel and hit the bell icon to turn your notifications on so you're alerted when we make a new upload also why not follow me on instagram at matt watson cars all these cars are manual they're all front-wheel drive now we have a little bit of a problem with one of our drivers he was off sick today but I managed to find a 15 year old boy who's doing a bit of work experience here at the airfield and he's just offered to drive the Peugeot so hopefully he'll be alright let's find out let's start by me oh yes but neither Civic type-r is coming possible so fast under Cupra wind up boy so yen no no so then what exactly happened well the Civic was ahead for most of the race but was being caught by the lay on all the time they both cross the line in 14 seconds dead but the Civic was ahead by a whisker next was the i30 n at 14 point 7 seconds which managed to beat the Renault which had the best start but crossed the line in fourteen point nine seconds last was the Peugeot in fifteen point four seconds now before you blame its young driver you should know that Louis Foster is actually a racing driver car wire sponsors him in junior Ginetta where his third overall in the championship really the issue is a 308 engine just tends to bog off the line just like the 208 GTI his engine did when we drag race that but put the per shuddhi better in the next challenge now we can have a rolling race in third gear from 50 miles an hour maybe want to get level and I'll call them in okay guys here we go three two one go Oh pickups all right no let's say is blow me away so blast up purrs doing really well now it's between the hey yarn in the Civic though I didn't lay on just husband this is last I'm calling this in the end it was the Leon which just mentioned knows ahead of the pack closely followed by the Civic with a 308 I 30 N and then the McGann trailing in that order but what will happen in the final challenge now we're gonna have a bright test from 70 miles an hour when we hit the white line we're gonna do a full emergency stop and we'll see which car stops in the shortest distance I reckon the Peugeot is going to do well because it's the lightest here we go well this is interesting because it's clearly between those three cars I'm going to judge it now so I reckon the Civic just won't buy about that much that high and I and the Persia pretty much neck and neck I'm quite impressed with the hind I actually because it's heavier by back 200 kilos than the Peugeot and it's just got simple brake calipers whereas everyone else has got SuperDuper performance brake calipers they're Brembo on the Renault on this hey're and on that Civic but the winner is in the braking test it is the Civic type-r overall then the silic Type R won two out of the three performance tests and on paper it's the winner - as it's 2 litre turbocharged engine has three engine 24 hour and 400 Newton meters still it's not cheap as this GT model cost from thirty three and a half thousand pounds the honda civic type-r has always been near or at the very top of the hot hatch segment and this is no exception it's a brilliant car now the old one was great on the track and this one is great on the track it's also good on the road and like the old car so yeah you can be flying down a back road and rather than jumping about all over the place it just hunkers down and remains composed and that front end the differential just hooks up and allows you to put the power down it's so so good and you need that diff because there's a lot of power of this engine is very very strong has a bit more lag than the one in the sand it's not quite as quick but it's still a mighty mighty engine the steering it's so sharp and precise in the feel it's perfect the gearbox it's perfect the brake feel that's perfect as well and then when you decide that you just want to go slowly you put the car into comfort mode and it is genuinely comfortable unlike the old Civic type-r in fact it's just like a normal Civic you can live with this car every day and then take it to the racetrack at the weekend I also love the interior with all this flamboyant read about the place the sport seats just hold you snuggly and the driving position itself is brilliant few things I'm not so keen on the infotainment system that's rubbish also the exterior design is a bit questionable then there's the hood you've got to hear the horn in fact tell you what why don't you go to our Instagram channel it's carlão cars because got a bespoke video there which actually shows the cars horn and some other behind-the-scenes footage so go there and check it out you can see what this cars horns like but yeah other than those things what a fabulous car in second place in the performance test was this layout Leon Cupra are a no wonder because it has some impressive stats it's 2 liter turbo engine has 310 horsepower and 380 Newton meters however it is a limited edition from costs 35,000 pounds the Stono feature of this land cooper heart is its engine because it's just oh mighty there's no turbo like you put your foot down and it just Paul and it's so strong now the rest of the car everything just works really well all the controls are nice the steering isn't the sharpest but it puts the co exactly where you want it to be and when you got the car in comfort mode it just soaks up bumps remarkably well for this kind of car really impressive however when you put it into Cupra mode it then sharpens everything up and it cuts down the body roll and this thing just grips and goes around corners so very well it's all just unflappable totally capable in that usual Volkswagen group way we're not usual Volkswagen group way it's also slightly lacking in fun and emotion it's a bit ironic because sands tagline is actually auto emotion but I'm not actually feeling that much and that's a thing you see if I'm going to put my license in jeopardy I want to be having big thrills while I'm doing it I'm just not getting enough from this car the near elispot McGann certainly has more visual emotion than the SayIt it's definitely the best looking car here it's powered by a 1.8 liter turbo engine with 280 horsepower and 390 Newton meters and it costs from 29,000 pounds for this cub version but if you click on the pop-out banner in the top right hand corner of the screen you can see the saving on this and any new car a car Wow so this car has a lot to live up to the old Ernest bot McGowen was a fine driver's car now I should point out that this particular model is the cup version so it's got the cup chassis so you've got a limited slip differential for better corner exiting traction in fact all the cars on this test have a limited slip differential and you need it also with the cup chassis you get lower stiffened suspension and yeah when you're just driving along normally you notice it because the ride is all very jiggly and you can feel your moobs wobbling about it's not great but the faster you go the better it gets it just seems to settle down when you're going quickly it's also got rear-wheel steering this car which is unique in this segment and it can feel a bit odd at first when you first turn the car into a corner cuz it just like starts to age in but then once it's in the corner just feels so stable and settled I do like it now I talk about what don't like so much so the engine it's just a bit so-so I mean you saw in the drag race didn't Erie it wasn't the fastest car then the gearbox so it's very short throw but it's so not cheap it's not great for fast changes biggest problem for me though is the steering so first of all the steering wheel is really fat and find it hard to hold it my ladies hands but the biggest issue with it is the fact you can't really feel where their front wheels are pointing or what they're doing really it's good job they've given you this little marker here on the steering wheel so you know where you're aiming the car it lacks a little bit of feel and fun that's Noom again I'm really surprised I'm a bit disappointed it's no more engaging than say it lay on really and I'm surprised I've said that because there's no way I've been saying that about the old renault sport me gun but is the other French car in the pack any better well the twenty nine thousand pound peugeot 308 GTI is the most little car here and it's got the smallest engine to their which 1.6 liter turbo still has 272 horsepower and 330 Newton meters as with Renault Peugeot has a long history of making some fantastic hot hatches so what's this 308 GTI like well it starts off at a slight disadvantage to the other cars first thing is the engine 1.6 liters well actually it's really strong in performance there is more turbo lag than in the other cars but once it's on song it's powerful and it's quite a light car as well so it feels dartie and agile the other thing that's a bit weird is the driving position so you have this small steering wheel and the doors above it and the rev counter actually revs backwards however one thing I can't complain about too much is the low-speed comfort so when you're just driving around normally it's not so bad it's all for a hot-hatch it deals with bumps ok then when you probably turn again you start to thrash it and you're going really quickly on a bumpy road it's all right up to a point and then it starts to get out of shape a bit it's like it can't control its body movements and it's shaking and shimmying down there ho and it's a bit like when you go skiing down a black run with too many moguls and you're going quicker than you should and you just on the edge of control you know that at some point you're gonna lose and end up tumbling down the piste and require air lifting off the mountain you could say hi and I has a mountain to climb to get a foothold in the hot hatch market good job the i30 and performance has the stats to compete it's 2 litre turbocharged petrol engine has 275 horsepower and 378 newton meters and offered the bargain price of 28,000 pounds although the car manufacturers have been making hot hatches for years but this is high-end ice first attempt and what a way to come late to the party it's a fantastic car I shouldn't be too surprised because the guy behind this used to work at BMWs M division and he knows how to make a car fun to drive and that's exactly what is done so you can set up all the cost parameters individually so you can have it exactly as you like it and I've got everything pretty much in sports mode apart from the suspension if you have the suspension in its firmus setting thing just bounces down the road like a golf ball however put in comfort mode and it's actually all rides comfortably enough for everyday use and when you go quicker unlike the Persia which gets out of shape this just seems to float a bit more it moves around beneath you but it's not a problem because it seems to be holding on to the road and in control and you really feel part of the car it's like it's pivoting around you that's what all the great hot hatches do all the controls as well have a nice feel to them the steering it's a bit dead at first when you start turning it but then when it's hooked up you can feel what the front wheels are doing the gearshift is lovely the brake pedals nice the engines okay but for what it lacks in performance compared to say the set lay on it more than makes up for in noise listen to this it just pops and bangs like a rally car I love it I love this car great job home die so then what's my final verdict well in fifth place is the project you know it's a good car but it's just outclassed by the other hot hatches in fourth place is the Renault so it's very very capable but it's just lacking a sort of fun factor which is odd now you could say the same about the third place car the say at LAN Cooper are but it's just got a broader breadth of abilities than the Renault and it's got the best engine here shame it's so expensive which brings me onto the second place car which is the high-end i30 you know this is great value for money and it's great fun to drive I love it but not as much as I love to drive this the first place car which goes to the Honda Civic type-r you know one hand it's a track weapon a precision instrument then you press a button and it's an easy to live with family car it is the best all-round front wheel drive hot hatch enjoy this video please like it comment on it and share it also click on our logo to subscribe to this channel and if you click on the bottom right hand corner you can actually watch more of our content meanwhile click over to the right to go to add deals page to see how much money you can save on a new car a car WowI'm in the new Renault Sport me again next to me is to say it Leon Cupra or next to that is a Honda Civic type-r next to that is a Peugeot 308 GTI and next to that is a high-end III 30 n performance now we're gonna have a drag race but before we do make sure you subscribe to this channel and hit the bell icon to turn your notifications on so you're alerted when we make a new upload also why not follow me on instagram at matt watson cars all these cars are manual they're all front-wheel drive now we have a little bit of a problem with one of our drivers he was off sick today but I managed to find a 15 year old boy who's doing a bit of work experience here at the airfield and he's just offered to drive the Peugeot so hopefully he'll be alright let's find out let's start by me oh yes but neither Civic type-r is coming possible so fast under Cupra wind up boy so yen no no so then what exactly happened well the Civic was ahead for most of the race but was being caught by the lay on all the time they both cross the line in 14 seconds dead but the Civic was ahead by a whisker next was the i30 n at 14 point 7 seconds which managed to beat the Renault which had the best start but crossed the line in fourteen point nine seconds last was the Peugeot in fifteen point four seconds now before you blame its young driver you should know that Louis Foster is actually a racing driver car wire sponsors him in junior Ginetta where his third overall in the championship really the issue is a 308 engine just tends to bog off the line just like the 208 GTI his engine did when we drag race that but put the per shuddhi better in the next challenge now we can have a rolling race in third gear from 50 miles an hour maybe want to get level and I'll call them in okay guys here we go three two one go Oh pickups all right no let's say is blow me away so blast up purrs doing really well now it's between the hey yarn in the Civic though I didn't lay on just husband this is last I'm calling this in the end it was the Leon which just mentioned knows ahead of the pack closely followed by the Civic with a 308 I 30 N and then the McGann trailing in that order but what will happen in the final challenge now we're gonna have a bright test from 70 miles an hour when we hit the white line we're gonna do a full emergency stop and we'll see which car stops in the shortest distance I reckon the Peugeot is going to do well because it's the lightest here we go well this is interesting because it's clearly between those three cars I'm going to judge it now so I reckon the Civic just won't buy about that much that high and I and the Persia pretty much neck and neck I'm quite impressed with the hind I actually because it's heavier by back 200 kilos than the Peugeot and it's just got simple brake calipers whereas everyone else has got SuperDuper performance brake calipers they're Brembo on the Renault on this hey're and on that Civic but the winner is in the braking test it is the Civic type-r overall then the silic Type R won two out of the three performance tests and on paper it's the winner - as it's 2 litre turbocharged engine has three engine 24 hour and 400 Newton meters still it's not cheap as this GT model cost from thirty three and a half thousand pounds the honda civic type-r has always been near or at the very top of the hot hatch segment and this is no exception it's a brilliant car now the old one was great on the track and this one is great on the track it's also good on the road and like the old car so yeah you can be flying down a back road and rather than jumping about all over the place it just hunkers down and remains composed and that front end the differential just hooks up and allows you to put the power down it's so so good and you need that diff because there's a lot of power of this engine is very very strong has a bit more lag than the one in the sand it's not quite as quick but it's still a mighty mighty engine the steering it's so sharp and precise in the feel it's perfect the gearbox it's perfect the brake feel that's perfect as well and then when you decide that you just want to go slowly you put the car into comfort mode and it is genuinely comfortable unlike the old Civic type-r in fact it's just like a normal Civic you can live with this car every day and then take it to the racetrack at the weekend I also love the interior with all this flamboyant read about the place the sport seats just hold you snuggly and the driving position itself is brilliant few things I'm not so keen on the infotainment system that's rubbish also the exterior design is a bit questionable then there's the hood you've got to hear the horn in fact tell you what why don't you go to our Instagram channel it's carlão cars because got a bespoke video there which actually shows the cars horn and some other behind-the-scenes footage so go there and check it out you can see what this cars horns like but yeah other than those things what a fabulous car in second place in the performance test was this layout Leon Cupra are a no wonder because it has some impressive stats it's 2 liter turbo engine has 310 horsepower and 380 Newton meters however it is a limited edition from costs 35,000 pounds the Stono feature of this land cooper heart is its engine because it's just oh mighty there's no turbo like you put your foot down and it just Paul and it's so strong now the rest of the car everything just works really well all the controls are nice the steering isn't the sharpest but it puts the co exactly where you want it to be and when you got the car in comfort mode it just soaks up bumps remarkably well for this kind of car really impressive however when you put it into Cupra mode it then sharpens everything up and it cuts down the body roll and this thing just grips and goes around corners so very well it's all just unflappable totally capable in that usual Volkswagen group way we're not usual Volkswagen group way it's also slightly lacking in fun and emotion it's a bit ironic because sands tagline is actually auto emotion but I'm not actually feeling that much and that's a thing you see if I'm going to put my license in jeopardy I want to be having big thrills while I'm doing it I'm just not getting enough from this car the near elispot McGann certainly has more visual emotion than the SayIt it's definitely the best looking car here it's powered by a 1.8 liter turbo engine with 280 horsepower and 390 Newton meters and it costs from 29,000 pounds for this cub version but if you click on the pop-out banner in the top right hand corner of the screen you can see the saving on this and any new car a car Wow so this car has a lot to live up to the old Ernest bot McGowen was a fine driver's car now I should point out that this particular model is the cup version so it's got the cup chassis so you've got a limited slip differential for better corner exiting traction in fact all the cars on this test have a limited slip differential and you need it also with the cup chassis you get lower stiffened suspension and yeah when you're just driving along normally you notice it because the ride is all very jiggly and you can feel your moobs wobbling about it's not great but the faster you go the better it gets it just seems to settle down when you're going quickly it's also got rear-wheel steering this car which is unique in this segment and it can feel a bit odd at first when you first turn the car into a corner cuz it just like starts to age in but then once it's in the corner just feels so stable and settled I do like it now I talk about what don't like so much so the engine it's just a bit so-so I mean you saw in the drag race didn't Erie it wasn't the fastest car then the gearbox so it's very short throw but it's so not cheap it's not great for fast changes biggest problem for me though is the steering so first of all the steering wheel is really fat and find it hard to hold it my ladies hands but the biggest issue with it is the fact you can't really feel where their front wheels are pointing or what they're doing really it's good job they've given you this little marker here on the steering wheel so you know where you're aiming the car it lacks a little bit of feel and fun that's Noom again I'm really surprised I'm a bit disappointed it's no more engaging than say it lay on really and I'm surprised I've said that because there's no way I've been saying that about the old renault sport me gun but is the other French car in the pack any better well the twenty nine thousand pound peugeot 308 GTI is the most little car here and it's got the smallest engine to their which 1.6 liter turbo still has 272 horsepower and 330 Newton meters as with Renault Peugeot has a long history of making some fantastic hot hatches so what's this 308 GTI like well it starts off at a slight disadvantage to the other cars first thing is the engine 1.6 liters well actually it's really strong in performance there is more turbo lag than in the other cars but once it's on song it's powerful and it's quite a light car as well so it feels dartie and agile the other thing that's a bit weird is the driving position so you have this small steering wheel and the doors above it and the rev counter actually revs backwards however one thing I can't complain about too much is the low-speed comfort so when you're just driving around normally it's not so bad it's all for a hot-hatch it deals with bumps ok then when you probably turn again you start to thrash it and you're going really quickly on a bumpy road it's all right up to a point and then it starts to get out of shape a bit it's like it can't control its body movements and it's shaking and shimmying down there ho and it's a bit like when you go skiing down a black run with too many moguls and you're going quicker than you should and you just on the edge of control you know that at some point you're gonna lose and end up tumbling down the piste and require air lifting off the mountain you could say hi and I has a mountain to climb to get a foothold in the hot hatch market good job the i30 and performance has the stats to compete it's 2 litre turbocharged petrol engine has 275 horsepower and 378 newton meters and offered the bargain price of 28,000 pounds although the car manufacturers have been making hot hatches for years but this is high-end ice first attempt and what a way to come late to the party it's a fantastic car I shouldn't be too surprised because the guy behind this used to work at BMWs M division and he knows how to make a car fun to drive and that's exactly what is done so you can set up all the cost parameters individually so you can have it exactly as you like it and I've got everything pretty much in sports mode apart from the suspension if you have the suspension in its firmus setting thing just bounces down the road like a golf ball however put in comfort mode and it's actually all rides comfortably enough for everyday use and when you go quicker unlike the Persia which gets out of shape this just seems to float a bit more it moves around beneath you but it's not a problem because it seems to be holding on to the road and in control and you really feel part of the car it's like it's pivoting around you that's what all the great hot hatches do all the controls as well have a nice feel to them the steering it's a bit dead at first when you start turning it but then when it's hooked up you can feel what the front wheels are doing the gearshift is lovely the brake pedals nice the engines okay but for what it lacks in performance compared to say the set lay on it more than makes up for in noise listen to this it just pops and bangs like a rally car I love it I love this car great job home die so then what's my final verdict well in fifth place is the project you know it's a good car but it's just outclassed by the other hot hatches in fourth place is the Renault so it's very very capable but it's just lacking a sort of fun factor which is odd now you could say the same about the third place car the say at LAN Cooper are but it's just got a broader breadth of abilities than the Renault and it's got the best engine here shame it's so expensive which brings me onto the second place car which is the high-end i30 you know this is great value for money and it's great fun to drive I love it but not as much as I love to drive this the first place car which goes to the Honda Civic type-r you know one hand it's a track weapon a precision instrument then you press a button and it's an easy to live with family car it is the best all-round front wheel drive hot hatch enjoy this video please like it comment on it and share it also click on our logo to subscribe to this channel and if you click on the bottom right hand corner you can actually watch more of our content meanwhile click over to the right to go to add deals page to see how much money you can save on a new car a car Wow\n"