Peugeot 508 SW SR 2.0 HDi FAP Auto 5dr Car Review - March 2012

The Peugeot 508 SW's 2.0-litre engine develops 163bhp and 251lb-ft of torque. This allows it to accelerate from 0-62 mph in 9.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 138 mph.

The 508 is great to drive although the suspension is a little firm. However, the ride is incredibly refined with very little noise from the engine, wind or road, even at speed.

This is quite a comfortable car, with adjustable seats and steering making it easy to find a comfortable driving position. All the controls are well-placed, simple to use and easy to reach.

Peugeot have really gone to town on the styling of the 508 SW and the car is a million miles ahead of its predecessor, the old 407. The cabin is also superb - Peugeot really seem to be upping their game in the quality stakes - and the standard of the interior plastics is nearly a match for the Peugeot's German rivals.

You also get a decent amount of equipment with alloys, climate control, electric windows and mirrors, cruise control, Sat-Nav, Bluetooth and an CD player with MP3 connectivity all fitted as standard. However, parking sensors are a £255 option and leather seats are unavailable altogether, which is disappointing.

The 508 is very spacious and has a good amount of interior space for passengers. With the rear seats up you get a decent 512-litres of boot space and with the rear seats down you get 1598-litres.

Peugeot's repuation for reliability is very poor and the 508's predecessor - the 407 - did very badly in the J D Power Survey. However, the new 508 feels like a big improvement over the old car. Only time will tell if there has been an improvement in reliability.

Peugeot are clearly confident in their new car and, as such, the 508 SW SR 2.0 HDi FAP Auto is priced to compete with the big boys - the Mondeo Estate and the Insignia Tourer. It is not expensive at £23,875 but nor is it especially cheap. Depreciation will also be steep as big French cars do not tend to hold their value well.

The 508 SW will return 49.6mpg (combined) which is good, but the manual version will hit 58.9mpg, making it a much better bet. CO2 emissions of 149g/km mean low road tax costs under VED band D and group 28 insurance is reasonable.