Buying a used Peugeot 406: It is only when you look back on the history of the Peugeot 406 that you realise just how long it has been around - eight years - and it is only when you see its new replacement, the 407 - that you realise just how dated the 406 has become.
Pitched up against cars like the Toyota Carina and the Ford Mondeo the 406 managed to attract a broad customer base. The car has been used as a family and executive car and its widely regarded diesel engine made it a firm favourite with farmers and taxi drivers. In fact, Peugeot really should be more widely acknowledged for dragging diesel engines from the dark ages of performance to a position where the diesel actually became a competitor for petrol.
The 406 is a good and comfortable car to drive. It has very good ride and handling qualities and performance is also very acceptable. The torque of the diesel engine makes for excellent pulling power and economy is one of its strong points.
Although revised in 1999, the car still manages to have a fairly dull interior, but it is a roomy interior nevertheless. Compared to the interior of, say, a Renault of the same vintage the 406 comes off a bland second but it comes up trumps for comfort and space.
There is a good choice of second-hand 406 models, with a choice of either 1.8 and 2.0 litre petrol engines, and the excellent 2.0 litre diesel engine. A four-year-old 1.8 petrol with 58,000 miles up has an asking price of €12,500 at one garage, while a similar two year-old model has an asking price of 18,950. Buyers need to be careful of very high mileage when looking at diesels. While the diesel engine is meant for heavy duty some cars have had an excessively tough life. A four-year-old 2.0 litre diesel with 76,000 on the clock has an asking price of 12,950 , while a similar two-year-old diesel with 33,500 on the clock has an asking price of 18,950.
The 406 has a low score of three stars in the EuroNCAP crash tests and it has had a fair number of technical faults. Radiators, rear disc brakes, coolant loss and the parking brake drum have all given problems and the remote lock does not always lock the boot, which is a problem if you have your valuable stored there.
Some 2002/2003 diesel models have even caught fire in Britain, although we do not have any similar reports here.
As a solid performer the 406 has a good reputation but is not the kind of car that stands out in a car park.
If you want a car that drives, rides and handles well the car has its attractions. In particular if you need a second-hand diesel that is built to last then the 406 will show the competition a fairly clean pair of heels.