Life as a rep isn't so bad these days. The quality of the Little Chefs is better. There's the Birmingham Toll Road to make cross-country commuting more bearable. And the standard of the kind of medium Range motor the fleet manager's likely to give you for the journey has changed beyond recognition.

Think back ten years - then ten years before that. Motorway marathons were things you psyched yourself up for with a stock of Mars bars and a few cans of Red Bull. No longer. At the wheel of a car like our Peugeot 407, you've the kind of luxury normally reserved for Managers higher up the career ladder.

Of course, it helps that our long term car is a Plush 2.2 Sport model equipped with plenty of bells and whistles that you might not bother with if you, rather than your company, were paying the ownership cheque. Having said that, even the most basic repmobile these days comes with things like air-conditioning, front and side airbags and a decent stereo. To these things, our 407 test car added power steering, a CD autochanger player, ABS with EBD, central locking, a colour display screen, half leather seats and body-coloured addenda,. It's well equipped, as we said. As for the price, well this particular Sport version lists at £19,325 but you can buy 407 models from around the £15,700 mark.

As with all the best Peugeots of yore, the lines are elegant, sleek and fluid. The windscreen is steeply raked back, giving a very sporting appearance. A Coupe version is available and aside from the four-door saloon, we've also borne witness to the 407SW estate which is, if anything, even better looking. With its canted back C-pillar, the SW looks impossibly fast - an automotive Exocet amid a sea of lumbering trebuchets. The latest cars are identifiable by their chrome grilles.

"To overlook the 407 as a compact alternative for the business user-chooser would be a mistake. Any Sales Rep who's tried one will tell you that..."

Four petrol engines and three diesel units are offered, the diesels including a particulate emission filter rendering them compliant with Euro4 standards. These HDi diesels consist of a 1.6-litre unit that cranks out 110bhp and 240Nm of torque (260Nm of temporary 'overboost'), a 2.0-litre powerplant that develops 136bhp and 320Nm of torque (340Nm on overboost) and a 2.7-litre V6 with 205bhp and 447Nm. It's through a strategic link with Ford that Peugeot have access to this 2.7-litre V6 HDi engine, a unit that first saw service in Jaguar's S-TYPE.

Petrol buyers are well catered for with a Range that opens with a 16-valve 1.8-litre unit with 117bhp, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. Step up to the 2.0-litre engine and you'll have access to 136bhp and the choice of either a conventional five-speed manual 'box or a four-speed automatic 'autoadaptive' gearbox with Porsche Tiptronic System control. The 160bhp 2.2-litre engine is probably a better candidate and it features a six speed manual gearbox. The Range-topping 211bhp 3.0-litre V6, like the big diesel, is offered only with the automatic. It features variable valve timing (VVT) to ensure that power and torque are evenly distributed across a wide rev Range.

Peugeot have set something of a precedent to follow with some very good previous Euro NCAP crash test results but the 407 again takes a big step forward. Active safety in the form of brake discs with a diameter of up to 330mm and next-generation ESP stability control which is standard on every model. As well as marshalling the anti-skid function, ESP also acts as a controller for the anti lock braking system, the emergency brake assist and the electronic brakeforce distribution to each individual wheel. The chassis itself incorporates not only the highest level of torsional rigidity ever seen on a Peugeot saloon - as you might expect - but it also features a device known as an impactor that anchors the engine to the subframe and prevents it being shunted into the passenger cell in the event of a crash. Pedestrian protection is a major design criterion these days and the 407 features foam padded bumper bars and a bonnet that deforms to absorb shock, the top of the engine a good distance below that sweeping bonnet line. Up to nine air bags can be specified - twin fronts, side, curtain and steering column units offer optimum protection.

The cabin looks very Peugeot - which is possibly the weakest part of the 407 make up. It's neat and everything seems to work very nicely but there isn't a great deal of showroom 'wow factor' to it. Sophisticated multiplexed electronics allow for a huge amount of individual customisation when specifying your 407, with such features as rear view mirrors linked to reverse gear, parking sensors, self-imposed speed limiters, low tyre pressure monitors and variable cruise control systems all capable of being fitted quickly and, just as importantly, at very modest expense.

In a market sector dominated these days by excellence, it's easy for motoring journalists and Fleet Managers alike to ignore manufacturers like Peugeot when considering alternative choices for business user-choosers seeking an alternative compact car choice. That would be a mistake. Any sales rep who's tried a 407 will tell you that.

TOP 5 407 DEALS

The results below show the top 407 deals on buyacar

	Peugeot 407 2.2 HDi 170 GT Multimedia 5dr SW Estate
	ETR	Mthly £362	Saving £5,459	Price £19,031
	Peugeot 407 1.6 HDi 110 SE Multimedia 4dr Saloon
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £4,152	Price £15,138
	Peugeot 407 2.0 SE 143 4dr Tip Auto Saloon
	ETR	Mthly £298	Saving £4,053	Price £14,937
	Peugeot 407 2.0 HDi 136 SE Multimedia 4dr Tip Auto Saloon
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £4,634	Price £16,656
	Peugeot 407 2.2 HDi 170 GT Multimedia 4dr Saloon
	ETR	Mthly £347	Saving £5,156	Price £18,134

typical 12.07% APR

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