Ford Fiesta vs Peugeot 208: which is the better used buy?

Neither stands out on the MOT measure. Their first-time MOT pass rates sit 1.3 percentage points apart once each is compared against the national rate for cars of the same age, which is too close to call (we name a winner only at 2 points or more). A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. The MOT checks safety and emissions items, not the engine, clutch or gearbox, so this is one measure of how each car holds up rather than a full reliability verdict. Pick on the specific faults each is prone to instead.

72.3% of Ford Fiestas pass their MOT first time (143,495 tests in DVSA's records) and 76.0% of Peugeot 208s pass their MOT first time (23,233 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Ford Fiesta's age average 74.9% and cars of the Peugeot 208's age 79.9% — so the Ford Fiesta runs 2.6 points worse than its age group and the Peugeot 208 runs 3.9 points worse than its own. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.

Ford Fiesta: Launch-era 2017–2018 cars are now the oldest Fiesta Mk8s on the used market and the most likely to still carry the original wet cam timing belt rather than Ford's later revised chain-driven design, so they're most likely to be nearing or past the belt's safe replacement point without full documented history. This window is also most associated with the early cracking-noise driveshaft complaint, and these cars are furthest removed from the 2022 facelift's refinements. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2018 registrations above all cars registered that year, so it is not named as a year to avoid. Peugeot 208: 2019–2020 cars are now past the revised 6-year/62,000-mile wet-belt interval. The 1.2 PureTech runs its timing belt in engine oil; as the belt breaks down it sheds rubber into the sump, that debris blocks the oil pick-up strainer, and the engine is starved. Oil consumption and engine failure are both well documented on cars with no belt-change invoice.

On fuel it depends on the engine, and for a plug-in or electric version on whether you can charge at home. Ford Fiesta: 1.1 Ti-VCT: 47–52 mpg real-world. 1.0 EcoBoost 100/125: 45–50 mpg. 1.0 EcoBoost mHEV: 48–54 mpg. 1.5 EcoBoost ST: 34–39 mpg. Peugeot 208: 44–51 mpg (1.2 PureTech real-world UK mixed); 59–71 mpg (1.5 BlueHDi); 3.5–4.1 mi/kWh (e-208 real-world). For cars registered from April 2017, vehicle tax works the same way for both: the £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included, plus the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 on a car that listed at over £40,000 new — the price when new, not what you pay for it used. The electric versions (e-208) pay the same £200/year standard rate since 1 April 2025 (electric cars were exempt before then), with the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 only on one first registered from 1 April 2025 that listed at over £50,000 new. Any Ford Fiesta or Peugeot 208 registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pays a CO2 band instead, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates). Insurance differs mainly by driver and postcode rather than by model, so treat any model-level insurance figure with caution.