Peugeot Boxer Review 2019, 2020, 2018
2019 Peugeot Boxer review. I had this Boxer as a rental, these are my thoughts.
In the first five minutes, I didn’t want to like it because there were some things that instantly annoyed me, all in the interior……
Peugeot Boxer Review – Interior
The key things that stood out
Pedals
The first thing that struck was the angle of the pedal. They are set at unusual angles which at first was a total turn off. However after a few hours behind the wheel you find yourself adapting to them with zero problem.
Another pedal issue, and this time the clutch pedal. Extremely long throw. Again I got used to it after a few hours but it would still be nice if it wasn’t so long. The bite point was also a bit hit and miss, possible due to the angle of the pedal but again, I got used to it.
Cup Holders
In 2021, this is completely unforgivable. Only one cup holder and it was on the passenger side of the van. How this got signed off when there is so much space in the cabin I do not know. Plus the cup holder was not very good (too shallow) was the cherry on the cake….
Storage
Loads of it. One complaint was the door bins. Too far down to be useful, no way you can use them when sitting in the seat. This is not a isolated flaw to this van. Why manufacturers don’t raise them higher I do not know.
Handbrake
Again, something I can’t believe got signed off. It is mounted far too low. You really have to reach down to disengage it and my arms are not short. Plus it was mounted by the door. Quirky. It should have definitely have been mounted higher to make using it easier.
Rear Doors
No matter how well you think you slammed the rear doors, I would still get occasional warnings that the rear sliding door was open. Having to go around the van to check it is not ideal. The fact that when you get to the door and it looks closed does not help. No way to know if you have closed it without going back into the cab to see if you still have the warning. Major pain.
Load Bed
The load bed is relatively high. Not as easy to get into as a Renault Master for example but also nowhere near as bad as a Ford Transit. In short, could be better but not horrendous.
Driving
Key aspects
Ride
Bouncy and fidgety. It never really gets horrendous but you are aware the body of the van is moving a lot relative to the size of the bumps you are driving over. Very bouncy at low speeds on bumpy roads.
High Speed
Given the body is moving around a lot, it never feels wayward which is surprising. The body moves a lot but you never feel like the dampers are not keeping up. Surprisingly stable at speed
Engine Power (Diesel)
Gets moving from a standstill okay (sorry don’t know which engine it had) but 130 km/h was really the max speed. And 120 to 130 took an age.
Brakes
Brakes were fine.
Computer
Onboard computer hard to use and possibly doesn’t give much info (but I didn’t dig too hard into it). Display, unbelievably cheap looking orange LCD. I mentioned this in the NV200 review, why do van makers compromise here? A decent display cost pennies more.
Fuel Economy
Not great, was showing an average of 10 litres per 100km. I suppose not shocking because the van itself is huge.
Seats
As you would expect from Peugeot, they were comfortable. But offered zero lateral support.
Steering
Feels weird at first and disconnected but again, you get used to it. Not a deal breaker.
Radio
Radio was decent enough
Loading
Plenty of lash points in back, no problems here.
Visibility
Absolutely awesome. Huge windscreen and you tower over Porsche Cayennes. Really good.
Engine
At the start if felt like the engine was surging rapidly at constant throttle. Not big surges but definitely noticeable. At the start. But, again, after a while I simply didn’t notice it.
Gauges
Big and clear. No complaints here.
Build Quality
Generally the van felt robust. The chassis seemed rigid, the gearbox and engine felt like they would last years. Suspension had no knocks or rattles. Door slammed with a good thunk.
Peugeot Boxer Review – Summary
Generally the van was good, the highlight being the high driving position. The problems that there were, were small but annoying and unnecessary eg the handbrake, the rear door and solitary cup holder. So close to greatness but not quite. A good van but it didn’t endear itself to me, lacking in character a little bit.
