Remarkably frugal van
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HAS WORD about the Peugeot 305 diesel van's fuel consumption got around? It would seem so. Compared with the same period in 1981, sales of this model in the first three months of this year have quadrupled while registrations of the petrolengined version have increased by 30 per cent.
Fully laden to a gross weight of 1,420kg, our test Peugeot achieved an astonishing fuel consumption of 5.42 lit/100km (52.15mpg) over CM's Thames Valley light-van test route, at a very respectable average speed of 52.30km/h (31.89mph). When unladen, the 305 returned figures of 4.97 lit/1 0 Okm (56.8mpg) at exactly the same average speed.
At first I was inclined to believe that there must have been some mistake made in calculating these fuel consumption figures; they were just too good to be true. From my experience with diesel-engined cars I know that modern, small ci power units can be very economical, but still an average of 52mpg from a fully laden van, even over a route without one motorway, is barely credible. I double checked the figures and found no mistake.
Then I worked out some motorway fuel consumption results for the Peugeot and these served to underline how remarkably little fuel its 1,548cc ohc engine uses in any conditions.
On a journey between London and MIRA which included about 100 miles of Ml, a period in typically heavy traffic in the capital and our usual testing procedures at MIRA, the 305 van's average mpg was 46. That suggests that in normal service nothing less than 45 miles per gallon of diesel could be expected and better than 50mpg could regularly be achieved without any difficulty.
Compare that with a typical, petrol-engined car derived van, indeed one of the more economical on the market, an Escort 55L which CM tested last year (CM February 7, 1981), and which averaged 34.7mpg and you will see why high mileage, fuel-cost-conscious van operators are moving in droves towards the French-built dieselengined van. But to suggest that fuel economy is the sole reason for the Peugeot 3 0 5's increasing popularity would be to undervalue its many other attributes. It handles well, has lively performance, a sensibly dimensioned load space, and a good, though not too luxurious, standard of driver comfort.
However, this French vehicle is not quite a paragon in the carderived van world. One of the first things a driver who is unaccustomed to the Peugeot will notice is how difficult it is to move his right foot quickly from the accelerator to the brake pedal. That is if he is lucky.
If he is unlucky by this time he will already have tested the deformation characteristics of the front of the van. The problem is that the accelerator pedal is set much too low in relation to the brake pedal — about six inches below it. Curiously, the brake and clutch pedals are very close to each other and are flush. If the pedal heights of the clutch and accelerator were transposed, there would be no cause for complaint.
Another, but much less serious, example of unharmo nious positioning of controls in the 305 van is the way in which the park-brake lever comes very close to fouling the gear lever when second, fourth or reverse is selected. This causes any real inconvenience only when trying to move away from rest, in reverse, on a steep hill, and that is not a manoeuvre which most van drivers will make very frequently.
Like most vans of this type, the 305's mechanical specification is virtually indentical to that of the estate car version, though the trim level in the van is kept more basic to keep its price down (one passenger I carried thought that the omission of a passenger sun visor was going too far towards miserliness.) Both models have Peugeot's patented design of rear suspension which the manufacturer describes as unique. The rear suspension units, coil springs with telescopic dampers, are mounted at only a few degrees from the horizontal with the result that the rear-wheel arch intrusion into the load area is small. The two slim arches reduce the van's interior width by only 0.15m (6in).
Anti-roll bars are fitted to the rear and front suspension (which also is independent with coil springs) and the complete suspension package gives the van first-rate ride characteristics. None of the many and various road surfaces of MIRA's ride and handling circuit was able to dis turb this Peugeot's composure.
A very useful standard fitment in the 305 van and a good safety feature is the bulkhead fitted behind the seats. It is raked forward at the base so as not to reduce the available floor space, and can be removed relatively easily (it is held in place by 10 screws), should the need arise to carry a long or awkward load.
From the base of this bulkhead to the rear door measures 1.83m (6ft). From the top to the rear door is 1.65m (5ft 5in). Peugeot quotes the load volume of the van, measured by the DIN standard method as 0.79 6cum (28.4cu ft).
A horizontal rail, fixed by screws to the three vertical strengthening ribs on each side wall, provides a useful means of securing light, loose loads.
The tailgate is held open by two gas-filled struts, at a height which allows the driver (unless he is exceptionally tall), to stand upright underneath it and have some protection from the elements while he is loading or unloading.
The rear door aperture is wide and tall and the floor height at 0.493m ( 1ft 7in), when unladen, is low enough to allow easy loading and unloading of heavy loads. One item spoils the otherwise good access to the load area from the rear and that is the tailgate lock catch. It stands proud of the van floor and has a sharp edge that looks ready to tear any container that is pushed against it.
In relation to its overall length, the 305's wheelbase is long and this helps to give leeway for unevenly distributed loads. The van's rack and pinion steering proved to be light and positive during our test both when the vehicle was unladen and laden.
One small detail omission in the cab will prove to be a constant source or irritation to drivers of the 305 van; that is the absence of coat hooks.
SLIM Mary
Detailed criticism apart, and with the exception of its badly positioned pedals, the Peugeot 305 van is clearly an excellent all-rounder. Its price is on the high side but with such astonishingly good fuel consumption, I doubt if it is high enough to lessen the van's attraction to many operators.