Peugeot 508 Fastback GT Line 1.6 PureTech 180 EAT8 auto S&S 5d Owner Review

Coming up to three years of ownership (15% discount on new, even as the model was quite new), I've been very satisfied with this car, though like any vehicle, it's not perfect. I think it looks beautiful and elegant among the jacked-up ranks of cross-overs and SUVs. The interior is striking too and I'm glad that Peugeot dared to be different. Build quality is good and there have been no squeaks or creaks, until the last month, when the centre arm rest started (to be fixed under warranty I hope). I am very comfortable with the small steering wheel and the design overall, though I would prefer manual heating controls; Apple Car Play works brilliantly. The auto-features work very well, without becoming intrusive - lane-departure assist, auto-headlamps/wipers etc. - there have been no faults with any of them. The 1.6 180 is a good choice, fairly quiet and plenty quick enough and surprisingly economical - 47mpg overall and you can easily surpass 55mpg on a motorway run. The 8 speed auto changes gear very smoothly, though since I've switched away from super-unleaded (due to exorbitant prices), it tends to change back to 2nd too soon. Despite its looks, the 508 is no sports saloon - more of a grand tourer, to eat up the miles in. The ride is very comfortable and it feels very stable and dependable at all speeds; the seats are very comfortable too. My car has adaptive suspension, which I struggle to see the point of, as it feels the same in all modes. Furthermore, sport mode is useless, as it means the gearbox hangs onto 1st and 2nd gear absurdly long, making the engine sound coarse and no-doubt hitting fuel economy. Equipment levels are high on my GT-Line model - the only thing missing from any car in the range is a warning that your screen wash is low - I don't know why Peugeots don't have this feature. Dealer experience has been quite good and service costs about average. I've had no issues at all with reliability and I'm not surprised Peugeot is close to topping the charts on this measure these days. I'm not sure what I'll replace the 508 with, the 3 series (which I came out of), doesn't look as good and is very expensive to buy and insure (my insurance premium plummeted when I changed brand), perhaps I'll hang onto the car for another year or so and consider something electric.