508 Gt Wagon

JAJEA

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As there is no C5 replacement /equivalent, looking at the 508 Gt.
Any thoughts /comments / knowledge on this Peugeot greatly appreciated.
John
 
I was a long-time C5 driver, having a had a three models: a 2007 C5 V6 Exclusive (hatch), a 2011 C5 X7 2.0 diesel Tourer, and lastly a 2015 C5 X7 2.0 HDi Exclusive Tourer. All great cars, especially the X7 Tourers.

With the demise of the C5 I switched to Peugeot and purchased a 508 GT Sportswagon in September 2020, almost a year ago.

I love the 508. It's a better car in every way. Compared with the C5's 2.0 litre diesel, the Peugeot's 1.6 litre turbo petrol engine with 8-speed gearbox is quiet, smooth and as the car is more than 200kg lighter, it is very quick off the mark. Handling is superb. Get onto some winding roads and it will put a smile on your face, guaranteed. The driving modes with adaptive suspension work well. Comfort mode gives you a ride much like the C5. Sport mode is the opposite, quite firm and the change it makes to the gearbox behaviour are a lot of fun.

The Peugeot 'cockpit' styling in the cabin is different to the C5 but it's another aspect I love about the car - lower and smaller steering wheel with higher-set dashboard and digital screens.

The car has been 100% reliable in its first year. Mine was purchased from Continental Cars in Sydney who I highly recommend.

About the only thing I would say is a minor negative is the rear visibility. The car has smaller frameless door windows and the glass at the back is heavily tinted, so rear vision isn't as good as the C5. You have to rely on the reversing camera and sensors more than you might have on the C5 but you get used to it.

Overall, after almost a year of ownership, I'm still really pleased with the car and love driving it. The best car I've owned.
 
Thank you Pete, I am not into SUV's, no idea what happened to the Australian motorist that has accepted the American way with the so called Sport Utility Vehicles. Nothing sporting with a 4WD even though a bit smaller than what we have always classified as a 4WD.
The "wagon" is a very useful vehicle and as our C5 has seen better days, there is not much choice than the Peugeot as I've had bad experience with the German marques.
So, the Peugeot 508 Gt wagon will be it.

PS: Surprising of the lack of other advice from others but so be it. Thank you for yours.
 
Happy to help!

I am the same as you, i.e. I didn't really want an SUV. If you can go for a test drive in a 508 you will be sold.
 
I can only add from spending a week and about 600km with a 508 GT Fastback (no experience with the Sportswagon) that it is a very good car, responsive, quick, agile yet with reasonably supple suspension. Electronics such as Active Cruise Control one of the most reposnsive I've tried. Only thing is that it is a bit small inside. Didn't bother me as I'm not tall but one occupant was just over 6ft and found the back a bit cramped.
I drive a lot of different cars and the 508 was one of the few that really impressed. I just think they are just a bit too expensive.
 
Only thing is that it is a bit small inside. Didn't bother me as I'm not tall but one occupant was just over 6ft and found the back a bit cramped.

Yes, the slope of the roof line in the fastback does mean less headroom in the rear seat. I noticed that when looking at the fastback. The upside of course is that rear visibility in the fastback is much better given it has so much glass.
 
Thank you Pete, I am not into SUV's, no idea what happened to the Australian motorist that has accepted the American way with the so called Sport Utility Vehicles. Nothing sporting with a 4WD even though a bit smaller than what we have always classified as a 4WD.
The "wagon" is a very useful vehicle and as our C5 has seen better days, there is not much choice than the Peugeot as I've had bad experience with the German marques.
So, the Peugeot 508 Gt wagon will be it.

PS: Surprising of the lack of other advice from others but so be it. Thank you for yours.
 
I can only add from spending a week and about 600km with a 508 GT Fastback (no experience with the Sportswagon) that it is a very good car, responsive, quick, agile yet with reasonably supple suspension. Electronics such as Active Cruise Control one of the most reposnsive I've tried. Only thing is that it is a bit small inside. Didn't bother me as I'm not tall but one occupant was just over 6ft and found the back a bit cramped.
I drive a lot of different cars and the 508 was one of the few that really impressed. I just think they are just a bit too expensive.
San_sagesse, head clearence not an issue with the wagon (I think) and I'd reckon that "driving" the wagon would be equivalent to the sedan within our driving environment. I'm happy that you were impressed.
As for it being "a bit too expensive", it is all relative when you see what others around us are driving and the amount of money they are paying for that driving privilege.
A Celebes Blue wagon is looking good albeit there's a bit of a wait.
John
PS: And yes, if people did the right thing and kept to the left, I'm sure that the adaptive cruise control would not be an issue. (I've heard of other reviews complaining about that very same annoying issue when the road in front is clear.)
 
Diesel pete, there are 2 reservation I'm having with the 508 GTi wagon. And these are; it comes standard with 19" wheels (I have a hypocritical problem with 19" wheels on a wagon as I've been criticising others previously and now I'm getting a wagon with 19" wheels) and no full size spare.
I'll just have live with those I'm afraid.
John
 
Diesel pete, there are 2 reservation I'm having with the 508 GTi wagon. And these are; it comes standard with 19" wheels (I have a hypocritical problem with 19" wheels on a wagon as I've been criticising others previously and now I'm getting a wagon with 19" wheels) and no full size spare.
I'll just have live with those I'm afraid.
John

Hi John. I don't really have a view about 19" wheels. It's not something I've thought about. Is your concern to do with lower profile tyres giving a harder ride? I've been happy with the ride in the 508. The adaptive suspension set to comfort gives a road feel a bit like my previous C5 X7 2015 Tourer which had 18" wheels.

I don't like the idea of a space-saver spare tyre and would much rather have a full size spare. Although I am glad there is at least a spare tyre in the 508 and the C5 Aircross that my wife drives. My wife's previous car, the C4 Grand Picasso, had no spare at all! The car came with one of those puncture repair kits. Thank God we never had to use it once in the 5 years we had the car.
 
Hi John. I don't really have a view about 19" wheels. It's not something I've thought about. Is your concern to do with lower profile tyres giving a harder ride? I've been happy with the ride in the 508. The adaptive suspension set to comfort gives a road feel a bit like my previous C5 X7 2015 Tourer which had 18" wheels.

I don't like the idea of a space-saver spare tyre and would much rather have a full size spare. Although I am glad there is at least a spare tyre in the 508 and the C5 Aircross that my wife drives. My wife's previous car, the C4 Grand Picasso, had no spare at all! The car came with one of those puncture repair kits. Thank God we never had to use it once in the 5 years we had the car.
Yes, the issue is the harsh that many complain about with low profile tyres that are generally seen on sports cars. And one friend got rid of the whole car because of that harsh ride. If that was to be the case with the 508, I would not hesitate to seek other wheels.

As for no full size spare, agreed, at least it has a spare.

Lets hope that Macron does not get nasty and stop sending Peugeots over. It's not on a ship yet according to Inchcape.
 
I have a 508 Gt 2015 with 19” wheels
I would agree that there is a trade off with ride compared to what I’ve experienced in non GT 508s of similar era.
It’s all relative though, as the ride in my Pug with 19” rims is still better (and quieter) than what I got from my Audi with 18” rims.
I will say that the ride in my 2020 508GT is far superior to my 2015 GT. I would rate the current GT ride comfort as exceptional for the segment.
The big issue with the 19” rims is the price of decent tyres. Michelins will set you back $350. + each.
 
Glen, you reminded me, our first A4 1.8T Quattro had a very odd size 17" (?) wheel with tyres costing $400+ (each) because of the speed rating I believe. That was a bit of a shock at the time.
There should be an abundance of 19" tyres by now that should bring the price down and a greater choice even though I too prefer Michelin. Nevertheless, at that price one would need to diligently check tyre pressures (tyre pressure monitoring standard on GTi ?) and rotate wheels even though not having a full size spare stuffs things up a bit.
The GTi sedan has 18" wheels and it may be possible to find a sedan owner that's willing to swap - maybe.
Nevertheless, pretty sure we have accepted the 19" wheels on a "wagon" and the temporary spare and will worry about drive harshness as soon as lockdown is over. Sure that will occur before Peugeot arrives.
John
 
John, yes you’re right with there being a reasonable choice of 19” tyres other than Michelin. I found a certain level of reluctance from several tyre fitters to fit other brands, as there was always a slight difference in spec (speed rating; width to side wall ratio etc.).
I did put continentals on my earlier 2012 508 GTI, and whilst the width/sidewall ratio was slightly different they worked brilliantly.
Personally I quite like the 19” wheels on the GTI as it helps make up the whole driving dynamic.
Interesting about your Audi experience, tyre cost for me with Audi was just one of the insane expenses I suffered with Audi. Was happy to return to Peugeot 😊
 
John, yes you’re right with there being a reasonable choice of 19” tyres other than Michelin. I found a certain level of reluctance from several tyre fitters to fit other brands, as there was always a slight difference in spec (speed rating; width to side wall ratio etc.).
I did put continentals on my earlier 2012 508 GTI, and whilst the width/sidewall ratio was slightly different they worked brilliantly.
Personally I quite like the 19” wheels on the GTI as it helps make up the whole driving dynamic.
Interesting about your Audi experience, tyre cost for me with Audi was just one of the insane expenses I suffered with Audi. Was happy to return to Peugeot 😊
Glen, we still have the 2nd Audi. 6 Speed manual, 140kW's from the 1.8l motor - how could we get rid of it, considering that the wife prefers it to the "reluctant car"; it was her that named the C5 that because it "just does not want to go". Nevertheless, I'm very impressed with Peugeot achieving 165kW's from a 1.6 l motor.
So, look forward to its arrival albeit with 19" wheels and no full size spare.
Best regards,
John
PS: And by the way, the 1st Audi had 16" wheels (I've checked the current Audi and it has 17" - 2354517 V97. Makes sense as to why I had a problem previously to expect 16" wheels on a high performance motor car. Tyres had to come fromr NSW's.
 
My thanks to the contributors to this discussion, especially on relation to wheel/tyre size. I went through the same question when I acquired my C5 which came with 19 inch wheels. The ride was quite acceptable however the black background on them made them look
like a similar Commodore wheel. I ended up buying a set of 18 inch wheels from a Sydney wrecker which have done a good job since shod with Pilot Sport 4’s.

Regarding the performance of the latest Pug 508, it appears to be amazing for its size, just as the Puretech 1.2. There must be a downside to this outstanding output. Maybe they both blow up “at midnight” just as the princess turns into a witch.

If the latest 508 drives like the latest 308 then it must be a fun car. Yes, the C5 2.2 drives very leisurely ……until you stick the boot in (figuratively speaking). I think it comes down in part to accelerator pedal characteristics, set up by the manufacturer to achieve better fuel consumption no doubt. I have to resort to the DS4 with the latest 2 litre Diesel engine to have a fang.
 
John, I have a 508GT wagon which replaced a C5 Wagon a year ago from Continental in Roselands. I've done 40,000km and covered a range of roads including many trips from the NSW South Coast to the Snowies on a mix of back roads, including dirt. My C5 ate up these trips swiftly and smoothly. I was a little worried the 508 wouldn't offer the same experience but I was so wrong! It's fantastic. Smooth, quiet and really comfortable and when you want to push on it really delivers. No issues with mine - just replaced front tyres (Michelin Pilot Sport 4's) and have a battery due on warranty as the one in it doesn't like the stop start function which I don't care for anyway. Interestingly on the open road it's using same level of fuel my diesel C5 did (mind you 98RON is more expensive than diesel). I loved my C5 and still turn around to look at one as the design is just so well resolved but the 508GT is a whole other league. It's really a spectacular looking car and gets comments from folk wherever it goes. Once you get used to ducking your head to get in (it's very very low...) you'll never look back...actually it's best not to look back because, as another writer said here.....you can't see much!!
 
John, also forgot to mention that, to my knowledge, the 508GT comes standard with 18" wheels. Mine has the 18"s and they look great and have enough sidewall for my typical driving. The 19"s look great but not for me. The car strikes a perfect balance of handling and ride on the 18"s - especially for rural Australia.
 
My thanks to the contributors to this discussion, especially on relation to wheel/tyre size. I went through the same question when I acquired my C5 which came with 19 inch wheels. The ride was quite acceptable however the black background on them made them look
like a similar Commodore wheel. I ended up buying a set of 18 inch wheels from a Sydney wrecker which have done a good job since shod with Pilot Sport 4’s.

Regarding the performance of the latest Pug 508, it appears to be amazing for its size, just as the Puretech 1.2. There must be a downside to this outstanding output. Maybe they both blow up “at midnight” just as the princess turns into a witch.

If the latest 508 drives like the latest 308 then it must be a fun car. Yes, the C5 2.2 drives very leisurely ……until you stick the boot in (figuratively speaking). I think it comes down in part to accelerator pedal characteristics, set up by the manufacturer to achieve better fuel consumption no doubt. I have to resort to the DS4 with the latest 2 litre Diesel engine to have a fang.
Ceenine, thank you for your response. I concur that the C5 is the best, pity Citroen have dropped it - maybe PSA are out to convert C5 lovers to the 508 Gti. If one is not into 4WD's or SUV's, there is not much choice if one has an oversion to German cars.
As for the adoption of 19" wheels on the C5 wagon, I've been critical of people complaining about the rough/harsh ride without realizing that they had no choice; they came with the car they wanted. I apologize for my ignorance.
The latest 508 GTi wagon comes with 19" wheels as standard. We were not prepared to wait for a "tailor made" 508 GTi and hence will accept the off the shelf item when it arrives. Nevertheless, we'll suck it and see how the 508GTi wagon suspension has been set with the 19" wheels.
As for the power plant, we no longer have the need for daily high mileages which was fantastic with the C5 giving 1100 + kms per tank from the 2l HDi, so quite happy with the cleaner 1600cc 165kW petrol engine with the premium fuel notwithstanding we've been used to premium fuel with the Audi.
Ceenine, I like the analogy of it dying at midnight but unlike the C5 when you are often required to floor it to get it to move, with 165kWs under the bonnet, I don't believe that that will be the case with the Peugeot 508 GTi.
John
 
Mada still sell the 6 wagon - by all accounts a very slick bit of kit.
 
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