Long-term report: The Peugeot 308 GT SW PHEV is clocking up the miles

We’re well into our time with our long-term Peugeot and already it’s starting to clock up the miles with numerous trips up and down the country. With over seven thousand miles already on the clock, it’s a good time to assess just how easy out 308 estate is to live with.

There’s no doubt that the extra space offered by the estate is a big bonus, especially for me when it comes to my duties during the week carrying all my filming gear, and my dog-dad duties at the weekend, taking the pooch out for nice places to walk.

While the PHEV does have its benefits when it comes to economy, the batteries that help it run in electric mode do take up some space in the boot. With the rear seats up, it offers 548 litres, expanding to 1,574 litres with the seats folded down. That’s about 50 litres less than if you opted for the non-hybrid version.

On the whole, it’s a great size and shape, and extremely usable and I’ve never found myself really struggling when it comes to carrying lots of equipment. What’s also useful is the low-load lip, which makes it easier to put heavier items inside.

The only issue is if I have a shoot and I’m taking pooch with me, it means I have to put a cover on the rear seats and completely fill the boot. Marley does find the rear seats pretty comfortable though, and settles down quickly and is usually out for the count within a few minutes of hitting the road.

So that’s the boot, now to up front where I spend most of my time. Well, the driving position is extremely comfortable, and electrically adjustable so there are no issues on that front. I’ve already mentioned my concerns with the steering wheel, which feels a little too small, and the top obscures the view of the dials in front. It’s a little frustrating, but I’ve learnt to live with it.

The touchscreen infotainment system dominates the middle of the dashboard, and on the face of it, looks pretty impressive. It’s home to all the vehicle’s main functions, including phone connectivity, DAB radio, satellite navigation and heater controls. I do get a bit frustrated when you have to change the climate settings on the same screen as the sat nav, especially if you’re using it for directions.

It’s just one thing that can be distracting while you’re on the move. What I have found useful, especially with a passenger who likes to fiddle with the infotainment screen on the move, is the navigation instructions are also displayed in between the dials in front of the driver. It’s not as ‘state-of-the-art’ as the Virtual Cockpit you’d find in a Volkswagen Golf, but it does the job.

It is a little slow to wake up, but I can relate to that. Also, there are a couple of settings for the seats, and you could be forgiven for missing that it features a massage function. Honestly, it’s quite easy to get a bit lost in there. But as time goes on I’m getting more to grips with it all.

For the longer journeys, there are lots of places for storing bits and pieces while on the move, there’s a couple of good-sized cup holders, a handy cubby hole under the middle armrest, as well as decent-sized door pockets though they are a little shallow.

There are also a couple of USB-C power points for charging devices, so there’s little arguing with the front seat passenger over who’s going to be topping up their phones.

As mentioned earlier, our 308 is racking up the miles, with a couple of trips down to London from the northwest, as well as some filming in the midlands with Mike Brewer ahead of an awards ceremony. There’s no question that it’s comfortable both at speed on the motorway, as well as nipping through city traffic.

While the 308 is a mid-sized family estate, its dimensions do make it feel quite big, especially when squeezing into tight parking spaces and navigating around multi-storey car parks. Fortunately, the process of parking is made considerably easier thanks to a reversing camera and sensors.

What’s next for our 308? Well, it’s coming up to a busy period with lots more filming scheduled in the south and of course award season, so lots of trips to London.