Just drivern a Hybrid4... It's not good news!

[Bailes1992]

Had a DS5 Hybrid4 for the day.

Turned up and I couldn't wait to have a drive!
400 miles later and I couldn't wait to get out!
It was a light grey with black and red leather interior.
Had the Hybrid4 'Airdream' gearbox.

I must say it was a craking looking car, the interior is fantastic and the build quality is up there with Audi's and Volvos but to drive? It was dreadfull!

To start with I got it, everything was set to auto. Seemed okay, run on electric alone out of town.
Then I come onto a dual carrigeway I put my foot down and the engine 'sprung' into life! And I mean SPRUNG! Just like a HDi with nackered engine mounts!

The engine kicked off in 3rd gear, started accelerating and then dropped into 2nd to for abit before dropping back into 3rd. This happened a few times, the gearbox had no idea what gear it wanted?

I played around with the settings abit. In Sport and AWD it was pretty good, and mid range pickup was fantastic!

But I spent the day on the motorway. Sport mate the car a little figity on the motorway, you couldn't keep a constant speed. Tried it in AWD and it was better, infact I think this was the best mode for the motorway as the car stayed very settled.
Thing is after 75mph the motors turn off, and when the turn off it's like hitting a brick wall. The car goes very sluggish and feels like hard work, feels like something with much much less power!

The gearbox is an outright pain in the ass! Its gearchanges are loud, notchy and jerky and it has no idea what gear to choose, ecspecially when your already travelling at speed on electric along and the engine kicks in. On the motorway it cannot choose between 5th or 6th no matter what speed your going. Infact towards the end of the journey I had to stick it in manual as it was doing my nut in!

Then there was the brown pants moments. Trying to pull out of roundabouts or junctions, you put your foot down and the car just crawls for about 3-5s before the engine kicks into life. This is outright dangerous! Even in AWD or Sport mode because of the Stop/Start it still takes forever for the engine to kick in.

I hated it and it was nice to get back into my 90bhp 406, it may only be 90bhp but atleast I know it will go when I want it too...

And to top it all off, today I spent most the day cruising at 65mph and done 47mpg

What a terrible, terrible car!
So if you have £35k to spend on a new car, do the sensible thing and buy a 320d!

[rwb]

Might've guessed

I think the way forward with electric is to have drive delivered solely by traction motors -- like a diesel-electric train.

And having driven an automatic recently, I'm convinced that autoboxes are stupid and pointless and ought to be banned. That was a 180hp petrol. Furthermore: nobody who drives a petrol with an auto has any business complaining about turbo lag on diesels.

if you have £35k to spend on a new car

Nobody has that money to spend on a new car -- they'll have their neck in a finance noose

do the sensible thing and buy a 320d

Chav Save £10k and get a better equipped and more comfortable and more useful 508.

[Bailes1992]

do the sensible thing and buy a 320d

Chav Save £10k and get a better equipped and more comfortable and more useful 508.

508 200bhp HDi is £3000 cheaper than the Hybrid4!

And my Old mans just bought a 320d to replace is Volvo. Ordered a Black Sport with Red leather and an 8 Speed Auto. Looking forward to it

[lozz]

Itest drove a electric powerd ferari once,

it was pretty good,
until the woman in the shop came out and said get off that your too big for it,

[steve_earwig]

Sam:sounds to me like something was wrong with the 'box.

[FarmerPug]

The reviews do suggest the auto box takes some getting used to but its easy to imagine its not fantastic but in fairness to PSA its their first attempt at a hybrid and they don't make very smooth automatics, give them time they might sort it out. Whats the rest of the car like though e.g. the steering feel and suspension, is it comfy?
Do you think if they offered a decent diesel with a manual gearbox would it be a good car?

[Bailes1992]

I posted this thread on the Peugeot Forums and one guy said Auto Express found exactley the same as me.

The seats were terrific!
The suspension was wallowy and it crashed,ducked and dived all over the shop.
The steering had no feel to it, felt very robotic. Felt like I was telling a computer what to do rather than the front wheels.
The brakes were abit soft and squidgey and the pedal also had no feel.


If they could sort the suspension out - Hydronumatic?
And if they could sort out the brakes and stick a CVT gearbox on the HDi lump it would make the car 99% better.
But the time between putting your foot on the accelerator,the engine starting, engaging a gear and actually going is at least 3 seconds! Maybe more.

[FarmerPug]

A lot of new PSA cars in reviews seem to have very little steering feel the ds3 got the same complaint, the steering is one of the most important parts of the car having no feel completely ruins the driving experience of a car, what is the reason for so little feel, have they started using electronic power steering instead?

[sirwiggum]

I'd rather burn the money than buy a hateful 320d.

No thanks bailes.

[trem1]

Itest drove a electric powerd ferari once,

it was pretty good,
until the woman in the shop came out and said get off that your too big for it,

made me chuckle

[sirwiggum]

Was it a hybrid? Could you use your feet as well?

[FarmerPug]

auto express 3 car test:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews ... ivals.html

[sirwiggum]

Trust AutoBild, I mean, AutoExpress to pick the BMW first.

Pretty big advertising budget they have, seems to correspond to favourable reviews in some overly biased motoring rags.

Just read it has a full length glass roof (in 3 sections). These do my head in as when a bird craps on your roof, you're stuck staring at it until you clean it off.