27/03/08

• Price14,465
• We like...Strong diesel that tops 50mpg
• We don't...Shiny silver seat cloth

Smooth-riding, frugal and practical mini-estate is just right if you're thinking to down-size from a bigger car
With so much talk of down-shifting – buying a small car to replace a big one – there’s a real place now for small, practical frugal-but-classy cars. And Peugeot’s 207 estate is just one such.

For its size, it’s not cheap, and if you need a mini-estate that’s low priced and will carry loads, it’s not for you. A Skoda Fabia’s what you want. But if you want your next car to be comfy, useful and keep a few surprises up its sleeve, then the 207 may be right.

Unlike the 206 SW it replaced, the 207 looks ‘right’ as an estate, closely resembling its big brother, the 407 SW. You get the feeling that Peugeot designed it as a distinct model from the get-go, rather than sketching the supermini, then adapting the shape. There’s heaps more space than you get in supermini 207s, both for luggage and rear seat passengers. It would be fine for a family of four on a long trip and would even take their holiday luggage, too, provided that they travelled light.
The 207’s tail opens wide to swallow luggage, while the seat backs drop easily to make it into a flat-floored minivan. Seats up, there are hooks to keep shopping upright, luggage nets and elastic straps to keep small items from rolling. There’s also a lidded hidey-place for valuables. If you need to get at small items, the glass screen pops open separately at the press of the keyfob but, to lift it, you must tug on the rear wiper, which can leave your hands mucky.

The shiny-ringed dials and leather wheel on our Sport model look classy but the seat and door fabrics are strange – silver, shiny and cheap looking – as you might perch upon in an Eastern-bloc nightclub. But the best bit of the cabin is its class roof, which hides behind dowdy grey roof lining until you nudge a button between the seats. Then the lining rolls back to level with the rear seats, letting the sun shine in. Fully revealed, it’s as if you’re pedalling along in a giant aquarium but it’s pleasant nonetheless and the glass is tinted to cut glare.

And, like other 207s, it drives tidily and rides smoothly. The steering has a nice weight; not too light, but easy to place while the gears are slick and well spaced. The 1.6 diesel pulls strongly: it isn’t the quietest but what noise you hear comes as an agreeable rumble. And for us, in over 500 miles it never dipped below 51mpg. Our Sport model came well equipped, too – the glass roof, alloy wheels, air conditioning and all the electric-kery you’d expect are there as standard, while optional extras are cheap: £250 for a rear parking pinger and £230 for a CD autochanger.

This 207 is easy to drive and strong on big-car comforts. If you’re moving to it from a bigger car, it should ease the change beautifully.

• Engines1.6 HDi
• Power110bhp
• 0-60 mph11.1sec
• Economy56.4mpg
• CO2g/km131
• Insurance groups6E
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags6
• Seats5

Motors.co.uk value verdict: