Have you driven one of their current model lineup? It seems to me that they really improved things recently (and judging from what I see on the roads, especially the new 3008 seems to really resonate with buyers).
Most of my experiences described are actually based of the 2008 I drove last year (that one I drove for 2 weeks)...
I do not mean to sound pedantic, but a lot of shitty products "resonate with buyers". Squeaky laptops with stamp-sized trackpads come to mind. I think the resonating is mainly related to price. Like those laptops, Peugeots are probably good value for many. That does not however negate, that they are also shitty cars...
(For reference, my own car is a 2010 Honda Jazz (Honda Fitt in the US), so I'm not comparing a Peugeot to a luxury Mercedes sedan or something...it's just that the Honda seems to be a car people actually though about before they started building it)
Haha, yes the 2008 is really bad. Looks ok from the outside, but that is about it.
The 3008 is not cheap, I think people buy it for the expressive style and the great comfort. So "resonate" is not meant as "resonate because of low price". Also, the new 508 and the upcoming 208 seem to be amazing cars. Give them a chance in a year :)
I drove a new rental Peugeot (207 or something?) last year, wasn't actually bad at all. The interior no longer feels like they got the plastic from biscuit packets, at least.
