Peugot 308: In the comfort zone

Turn heads with Peugeot's 308. Photo / Supplied

Like the look or loathe it, you can't ignore Peugeot's 308 with its thrusting Gallic nose and exaggerated lines. Its cabin is equal in character. But by the end of a long working week away I no longer cared about character - I just wanted a comfy car in which to drive home - and this Peugeot largely delivered.

Its 1.6-litre, petrol, turbo engine is a goody. Frugal when driven conservatively and with plenty of surge when you ask for it. Fortunately, the cruise control is efficient on downhills as well as the flat, once you've got the hang of its stalk-mounted controller hidden behind the wheel.

I had less success with the radio control stalk, changing channels, not volume, with annoying regularity. Were the car mine, no doubt I'd soon get used to it.

I loved the seats - beautifully shaped and stitched leather affairs with a three-step dial heater that add $3000 to the standard car's $40,990 price.

That, I might pay. I'd be less keen on the optional $2000, 19-inch, alloy wheels with their lower-than-standard tyre profiles and loud road noise. The Mac strut front and torsion beam rear suspension did an excellent job of cushioning the bigger hits and it's certainly predictable and well controlled, but the smaller bumps still intruded.

Nice touches include storage drawers under the front seat and a panoramic glass roof with a full-length blind.

Still, I'd like to try the car on its standard 17-inch alloys with those higher-profile tyres to further improve ride comfort.