KEY POINTS:
I've only ever had two automatic-transmission vehicles stall on me and they were both Peugeots. One was a 207 hatchback; the other was the new 308 XSP I've just been driving.
In fact, the 308 got me twice: once in the middle of an uphill reversing manoeuvre and again during a quick three-point turn. Just goes to show the tradition of erratic autos in French cars hasn't passed away completely.
You'll have read plenty of positive comment about two-pedal Peugeots lately: I'd bet all have applied to the excellent diesels, with their six-speed gearboxes.
The XSP isn't one of those: it has a crisp direct-injection 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine from a Peugeot-BMW joint project (more powerful versions are found in the 207 GTi and Mini Cooper S), but it's saddled with a four-speed shifter. Drive it gently and it's fine - and thrifty. Get aggressive and it gets a bit confused.
At least you can sit back and enjoy the ambience of the 308. This car is a real step up in cabin design and quality for the French maker, and the XSP comes fully loaded: seven airbags, stability control, digital climate air conditioning and a full-length "panoramic" glass roof.
It's a really nice car with a slightly dodgy transmission, which makes it one for the petrol-focused reactionaries only. The rest of us can look to the super-frugal $36,990 1.6-litre HDi (80kW/240Nm) or the range-topping $42,990 2.0-litre HDi (100kW/320Nm). Both diesels, both six-speed automatics and both significantly more appealing than the XSP.
