Peugeot 308

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At a glance

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Four adults with real luggage, or a family doing the Tivat–Kotor–Budva–Podgorica circuit over a week. Auto + diesel + cruise is the combination for longer Tivat-based itineraries.

• Long-stay couples
• Cross-border travellers
• Families of four

The Peugeot 308 on Tivat roads

Behind the wheel

The 308 Mk3 is the adult French mid-size — a size larger than the Polo or the Clio, meaningfully more refined, and the long-distance pick of the Tivat fleet. The 1.5 BlueHDi 130 diesel is the common pick and the better match for the Tivat rental profile: torque from 1,750 rpm, a six-speed manual that is light and well-gated, or an eight-speed EAT auto that shuffles ratios almost invisibly. The 1.2 PureTech 130 petrol is livelier at the top but works harder on long climbs up toward Njeguši or the Sozina ridge. Inside, the i-Cockpit scales up well — the cabin feels genuinely expensive for a rental, and at 130 km/h on the coast road toward Dubrovnik airport the noise floor is low.

On Tivat roads

On the longer Tivat-based routes the 308 finds its groove. The coast push toward Dubrovnik airport via Herceg Novi and the Debeli Brijeg crossing is effortless; the diesel settles at 1,800 rpm in top and returns an honest 4.4 L/100 km with the cruise set at 110. The Sozina new-road approach to Podgorica is where the diesel torque pays off — one downshift for a three-car overtake past a slow cement lorry, immediate response, no drama. The Kotor–Lepetane ferry queue and the bay road handle the length without complaint, though at 4,367 mm you notice it on the tightest two bays in Porto Montenegro's marina car parks. Cross-winds on the Sozina approach to Bar are shrugged off.

Space and load

The 412-litre boot is a proper family size — square corners, low load lip, a useful flat shape seats-up. Three large cases and two cabin bags fit without stacking; fold the rear bench for 1,323 litres and a full Durmitor hiking trip for four travels easily from a Tivat base, 50-litre packs and boots and poles with room for a cool-box. Beach gear for a four-adult Plavi Horizonti day out — chairs, parasol, cool-bag, snorkels — fits seats-up without rearranging. Cross-border weekend luggage for four doing a Dubrovnik run with wedding-ceremony outfits arrives uncreased. For a hatch it is genuinely spacious.

Best journeys for this car

The 308 suits the family of four whose Tivat week is really a regional tour — three nights at Porto Montenegro, two in Kotor, two across the border in Dubrovnik — and the brief is one car that handles every leg with the same calm. It also works for business travellers on a Tivat–Podgorica–Bar circuit who value a quiet cabin on the Sozina motorway. Returning customers who rented a 208 last time and wanted more boot are its natural audience. It is more car than a couple on a marina-only week needs, and the length counts against it for anyone whose daily routine lives entirely inside the Tivat town parking grid.

Practical notes

Diesel economy is genuinely impressive — 4.4 L/100 km at 120 km/h, closer to 5.0 in mixed driving, and a 52-litre tank pushes past 1,000 km between fills. Refills on the Tivat–Budva road handle this cleanly. Parking in Porto Montenegro's paid marina lots is fine; the metered bays on Pine Walk take a 4.37 m car with care, and the free residential grid behind Tivat bus station fits it nicely. Front-wheel drive on all-season rubber handles the bay in winter; chains are legally required on the Žabljak and Kolašin passes between November and March if your Tivat week stretches inland. Summer AC with rear vents matters on four-up Lustica runs in August.

The verdict

Pick the 308 when the Tivat trip mixes distance, family kit and cross-border runs and you want one calm car for all of it. Skip it if your week is marina-only and two-up — a Clio or 208 does the same job a size smaller.

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• Automatic Transmission
• Adaptive Cruise
• Dual-Zone Climate
• Large Boot