Peugeot 508 review: the best-looking sedan you will rarely see in Bahrain traffic
3.3/5MotorsSouq Editorial Team
The 508 is proof that being the most distinctive-looking car in its class is not enough to win Bahrain's mid-size sedan buyers away from a Camry or an Accord. The base 165hp tune is smooth and adequately quick, the GT's 217hp and eight-speed gearbox genuinely quick, and the fastback tailgate is more practical than a conventional boot. Low sales volume means low resale value, which is bad news buying new and good news buying used — a three-year-old 508 undercuts its Japanese equivalents by a wide margin for a similar spec.
Pros
- Fastback tailgate is more practical than a conventional sedan boot
- GT's 217hp and 8-speed gearbox is genuinely quick
- Distinctive cabin design with a driving position that feels sportier than the class norm
- Steep new-car depreciation makes a used 508 a strong-value buy
Cons
- Low sales volume means thin used-market supply and slower parts availability
- Sloping roofline trims rear headroom versus a Camry or Accord
- Resale value lags far behind the Japanese default
- Small steering wheel driving position divides opinion
Every mid-size sedan in this price range claims to be different, and the 508 is one of the few that actually is. The fastback tailgate — a hinged rear window rather than a conventional boot lid — is a genuine practicality advantage over a Camry or Accord when loading awkward shapes, even if the sloping roofline it requires costs some rear headroom.
The base 165hp 1.6-litre turbo with the six-speed automatic is smooth and unremarkable in the way a good mid-size sedan engine should be — enough for effortless overtaking on the Bahrain-Saudi causeway without feeling stressed. The GT variant's 217hp and eight-speed gearbox is a genuinely different car, quick enough to embarrass some cars a class above on paper.
Why it is not selling
The honest answer is brand perception rather than any real flaw in the car. Bahraini mid-size sedan buyers default to Toyota and Honda for the certainty of parts, resale and a familiar face at every workshop, and the 508's low sales volume becomes self-reinforcing — fewer used examples means fewer buyers who have ever driven one, which means fewer sales.
That is a shame, because the interior is genuinely more interesting than the segment norm, with ambient lighting details and a driving position — low seat, small wheel, raised digital cluster — that feels closer to a performance car than a family sedan.
The used-market angle
Where the 508 makes real financial sense is three years old. Depreciation that punishes a new buyer becomes a discount for a used one, and a well-specified GT can be bought for meaningfully less than an equivalent-age Camry with fewer features. Budget for parts availability being slower than the Japanese default, and factor that into the price you are prepared to pay.