Peugeot 207 Oxygo+ 1.6 HDi 3dr Car Review - March 2012

The 207 Oxygo+ offers plenty of comfort with the steering wheel and seats all offering plenty of adjustment, allowing drivers to find the most comfortable position. Unfortunately the mechanism for seat adjustment is a little awkward and this means finding the perfect position could take some time.

Overall the engine is fairly quiet but there is a bit of wind and road noise which intrudes on the motorway. Gear changes are not smooth due to the poor gearbox but there is plenty of grip on the road.

The engine delivers 92bhp at 4000 rpm with 161lb-ft of torque, giving the car decent performance credentials. A top speed of 115 mph features alongside acceleration from 0-62 mph in 13.1 seconds - a time which is neither impressive nor disappointing for this class.

The 207 Oxygo+ is equipped with features like air-conditioning, Bluetooth, power steering, electric front windows, remote central locking and alloy wheels. This top-spec Oxygo+ model has larger alloys, tinted rear windows, a sports interior pack and curtain airbags.

The 207 is a good looking car and has a stylishly appointed cabin. Plenty of soft-touch plastics and metallic inserts give it a high-quality finish.

The car offers ample space to the passengers in the front whilst the boot is roomy. Being a small family car, this is the feature which is looked for most and the car remains compact enough to be easy to drive and park around town. However, whilst space is ample in the front, the rear seats suffer from cramped legroom, making them more suitable for child passengers rather than adults.

The 207 has passenger airbags, side airbags, driver airbags and three point centre belt system fitted as standard.

Unfortunately, reliability is not expected to be strong. In the 2011 JD Power customer satisfaction survey, the 207 didn't score highly (finishing 14th in class) while its mechanical reliability was rated as below average.

Peugeot 207 is quite an economical car but it’s not that cheap and residual values aren’t very strong for a family car. A purchase price of £14,095 is not cheap for the class but is still far from extortionate and low running costs are a real attraction.

Road tax falls under band A as carbon emissions register below the 100g/km threshold at 98 g/km and insurance premiums fall under a relatively low band (11) as well. Fuel efficiency of 74.3 mpg is impressive by any standards and mean trips to the petrol station will be rare.

This means customers need to consider the economic benefits of the car alongside the questionable reliability when deciding whether or not to invest in it.