Peugeot 508 RXH 2012-2017 review

There's plenty of room in the back and the boot is a good shape, though, even if rear legroom and boot capacity falls short of what you'd get in plenty of rivals, including the Skoda Superb estate and Subaru Outback.

On the equipment front, Peugeot has kept it simple with only one trim level to choose from - RXH, which equips the car with 18in alloy wheels, a panoramic glass roof, satin roof rails and a rugged bodykit, alongside technology such as parking sensors, heated door mirrors, electric windows, adaptive LED headlights, and keyless start and entry. Inside there is cruise control, dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, head-up display and Peugeot's 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system complete with DAB radio, reversing camera, sat nav, Bluetooth and USB connectivity.

The way the diesel RXH drives is more of a letdown. It's absolutely fine in normal use, but it's no more than fine. Its auto 'box is pretty sluggish, and even under moderate acceleration or on an incline, it sometimes decides to change down when you don't expect it to.

The engine stop-start system is similarly unintuitive, as it's quite slow to fire up the engine and can make quick getaways jerky and unpredictable. Throw in some damp roads and you can add a liberal dose of wheelspin for a really scrappy start, too.

Still, once you're underway, the gearbox is smooth enough most of the time and keeps the engine in its torquey comfort zone.

The steering feels quite artificial and doesn't offer much joy if you want to tackle your favourite country road, but it's well-weighted and predictable, so adds to the easy-going character and makes it easy to pilot the 508 precisely.

You're probably not going to be too bothered about that country road anyway since the 508 RXH is not the keenest through corners. Body roll is actually quite progressive and not too intrusive, so you don't get the exaggerated wallow and pitch of some soft, jacked-up estates.

There's little communication through the controls, however, and the understeer-oriented chassis ensures that any potentially spirited drives will be quite underwhelming.