I didn't think we would be able to do it. Pack six people and a mountain of luggage into a compact family hatchback-based estate car. Yet our long term Peugeot 308SW managed it - and did so quite easily. It's a car that has been quietly growing on us.

For my annual family holiday to Lyme Regis, I wasn't planning to take the 308SW to be honest. This thinking was based around the fact that my wife and I had three children, my mother and a mountain of luggage to carry: I automatically thought that the Peugeot wouldn't be big enough. Yet when I considered the situation more carefully, it became clear that I would have expected any other 7-seater compact mini-MPV to accomplish this feat. It's just that the Peugeot looks, well, rather more conventional: heck, it is more conventional, basically a 308 estate car with two extra seats in the estate compartment.

Still, if it was going to pretend to be able to compete in the mini-MNPV sector, it ought to be able to mange our trip, I decided. As it turned out, there was no problem at all. The third row of seating was ideal for my ten year old, even if it would have been slightly cramped for a fully grown adult on the five hour trip. All the luggage was squeezed in around her without too many problems.

The panoramic full length glass roof on our test 308SW made the crammed car feel less claustrophobic than might have been expected and the willing 150bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine made light work of the miles involved.

Let's remind ourselves of the figures here. With the (second row of) rear seats in place, there's 674 litres under the rear load cover, while with the rear seats removed, there's a massive 2,149 litres up to roof level. Let's put those figures into perspective. Audi's latest A4 Avant claims to be the biggest estate in its sector, yet can swallow a mere 490 litres behind its back seats.

Living with a car like this over a holiday period means you start to notice little things that weren't immediately obvious upon first acquaintance. Like the way the front sports-style seats are super-slim, feeing up loads of legroom in the back. Or the way that the rear seats are raised up theatre-style, giving their occupants a much better view.

"It's a car that has been quietly growing on us.."

On the journey to Lyme Regis, I appreciated the extra features that make such a difference on longer trips. The cruise control, the speed limiter that maintains your pace to safe levels in urban areas, the automatic headlights, the electric folding mirrors and the rain-sensitive wipers.

I also made good use of the innovative RT4 multimedia satellite navigation system which pops discreetly out the top of the dashboard when you need it and vanishes away unobtrusively when you don't. Our kids were less fractious than usual too, which might have been down to the air conditioning vents that aim to keep children cool in the rear. And all of us liked the fragrance diffuser which can fill the car with a scent of your choice.

Prices represent a premium over the standard five-door hatch of only £500-£600 in entry-level S models, though you'll need to budget on an extra premium of £1000 or more if you go for a higher spec version. Equipment on all variants runs to power steering, remote control central locking with deadlocks, electric front windows, a steering column adjustable for reach and rake, a CD player, passenger / driver seat height adjustment, a trip computer and electrically operated door mirrors.

Peugeot has armed the 308 with a wide selection of technological curiosities to help it battle the family hatchback sector's big hitters. These continue under the bonnet, the 150bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged THP petrol engine in our test car being so advanced that BMW decided to use it for their MINI Cooper. It isn't the most frugal powerplant we could have chosen but an average return in our use of around 35.4mpg isn't too bad.

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.

Overall, my trip has made me more liable to recommend the 308SW as an alternative to a compact mini-MPV for buyers who rarely transport seven but would occasionally like the option to. Sometimes you just have to take the plunge and put a car to the test. I'm glad I did.

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 £289	Saving £4,267	Price £15,623
	Peugeot 308 1.6 HDI 110 Sport 5dr SW Estate
	ETR	Mthly £281	Saving £3,425	Price £15,165
	Peugeot 308 2.0 HDI SE 5dr SW Estate
	ETR	Mthly £299	Saving £4,412	Price £16,128
	Peugeot 308 2.0 HDI SE 5dr Auto SW Estate
	ETR	Mthly £315	Saving £4,629	Price £16,911
	Peugeot 308 1.6 HDI 110 S 5dr SW Estate
	ETR	Mthly £269	Saving £2,963	Price £14,277

typical 12.08% APR

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