Vauxhall Corsa vs Peugeot 208
Figures updated
The Vauxhall Corsa and Peugeot 208 are two of the UK's most popular superminis. We compare the Corsa F (2019–) and the Mk2 (2019–) 208 on price, size, boot space, performance, safety and running costs, plus how reliable each has been across 1,099,667 real MOT tests.
The short answer
The Peugeot 208 comes out ahead, with the bigger boot; the Vauxhall Corsa is close on everything else.
- New prices start within £100 of each other.
- The Peugeot 208 has the biggest boot: 352 litres, 43 more than the Vauxhall Corsa.
- Their MOT records are close: once age and mileage are taken into account, they fail about as often as each other.
- Running costs are close: the petrol versions cost within £10 a year of each other to fuel at 7,500 miles a year.
- Watch the steering on a Vauxhall Corsa: it fails on them 2.4 times as often as the average car.
- Watch the body and structure on a Peugeot 208: it fails on them 4.1 times as often as the average car.
| Figure | Vauxhall CorsaCorsa F (2019–), 5-door hatchback | Peugeot 208Mk2 (2019–), 5-door hatchback |
|---|---|---|
| Price and practicality | ||
| Price newUK list prices, across the range | £20,590 to £34,445July 2026 price list | £20,565 to £29,815October 2026 price list |
| Body | 5-door hatchback | 5-door hatchback |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| BootSeats up / folded | 309 litres / 1,118 | 352 litres / 1,163 (best) |
| Length | 4,060mm | 4,055mm |
| WidthWithout mirrors | 1,765mm | 1,765mm |
| Height | 1,433mm | 1,430mm |
| Performance | ||
| Power | 75–136 PS | 100–156 PS (best) |
| 0–62mph | 8.2–11.2 sec | 8.1–10.1 sec |
| Safety | ||
| Euro NCAP ratingTests get tougher each year | ★★★★★ (2019) | ★★★★★ (2019) |
| Economy and emissions | ||
| Fuel types | Electric, Petrol | Diesel, Electric, Petrol |
| Official economyVersions of this generation | 47.9–65.9 mpg | 4.3–73.6 mpg |
| CO2 | 96–132 g/km | 96–132 g/km |
| Electric range | 206–258 miles | 206–258 miles |
| Running costs at 7,500 miles a year | ||
| Petrol or hybrid171.4p a litre, today's UK average | £1,015 (57.6 mpg) | £1,015 (57.6 mpg) |
| Diesel198.4p a litre | – | £945 (71.6 mpg) |
| Electric, charged at home26.3p per kWh standard tariff | £548 (4 mi/kWh) | £548 (4 mi/kWh) |
| Cheapest version to fuelWhichever fuel costs least | £548 (electric) | £548 (electric) |
| Car tax a yearCars registered from April 2017 | £200 | £200 |
| Reliability from real MOT tests | ||
| Reliability score | 80Well below average | 78Well below average |
| Failed MOT first time (ages 3–20) | 35.3% | 29.4% (best) |
| Failed at 3 years old | 15.4% | 14.1% (best) |
| Failed at 5 years old | 19.7% (best) | 20.3% |
| Failed at 10 years old | 41.5% | 37.3% (best) |
| Most common MOT fault | Coil spring (5.2% of tests) | Joints (4.4% of tests) |
| Fails more than average on | Steering (2.4×), Exhaust and emissions (1.7×) | Body and structure (4.1×), Exhaust and emissions (3.1×) |
| MOT tests analysed | 896,932 | 202,735 |
| About the cars | ||
| Type | Supermini | Supermini |
| Owners' average miles a year | 6,800 | 7,000 |
| On sale | 2019 on | 2019 on |
Green marks the better figure where the difference is more than 3%. Reliability figures cover every version of each model tested in the year. Running costs use the typical official economy of recent versions (WLTP where available); real-world economy is usually a little worse for every car.
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
›Is the Vauxhall Corsa or the Peugeot 208 more reliable?
There's little in it. Once age and mileage are taken into account, both fail their MOT about as often as each other (reliability scores 80 and 78, where 100 is average).
›Which is bigger, the Vauxhall Corsa or the Peugeot 208?
They're almost the same length (4,060mm and 4,055mm). The Peugeot 208 has the bigger boot: 352 litres against 309.
›Which is cheaper to buy, the Vauxhall Corsa or the Peugeot 208?
New prices start at much the same level: £20,590 for the Vauxhall Corsa and £20,565 for the Peugeot 208.
›Which is cheaper to run, the Vauxhall Corsa or the Peugeot 208?
Comparing petrol versions, fuel costs are within £10 a year of each other at 7,500 miles, using typical official economy and current UK average fuel prices.
›Which is safer, the Vauxhall Corsa or the Peugeot 208?
Euro NCAP gave the Vauxhall Corsa 4 stars (2019) and the Peugeot 208 4 stars (2019). Euro NCAP makes its tests tougher every few years, so ratings from different years aren't directly comparable.
›Should I buy the Vauxhall Corsa or the Peugeot 208?
The Peugeot 208 comes out ahead, with the bigger boot; the Vauxhall Corsa is close on everything else. The comparison above sets out price, space, performance, safety, running costs and reliability side by side.
Sources: manufacturers' UK specifications and price lists and Euro NCAP (listed on each model's page); DVSA anonymised MOT tests 2024 (Open Government Licence v3.0); Vehicle Certification Agency car fuel data, © Crown copyright, VCA cannot accept liability for its accuracy; fuel prices from the GOV.UK Fuel Finder scheme. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture.