Road Test : Peugeot 508 (Sedan & Touring)

Review by Anthony Ziella - 18 April 2012

As soon as I got behind the wheel of the brand new flagship model of this French fleet, the 508 touring, I instantly regressed back to my sixteen year old self, gear crunching and bunny hopping my way through an empty car park trying to get myself from my L’s to my P’s while my dad chain smoked cigarettes, ironically, in an effort to lower his blood pressure.

I guess I’ll always have an affinity with this stylish, sophisticated outfit from Paris, but it has been a long time since the boys and girls at Peugeot rolled out the ever impressive 307 model that took the world by storm just after the turn of the millennium. 

So what have they got now, almost a decade later? Well, I was lucky enough to be able to test drive both the 508 touring and the sedan model in back to back weeks, and let me tell you, they don’t disappoint.

Drive: 4/5

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for me and the Peugeots, in fact just like it had been all those years ago we kind of got off to a rocky start. The 508 model without a doubt sits at the tippy top of the line in terms of comfort, style and innovation so you would expect it come fitted with all the bells and whistles, and it does, but some modifications aren’t as useful as others.

Almost all high end luxury cars these days come with the keyless entry button start, as does the 508, but the 508 also comes with automatic electric handbrake lever, which was to become over the next two weeks, the bane of my existence.

After firstly, and painstakingly, locating the lever amongst the cacophony of buttons  and switches that litter the inside of 508’s cabin I sat there, car running, pushing and pulling the same button over and over for no result (I felt like Moses at the rock, for all those who know their old testament). It took me a few days to work out that the slightest touch of the accelerator automatically releases the handbrake.

Once that initial unpleasantness was behind us it was nothing but sunshine, lollypops and rainbows. The 508’s are a serious smooth drive. It is a little sluggish from takeoff and there is that slight delay when you put your foot flat to the floor (commonplace for turbo charged diesel engines) but once you get over 40km/h the 508 has some serious power.

The double wishbone suspension upfront coupled with the 18 inch alloys that the framework sits atop provides the smoothness on the road as well as very well balanced steering.

Driver comfort is paramount for large cars and noise reduction was obviously of a top priority for the designers. Driving around town you can hear almost nothing of the usually noisy diesel engine; the cabin almost feels like its air locked.

An effective Bluetooth system and leather bound seats (with the ludicrously extravagant arse-warming feature that is available in the touring model) make the 508 a truly luxurious drive.  

Engine: 3.5/5

The 508 models come in an outstanding assortment of motors starting at the 1.6 litre turbo diesel all the way through to the 2.2 litre HDi turbo diesel. The two I tested were 2.0 (sedan) and 2.2 litre (touring) variety.

The 2.0 puts out 120kw@ 3750 worth of power and 340Nm@ 2000 of torque while the touring model has 150Kw@ 3500 and healthier 450Nm@2000 of torque. The difference between the two on road however is marginal.

What is noticeable though is the huge 72 litre diesel tank that fuels the engine. Peugeots claimed consumption is 5.7/100kms and that isn’t far off. On both weeks I managed around 400kms and that only sucked half a tank of gas, so enjoy rolling past those petrol stations.

For all car manufacturers these days sustainability has become almost as important as comfort and design. While most of us couldn’t give two hoots about our car’s emission levels, governments do and the designers of the 508 did too.

Overall the car is incredibly light and with a few minor engine tweaks the design team managed to reduce their total emissions by 33%, and with the entire car having been manufactured with 85% recyclable materials those non-hair-washing-tree-huggers can kick up their shoeless feet and put down the placards.

Exterior: 4.5/5

The 508 is a states car in the making. The design is straight off a French catwalk; simple, elegant and stylish and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nicolas Sarkozy being transported around the mean streets of Paris in 508 with smoked out windows.  

The car was designed with absolutely no add ons, that means no wiper jets or extruding antennas, so the chassis is totally smooth front to back and completely symmetrical.

The LED headlights are a real winner and at night this machine looks even more bad ass, especially in black, which is the only colour you should consider buying this car in. The side mirrors, which automatically tuck in when you lock it and pop out again when you unlock it, also have a light attached underneath which give you a neat little spot light on either side of the car at night, truly handy.

Safety: 5/5

The 508 is one of the safest cars I’ve ever driven. All models come with electric stability program (ESP), electric brake pressure balance (REF), emergency brake assist (AFU), ABS and front, side and curtain airbags that all tally up for a 5 star ANCAP safety rating.

Along with all the safety acronyms the 508 also comes with one of the strictest on board safety systems I’ve ever encountered. Most of our cars will beep at us when we’re not wearing a seatbelt, and for the most part it’s tolerable for a short time, not so in the 508. After stopping in at the milk bar that is no more than 300 meters from my house I thought i'd chance my arm a drive home sans seatbelt.

50 meters in and I was in a battle of attrition with the ultra cautious 508. I was prepared for the incessant beeping so as the beeping got louder so did Skrillex coming out of the speakers. 150 meters in and the car turned the stereo down and turned the beeping up, I was determined now to make it home. 200 meters in, finish line just about in sight and I cracked harder than a newly reformed alcoholic at Oktoberfest, the car had won and I suppose commonsense prevailed.

Interior: 4/5

Plush, would be the best way to describe the leather bound interior of the Peugeot 508. This car is a seriously comfortable drive, and your passengers, even with a full car, will agree.

There is plenty of leg, head and shoulder room in the front and back seats in both the touring and sedan models and if your into family holidays that require long drives with heaps of luggage or if you‘re a low level member of the cosa nostra whose job it is to depose of the corpses of the competition, then you’ll be well impressed with the amount of boot space.

The sedan model packs an impressive 545 litres of boot space while touring edition can hold 660 litres and a whopping 1865 litres with the rear seats down, can you say “need a hand moving?”

Both models come standard with Bluetooth connectivity, USB compatibility, AUX jack and the stereo more than holds its own. In the touring version they’ve also whacked in a GPS system and one of the most unique features I’ve ever seen, a 1.62 square meter glass roof.

This feature absolutely knocked my socks off. I mean it could come in handy in any number of situations, like keeping the kids occupied on long night drives, for creating the right ‘atmosphere’ in the back seat down at your local sporting oval, or particularly if you are planning a safari at a futuristic theme park where the pre-historic animal attractions are brought back to life by a crazy, bearded scientist with a walking stick using the DNA from mosquitoes that have been preserved in amber for the last two million years.    

Overall: 4/5

The Peugeot 508 has everything you’d expect from a large family car and a little bit more but where it really separates itself from its competition is on the price. The entry level models start at $36,990* and the top of the line touring edition is priced around $52,990*, which really is heaps of car for your buck.

Throw in Peugeots capped price servicing which is $330 a year for three years or 60,000kms with free intermitted check-ups every six months or 10,000kms and that tallies up to an excellent, all-round package.

If you’re looking for something a little different that will make you stand out from the Honda parade that is the Australian roads then get down to your local Peugeot dealership, you won’t be disappointed.

* Prices are manufacturer list prices only, for the drive away price please contact your local authorised Peugeot dealer.