2001 Peugeot 406 LX 1.8

Summary:

Superb family car, hidden gem

Faults:

Seems to eat headlight bulbs, small insignificant problem considering its age.

General Comments:

I simply cannot fault this car.

It has never let me down, and after owning it for two years, I can honestly say it is probably the best car I have owned for the money.

The fuel economy is excellent for a big family saloon (35mpg commuting and nearly 50mpg on motorways.

It is comfortable, quiet and reliable.

There is plenty of room in the back for the kids, and the boot is a chasm; it's huge.

It also looks okay and drives like a luxury car, as if it's worth much more money.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th February, 2010

2001 Peugeot 406 STDT2 2.0 HDi turbo diesel

Summary:

Economical, comfortable, reliable

Faults:

Blew the clock display due to jump starting another car (not a good idea with any modern car!) 40euro from scrap yard.

Engine management light had to be reset due to driving through floods on 2 occasions.

Bought a reset tool on eBay for 30euro.

One rear drop link 12euro. Caused clonking sound from the rear.

This car is very reliable.

I commute 70 miles per day and there has not been a hiccup in the last 32000 miles.

General Comments:

This car is not very fast from 0-60mph, but there is lots of power for overtaking once the turbo kicks.

This is the ideal motorway cruiser. Very comfortable on a long journey.

The heater controls etc. are not very ergonomically designed, and you always need to stretch a little for them.

The economy is excellent on this car! 523 miles for 38 liters! That's amazing for a car of this size.

I will never own another petrol car! Hope to get a 136bhp BMW 320D...

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th May, 2008

15th Jul 2019, 11:50

WOW! 523 miles (= 523 x 1.6 km = 836.8km) on only 38 liters of diesel / really amazing.

This translates to 836.8km/38 l= 22.02km/l or or 99.1km/gallon or 61.9 MPG!

At what speed did you achieve this (probably at 30km/h?)?

In reply to 15th Jul 2019, 11:50

16th Jul 2019, 06:38

The reviewer traveled 32k mile over a year, which will mean it was mostly driven on the open road. 30 MPH will use more fuel since you’d be driving in a lower gear. My own experience in a 1.8L BMW manual 3-Series hatch on open road driving with few hills, is 16.5 km/L. A diesel ALWAYS gets more mileage than a petrol car. So yes, 22 km/L is possible with a diesel manual on the open road always running warm.

In reply to 15th Jul 2019, 11:50

16th Jul 2019, 14:01

Don't know about 61, but in the high 50's range MPG is perfectly possible from this diesel engine from Peugeot; it was one of their best at the time. A lot of these cars in the 1990s and early 2000s (405 and 406) were used as taxis as they were above average in economy and reliability for your typical Peugeot.

In reply to 16th Jul 2019, 14:01

19th Jul 2019, 08:31

Yeah, I think 60+ MPG would be possible in these cars in favourable conditions, i.e. traveling at 50-60mph for long periods. They are quite long and low, good aero etc.

My stepdad once owned a 2000ish ex-taxi 406 2.0 HDI Estate (in white, of course). It had done approx 330,000 miles! It felt its age, but it was still a nice thing to drive.

In reply to 19th Jul 2019, 08:31

21st Jul 2019, 16:00

True they were good economical cars, above average for Peugeot, who were generally looked at as a budget brand manufacturer. But the 405 and 406 were respected by those in the know as good as any family saloon or hatch.

Nowadays the closest thing to one is a Skoda Octavia - proven diesel engine for over a decade now - it's why you see so many as taxis.

2001 Peugeot 406 GTX 2.2 HDi 16

Summary:

Quirky French diesel car that plays big saloon games with big saloons

Faults:

Emissions control ECU failed at about 58,000 miles - fixed under warranty from supplying dealer.

Throttle position sensor failed at 60,000 miles - fixed by independent specialist - paid for by dealer, and very very economic (£40)

General Comments:

Peugeot's 2.2 litre 16 valve HDi diesel engine is a peach. It's so very very quiet and so very torquey and lively.

A cautious ECU remap has increased the performance from lively to plain FAST.

It's quiet, quick and comfortable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th July, 2006

23rd Jun 2007, 13:22

Still rate this car - now have 85,000 on the clock and it drives as beautifully as ever. I highly recommend the ECU remap to anyone if done properly. A recent rolling road test revealed 192bhp and over 320 lbft of torque.

26th Aug 2007, 18:29

As an ex-406 owner I can only recommend you SELL IT IMMEDIATELY, because in two or three years time you'll just have scrap metal.

8th Jul 2010, 16:24

I've owned 4 406s:

* 1996 2.0 turbo SRi

* 1996 2.0 turbo executive

* 1997 3.0 V6 estate

* 2001 2.2 SRi.

I've loved every single one of these cars despite some niggles, usually occurring as the cars passed 100,000 miles. I've found that the 406 responds very well to careful modding. Peugeot enthusiasts tell me that the 406 engines in particular tend to be de-tuned, leaving lots of scope for more power and better straight-line performance.

My dad has owned a 406 1.9 TD and a 406 2.2 TD, and now drives a 407 136 HDi SE Luxury Pack. This tells you something about how much we rate Peugeots, the 406 in particular! We've also had a 306 TD and a 206 1.6, and neither of those two offered anything like the smile-inducing driveability of the 406s.

I would recommend everyone to avoid the lesser engines though - ie the 1.8 petrol and both of the 90bhp diesel versions. The 406 was heavy for its day (though it looks like a lightweight next to today's cars) and those engines simply cannot cope, and since you need to rev the nuts off them to get anywhere, you are not saving fuel.

To be honest, with the cars being so cheap these days, there's no excuse not to go for the most powerful HDi you can find, or either the 2.0 turbo, 2.2 or 3.0 V6 petrol engines. Yeah the V6 really drinks fuel, but the car is cheap, so it makes up for the fuel consumption.