Some choice xm images....

[casalingua]

It´s a really, really disappointing car. The rear lamps give the tail-end a drooping look. As much as I adore the 604, 607 505, 305, 306 and 205 I really get irritated by this waste of metal. I´ve sat in one and the quality is poor and it´s dark and dreary. The exterior looks heavy. This could have been a really neat, conservative design using Peugeot´s ample catalogue of cues but they fluffed it. And it´s too big. The 508 badge seems to have been very hard for them to locate. I´ll take a 607 please, any day.

[russ92xmsed]

Mmmm I know, total waste of an opportunity. The one I sat in was a lower spec, but it was really plastically and quite a disappointment. But as with anything, higher spec, different story.
The reason it is bigger than the 407 is it is effectively replacing two cars, the 607 and the 407.
Like the C5 much bigger than a Xantia and enough to temporarily replace the XM too.

Peugeot frustrate me, they could have a great selection of good looking cars, but they just seem to get it wrong each time.
3008... that thing is hideous.

[sdelasal]

That 'useless garnish' looks to me like the handle to grip & open the boot!

[casalingua]

Well, they said that it was supposed to replace two cars. I have heard this said about the 306, that it was supposed to replace the 205 and 106 but this is just excuse-making by a manufacturer unable to close two gaps in the market with two cars. The 407 was not ideal but it was the right size. And so was the 607. Now they have a car that´s frankly too big for a lot of people and not big or prestigious enough for others. They needed to make a 408 that addressed the failures of the 407 and say farewell to the 60- series for the time being. There appears to me to be a sort of natural maximum size for cars (around 5 metres). Between 3.8 m and 5m there is room for a mini, a supermini, a large hatch, a family saloon/hatch and an executive. MPVs are just taller versions of some of those. The 508 tends towards the executive size of car but the action is one peg down at the Mondeo (1999 version) 406 (1994 version) size range. A clever manufacturer wouldn´t try to play the size game every time there was a new model cycle. You lose your brand equity as the badge migrates up in size to a sector with a smaller volume. Anyway, what do I know? I´m just an observer of the market.

[captainhaddock]

Peu 408.....never seen one before, had to google it. I'm excused I hope because you can't buy them here. The 3008 is horrid I agree, a colleague of mine bought a brand new one after her Merc of 14 years bought new, was traded in. She regrets it still, even though the Merc was very expensive to keep repairing apparently.

[Richard2cv]

I quite like the useless garnish on the peugeot.......
The 3008 really is vile, luckily theres not many around.

[russ92xmsed]

I think Peugeot should do something radical. Make a large exec car, but make it different. Why not take styling cues from the 504 coupe and make a four door large grand tourer coupe. Ie CLS or Passat CC. It doesn't have to be a truly practical car, as many true execs tend to go German anyway. Just make it desirable.
Then shrink the 408 and get some 405 styling in there too. This is almost forcing me to find a brio and a pad of paper!!

[Dieselman]

I think they are about to launch a new CLS estate tourer....I think that will look quite good.

The Shooting break has been out for about 6 months. I'm a bit undecided about it's looks. I like the CLS and might get one to replace my car soon.

[russ92xmsed]

Whoops your are quite right Will. I knew it was new though! I like that.., in the right colour... Deep metallic brown could work...don't laugh!
There was a Merc concept of the current E Class ages ago, a shooting brake version of the coupe. Looked great. Shame it wasn't put into production.

[russ92xmsed]

This is the one I am thinking about. The Mercedes Fascination.