After three months with our Peugeot 308, it's time for an early family verdict. The Crouch tribe have been living with the car, day-in, day-out throughout the winter and it's been properly used, with sticky fingermarks on every surface and a liberal coating of crumbs and sweet wrappers around the floor.

It's also clocked up a fair number of miles, due in no small part to the fact that it's surprisingly good to drive. Not in the up-front, rorty way that old Peugeots of the past were. You don't go seeking out back lane twisty roads in this car. No, with a 308, it's more about the quality of drive you get on everyday routes. The way the suspension soaks up bumps like no other family hatch. The way the steering assistance is just right. The refinement level that you'd normally expect on a much more luxurious car. All these things contribute to a feeling that makes you want to go out and drive,

And that's important to me as a family man. When my wife asks to me on a Saturday morning whether we should take our three young children to the local swings and slides or venture further afield to a zoo or theme park an hour away, I'm much more likely to take the longer option with the 308 outside than I would have been before. It also helps that the Peugeot is remarkably adept at swallowing an impressive amount of all the oddments that every growing family must carry about with it.

If you haven't really registered the presence of the 308 on the British motoring scene yet, then it's probably because at first glance, it doesn't look that much different to the 307 it replaced. In fact, the 308 is 12mm lower than its predecessor, so has a slightly sportier stance. Moreover, despite the improved interior space brought about by the increases in terms of both length (74mm) and width (85mm), it achieves a far more dynamic stance than the old car.

Get in and clunk the door shut and it feels more substantial than before too, with a standard of build quality that until recently, used to be the preserve of more prestigiously-badged cars. In the 308's case, this has come about courtesy of the extra weight in now carries - all 62kgs to be exact. The only downside to that is that it isn't the sprightliest performer on the block. Even the pokiest 2.0-litre HDi 136 diesel which we specified for our testcar, with up to 260lb ft of torque, can't crack the ten second barrier in the 0-60mph sprint.

"The 308's virtues all combine towards a feeling that makes you want to go out and drive,.."

To be honest, though this might have bothered me on paper, it doesn't irk me at all in day-to-day use. Like the car itself, the engine does, after all, have more important virtues. For a start, it's very quiet. You slip into 6th gear and forget about it. Helping in this regard is the realisation after a few hundred miles that it's hard to think of a rival that offers a more absorbent ride.

I was brought up with Peugeots that were a hoot to drive on twisty roads, something that the marque rather lost with the 307. While the 308 can't be seen as the start of a whole new era in this regard, it's a significant step forward and is really rather satisfying on the back roads that make up my daily commute. I've the improved suspension to thank for this. However, there's a bit more roll than you'd find in a Focus or a Golf and a bit less steering feel too.

Having a family has put safety several notches further up my priority list with a car of this type, so the 308's 5 star NCAP safety rating was a must if I was going to assign the 308 over to my wife Katie to transport our three young children on the school run. For this kind of work, the cabin needs to be easy to clean and most of all practical.

One of the things that my wife most likes about the interior of the 308 is the vast number of storage pockets, luggage hooks and nets, slide out trays and cubbyholes. If you're carrying anything from a diamond dripping engagement ring to a 1.5-litre bottle of coke, you'll find somewhere secure to stow it - although the trick may be remembering exactly which pocket you put it in. For chocoholics like my daughter Ellie, the air-conditioned glove box keeps her Cadburys bar just as she would want to find it, rather than the sloppy mess that so often results.

Once you've finished losing things in the storage bins, you tend to notice how spacious the rest of the car is. Not only is it one of the tallest vehicles in its sector (useful as it ensured that I could cultivate a wild hairstyle) but it has a seriously large windscreen adding to the ambiance of space and light.

We all thought that the rear accommodation was impressive and the decor, while a little sombre, feels as though it comes from a car high up the automotive hierarchy. Good fuel economy, a comfortable driving position and plenty of space make this an ideal car for work around town or for longer trips. I could even see my family going on holiday in one, such is the comfort and available space.

In my view, the cabin now vies with that of the Fiat Bravo (yes, really) as arguably the nicest in the Family Hatchback sector - and yes, this observation includes that of the Volkswagen Golf (quality fitments but a rather dull overall feel). As with both Focus and Golf interiors, it's impressively spacious but the ambience is a lot more inviting, especially if you order the (non-opening) full-length panoramic glass roof. Soft-touch plastics are everywhere, attractively set off by slivers of faux aluminium. The rear of the 308 has more of a bulbous look to it, helping to maximise luggage space that runs to 430 litres and can be extended to 1,398 litres by folding the rear seats.

So, in summary, my family is in no hurry to part with our 308. There may be family hatches that are slightly better to drive, or cheaper or a little better equipped. But none that offers as good an all-round package as this one.

TOP 5 308 DEALS

The results below show the top 308 deals on buyacar

	Peugeot 308 1.6 HDI 110 SE 5dr SW Estate
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £3,963	Price £15,477
	Peugeot 308 2.0 HDi Sport 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £273	Saving £3,084	Price £14,806
	Peugeot 308 1.6 HDi 90 Sport 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £247	Saving £2,788	Price £13,552
	Peugeot 308 1.6 HDi 110 SE 5dr EGC Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £265	Saving £3,751	Price £14,689
	Peugeot 308 2.0 HDI SE 5dr SW Estate
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £4,108	Price £15,982

typical 12.13% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000