Peugeot 607

The Peugeot 607 is the elder statesman of the fleet, and is due for retirement. It’s vast, expensive and reasonably luxurious, but in this day and age if you find someone prepared to spend their own money on one he ought to be locked up for his own safety.

• Comfort

  It rides very well this thing, as you'd bloody well hope, and with a big diesel burbling up front is a surprisingly luxurious package for something so, er, French.

   

  

• Performance

  The 3.0-litre V6 petrol unit does hussle the massive 607 along rather better than the 2.2 diesel, but the torque and frugality of the latter make it a better choice. This car is, after all, about calm and stately progress first and foremost.

  

• Cool

  We're not sure what alternate universe the 607 might be cool in, but it'd probably be the same one in which it was also fast, agile and a bargain.

  

• Quality

   Not as bad as some older Peugeots, but the 607 isn't up there with the best of the 21st Century's executive saloons. Actually, it's not up there with the average ones either.

  

• Handling

   The point of a 607 is to sit in the back doing some paperwork or interfering with your PA. As a driver you are in for a lot of dynamic disappointment and probably a fair bit of nausea.

  

• Practicality

  Oddly, despite its seemingly vast dimensions, the 607 isn't terribly large either up front or in the all-important rear. The boot is a decent 500-litres, but it's not a family car is it?

  

• Running costs

  Like with almost all Peugeots, you can expect to fare well from the strong diesel options, but the depreciation on a highly specced V6 petrol version of this could cause another credit crunch.