So farewell, 405...

[r.welfare]

 

...you drove out of my life 15 minutes ago. A good car which never let me down in the 25,000 miles I did in it, although it did cost me a metric shiteload in repairs and maintenance but that's probably down to it being a 17-year-old French car with just over 200k* on the clock.

 

Anyway, I picked up it's replacement on Tuesday evening from sunny Tamworth, and here it is:

 

 

Is it shite? Possibly. Is it a bad car? Possibly. It certainly is dreary to behold and has the most overboosted power steering I've ever come across - and I've owned a Nissan Bluebird, don't forget - but everything works, it's uncannily quiet, smooth and nippy (2-litre VVTI, see) and ought to be reliable.

 

Funnily enough, even though it's not yet 8 years old, has only had 2 owners and is a Toyota ferchrissakes, there are a few bits that need doing - the main one being a lake in the spare wheel well that seems to be due to a knackered bottom seal on the tailgate window, so I'll need to bung Gavin From Autoglass a couple of quid to sort it.

 

Otherwise I'm quite chuffed (even with the built-in satnav that uses 1977 maps and Nintendo Gameboy hardware), although I'll miss the fluidity of the 405 on a decent B-road.

 

* Happily enough it turned over 200k on the way back from picking up the new owner at Southampton airport.

[outlaw118]

Blimey, thats almost (whispers) sensible.....

[r.welfare]

Blimey, thats almost (whispers) sensible.....

I am getting old. I have no hair. I am married with a child. I am a chartered accountant.It suits me.Be gentle.

[VWPowered]

Blimey, thats almost (whispers) sensible.....

+1

[Spottedlaurel]

Are we allowed to know how much it cost you? I certainly considered Avensis estates when we looking for something last year, but none that seemed 'right' cropped up or they were still strong money. As you know we ended up with the Primera.Mazda 626 estates seemed to suffer with rot, and even the newest Accord Aerodecks were a touch older than we really wanted.

[Pillock]

Not bad that.... whilst not going to set the forum alight by being a one-off coachbuilt Tagora Estate in beige with a velour roof, it's rare enough to be a little different from the norm. Certainly I'd drive that, if I needed a car that size, and would probably choose it over a Mondeo that's just about to cost a lot of money, or a Vectra that's just about to get scrapped.

[r.welfare]

If I can be permitted to be slightly cryptic, it was a fiver less than the top value cut-off for cars in the "Jalopy" price guide Single figure age, four figure price - it's been a long time since I bought a car like that. 7 years ago, I think.The reason this one was quite cheap (I think) is because the service book is no longer with the car, but as the last owner had it for 5 years (and prior to that it was a lease car from Capital Bank) I took a punt. I will be making enquiries of the previous owners (and my local Toyota dealer) to get hold of service invoices etc, as the HPI check has entries from franchised dealers at different points on the National Mileage Register. Certainly all the filters are new and it's had money spent on it recently in terms of new tyres, brakes etc.Also, the recent changes with regards to traders not being able to cash in the RFL worked in my favour as it has rent until the end of next February...

[VWPowered]

one-off coachbuilt Tagora Estate in beige.

[pogweasel]

Get yourself set up for those friday night illegal minicab runs!Hirst will sort you out with the ettiquette ( & rohypnol) as necessary.

[r.welfare]

Cynical.Plausible, but cynical.

[messerschmitt owner]

nice to see the new car - and hope the 405 is off to a good home - shame I waited a couple of days to try buy it but I think I'm happy with my new toy.

[Lukas]

Me on my favorite matter:I have to say the rust-protection on the Avensis is excellent, not only compared to the mainly crusty Mazda 626/6 or the horrible rusting Mitsubishi Lancer/Galant.

[garbaldy]

very nice car indead looks good for its milage and a milion minicabbers cant be wrong plus the tax is an added bonus especially at £235 a year

[MrRegieRitmo]

Not subject to any recalls is it??

[Mr Lobster]

Drive a few of them when they were new. Not perhaps the most exciting, but very dependable.Looks a good buy to me.

[HillmanImp]

nice to see the new car - and hope the 405 is off to a good home - shame I waited a couple of days to try buy it but I think I'm happy with my new toy.

I would have still had the 405 if i was looking, but after sticking the GT6 through a fence backwards at high speed today, I owe a farmer some money which has ruined my savings. Plus i have been looking at GT6 bumpers on t'interweb. HOW MUCH! To be fair it saved the car so they must work, but Mr Visa is helping me on this one.

[Marshall]

Is it an auto?Mate of mine has one and he had fun at first when the brake pedal supposedly disappeared - I guess he didn't read the manual?Sounded strange to me but apparently the pedal just dissapeared when he first drove it? - Could have been another pedal - I had a laugh at the time though!!

[barrett]

I would have still had the 405 if i was looking, but after sticking the GT6 through a fence backwards at high speed today, I owe a farmer some money which has ruined my savings.

uuummmm....more info please!

[Father Ted]

Nice, but too new to be shite surely?Hand in your badge on the way out please, and close the door....

[carlo]

Blimey, thats almost (whispers) sensible.....

I am getting old. I have no hair. I am married with a child. I am a chartered accountant.It suits me.Be gentle.

Obviously a sensible and value for money choice Richard. I do slightly fear for your state of mind after a month or two. I gave up my last 405 over a year ago, and still miss its ride and handling on a daily basis. And that's with a 406 as a replacement ... Perhaps they are getting more valued, a nothing special M plate 2.0 Executive petrol fetched over £700 on ebay last week!

[ProgRocker]

Wow, the Peugeot looked a damn fine motor. The Avensis looks great too. I want my next car to be Japanese ( or at least come from a Japanese marque if built in Sunderland, Swindon, Burnaston or the US).

[r.welfare]

The 405 cleaned up pretty well but, to be honest, in order to get it completely straight would probably have cost more than the Avensis purchase.

 

The new owner seemed very chuffed with it last night, and drove back to Oldham via Oxford to pick up some biodiesel.

 

Interesting point about the rot resistance, Lukas - my next-door neighbour has a P-reg Carina E which is completely rust-free and has been faultlessly reliable for him. I am hopeful mine will be the same!

 

The Avensis was one of two options, really (having discounted Galants, 626s and Primeras for the usual reasons) - the other was an Octavia estate, but I didn't find one that ticked all the boxes.

 

There appears to be conflicting evidence, Progrocker, that UK-assembled Japanese cars are quite as reliable as Jap-built stuff, but my wife's Swindon-built Accord, now 10 years old, has been in the family since it was 3 years and 18k miles old - it passed another MOT on Thursday with only two bulbs required, and has cost under 4p/mile in maintenance since my dad bought it all those years ago.

 

I could have gone down the new car + scrappage route and ended up with a new Octavia, but didn't see the point. I'd like to move house this year, so the cash I haven't spent on a new car will come in useful for stamp duty, legal and estate agency fees, which are likely to be just into five figures

 

Hand in your badge on the way out please, and close the door....

 

Actually having something like this for everyday use should allow some proper shite later on in the year. A friend of mine has just offered me a brown 924 automatic, for example

[Guest]

I'm convinced that people only think the Carina E/Avensis are boring cars because they're repeatedly told to think that by journalists. They're at least as interesting as anything else in their class, there's fast ones too, what's the problem eh?

[Lukas]

people only think the Carina E/Avensis are boring cars because they're repeatedly told to think that by journalists

100% agree!

[r.welfare]

I can sort-of see where they are coming from. Take a 405 (or a 156 or a 3-series or a Mondeo) down a challenging B-road - at legal speeds, just "pressing on" rather than driving like a cock - and you'll have more fun than if you driving an Avensis.But as I drive such B-roads about 1% of the time these days the Avensis will do for me.

[Lukas]

I can´t see why a Mondeo/Passat/Vectra or another FWD-midsize-car would be less or more entertaining than an Avensis. A 3-series may be sportier, a 156 may have more "character" if you like italian cars, but midsize-FWD-cars are so similar with only very littel differences, I don´t think the Avensis is more or less entertaining.

[Dukestar25]

people only think the Carina E/Avensis are boring cars because they're repeatedly told to think that by journalists

100% agree!

Me too. The Carina E is a great car, especially with the 2.0 engine and in 'Executive' spec and the Avensis is just a nicer looking update of that. Both futureshite IMO...

[Milford Cubicle]

I can´t see why a Mondeo/Passat/Vectra or another FWD-midsize-car would be less or more entertaining than an Avensis. A 3-series may be sportier, a 156 may have more "character" if you like italian cars, but midsize-FWD-cars are so similar with only very littel differences, I don´t think the Avensis is more or less entertaining.

Passats and Vectras are pretty dull to drive, but it's amazing what differing suspension settings can achieve in technically very similar cars.

[AnthonyG]

If I can be permitted to be slightly cryptic, it was a fiver less than the top value cut-off for cars in the "Jalopy" price guide ...

£1495?

[AnthonyG]

I can´t see why a Mondeo/Passat/Vectra or another FWD-midsize-car would be less or more entertaining than an Avensis. A 3-series may be sportier, a 156 may have more "character" if you like italian cars, but midsize-FWD-cars are so similar with only very littel differences, I don´t think the Avensis is more or less entertaining.

You've obviously never driven a Mondeo or a Peugeot 406 if you really believe that. Some manufacturers do try harder than 'let's make it as bland as possible to offend no-one' which afflicts many models.