Review
Peugeot 107 city car
Price: £7,995 - £10,545
/5
- Pros:
- Miniscule fuel costs and cheap insurance
- Agile and easy to drive around town
- Engine reliability is proven
- Cons:
- Not at home on the motorway
- Cabin feels far from plush
- Precious little rear legroom
pictured: Peugeot 107 micro car 2012 3 door
reviewed by Carbuyer
"Peugeot's 107 is basic, but it's also good value for money, well built and perfectly at home in busy city traffic."
At a glance
- The greenest
- Allure 1.0 5dr
£10,045 - The cheapest
- Access 1.0 3dr
£7,995 - The fastest
- Allure 1.0 5dr
£10,045 - Top of the range
- Allure 1.0 2-Tronic 5dr
£10,545
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Like the Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1, which share the same mechanicals, the Peugeot 107 is first and foremost a car for affordable city driving. It's big enough for short runs on the motorway, but its compact dimensions, sharp steering and 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine are perfect for darting through traffic and parking in small spaces. The basic Urban Lite version is sparsely equipped, though, and does without electronic stability control or central locking. We’d advise buying the more expensive Urban spec. Alloy wheels and air-conditioning are paid-for options, although if you negotiate hard there are plenty of offers to be had from dealers.
Drive
Best suited to city driving
In some respects the Peugeot 107 feels like a car from another age. The cabin is basic and there is bare metal where more modern rivals offer soft touch fabrics. The good news is that the clearly laid out cabin is practical, and the controls feel light, accurate and responsive. While the three-cylinder engine only has 68bhp, it's fun to rev and hauls the car to motorway speed with relative ease. Keeping the 107 there requires more effort, though - it's better on roads around town. The suspension is firmly sprung, which keeps the body level around corners, but means road lumps can sometimes judder through the cabin. Some might struggle with the driving position, because the pedals are close together and the steering wheel doesn’t adjust for reach. However, only very tall people will feel hemmed in.
Comfort
Cabin gets noisy at high speed
On the motorway there's a little too much wind noise, which is the result of a lack of sound insulation material in the cabin – the painted metal of the doors and window pillars being culprits. That also means there's noise at times when shifting gears and from the suspension. However, at lower speeds the 107 is acceptable, with the skinny tyres avoiding road rumble and the three-cylinder engine staying quiet unless it's really revved hard. Front passengers get plenty of space, but the rear is naturally quite cramped - it's a very small car, after all. Legroom is the issue; even children in child seats will find their legs touching the backs of the front seats.
Reliability
Engine reliability is proven, safety is average
Urban Lite cars do without electronic stability control, side airbags or central locking, and in this day that's probably too basic a specification. Urban models add those things, and the car gets a reasonably impressive four-star Euro NCAP rating. Engine reliability shouldn’t be an issue - the 1.0-litre engine comes from Toyota and is mechanically proven.
Practicality
Miniature boot, but seats fold
The hatchback opening is small and is mounted much higher than the boot floor, so loading is difficult, as you have to lift bags over the high lip. There's precious little cargo space - less than in a MINI - and Urban Lite cars don’t get a split-folding rear bench seat. The glove box is big enough for a stash of CDs, but this is a car that will quickly fill with clutter unless you’re careful.
Value for money
Resale values are impressive
Value with the Peugeot 107 depends heavily on the sort of price you can broker with the dealer. Getting a deal shouldn’t be too difficult, but Korean cars like the Hyundai i10 offer more equipment for less money. The 107 enjoys surprisingly good resale prices because its low running costs make it a sought after car by young drivers.
Running costs
Excellent economy, cheap to insure
With 62.8mpg combined economy, few will think the 107 a thirsty car. Unlike Citroen, Peugeot doesn’t offer a diesel version because the petrol model is so cheap to run that it's not worth it. It emits just 106g/km of CO2, putting it into the £20 per year Road Tax bracket, and the 107's insurance rating is comparable to a scooter!
