The Peugeot 508 can be a good choice for a large family car. If a Volkswagen Passat is a nice shirt and pants, the Peugeot 508 looks more like the sharp Givenchy suit worn by a model smoking Gauloise outside the Left Bank café. It’s exquisite.
But while the sleek five-door coupe body looks great, the rear seats are noticeably smaller than in cars like the Skoda Superb or Volkswagen Passat. In addition, cars such as the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Insignia were excluded from the market due to low sales. However, tall people in the back might complain. It has a more exciting dashboard design than most other cars, and all models come with two large infotainment screens that make the interior look very modern.
The Peugeot 508 might not be the car for you, though, if you’d rather own it how it used to be. It’s not terrible, but the materials on the Peugeot don’t always feel as good as those on the Skoda Superb. On the other hand, the low driving position of the Peugeot 508 makes it look more like a sports car than a Skoda. The steering wheel is small, which not everyone will like.
You’ll feel cramped if you’re tall and sitting in the back. Peugeot 508 back seat is not great for height nor overly roomy with knee room either you want a sportier-looking sedan, it’s probably more than a superficial concern with how it drives, and you won’t be too disappointed. The Peugeot 508 is fun to drive on roads with twists and turns and does an excellent job of smoothing out bumps.
The 508 isn’t exactly brilliant regarding the technology that allows it to drive itself. It can be purchased with active cruise control and lane assist, but these features aren’t as advanced as those in the Volvo V60. Now, you can only choose between a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine with 130 horsepower or a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel. The 1.2 is fun to drive, but it doesn’t have much power. While economical, the diesel is a bit lacklustre.
Two plug-in hybrid versions use the least amount of gas. You can drive about 30 miles (Peugeot says 39 miles) on electric alone, and the 225-hp version is said to get 235 mpg when combined with electric. To get to that number, you have to drive like a saint. The other plug-in version, the 355hp Peugeot Sport Engineered 508 PSE, won’t go like a St. Think of it as the BMW M3 version of the 508 (well, it looks a lot like the M340i, but you get the drift)
Other family cars are better made and have more space, but if that’s too much for you, the 508’s elegant styling and fun drive make it worthy of a spot on your shortlist.
How much does a 508 cost?
The Peugeot 508 ranges from $63,431 to $81,610 for the 2023 model range in hatchback and wagon body types.
In the city?
Although the 508’s windshield is steeply sloped and the driver’s seat is low and sporty, the front view is magnificent. A thicker windshield post is less valuable because you must raise your head to ensure you’re not about to hit a cyclist. The view from behind is also spooky, with a small window and large columns. There is a parking camera, and on higher-end models, there is an all-around camera from top to bottom. However, the image quality is poor, and Peugeot seems to have been using a Nokia camera phone since the early 2000s. Also, there are no side cameras, so the 360-degree camera uses a combined image from the front and rear cameras, which show nothing when the car is stationary. The 508 has an eight-speed automatic transmission, which is good because it’s smooth and easy to use, especially in town.
Standard models have suspension that feels stiff in town, but if you pay extra for the adaptive suspension, that problem goes away. The plug-in hybrid version is excellent for driving around town because it can run smoothly on electric power for up to 39 miles. All versions have light steering and good cornering, so parking isn’t too tricky.
on the highway
If you drive many highway miles, get the 1.5-litre HDI diesel because it’s fuel efficient and has enough headroom for those long climb stretches. Overall, the base model’s turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine feels underpowered on big roads, while the plug-in hybrid can get a little thirsty on longer trips. Most of the time, the refinement is good, and although there’s no windshield, there isn’t much wind noise. You may hear some tires screeching or thumping, but that’s about it.
On bigger roads, the suspension feels smoother, but there’s still that annoying “thump if you hit potholes” that reverberates through the bodywork and is unpleasant. The 508 comes standard with lane-keeping steering and cruise control, but to get the system Radar-guided cruise control, You have to buy the Allure Premium model. Both methods are suitable but don’t respond as quickly as some competitors. However, the lane-keep assist system can be set to hold you to one side of the road, leaving room for motorcycles and cyclists.
On the road with turns
Some people may not like the 508’s small steering wheel, but it makes the steering feel sharp and snappy. But this is a bit of an illusion because the Peugeot is not designed to spin fast. At first glance, it doesn’t look as sporty as it is. Nevertheless, the 508 is still an excellent car to drive overall.
Watch the 508 PSE or Peugeot Sport Engineered if you want a perfect car. This is only available as a plug-in hybrid with 355 horsepower, four-wheel drive, and a chassis tuned by the people who make Peugeot’s Le Mans race cars.
Space and pricing
The 508 gets valuable storage space in its large, roomy centre console with a small covered compartment holding a cell phone and two good-sized cup holders behind the shifter. It’s a pretty good size – a bit deep for a small cup of coffee. There is another large storage bin under the Butterfly armrest, and the door bins are fine if a bit shallow. Another open storage area is under the centre console, just below your knees. At the bottom, you’ll find a wireless charger for the phone and two USB jacks, but they’re somewhat hidden from view, and anything stored there is complicated to access. As in Peugeots on the right side, the glove box is so tiny that it is useless.
space in the rear seats
Things are less good in the back seats. The 508 is narrow, and you’re paying for the racy roofline. The door opening is decently sized, so wrestling the child seat in and out is fine (and you can get ISOFIX in the back and the front passenger seat, though the anchors have zip flaps that aren’t comfortable), but rear headroom for tall passengers is awful. Even worse, Peugeot has the rear coat hook attached to where the rear passenger’s head would be, so it’s no use if you have someone in the back. Legroom is good, but there’s nowhere to put your feet under the low front seat, and the seat base is relatively short and intense, so lumbar support for taller passengers is poor.
Three people in the back? This is possible because the shifter bump isn’t huge, but the middle passenger seat’s headroom is poor, and the seat itself is narrow, so it’s a thumbs down. The tailgate bins and seatback grilles are small, too, but at least you get two USB sockets for those in the back and an armrest with cup holders.
Those may have used a rechargeable flashlight, as it’s very dark in the back. It would be best if you also watched the rear doors – push them open with a little force and then suddenly snap back on the hinges. Speaking of doors, despite the frameless side glass, the rear doors have a fixed rear quarter light that stays in place when the side glass is rolled down, which not only looks awkward but also gets in the way if you’re trying to squeeze in or out in a Tight space parking.
boot space
The 508 fastback’s 478-litre trunk is okay, but it’s dwarfed by the massive 625 litres you’ll get in a Skoda Superb. The 508 doesn’t lose boot space if you opt for the plug-in hybrid version, as the battery is so cleverly packed that it doesn’t intrude. The boot has a slight loading lip, but it’s not too bad, although the parcel rack is annoying. It’s a fixed two-part rack that can be removed, and when you do that, there’s nowhere in the car to store it, so you have to leave it at home or give it away in the bush. Under the floor of the trunk, there is a space-saving spare wheel, but if you omit that, you can store it under the bed.
You will, of course, get the expected mounting points, luggage hooks, and a 12-volt socket. Folding down the 60:40-split rear seats is a hassle, as there’s no lever in the trunk to do it, so you have to lean toward the back doors to flip them down. They don’t sit completely flat, which is also annoying, but at least you get a flat floor to move heavy stuff along the way. There’s also a loading flap in the rear armrest, but it’s pretty narrow, so it’s limited use unless you’re a ski enthusiast. If you need more practicality, the impressive 508 SW has a boot capacity of 530 litres.
Interior style, infotainment, and accessories
The interior of the 508 is as attractive on the inside as the rest of the automobile is on the outside. Although Peugeot’s style has been replicated in the more inexpensive 2008 crossover and the 308 hatchbacks, the multi-layered dash with its faux carbon-fibre panels still looks remarkable. It is entirely different from what anyone else is doing. That certainly makes the interiors of the Skoda Superb and VW Arteon appear somewhat bland.
All upper surfaces are constructed of lovely soft-touch materials, and if you choose a different leather, you receive excellent contrast stitching. Further down, though, you will discover cheaper plastics, and when Peugeot does cheap plastics, it indeed does cheap plastics.
The 508 includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument display with various configurations, including one that puts the sat-nav screen directly in front of you, which is helpful. There’s even an optional ‘night-vision’ camera, which displays a forward image from an infrared camera at night. That may appear to be a gimmick, and it is, but the camera can see further than the headlights, providing a safety benefit.
A basic 8.0-inch touchscreen is located in the dashboard’s centre, with an optional 10.0-inch unit available. It has a row of nice ‘piano key’ shortcut buttons underneath, which take you directly to critical screens like the air conditioning and sat nav. However, the menu layout is still confusing, and we’d much prefer physical aircon buttons.
There are other shortcut buttons for heating and ventilation farther down, but if you only want to alter the fan speed, you’ll have to use the touchscreen, which means taking your eyes off the road for too long. Similarly, the software and visuals haven’t kept up with the competition. The centre screen and the driver’s instruments look dated now, especially compared to the new 308 hatchbacks sleeker system. Still, you get standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there’s the option of an ear-busting stereo by French audio expert Focal, so it’s not all bad. Still, the USB port connecting your phone is under the centre console on the left for French drivers rather than on the right for us Brits, making it a little tricky to find.
Other cool features include a system that automatically adjusts the cabin lighting and air conditioning to calm you down (when frustrated by traffic) or wake you up (such as halfway through a long journey). You can have (very noisy) massaging seats, which aren’t quite as lovely as they sound but can help you avoid numb-bum in the long run.
MPG, emissions, and taxation
If you look at it from a tax standpoint, the plug-in hybrid is the apparent winner. With certified CO2 emissions of just 28g/km, company car users will pay only 12% in Benefit In Kind tax if they pick one. As a private buyer, your VED road tax will be $0 in year one and £145 yearly after that at current rates.
Peugeot claims an electric range of 39 miles on a full charge, which is reasonable but likely closer to 30 miles in real-world conditions. It’s also outmatched by the Volvo V60 PHEV’s claimed range of 53 miles on electric power alone. The 508 PHEV can be charged swiftly from a 7kW home wall box in roughly one hour and 45 minutes, but you can’t use fast 50kW+ chargers when you’re out and about.
The 508, like all PHEVs, is thirsty on the highway, but it’s not the worst in this area – you should be able to average near to or better than 40mpg. The high-performance PSE version will only go 28 miles on electric power when ultimately charged, and you’ll get closer to 30-35mpg on a lengthy journey. It nevertheless has impressive official CO2 emissions of 41g/km.
The basic 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol turbo engine provides an official economy number of up to 52mpg, but in real-world conditions, roughly 40mpg would be more than adequate. With CO2 emissions of 127g/km, the first-year road tax is only £190. The 1.5 diesel reduces that tax cost to £170 thanks to CO2 emissions starting at 115g/km, and it’ll do as much as an official 64mpg on average, with 50mpg easily achievable in practice.
Security and safety
When Euro NCAP crash-tested the 508 in 2018, it performed very well. Apart from the total five-star rating for overall performance, it received a 96% rating for adult occupant protection and a slightly lower 86% rating for child occupant protection.
A pop-up bonnet protects a pedestrian in the case of an incident while automating
d emergency braking helps prevent this from happening in the first place. Standard electric child door locks and tire pressure monitoring are also included. There’s also a distance warning that alerts you if you’re approaching too near to the automobile in front of you, as well as an intelligent speed limitation, cruise control, and lane-keeping assistance.
If you want more, you’ll have to make a trade-up. Blind spot monitoring, driver attention warning, automatic high-beam headlamps, radar-guided cruise control with traffic stop-and-go, and an improved lane-keeping assistant are standard on Allure Premium versions.
Only the top-tier PSE model includes a night vision camera as standard.
Reliability and problems
Peugeot has done quite well in recent years in reliability and ownership satisfaction studies, so the 508 appears to be a safe option regarding dependability. Although the hybrid engines are relatively new, the 1.2 petrol and 1.5 diesel engines have been around for a while and should be free of severe flaws. The build quality of the 508 is good. Still, some surfaces, switches, and buttons don’t have the robustness you’d find in a Volkswagen or a Volvo, so while there has been no significant unreliability, they may not hold together well in the long run. The 508 has been recalled several cars for engine management software updates, rear suspension concerns, and roof-rack fixing point issues.
Peugeot provides the 508 with a three-year warranty that includes unlimited mileage for the first two years but is limited to 60,000 miles in the third year. If your 508, or any Peugeot, is less than ten years old and has fewer than 100,000 miles, you can extend the warranty for a charge.
