Peugeot 305 GTX, finally

[AnthonyG]

I'm thinking about buying a 406 at the moment as a runaround. Anyway the reason I posted was that I saw an absolutely mint blue 305 van today, a G reg on local plates. Unfortunately no camera with me but it looked like it had just been driven out of the dealer!

[Milford Cubicle]

406s are a bit lardy, very pleasant cars though and much nicer inside than the 405.

[r.welfare]

What he said. Handsome machines for sure. If you haven't driven a 405, you would find one perfectly adequate. If you have driven a 405, you'll realise that all the extra lard & concrete added to make the 406 bigger and safer has completely dulled the handling and poise. 406 rides better though and is more refined, lacking an Airfix interior that was a hallmark of most Peugeots before it was released.

[Marty]

^^^ what he said.Same can be said of BX vs Xantia.Xantia lovley inside and barge like, but has zero driving experience and much slower (OK Activa V6 excepted there) compared with the BX counterpart.I suppose the only good thing is its a better place to be if you have a crash, though actually the best place to be would be several miles away somewhere warm and dry with a nice draught bitter on tap and a good looking barmaid rather than actually in the 405, but hey you cant have everything.

[r.welfare]

Heh heh heh. Active safety is better in the 405 as it's better-balanced chassis and lighter weight means you should be able to avoid the accident. But if it's inevitable, make it the 406 please - probably not difficult if the amount of nerks hanging 3ft off my bumper on the M1 yesterday is anything to go by. Although whether after 11 years and 231k miles the 406's airbags will still go off as intended is a moot point...

[Marty]

Although whether after 11 years and 231k miles the 406's airbags will still go off as intended is a moot point...

I have this mental image now of a car wreck with bits of bodies hanging out of windows and the air bags going off when the fire brigade arrive to cut people out. Are the detonators not supposed to only have a 10 year life or something? One worries about them going off whilst driving - its not happened yet, but with an aging population of shitters out there with whoppee cushions it can only be a matter of time surely?I really should do some work - good thing is, no patients to see this afternoon!

[carlo]

Agree about airbags, I've removed them from both my 405s as I don't trust them at that age. And more to the point the design, like most airbag steering wheels, makes it very uncomfortable to hold the actual wheel. I reckon of all airbag wheels I've seen it's only Audi recently that have managed to produce one that's attractive and good to hold - think it was on later A6s and the A8. If you want a particularly hideous example check out the Rover 800 coupe.I think the 405 and 406 are both cracking cars. 406 was a logical progression at the time and despite the extra weight still managed to feel like a Peugeot i.e, handle and ride properly. Love 'em both. Shame about the 407...Back to the 305, however. Have had to stick the poor old thing on ebay again due to the unfortunate timing of finding an unmissable 405 at the same time. Shame, having spent ages trying to find one that I can't keep it but unfortunately it wasn't the best example. Can't believe it would be of too much interest on here but if you are drop me a line.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Have had to stick the poor old thing on ebay again due to the unfortunate timing of finding an unmissable 405 at the same time.

One of these?...."10,000 miles from new, Peugeot 405 Exec Auto in Haze Blue"

[carlo]

49,000 actually, the best I could find!

[Milford Cubicle]

Agree about airbags, I've removed them from both my 405s as I don't trust them at that age. And more to the point the design, like most airbag steering wheels, makes it very uncomfortable to hold the actual wheel. I reckon of all airbag wheels I've seen it's only Audi recently that have managed to produce one that's attractive and good to hold - think it was on later A6s and the A8. If you want a particularly hideous example check out the Rover 800 coupe.

This effort?

 

All facelifted Rover 800s got them, even ones without an airbag. It is pretty unwieldy...

[loserone]

I keep finding threads like this and realising I've wasted eleven years on Japanese rotboxes.

 

Wonder where this 305 is now.

[2MB]

It could’ve been recycled twice by now. I hope not though, 305s are great

[carlo]

Am afraid the poor thing did get cubed in the end, due to lack of money and space unfortunately.  It really was very rotten.

[castros_bro]

Not wasted time but just an education, if you don't make mistakes then you don't learn.  After buying a loud Puglette  I made a mistake of forgetting where I'd left  a keys but an evening of looking after someones cat for a bottle of red let me realise I'd left it  (the keys) in the wash basket in a dirty shirt pocket. Now all clean and sparkley. As is the cat.

[loserone]

Glad to hear they've been found.  Have you got your hearing back?