Peugeot 308 SW

Arguably a better proposition than the odd-looking and less practical boggo 308, the Peugeot 308 SW somehow looks right, and there’s masses of space and/or a seven seat option to swing in its favour.

• Comfort

  Although more stiffly sprung and slightly less cosseting than the best of its European rivals, the 308 does a reasonable job here. Diesel engines help, making for refined and lazy distance driving.

  

• Performance

  The default choice with non-sporty Peugeots is one of the brand's undeniably solid diesel engines. The fairly bulky 308 wants the 2.0-litre HDi, a lump that's both torquey enough to feel quite quick, but smooth and refined enough to be easy to live with.

  

• Cool

  The 308 SW leaves us fairly cold, but with its superior styling and concession towards practicality over performance, it's emphatically cooler than the standard 308.

  

• Quality

  The 307 which this car replaces had a terrible reputation for quality and reliability, and while the 308 does appear to have redressed much of this in terms of hands on cabin quality, there's still room for scepticism. Watch and wait...

  

• Handling

  The inherent softness of the 308 in faster corners is less of a let down in the SW, if only for the reason that you expect less of a car with load bearing abilities clearly at the fore.

  

• Practicality

  A vast load space (especially in comparison with the under-achieving regulation 308) and the option of a third row of very occasional rear seats, means the 308 SW is pretty damn practical.

  

• Running costs

  Decent economy and low tax is guaranteed if you plump for a diesel, but residuals will be poor. The 308 is no cheaper than its superior mainstream rivals, but will probably fair rather worse over time.