Peugeot 508 Review 2024

It’s a brave buyer who diverts away from the upmarket German saloons that have decimated the mainstream models. But then, that’s exactly the point of the 508, and if you’re going to be bold and different, then you might as well be noticed for it. And you’ll undoubtedly be noticed in the Peugeot 508. 

It’s a handsome car, with a rakish coupe-like profile and some really neat detailing outside, while the interior is also knock-out in relation to how it looks, even if in reality, it can be a little bit fiddly to operate. 

It’s fairly unremarkable to drive by the standards of its premium rivals: its super-light, direct steering brings some agility, but it’s not as sporting as any of those German three. And of course, if you need more space, there's the equally handsome Peugeot 508 SW estate.

The likelihood is you’ll be restricted by budget, or the monthly payment via your company car scheme, but it’s difficult to ignore the low running costs of the plug-in hybrid model, which mates a 1.6-litre petrol engine to an electric motor and battery pack. It’s available from the Allure trim upwards, and for most buyers the specification it offers will be more than satisfactory.

SUVs might be the dominant sellers these days, but there are still plenty of choices as alternatives to the Peugeot 508. You'll have lots more choice if shopping on the used car market, as many of the 508s rivals have been discontinued in the face of tricky market conditions brought on by the immense popularity of SUVs.

There's the Vauxhall Insignia and Ford Mondeo, which are both practical and good value, and we'd always highly recommend the Mazda 6 and Volkswagen Passat saloon as well. The Volvo S60 offers a slightly more premium vibe.

The Skoda Superb is one on the only mainstream rivals left that's available as a new car. The 508 however, is arguably a bit more stylish than those cars and attempts to move things upmarket, meaning it competes with the popular BMW 3 Series, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Audi A4. Don't forget the Jaguar XE, and if you really want something different, the Alfa Romeo Giulia is worth a look.

Just opening the doors hints at Peugeot’s upmarket goals with the 508. Those doors are frameless, with the glass sitting flush with the bodywork. This is a feature more common to coupes and drop-tops than a family hatchback. That impression of quality continues inside, because the 508’s cabin a visual treat, with dramatic shapes and some really nice materials and finishes.

The effect is lessened a bit with a more detailed glance, though, because in a few places, there is some evidence of lower-quality materials, notably some hard scratchy plastics on the lower door trims. Also, the ‘piano key’ controllers, which provide shortcuts to the touchscreen functions, feel a bit insubstantial to operate. Indeed, most of the controls lack the sort of assured precision and weighting that mark out the best cars in the class.

Every single 508 comes with Peugeot’s i-Cockpit, which sees a central touchscreen with those piano key shortcut buttons, as well as a digital screen taking the place of the conventional instruments. 

You might find your head craning to read the instruments behind the incredibly small, oddly-shaped steering wheel. The 12.3-inch screen is configurable, but really, the classic dials mode is the best, showing your speed in big numbers between the digital representations of a rev-counter and speedometer. 

The infotainment screen was 8.0-inches with the early entry-level Active model, and the system has 3D navigation with TomTom live updates and traffic camera zones, voice activation, DAB and a mirror screen system for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functions. 

With the Peugeot 508 Allure model upwards, that central screen becomes a 10.0-inch item, and a parking camera is added as well. The touchscreen menus do need a bit of practice due to a slightly strange layout, and the screen isn't the quickest to react. But the biggest issue is the complexity of the system, because the minimalist interior design means bundling everything into the touchscreen interface, and that makes it needlessly fiddly to use. Simple tasks like changing the temperature or fan speed for the ventilation become a long-winded, eyes-off-the-road undertaking, which isn’t just frustrating, but potentially dangerous. 

In terms of external dimensions, the Peugeot 508 measures 4750mm in length, 1859mm in width and 1403mm in height.

There are inevitably some sacrifices for style and with the 508 that’s fairly apparent in the rear seats and boot. 

The coupe-like roofline significantly impacts rear headroom (exacerbated with the panoramic sunroof) with it tight for all but the shortest of adults there, and two only – the third, middle seat is too tight to count as a proper seat for anything but the shortest of journeys. 

The small rear windows heighten the slightly claustrophobic effect, making it feel cramped – despite decent leg, if not foot, room in the back. Think small, supple kids in the rear, then, who can buckle themselves in, as getting baby seats in is pretty tricky thanks to the small door opening. 

There are a pair of Isofix child seat mounts in the rear, as well as one on the front passenger seat. The rear seats fold in a 60/40 split, the seatbacks not folding flat, but offering a respectable, and long loadspace with a maximum capacity of 1537 litres. You get a 487-litre boot with the seats up, which is on a par with cars like the Vauxhall Insignia, and, being a hatchback the space is easily accessed. 

Up front there’s plenty of cubby storage, with a deep lidded box between the seats, a further lidded recess to the left of the automatic gearlever, some door bins a shallow glovebox and a pair of deep cupholders. In the rear there are map nets on the front seatbacks, a couple of small doorbins and, from Allure up, a folding armrest with a couple of cupholders, Allure models also get a small ski hatch for longer, through loads.

Early on in its life, the 508 was offered with quite a wide range of petrol and diesel engines, the latter being more popular at the time, ad the was also a plug-in hybrid version at the top of the range.

The French have always done good diesel engines, and the BlueHDI in the 508 was no exception. The entry-level 1.5-litre turbodiesel offered 131PS, and it was fine if you’re weren't in a hurry. It was offered with a manual transmission, the only model to get one. 

The 2.0-litre diesels were punchier, with 163PS or 177PS. The 163PS was the pick, because it was a lot cheaper and hardly any slower. It was a similar story with the petrols in the range. With 181PS or 224PS, both were smooth and responsive and offered a good turn of pace, and the more powerful option offered very little advantage in the real world.

The most powerful engine was the Hybrid, which combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for a combined output of 225PS. It's a smooth and muscular powertrain, and has the potential offer really good fuel economy thanks to a fairly impressive all-electric range.

All but that entry diesel came with an eight-speed automatic, which was mostly impressive and smooth, though can get a bit flustered if you’re in any way hesitant with the accelerator.

As time went on, various engines fell off of the pricelists, and by the time the car's 2024 facelift rolled around, only two were left for mainstream versions. One was the plug-in hybrid just mentioned, while the other was a 130PS 1.2-litre turbo petrol. If you're worried that the 508 would be slow with such a small engine, then don't: it's surprisingly punchy. The Peugeot Sport Engineered version, meanwhile, got its own version of the PHEV powertrain with 360PS and four-wheel drive, but we never got the chance to try it.

Refinement is good across the line-up. The levels of wind noise remain fairly hushed, and only the roughest road surfaces result in any meaningful level of road noise. The petrol engines are a little bit quieter than their diesel relations, although the need for  higher revs does make them a bit less easy on the ear than the lower-rev torque that comes with the diesels. 

For the ultimate refinement, the plug-in Hybrid powertrain is the one to go for. It's able to cruise around really quietly on electricity alone for around 30 miles or so. When the engine does cut in, it does so relatively smoothly.

The standard safety equipment list is lengthy. You get ABS brakes with EBA (Emergency Brake Assist), Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Electronic Stability Control, a tyre inflation detector, speed limit recognition and recommendation, and a driver attention alert system. You get front passenger- and driver airbags, and thorax airbags, front- and rear curtain airbags, three Isofix child seat mounts (two rear, one for the front passenger seat) and an active bonnet. What's more, you get Advanced Automatic Emergency Braking, Distance Alert and Lane Keeping Assist with Road Edge Detection. 

Opt for the Allure trim and you also gain the Safety Plus Pack, adding Active Blind Spot Assist and an advanced driver attention detection system. Range-topping GT trim gets a Drive Assist Pack Plus, which adds ACC Stop and Go adaptive cruise control and Lane positioning assist. 

There’s an SOS Connect system on all 508s, too, which can be triggered by pressing a button, or it activates automatically when an airbag is activated, alerting emergency services with your precise location.

The Peugeot 508 was awarded the full five-star rating from Euro NCAP when it was crash-tested in 2018.

Early examples of the plug-in Hybrid had an official electric-only range of between 33-39 miles from full to flat battery. That’s enough for most commutes, though our testing reveals a real-world range of about 25 miles on electric mode alone. That's still a useful distance, and there are three modes to pick from, Eco prioritising range, Normal being best foir daily usage, and Sport focussing on performance.

Improvements over time saw the 225PS PHEV's electric-only range creep up to between 34-42 miles, while the system in the Peugeot Sport Engineered high-performance version doesn't do quite as well, with an official range of just 34 miles.

Depending on the engine-and-trim combo that you go for with your Peugeot, your car will have an insurance grouping of between 21 and 36 (of 50, 50 being the most expensive) for the mainstream versions. That means premiums won't be cheap, but they shouldn't be ruinous, either. The exception is the Peugeot Sport Engineered (previously known simply as the PSE) version, which sits in group 41.

Peugeot hasn't exactly dazzled in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index in recent years, the brand coming 24th out of the 29 carmakers involved in the latest 2023 study. That said, we've heard of very few issues affecting the Peugeot 508.

All cars built since 2017 - that means all 508s - are charged at a single flat rate for road tax, that flat rate currently standing at £190 per year, although the hybrid models will get a discount, albeit of only a tenner.

However, cars that cost more than £40,000 when brand new, including optional extras, are subject to a luxury car surcharge that's payable for a temporary five-year period between years two and six of the car's life. That surcharge currently stands at £410, making your annual tax bill much steeper during that period.

Does that effect the 508? Well, it's a cracking question. There was a time early on in the car's life when only one version of the car bust that threshold, but these days, what with rising prices for everything, there's only one version that doesn't, and there'll be a massive sliding scale in between. Our advice? When buying a 508, perform an online check with the registration mark of the particular car your considering to be sure of what you're looking at.

Early on, Peugeot 508 Active models were the entry point to the range and have 17-inch alloy wheels that look a little small in the 508’s large arches. In terms of equipment, you get dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, automatic headlights and automatic windscreen wipers. Even the basic infotainment system is decent meaning you get 3D navigation with an 8-inch touchscreen, digital instruments, voice recognition and DAB, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

The Peugeot 508 Allure models added to that list with the 10-inch high-definition touchscreen, keyless entry, front parking sensors, electric lumbar and seat base adjustment and ambient lighting. You also get extra safety kit including a 180-degree parking camera and a blind-spot detection system.

508 GT Line models looked more stylish. They got 18-inch alloy wheels and a GT Line body kit, along with LED headlights and tail lights, plus tinted windows and a wireless charging pad for your compatible smartphone. 

Peugeot 508 GT models sat at the top of the range and look just as sporty as GT Line cars, while adding autonomous driving aids, electrically adjusted driver and passenger massaging seats and a powerful Focal hi-fi system.

Later on, the regular trim levels were rationalised to include just the Allure and GT, and equipment provision was broadly similar to before. The Peugeot Sport Engineered version adds performance-enhancing kit, predictably, but also a few nice luxury goodies.