Faults:

"Brake Fluid Level Low" message (with beep) came up on centre console every time I applied the handbrake. It was intermittent at first, but then it persisted.

The boot lock got stuck (locked), which couldn't be opened with either key or remote.

The driver door would stick occasionally, the problem went away, but later resurfaced.

The brake discs were replaced during a recent service.

The tyres were also replaced (I'd done 14000 miles on them).

General Comments:

Just sailed through its NCT; that's Irish for MOT ;) - never came close to failing.

Spent under €800 (<£550) in over 18 months of ownership.

Great to drive. Lovely on motorways and dual-carriageways. Handles very well on the back roads too. Good road holding.

Fairly economical for a big car - I get 36mpg on average, although it's rated at 34mpg on Parkers.co.uk. An Accord 1.8 only gets 31mpg.

Big, big boot (although I did have a problem with the lock getting stuck shut - cheap to fix).

Passengers comment on the room and comfort in the back.

My mechanic says it's the only decent French car he's driven / worked on! :o.

I didn't service the car for over a year, but it didn't seem to do it any harm, as far as I can tell. Won't be leaving it as long next time though.

One complaint I have about my trim is that I'd like air con (initially steered away from it because of extra servicing costs and fuel consumption / loss of acceleration). Also, it has a boot changer 6 CD system. I wish it had a CD player in the centre console instead - so I could change it for a MP3 / CD player!

Honest John (honestjohn.co.uk) was right! The 1.8 doesn't have a lot of oomph. My advice: get the 2L at least - or go for the 2.0 / 2.2 HDI. I gaze enviously across at the HDIs as I tear past them on the way to work (for some reason, people seem to drive them slow, even though they have better performance than most petrol versions! If I had one I'd put it through it's paces...).

Steer away from the 406 Coupe - it was lovely in its day, but I think it's aged more than the saloon. Considering it's a 3L engine, you'd expect better performance too.

I like the look of the car. I like the look of the 407 too, but it divides opinion, whereas everyone I know seems to like the 406's shape. That Pininfarina styling <sigh> has aged well.

Perhaps I got lucky, but I think that the general opinion that the 406 is unreliable is unjustified. Mechanically it's very sound. The electrics are, shall we say, a little buggy. The trim is nice, but a little flimsy. Apart from that, I think it's a lovely, reliable car... so far. Parkers gave it 4 ****'s (that's 4 STARS, by the way) for pretty much everything - including reliability.

Faults:

Air conditioning condenser (replaced under warranty)

Crankshaft pulley rattle/worn.

Few rattles and squeaks from the dash area

General Comments:

Very comfortable

Very economical

Fast enough for me

Extremely reliable

However the bodywork is a let down as it scratches and dents all too easily.

Faults:

Fault with the engine management system three times, Repaired under warranty only to happen again, Resulting in miss firing when driving and total lack of power.

Local Garage fixed the problem in 10 minutes with there own system. No problems with it so far.

Found it very hard to get a after market CD changer for the radio. had to replace the original radio. There are just too many models.

General Comments:

Great styling, amazing engine.

Great car to drive on long journey's getting over 800 miles to a tank, 750 when it's time to change the oil.

The weight of the diesel engine keeps the front down, but will cause the back to lighten up dramatically under braking, Which I found out to my own disappointment. It caused me to hit a tree. caused minor damage, but kept on going.

Lots of leg room compared too many cars out there, Parents have recently bought a 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe very nice car, but for a big 4x4 there is hardly any leg room. (sorry I'm tall)

The ride is soft and comfortable compared to my old 306 it was just to hard over the bumps.

The performance of the 2L 90bhp hdi is disappointing compared to the old 1.9 TDi that was in my 306.The 1.9 could easily keep up with my mates 1.6 v-tech civic, and I still got 500 miles to a tank.

Very economical and cheap to run.

Top tip for young drivers.

If you are looking to buy this car make sure you go for the SRDT that's printed on the log book not the HDI. They are the same car, same engine and performance, but insurance companies in Ireland haven't picked up on it. thankfully was able to insure my self on it for 1800 euro per year. Compared to the 2100 euro I was paying for the 1.9 306.