Positive review for new 508 hatchback

Love the look of these. If we ever need to get a bigger family car (to replace the 308 GTi) it'll definitely be high on the list. Huge pity they're auto only though.
 
I wouldn’t worry about the latter 1.6 JV engines. FWIRC the chain was strengthened long ago.


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It's not a positive review in my books. A lower stance, an awkward back seat entry, no diesel option, a misbehaving auto that remains in lower gears too long, no manual option, sorry, I can't see what there is to like. I won't be hanging out for when they get cheap enough on the secondhand market, which is the only way I ever buy cars anyway and from new car buyers perspective it seems a bit underpowered as well for a GT these days.
Not sure what the guy meant by 'It's not a real Peugeot' either. It doesn't look so much better styled than several predecessors. Maybe they cut the door linings better so they don't fall out after 5 years, maybe there's less plastic but I doubt it. It's still totally full of stupid modern technology that will [probably] go wrong as well. But that's life these days. I wonder when some sensible car maker will produce something with really simple electronics again. Never I suspect. Not until planned obsolescence becomes obsolete.
 
"Simple" engine management would take us back to 20 or less mpg (14 L/100 km) and lots more pollution.

One modern development you didn't mention, that always worries me, is the reliance on a touch screen to operate controls. I can see the cost of these putting not-so-older cars off the road. It wouldn't matter if it were only a radio or satnav (I use neither anyway).
 
I can see the good side of intelligent engine management, I mean I love the HDI which obviously requires computer management to make it so amazing.
However I am thinking more about the way they integrate everything so you can't swap anything on the car without the dreaded computer reset. If the clever stuff were confined to the engine and perhaps the ignition key for security why couldn't they leave all the other stuff as good old analogue manual window winders, manual windscreen wipers, none of this other stuff with door locks and towbars and so much other frippery and certainly no touch screens . I realize that the throttle must be wireless to achieve clever metering but having the whole thing on a centralized optic fibre cable and all is just planned obsolescence where if the mill were able to be extracted as one unit with it's computer to match or better still able to be easily retuned to any computer for that model without secret white mens business and the rest just ran on good old fashioned wires I really think that would make a friendly car that could be kept going for a longer time and recycled much more easily as well.
 
seasink said:
One modern development you didn't mention, that always worries me, is the reliance on a touch screen to operate controls. I can see the cost of these putting not-so-older cars off the road. It wouldn't matter if it were only a radio or satnav (I use neither anyway).
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Its ever more integration, no more after market radios to update when technology changes. This didn't happen in a single step as most centre consoles were just buttons into a computer for a while now. Often faults are unfixable and you have to replace the whole assembly. Another problem specific to touch screens is their need for visual feedback. If you knew the layout of a cars HVAC controls well enough it was possible to adjust them while keeping your eyes on the road, much harder with a touch screen.
 
It’s what people want as much as people want to say otherwise they want this crap agreed the most reliable car ever in Australia was the late Daihatsu charades with nothing but a engine computer and a radio but what happened the market decided and they are gone the Renault Logan was probably the exception to the rule ( built to send to cheap markets ) but the tight Frenchies wanted them for themselves.


Garage C5 X7 3008 XTE
Gone but not forgotten 206 GTI 180 306 XR SED 405 MI16 x2 505 GR xzara VTS 406 SV 206 XT Berlingo 2011 (best car ever) 306 HDI 307 XSE HDI touring
Fix it right the first time
 
The basic 121kw engine driving through the Japanese 6 speed auto in a fairly large but intelligently light C4 Picasso can give remarkable economy if driven for that outcome. The coming 8 speed will be even better.
I wonder if the criticism of the auto was down to needing to ‘learn’ the drivers behaviour. Journalists probably believe in ‘driving like you stole
it’ so staying in a low gear would be reasonable I guess.


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