Used Peugeot 407 SW 2004 - 2011 review

Never mind outright space, feel the versatility. That's one of the Peugeot 407 SW's main appeals as a family estate. The load bay isn't as big as many rivals' but it's a useful shape and accessed by a split-opening tailgate. The rear seats split and fold to leave a virtually flat load floor, which is probably no more than you'd expect, but to swallow even longer loads, the backrest of the front passenger seat also folds flat - very neat.

Those in the front have plenty of space and the estate's higher roofline creates more rear headroom than in the saloon. There's stacks of kit, too, but all those buttons on the dash can be confusing.

The diesel engines suit the car far better than the petrols. Their undemanding low-down response is more in tune with the 407's softer, more comfort-biased drive. Even so, many rivals ride more smoothly, and many more are sharper in corners, too, where the Peugeot feels slow-witted.

The diesels are more expensive to buy, but they're far more frugal than the petrols, as well as much nicer to drive. Our favourite model, the 2.0 HDi, gives an average of 47mpg and the 1.6 HDi extends that to just over 50mpg.

The 2.7 V6 diesel isn't so good at 33mpg, and even the 1.8 and 2.0 petrols beat that, although the 3.0 V6 petrol is even worse, landing you with an official average of 28.5mpg.

Service costs are about as cheap as you'll get for a family estate.

You'll find plenty of diesels, which is good news. They'll cost more to buy than the equivalent petrol models, but it's a price worth paying for their smooth, strong, frugal character. There's a 2.7 diesel, but it isn't cheap and you can easily get by with the performance of the far more fuel-efficient 136bhp 2.0 HDi - our favoured model.

If you're dead-set on petrol, the 2.0 gives the best balance of cost and ability, but the 2.2 isn't far behind. The 3.0 V6 is quick but pricey and the 1.8 too laboured when loaded.

All cars have seven airbags, climate control and a CD player. Most SV models have alloy wheels and a full-length glass roof. The posh Executive gets a CD multi-changer and useful rear parking sensors.

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