Peugeot 406. What should I be looking for?

[R9UKE]

My grandfather's last car was a 51 plate 2.0 HDi 90 Rapier.  Ran it for five years until my grandmother traded it in for Citroen C4 after he passed.  The only issue it gave was a random STOP message and the temperature gauge shot to high if you booted it onto the motorway.  There was no overheating issue it was just a momentary French electrical glitch - I believe we call that "character". Dealer could never find the fault though.

 

I've had a 1997 V6 Executive Auto Estate.  That car was nuts.  It had been owned by a painter decorator, was a very anonymous silver and had roof rails.  Needless to say it surprised a few people. Never had an issue with it despite the fact it had a hard life.  The owner of a heating oil company bought it when the MOT was up for the numberplate (OIL 8688).  Pretty sure it was just binned after that was removed. 

 

Good call on the Mk1 Laguna.  I'm not a diesel fan but if you can get the aforementioned 1.9 dTi, it's the last of the bulletproof diesels.  

[Rocket88]

Once I've gotten out of my latest financial / mental / physical slump, I'd like to treat myself to a comfy, wafty, reliable cruiser.

 

While a Citroen BX estate would be my kind of heaven, I shy away from anything with green blood and magic suspension.

 

I've ruled out anything German as I hate being 'one of the crowd'.

 

The Lexus LS400 is a good shout, but fuel...

 

 

And to add to it, my little boy keeps on at me to 'Get another Peugeot like the green one you had' I had a green 406, 1.8 petrol briefly and although it was nice to drive, it had a weird feel to it, like it was hesitating, or not quite running right. I'm a bit funny about engines that don't 'feel right'.

 

 

So, what's the best one to get? I prefer estates, but I guess that isn't a major concern. Diesel better?

 

Or am I barking up the wrong tree, is there a better (budget) cruiser out there?

 

Sorry for the ramble, just kind of thinking out loud.

 

Buy a Xantia..preferably mine.........!

[pandamonium]

Love your Xantia, but lack of money, having just bought the Wagon R, and that there Xmas thingy looming....

[95 quid Peugeot]

Bog standard saloon or estate, 90 or 110 HDi  there's plenty around, i had 3 i was looking at  to replace the one Bramz now has,before Flat4alfa's dads car became available and C5 entered fold.

Hold your nerve and there's always really tidy ones turn up on gumtree rather than ebay for some reason, usually giffer owned and giffer scratched but undoubtedly had shed loads spent on maintenance, as others have said check MOT history as a few do randomly rot..

I think the one Bramz has now was on 191k   with my regular oil and filter change obsession i could of easily run that for another 50-60k miles without issue. i think 3 of others have all done 200k+ without mechanical issues

 

Oh small point of order..armrests are tops,miss that with the C5

[LoftyvRS]

I've had three 406's in the last 10 years, an S plate 1.9 TD LX estate with moon mileage, a less leggy Y plate 2.0 Hdi 110 LX saloon then a bargain 51 plate 2.0 90 Hdi Rapier estate most recently. All of them i had to to the rear suspension top links - dead easy and all of them have been economical and very very comfortable dailys.

 

Pick of all three would be the 110bhp Hdi, took it on a holiday to Europe, and managed a correctly measured (brim to brim) 59mpg and that was three adults up, luggage and beer everywhere. 

 

One of the prettiest cars on the road in my eyes, that and the 306 are still svelte and well proportioned, especially compared to the monstrosities whuch replaced them.

[Cavcraft]

Great cars that wear mileage well and are generally reliable and well built. As £95P above, a 90/100 is fine. 

[bramz7]

Just done 1000+ miles in the ex £95 Pug one and it's run like a dream, no issues at all and it's now done 191600. I have apparently used just over half a tank in 515 miles, which seems nuts but these do have HUGE tanks, so it must be around 50-54 MPG in my maths. 

 

And the OEM stereo is actually decent.

 

I sure hope there is still some good ones about when this one needs replacing!

[sierraman]

I quite fancy one of these for the next car but I’ve a feeling by the time the Mondeo falls to bits the 407 will be the next shite. The 407 wasn’t a bad car, I used to work somewhere where we had one. In true Peugeot tradition it had a myriad of electrical problems but as a car it was nice. A bit like a canal boat but a nice car all the same.

[barrett]

I do 600 miles on a tank. Is the estate tank much bigger, or is that just because I drive like a cunt all the time?

[warren t claim]

The handbrake sticks on, so I haven't used the handbrake for six months. 

 

Have you checked for an errant 20p stuck in there?

 

The 406 is just like the 405 only better in almost every respect.

[The Moog]

I do 600 miles on a tank. Is the estate tank much bigger, or is that just because I drive like a cunt all the time?

 

 I have done just under 400 miles on half a tank at the weekend doing motorway at 70 ish. I have always found the bottom half the gauge drops quicker than top so I will expect to see 700 ish in total tank. I am not sure I could get 1000 miles out of it. 

[LoftyvRS]

 I have done just under 400 miles on half a tank at the weekend doing motorway at 70 ish. I have always found the bottom half the gauge drops quicker than top so I will expect to see 700 ish in total tank. I am not sure I could get 1000 miles out of it. 

 

Best I had was 890 miles from brim to the light coming on, they are 70 litre tanks or something similar from memory??