Car UK May 2019

may 2019 | carmagazine.co.uk 77

On 19-inch Pilot Sport 4s with adaptive dampers, the 508 turns in a
highly satisfying drive. Perhaps it could smooth little secondary bumps
better, but the overwhelming sensation is of good body control combined
with lush suspension travel that compresses deeply and then just a little
more, like sinking into a particularly comfortable bed. The turbodiesel
gives easy, muscular performance from low revs, noise suppression is
excellent, and gears shift with both speed and finesse.
Set the standard massage function to Cat Paw and you’ll feel soothed
after driving across entire countries – I know, I drove from the Med to the
Midlands in one.
The 508 GT’s easygoing nature belies a capable chassis when you crack
on. Select Manual and you get stiffer – but not too stiff – dampers, and
manual control of the gears. It grips hard, steers sweetly, stops well, shifts
promptly and provides a generous bandwidth of performance no matter
the relatively modest performance. There’s a fluency and effortlessness
here that makes the 508 simultaneously relaxing, entertaining and really
quite quick point-to-point in a manner that almost creeps up on you.
It is not the most dynamic car in this test, but the 508 strikes an extreme-
ly good compromise between the comfort and performance you’re most
likely to appreciate in typical driving, and the ability to engage its driver
over a challenging road. It’s a genuine contender for your 3-series money. ⊲

There’s a fluency

and effortlessness

to the 508 that

makes it quick

point-to-point