The facelifted Peugeot 508 SW makes a case for itself as a tow car, although as an all-rounder it trails the best family estates in several ways.
With a caravan on the back, though, there are few complaints. The 148bhp engine is comfortable pulling a mid-sized caravan, accelerating from 30-60mph in 13.1 seconds. It’s stable on the way up to speed and on the way back, too, with the Al-Ko ATC sensors picking up very little movement from the caravan.
The Peugeot put in a solid shift in the lane-change test, too. Pronounced body roll aside, the whole manoeuvre was refreshingly undramatic, even on the third and fastest run.
In the hill-start test, the 508 SW benefited from having an electronic parking brake. It held car and caravan still and released smoothly. However, after tackling the slope in first gear and briefly reversing uphill, there was a hot smell from the clutch.
As an everyday drive, though, the Peugeot 508 SW isn’t as refined, quiet or smooth-riding as the best family estate cars. It’s not the roomiest car of its kind, either. Rear legroom doesn’t match that of its best rivals such as the Volkswagen Passat Estate. What’s more, the 512-litre boot capacity is actually smaller than that of its little brother, the 308 SW.
The efficient engine should keep fuel bills low, achieving 72.4mpg on the combined cycle. However, future resale values aren’t that strong, so be sure to haggle a generous discount on the asking price.