508

[rwb]

So this happened.



So: thought you might like to know that it's a much more worthy successor to the 406 than is the 407. The 407 would make more sense baged as a Citroen it's so strange. (Although I do like a big strange French car.)

The build and materials on the 508 are also a lot better -- frankly the 407 is embarrassing. Otherwise I'm still in the 407 and very happy there. (Although all the rubber in all the suspension is kackered and it's started signalling that it would like a third flywheel.)

I had intimated that there might be, say £1500, to spend on something fun like a v6 407, and thus I was coerced into spending £4500 on swapping the bastard 307 from hell. A good outcome, but it's dry bread and pull it for the forseeable for me.

I thought the arrangement was that I'd take it out once in a while in order to keep the DPF clean, but I have since been forbidden from using it. Have had to 'upgrade' from pp2k to diabox in order to monitor the DPF. Have found that a regen triggers at 71% soot load rather than the 67% on the 407. It had got up to 65% so I took it up the motorway yesrerday evening to do a regen -- which it did -- and I hardly noticed it. Very different to the 407 that goes down on power, growls, and drinks diesel. They'd obviously improved the system on the 407 a lot since their experiment on the 406, and I guess it's all moved on again. Excaust hit 560 degrees compared to 500 on the 407.

This 508 is an "SR" which, it tunrs out, means "poverty spec". No: auto wipers, auto lights, puddle lights, folding mirrors, parking sensors all of which the 407 has, and even the 307 had. The overtly plastic steering wheel is really horrid, not being circular feels awkward, and I'm not a fan of buttons on the steering wheel because they move so you don't know where they are. They're also more difficult to use compared to the two stubby stalks (3 buttons on 2 hands to turn on the cruise compared to flicking the thumbwheel and one button).

The engine is the 2.0 140. It's astonishingly efficient (although swmbo still manages under 40 on the supermarket run where I do 60). It also feels really slow compared to the 407 (2.2 170). If (like I used to) you drive a HDi 90 then you'll be right at home: nothing until 1800 and out of puff at 3000.

[Doggy]

Interesting. I've looked at 508's particularly estates as well and am frankly baffled by PSA marketing logic which originally dictated that manual estates only came in poverty spec with 2 versions the 1.6 timebomb "engine". They later relented to permit a mid-spec 2.0, but no hope of a top spec 2.2 manual - if they did I'd have one for certain.

It's a shame - the 508 otherwise ticks most boxes, it's a proper estate and looks and feels like a newer, better 406 should.

[jasper5]

The 508 we have is an "Active" model which is quite a high spec with all the bits you need, except leather seats, although steering wheel is leather.
It has 163 bhp with 6 speed gearbox and has lots of power and great fuel consumption.
It handles great and is totally reliable...touching wood, I have had zero faults in almost 4 years of ownership (October)
If you want the power and comfort then the 163 bhp model is the one.
The front suspension is conventional Macpherson with bolt on ball joints...rear suspension is similar to the 407.
Servicing is very simple though you need a 27mm spanner to change the oil filter, preferably a short one though my own 27mm fits nicely...in the Ford Kuga you need a very short spanner as there is little room.

[rwb]

I believe the trim levels are:
Access, SR, Active, Allure, GT.

and that the GT has the double wishbone front suspension from the 407.

The 2.2 HDi is only available with slushmatic and there is a technote about an engine oil leak.

I see there's also a new "blueHDi" 150 that takes AdBlue.

I noticed our 140 doesn't have the intercooler bypass -- so the air doser is a single butterfly (same on my 407).
The oil is disgusting -- and it has a service stamp every 20k to explain why. Done two oil changes but it still goes black immediately. Sam suggested using a wagon oil that has better detergents.

[Welly]

Another fan of the 508 here

Is depreciation the same sorry state its always been with large french barges? this wouldn't matter so much if the purchase price was lower; in fact that's what got me into my 406 exec, I was looking at VW Passats and saw I could get a much newer/better car for the same dollar in the Peugeots.....

[rwb]

Now up for sale. Grab yourself a 508!
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified ... on=at_cars

[Welly]

Seems like a little gem of a car, functioning well and very economical

The advert states the owner died? I am confused as I thought this was rwb's car?

[GingerMagic]

The car belonged to RWBs partner, who sadly passed away after a relatively short battle with cancer, about a month ago..
At least we all know it's a well looked after car.

[Welly]

Please accept my condolences rwb, I was unaware, that is genuinely sad to hear.

I hope the sale of the car goes ok, certainly priced to attract a buyer and hope it goes to someone who will continue to look after it well.

Best wishes in the meantime.

[trufflehunt]

Condolences to you rwb.

[rwb]

Ta
It's been five weeks and I'm still a mess.

New MOT on it today. Price reduced.

[rwb]

It hadn't moved for three weeks and I've always been convinced that the worst thing you can do with a car is not use it, so I've gassed it up (£90) and it'll be doing about 550 miles over the next three days.

[steve_earwig]

They most certainly don't like it, it's what killed the HP pump on my D9 (or it could have been the crap fuel...)

My sincere condolences for your loss, you have every right to be a mess for as long as it takes.

Apologies for the delay, I wasn't sure if you wanted to keep your feelings private, I know grief does different things to different people. I tend to use this site as a bit of a support group because they're all a great bunch of chaps and I don't have many other people to talk to, apart from my other half (who tbh is a jewel) and my bro and sis in law, who really do have enough problems of their own.

[rwb]

Prepare to be bored:

Trip computer says 97.2mpg over 300 miles yesterday. The 407 (2.2 HDi 170 (Bosch)) usually does about 60mpg driven the same way (slowly) on the same journey.

It's the 2.0 HDi 140 (Delphi) and it feels a lot like driving my 406 HDi 90: nothing until 1800 and out of puff at 3000.
The quality of the build and materials on the 407 is a bit embarrassing by comparrisson.

The DPF regen is almost unnoticeable, it's obviously evolved a lot even compared to the 407 which is kind of livable with unlike the calamitous experiment performed on the 406.

On the motorway the DPF fills at a rate of (407: 15%) (508: 30%) soot per 100 miles.
A regen is triggered when the soot counter reaches (407: 65%) (508: 70%) and takes about (407: 10) (508: 8 ) minutes.
I guess the DPF on the 407 is bigger.
It appears that the regen ends when the soot counter reaches (407: 67%) (508: 72%).
During a regen the exhaust temperature reaches (407: 500) (508: 600) degrees.

[steve_earwig]

Nice to know Pug's build quality is improving. I must admit I didn't look closely at the 407sw they had in the dealer's when they came out, I only got as far as opening the boot

I thought the regen happened quite infrequently but, if I'm reading that right, they actually happen a few times for every tankful? And that's motorway miles, trips to the shops etc. must be even worse. I certainly couldn't be having with one of those