In-depth reviews

Peugeot 508 SW estate (2011-2018): owner reviews

"The Peugeot 508 SW is a comfortable and well-equipped estate car, but its rivals offer bigger boots and better value"

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by Richard Ingram

4 May 2016

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Carbuyer Rating

3.4 out of 5

Owners Rating

3.6 out of 5

Reviews

Owner Reviews

5 out of 5
4 out of 5
3 out of 5
2 out of 5
1 out of 5

68%of people would recommend this car to a friend

Common Problems

Electrics, Suspension (1 case)
Electrics, Engine, Gearbox / clutch (1 case)
Engine, Gearbox / clutch (1 case)
Electrics, Engine, Other (1 case)
Gearbox / clutch (1 case)
Other (1 case)
Electrics (1 case)

Review 1 of 22

Tell us what you think about your car?

Not perfect but at 35% of price when new it's a real bargain. Huge improvement in quality all round from 407. Lack of storage space is irritating, load space is great, performance from 200bhp is great, mpg very good for the weight & performance. Long trips will produce up to 52mpg. Proper auto box works very well & paddle shift useful when you can prepare to overtake for example. Electric power steering a bit odd to start with. All the goodies you need including electric memory heated seats with massage all in soft leather. What's gone wrong? One keyless door lock, one rear shock absorber [you have to replace both sides]. 38k miles so far.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Bought the first car off the lot when these first came out. Aside from a few niggly finish issues (cup holders in wrong place, silly glove box, side pillar a bit too big) the cars performance is exemplary. Glad I got the 2.0 L 163 bhp as it has plenty of get up and go, however I would have paid more and got the Allure model if I did it all over, I love the extra gadgets and the Active where nice is lacking the extra finesse the Allure offers.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Get me out of it! Bought the car in april 2014 just 2 years old and initially fell head over heels in love with the looks, fuel economy etc, but it took two weeks to change that gearbox became clunky so sent it back to the dealer. Gearbox update was just the start. The eco stop-start failed and the car went into the dealer for injectors, new battery, new this and that, plus a gearbox repair all over a period of three months! They fixed it — or so I thought before it just started playing up AGAIN but this time with bells and whistles so it looks likely too be in dock for another 3/4 weeks. Never again!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

I still don't understand all VW and Ford lovers. If there is a brand delivering quality and good design in a reasonable price - that is Peugeot. I have my 508 estate for soon 7 years. The car is still good looking, up to date as design and Comfort. I'm very happy with all the buttons and Controls. Everything works fine. I'm living in Norway and that is my 3rd Peugeot. The car is very stable on snow and ice and on Winter roads I feel sure in it.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Loved the car when I first bought it, it was cheap, economical, good boot etc etc. However about 10 weeks ago I started to have issues. First off all it was a lumpy grumble at low revs even in neutral. Took to mechanic who diagnosed a faulty injector, shortly after I started to have issues with not being able to select a gear on occasions. Took to mechanic who changed transmission fluid, but still no better. Then one day the car let out a bang with an error message of Gearbox Fault, Seek Repair. Took car to Peugeot dealer who diagnosed a clutch actuator fault and said it would need replaced. £1500. After this the gearbox was still not working, after various checks at a cost of about £450 they diagnosed that the clutch assembly was very badly damaged and recommended complete replacement of the clutch at a cost of £1000. All in roughly £3000 with the car being off the road for nearly 10 weeks. Disaster! with a shocking response from Peugeot directly who washed their hands of it. I know clutches can go on any car, but the eye watering cost of repairing a clutch in this car does not make up for savings in MPG, sorry Peugeot!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Would not recommend to any one to buy a Peugeot SW 1.6 (120). Problems started after 8 weeks when the electric mirrors would not open when you entered the car, mirror had to be replaced, next back door handle would not lock the car had to be replaced. 4 times now the car has lost power whilst driving and at the same time the whole car vibrates. The car has been in the garage 4 times and still no solution. The best MPG I can get is 48 MPG and not the 67 MPG as suggested by Peugeot. I would not recommend this car to anyone who is looking for reliability and peace of mind whilst driving.Extremely Dissapoiting car and absolutely no response from Peugeot in Ireland .

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very comfortable high spec vehicle, having moved from a 2007 Mondeo estate. Plenty of room for loads of outdoor sports gear. Initially unsure of the tiptronic gearbox, but provides for flexibility in driving style and reasonable return on mpg. Came with full leather, nav, bluetooth phone, heated seats and fantastic full length glass roof. Only gripe is lack of cubby holes for small items in the drivers cabin - but then i only fill with them with rubbish!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Never misses a beat even 4 hours continuous driving

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

I really liked this car at first. Then an intermittent fault occurred with the gearbox. Turns out there's a common fault with these semi-auto gearboxes that Peugeot know about. Mine has done 70K miles and needs a completely new gearbox at £2200 for the job at my local dealership. My car has a full service history and has been well looked after. The fault is with the actuator and flywheel. The actuator is a magnetic sensor that is attracting the particles of 'red rust' that are forming as the flywheel degrades. Because of that the whole gearbox needs replacing... after 70 000 miles, it's an absolute joke. I won't be buying a Peugeot nor an automatic car ever again.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

This is the second 508 SW GT that I have had, both being a great drive. 2.2 ltr 200+ BHP. Lots of grunt very happy at 70MPH ON THE MOTORWAY will go all day. One minor problem, is with the rear door dripping water, but once you know it's very easy to remedy. Other wise I cannot think of any other problem. The

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

That 2.2HDi is really powerful (in manual). Using the paddles and keeping the turbo spooled, you can really fly, first class. It’s just the gearbox…. I guess it’s more software related than anything else.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

some issues with sat nav reset when first started

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

We bought the 508 with 5000 miles on the clock and paid £10k less than new price for a car in "as new" condition. The main dealer was excellent – just felt more upmarket when compared to Vauxhall garage where we purchased my wife's car in the same week. We Looked at every estate going as I had no pre determined estate in mind just wanted to change my I40 estate. I'm not a badge snob – more into value for money and I never believe all the hype from the motoring press. I have my own mind and prefer to use it. My shortlist was Audi A6, Mondeo Vignale and the 508 GT which I only saw by chance when I popped into a peugeot garage. Boy was I surprised on the quality, spec and overall ambience of the GT. Still early days yet but I thought I would start off with a initial review. It's a great looking car with fantastic performance from the 2 litre engine, lots of toys to play with – most people are so impressed with the panoramic roof. The massage drivers seat may be a gimmick but will come in handy on my 8 hour drives to Scotland. Summing up after only a couple of weeks it gets a very impressive thumbs up from me and so does the Peugeot dealership. I will update again after 6 months with the car.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very stylish, roomy and very good quality family car. The engine is very refined and economical for a petrol engine, though it has a lot of power to pull the heavy wagon, the automatic gearbox is generally ok and the brakes very good. The handling is not very exciting and the ride a bit firm, but both improve when you get rid of the horrible Michelin Primacy HP tyres. The car is surprisingly capable in the snow when winter tyres are fitted. A few of the buttons on the dash lay in a position that only a French engineer could think of, like the esp button which is in the glove box, but you can get over such minor issues, especially if you get the car with a great discount. The cup holders are also rubbish but I prefer drinking my coffee in a cafe and not while I am driving. The car so far was 100% reliable.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Bought this car from a main dealer at 3 years old with 1 owner and 35,000 miles on the clock for £9,600 with warranty. Touch wood, after 15,000 miles it has not missed a beat, the only issues i have with the car is the stupid glove box that you would struggle to get a pair of gloves in and the door pockets you need to be double jointed to get to reach into the rear of them. Bad bad design - also the rear luggage cover tends to retract when you hit a hard bump, as for fuel economy it is good - I put between £50 to £60 in a fortnight I have a 40 mile trip to work and back, plus I use at work for site visits plus I travel to London and back every two weeks and I do drive it hard. I average about 400 miles a week. My other car is a Saab 2.0 turbo. I love this car - it has soul but the 508 doesn't, but it's practical. My previous every day car was a Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium - worst car I have ever owned and will never have a Ford again.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Can't fault this car in any way - owned for 12 months and I love it and hope to have it for many more years.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very Happy with the purchase, 2nd hand so cheap deal for a quality car. + Nice looking car for an estate. Panoramic sunroof is a real bonus. All controls and gadgets you would expect. Very economical for a large and heavy car (averaging about 57mpg). Good load width and length, height OK but nowhere near an MPV. - Pillar on side behind front door is quite wide so makes a bigger blind spot than usual - am buying the small round mirrors to improve visibility. Roof bars only fit one position and are quite close, so can't adjust for a longer load on the roof.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

no problems with the car

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I had this as a long term hire and although it comes well equipped I hated every minute of this car. It has to be one of the most uncomfortable cats I have ever driven and no amount of fiddling with the seat could change this. After a short while I worked out that it was the pedal placement which caused me to be slightly twisted in my seat and I could never get directly behind the pedals. How difficult can it be to put the pedals in the right place. Other annoying things. The tailgate is plastic so a magnetic GB sticker wouldn't attach and the roof rails are non standard so roof bars don't fit and if you want to buy into a thule system the foot plates are special order only. The cargo carying area may be technicality large but the angle of the tailgate means a lot of practical space is wasted unless you're going to carry lots of polystyrene peanuts. Glove compartment is a ridiculous shape and virtually useless.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Probably one of the best value estates of this size and build quality. Quite uncommon on the roads. Feels very solid on the road, occasional knocking noises from rear suspension but somehow they don't cause concern. Boot lid does drip water into boot when opened, so stand clear for a few seconds. Excellent quality Audio system. Lots of buttons/switches to play with, takes some getting used to though. Tyre life seems incredible, barely half worn on front after 20000 miles. Rears not noticeably worn much in that time. Fuel consumption is fantastic for such a large car, touching 70mpg on average on a long run to Scotland at 65-70mph. Tax very cheap at £30. Looks great from most angles. A little under powered sometimes, need to drop down a gear to overtake. Could do with a 6th gear. Auto wipers only good on motorways, otherwise not sensitive enough at lower speeds and overly wiping dry screen. Desperately missing and needs reversing sensors though, it is a large car and needs to be tightly parked in spaces to avoid protruding. Glass panoramic roof is nice, except in very strong sunshine when it makes the car like a greenhouse. Would definitely buy another, but probably the Allure spec. and probably a 2.0 HDi or bigger engine.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

no problems yet

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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