Used Peugeot 508 Buying Guide
The second-generation 508 (2019-2025) was the car that made Peugeot desirable again: a low, frameless-doored fastback and gorgeous SW estate that fought Passats and 3 Series on style. Discontinued as saloons faded from fashion, it’s now a used-market sleeper — lots of car, striking looks, soft prices.
Engines and trims
PureTech 130/180 petrols and BlueHDi 130/160 diesels covered the range, with Hybrid 225 plug-ins joining and the 355bhp Peugeot Sport Engineered (PSE) topping it as a four-wheel-drive performance hybrid flagship. The BlueHDi 130 is the mile-eater; the Hybrid 225 the company-car escapee that suits home-chargers. Allure and GT trims split the range, with GT’s kit and stance matching the car’s character. The SW estate carries the practical vote.
What to check before buying
The 1.2 PureTech petrol’s wet timing belt is the defining issue: the belt runs in engine oil and can degrade, shedding debris that blocks the oil pickup — listen for rattles, check for warning lights, and treat documented belt replacement (or the later chain-driven update on newer engines) as gold. Insist on evidence of on-schedule oil changes with the correct specification oil — and on this model also confirm the EAT8 automatic (fitted to most) shifts smoothly with no low-speed shunting. Diesels favour motorway lives; check DPF and AdBlue health on town cars. Hybrids need charging evidence, healthy indicated range and both cables. The frameless doors deserve a wind-noise listen at speed and a check of the seals; the full-width screens and i-Cockpit should be glitch-free. On PSE versions, insist on specialist history and inspect brakes, tyres and alloys — they’re performance cars and some lived like it. Standard rules: Peugeot problems guide, unbroken service history, coherent MOT mileage trail, and a full provenance check before purchase.
Running costs
Diesels comfortably top 55mpg on a run; a charged Hybrid 225 commutes for small change. Consumables are mainstream-priced despite the premium look — one of the 508’s quiet virtues. PSE running costs are hot-hatch-plus and worth budgeting honestly.
Verdict
A GT BlueHDi 130 SW or a well-charged Hybrid 225 fastback is a stylish left-field alternative to the German default, at a fraction of the money. Belt and gearbox checks done, it’s one of the used market’s better-kept secrets.
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