1997 Peugeot 406 SRi Turbo 2.0 petrol

Summary:

Great saloon for stealthy power freaks

Faults:

Nothing as yet.

General Comments:

Very comfortable on long journeys, quiet cabin and little wind noise.

The engine develops full power at about 3000 rpm when the turbo starts to kick in.

There is plenty of torque, being most noticeable from the 70 to 110 mph range.

Handling is not bad for a large car, disk brakes all round and ABS make things a little easier.

This car leaves most others at the lights with a somewhat surprised look of being outdone by a family saloon!

The only drawback is that you pay at the pump, but then you certainly get what you pay for. Also parts are a little more expensive when it comes to servicing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 17th October, 2004

1997 Peugeot 406 SRi Turbo 2.0

Summary:

A wolf in sheeps clothing

Faults:

Manifold needed replacing at 39,000 miles.

General Comments:

An excellent stealthy vehicle for both motorway and urban driving. Has good performance and can catch other drivers off guard.

Very comfortable over long hauls.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th March, 2003

1997 Peugeot 406 LX 2.1 diesel turbo Estate

Summary:

A car like this with full service history is a great buy for a family man who likes a good drive

Faults:

Speedometer failed around 60000 miles.

General Comments:

Usual superb Peugeot ride and handling.

The engine requires correct servicing to perform at its best, but the 2.1 seems to solve the lack of grunt reported in surveys of the 1.9 diesel. Get a regular 45 mpg in mixed conditions.

The intake manifolds weep small amounts of oil (from turbo?) on to the exhaust pipe and I was told by agent that this is normal for this engine. Solved by putting some felt under manifold which runs very cool so no fire hazard. Sounds odd and would like feed back from anyone else on this. Performance not affected.

One problem with the 2.1 is that timing belts take at least 5 hours to change so this is not a cheap engine to work on if anything serious goes wrong. The turbo cannot be serviced without removing the engine.

A great car and work horse with huge carrying space which I still enjoy driving.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th January, 2003

13th Jan 2003, 14:48

Are you sure about where you say "engine needs to be removed when the turbo needs servicing"?

Turbo's don't need to be serviced - if properly looked after they can last the life of the car. Even if they do fail its only attached to the exhaust manifold therefore not exactly an engine out job. :)

22nd Jul 2004, 01:48

According to Haynes (!) Turbos can fail and to change it on the 2.1 needs engine removal. My 406 2.1 TD has now done 114k. miles and Turbo still alright.

Radiator went the other day. Replaced it for £100 with one from Euro Car Parts. Bottom hose was hard to get off but in the end job went well.

11th Nov 2008, 15:37

I have just purchased one of these 2.1 TDs for my winter hack whilst I work on the vdub camper. I'm a mechanic in a small but busy garage, and gave the car a good check over, it has only 86k on the clock and I got it from a good guy!!

Well pleased with it. It pulls well and is pretty quiet, but it feels like a minicab. Mechanically it's a good machine, but the bodywork is a little bit thin, and therefore quick to show minor knocks.

For only 500 I can't be complaining too much though can I ;-)

1997 Peugeot 406 LX 2.0 16v

Summary:

Good family cruiser, offering affordable motoring

Faults:

Door seals keep popping off, a common fault I'm led to believe.

Fuel tubing split and very kindly leaked fuel all over the nice hot engine...Frightening!!!

Mileage clock bulb has blown twice.

General Comments:

Seats are nice and comfy, but feel a little bum numbing on long hauls.

Not a great deal of headroom if your like me and like to sit fairly upright, although plenty of adjustment is available.

Lack of any lumber support adjustment is a real shame.

Quicker off the mark than my last car, but no contest on top end, although it does handle remarkably well.

Irritating droning noise from the rear of the car when doing mid range speeds, thought it might have been a rogue wheel bearing or something, but there is no play evident when the wheels are in the air. (Any clues??)

Cheery interior, and nice Un-obscured view of the clocks, and a fantastic heating system that gives you that nice, warm toasty feeling in the winter months.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 12th January, 2003

10th Oct 2004, 11:16

My 1998 406 LXDT suffers from a rumbling noise from the rear suspension when driving along. It could be an anti rollbar bush, but this is just a guess. Does anyone know what could be causing this.