Why This £449 Peugeot 406 Might Just Be My Car of the Year!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
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Today on the channel, I drive a French legend - the Peugeot 406. Star of screen and fleet sales, this car captured Britain in a way few other French cars ever have, but what's it like today?
#Cheapcar #Peugeot #406
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You should do the 605 V6.
But the question on everyone’s mind - is the 406 more reliable or less reliable than a McLaren 720S?
No mention of its super touring credentials? Successful in European touring cars in the 90s, and although it never had success in the BTCC, the 406 was the plucky underdog and one of the best looking!
1:50 hmm why do I see Nissan primera
Car vertical doesn't give history of cars on irish plates...sorry😮
One of the few cars where I can look at it from any angle and say “yes, the designers got this one right”. Stylish, clean lines, no unnecessary kinks or curves. One of the all time great Peugeot styles
Perfection.
You on drugs? F40 yes... This no.
@@Howt-oooCan you afford a F40?
Just an car meh
The coupe version was better looking
I've been driving one of these for the past 20 years. A 2.0 Hdi. Bought it in February 2004 it was six months old and had 9000 miles on it. Came quite well equipped with factory Sat Nav system. Quite new-fangled back then. Been driving it as my daily ever since. Starts on the button, everything still works on it. Able to do the servicing myself .Saw no reason to part with it, just keeps going.
This is the kind of story I like to hear. No reason to replace a daily driver that just keeps working
@@GoldenCroc I was talking to a guy at a classic car show last month. He said the same thing. He had a 1981 VW Jetta Diesel with 500,000 miles on it! I thought I was doing well!
Respect mate!
@@BobMc87 Cheers! 👍
The golden era of cars...made to last with no unreliable emission stuff.
Fun fact: the 406 Coupe was styled by Davide Arcangeli, who went on to pen the original E60 5 series design undee Chris Bangle at BMW. Arcangeli passed from leukemia mere weeks before the E60's design was finalized, and thus Bangle & the design team froze all changes to the design, in his honor. The 406 coupe and e60 hold a special place in my heart, some of my all time favorite designs
Another fun fact: the 406 coupe was produced by Pininfarina factory in Italy ~100.000 cars.
I'm biased because I had one, but I think the E60 design aged really well and was even quite a handsome car from the get go. Very few of the excesses of some of the earlier Bangle-overseen designs.
@@mosmarb I've owned three E60's now. Two M5's (both 6MT) as well as a 535i 6MT. Out of the 20+ BMW's I've had, the E60 M5 has been my favorite car. I also think they're beautiful cars
That 406 Coupe looked like a super-car.
The 406 Coupe was styled by Lorenzo Ramaciotti, this is why it's called a baby 456, because he designed the 456 too.
I've always thought that the 406 was a good-looking car. I think it's bonkers that they have become rare and unappreciated when they drive so well
And the 406 coupé is true thing of beauty. Classic sporty and elegant Pininfarina design.
That scrappage scheme lost us a lot of older, interesting cars, including ones much nicer than a 406. 18 E24 BMW 6 Series (the numbers were made publicly available thanks to freedom of information), 3 E31 8 Series, an Alpina B7, an M535i and one E9 3.0 CSi, just to take a few nice BMWs as an example. Now bear in mind they had to be runners and MOTed within a fairly short period preceding the scrappage date and it becomes even more of a shame :(
That's the British "herd mentality" doing its thing.
They are shit and all got scrapped.
The 406 holds a special place in my heart. My grandpa (dad's father) was a lifelong Peugeot driver; not into automotive, but Peugeot was his brand of choice for traveling from A to B. The last car he had was a 406 sedan in burgundy, which I remember standing on the old driveway for some years after he had passed away in 1999. I was barely two years old when he died, so I've never really known him.
I've never driven a 406 myself, but this video really makes me want to try one, just so I can experience what Grandpa's last drive was like. To hear it's actually really good makes me feel weirdly happy.
Thank you, James. Hope you have a great time of day, whenever you may read this.
What you've described is most 406s lives, one owner till he/she passes away then goes on to a new owner or unfortunately gets scrapped. I've bought two of 'em under such circumstances. They really are great cars, especially considering what they cost nowadays. Do drive one, or even better buy one if you ever get the chance, you won't regret it
I've been driving a 600 quid 406 estate since 2017 and I don't see myself parting with it anytime soon. It's not rusty, the 1.8 petrol just keeps on working and the car rarely has any problems of any sort. Sure, it's a bit slow but it's a nice thing to drive and what I still can't get over is how quiet and refined it is! Most new cars I've sat in have more tyre noise and interior squeaks!
This era of Peugeot were great cars, they didn’t rust, I believe the body was galvanised steel .
My 405 was like that. I was a Ford fanatic but when I got that 405 it felt much more solid and yet more refined than those old Fords, much better equiped too. Loved it.
I loved my 306 Hdi! So much better than my cranky fiesta!
Been driving a £350 306 GLX Estate with the 2.0 HDi also since 2017. A reliable, quick and very comfortable car that at 187,000 miles is barely run in. My garage likes working on it, as there's less stuff and more room. It is trying to transition from old car to classic, but all classics have to go through that difficult age!
The coupe 406 was absolutely stunning. Had one.
I do still love these though, what an incredible bargain.
Fiat coupe better
Because is made by Italians❤😂
Had a 2.2Hdi coupe for about 5 years, for a while there I was dirt poor and couldn't afford servicing. Still kept running without any repair bills at all.
@@imaniman6797In what register ?
Retrofitted the Brembos they used to come with onto a Fiesta!
My most memorable taxi ride was in a 406 about 17 years ago. An immaculately driven HDi automatic with really squishy leather seats and such supple suspension. Even though I was half asleep and a bit drunk, it still sticks in my mind.
One of the best things about this lovely channel is the fantastic mix of cars we get - literally everything from the latest supercars to old bangers all treated with equal enthusiasm. As for the 406 I too think they're cracking cars - but I would say that as I own the Diablo Red V6 manual that has already received more than its fair share of TH-cam exposure .
So glad JayEm hasn’t become like Hoovies Garage where he just seems to show off about how big his house is and how expensive his cars are. Love that there’s still genuine love for the cheap stuff here too!!
I drove thousands of cars when I worked in the trade in the early 00's. Not many stayed in my memory, but I clearly remember the first time I drove a 406. I immediately felt comfortable with it; the seat, the driving position and especially the road manners. Same applied to the 306 - great cars.
Have a look at the new 508 , as beautiful as the 406 back in the day
As a kid, I never really batted an eyelid at the 406. Now looking at it (specifically the pre-facelift), it's a fantastic looking car.
For the stereo code, it's either written on it, in the manual, or if it is the original one just contact a dealer (a French one if English ones can't help) with your VIN and they'll give it to you. Though they might charge you for this.
A good chance they will help you out for free at peugeot dealer. If it is not the original unit the car came with you can contact the manufacturer of the unit itself (mostlikely clarion). Serialnumber from the unit might get you the code there. At least you can try.
A car that old will almost certainly have a calculator on the internet for free
No clues on the stereo itself, and the card that has the code on it is sadly absent from the owner’s manual. I did try the original dealership it was sold from in Canterbury, but had no luck with them either. Typing in a random 4 digit code every half an hour was a fun way to break up long journeys though!
You can also use pp2000 to re register it back to the car same with the keys
@@Ashfielder I discribed a way it could work in this video somewhere. But it only works with clarion-radios
I’ve had 2 and they are amazing cars. Look after them and they’ll just keep going. Best all rounder was the 2.0 HDi 110, enough power with 50+ mpg.
I worked at a Peugeot dealer in the early 00s, leaving just as the 406 was being replaced. The general consensus throughout was that the 205, 309, 405, 306 and 406 were truly good cars - the '07s were a step backwards.
The facelift 406 Estate with the 2.2Hdi was the absolute peak!
The facelift 305 in GTX trim was a great car too! I had an estate that I ran to 238,000 miles. The valve seals on the 1.9 XU engine had to be replaced and I the original Solex(?) twin carb was replaced with the equivalent Weber that slowed it down a bit, but improved the economy - which still wasn't great. It had the most amazing plush velour seats - very old skool French in being both comfortable and supportive.
From the time when cars were just done properly, Laguna, Primera, Mondeo, 156, Vectra, 406, and so on. Tidy handling, reasonable performance and tech, good build quality
Very true, nowadays it's either SUV or electric, and upwards of £20K to boot.
For me this will always be the hero car (second, make no mistake, behind the Audi S8) from Ronin…hugely outgunned by the mighty BMW E34 M5 but ultimately triumphs in cinema’s greatest car chase.
I had always wanted a 406 Coupe but I could not afford it at the time they came out. I ended up owning six of them of the years and my fave was my yellow 3.0 V6 D8.5, those that know the 406's will know that the D8.5 was a crossover between the changes to the car and engine back in 1999-2000.
I still have a Pug 407 SW Executive that is taxed, MOT'd and a daily driver, the pugs will run forever if looked after.
Me to, I couldn't quite afford a 406 coupe. Had several 106 which were great, chopping and changing up the range to a GTi, then a 206 which was plagued with issues
I had a coupe 2.2 hdi (2003) ~2010-2020. Just a great car.
I think you bought my old yellow one? What happened to it?
@@frenchbred2081 Hiya, if you are talking about the Pulsar yellow one in your youtube short then I did not buy yours as mine was on an X plate.
@@Calvi36 no you bought it off me in 2016, X531 KVC it went to Scotland 👍
Around 1999 I was a sales rep with a Rover 416 as my company drive! The 416 went in for some lengthy repairs and for the couple of weeks the Rover was off the road, I was presented with one of these to play with. It was a nearly new, phase one 2L( I think) HDI saloon, manual, in dark blue. I'd never even been near one of these beforehand and I absolutely loved it. The fuel tank was colossal, I remember filling it up and wondering when it was ever going to end. however, 700 miles later it still wasn't empty. For those of you who are too young to have cogent memories of 1999, engines were nowhere near as fuel-efficient in those days as they are now, and these kinds of range figures on a single tank were virtually unheard of. it was quiet, for a diesel of the day as well, relatively quick, again for a diesel of the day, and super comfortable. I didn't want to give it back! And here I am in 2023 talking about a car that I drove for a couple of weeks almost a quarter of a century ago, I think that sums it up totally!
Peugeot was my favourite manufacturer. Got my license in 1997 and got a 106 GTi and a few years later a 306 GTi. Great cars. Comfortable, reliable, exciting and in my opinion great looking. I think from the time of those cars, the 206 and this 406 i fell out of love for the brand. They are weird looking (they make Citroen look normal), not very reliable and are not as comfortable as before. Changed to Kia and Hyundai. But the memories remain.
I've owned 2 406s over the years, and they were both wonderful cars to own and drive
Thanks! As usual, love your content .But this time you have hit it out of the ball park for me, perfect timing! I’m Canadian car nut and I’ve just moved to France for a 1 year stay. Just rented a house and with my fleet of cars at home in barn. I have a itch I need to scratch. I naturally started looking for good cars to purchase on Le boncoin but have no knowledge of French cars and since we sell almost none in Canada. I have just found 10 pages of manual coupes I will be probably purchasing now with your help! Now, to find a cool color with low mileage! Cheers, keep up the great work!
My father in law had one. He traded it in for a Nissan Cumquat.
It says a lot about his knowledge of cars.
I saw an estate version of this trundling about last week and felt so sorry for it. It had clearly done its life’s work!
The green one with 220k miles?
I had an 01 plate 406 estate with 365000 miles on the clock. It was a 2.0 HDI, it had automatic headlights, wipers, cruse control and used to do 950 miles to a tank of diesel. It did all that mileage on the same clutch, gear box etc, it just had standard oil and all filter changes as well as brakes etc. What a fantastic car it was.
@@Afraz_9n3 it was a red one in my hometown
@@dizzy2020 that’s quite something! The one I saw looked very very unloved and was still plodding along
@@jameshunterford4099 ah right. I saw one on autotrader last week for £495 a green diesel estate with 220k miles on the clock. Can't find it now though appears to be sold
One of the finest cars ever made , seriously ! great looking, fantastic drive, all the kit you need and not a touchscreen in sight . Peak car .
My Dad had three of these (not all at once of course). The last one being a green face lifted version that finished its life with nearly 250,000 miles. A truly brilliantly made car and the earliest car I can remember my family owning.
Why finished?
Well, 250k is a lot. It might not have been viable for retention by then.
Love these. I am also pretty sure the wood veneer is real tree! The leather interior in the 3.0V6 is a masterpiece.
In Nigeria especially Northern Nigeria these cars are highly revered, so much so that some see them as the greatest car ever made. I began to somewhat hate it because everyone sings praises of it and because I just didn't think it was that special. Another reason it is revered is that in the early 2000s the then president of Nigeria ordered them in spades and were used in ministries, the presidency itself, the military and numerous agencies mostly as escort cars for the mile long convoys for dignitaries. When it became more affordable and accessible to the common masses, people bought them because they showed a bit of power status, you weren't easily harassed by forces for fear of you being important or working for someone important. In short people bought them because they couldn't afford the brand new black Toyota Land Cruiser. It is nice to see someone as authoritative as you be amazed by it.
You obviously have never driven this car. It has very competent driving manners, soaks any road thrown at it. Ans the suspension lasts an eternity.
Loved mine. Paid £1500 for it, ran it for 2 years, drove round France in it with 3 kids in the back, then sold it for £1500. Service parts from Euro or Gsf dirt cheap.
Ronin… Robert deniro in a 406 wow
Those who knew the old late 90s BTCC (and the games that went along with it, TOCA 1 and 2) remember Tim Harvey and Paul Radisich (from New Zealand) as 406 drivers in this championship. These were the days. I also remember there was the gentleman driver John George, from the Mardi Gras Motorsport, in 2002 driving a 406 Coupe running on LPG, during the beginning of the Super 2000 regulations.
I had the 2.1td estate. 270k miles on it when I bought it, was used for my Ipswich to Witham commute for 3 years . Never failed me.
I loved my 406 in 1996 as a Company Car.... The size and comfort was great.
Also a star of the fabulous 1998 film 'Ronin'. One of the best car chases on film was a Peugeot 406!
Also the first car I properly drove after my test, getting usage out of my Mum's Pug.
Was looking at buying a 3.0 v6 coupe the other day
Hello from Austria - I drive a 1996 406 1.9 Diesel . The Peugeot was bought new by my grandpa, he drove it till 2015 (with only 50000 miles). Then I learned to drive with it and I still keep it besides my F10 525d. Everytime I hop into the 406 I have to smile - it isn't fast, it's quite rusty but still running smoothly and very comfortable. I do enjoy driving it, not only because I don't have to care about it.
Grüß Gott !
Talking of movie references, there's also a cracking car chase scene in the film Ronin, where a V6 one of these chases a BMW, causes lots of carnage and mayhem!
Frances finest hour? No, I’d say that was the 50’s-80’s when Peugeot & SIMCA produced Diesels with reliability and build quality second only to Mercedes, and Citroën & Panhard were ripping-up the rule book and innovating just what an automobile could be.
How about this: travel to England for a month, and instead of renting a car, buy one to drive then sell it….would it be possible to do less expensively than renting one?
These early 2000 diesels are just built like tanks. The Peugeot DW10 engine (2,0 HDI) will often go beyond 500’000 kms if maintained properly. And it’ll do 50 mpg if you don’t drive too hard.
Blimey i love this.for 449 nicker thats a bargain. 406 was a huge step up in overall quality over the boxier 405 before it. Future festival of the unexceptional car for sure. That looks like itll scrub up to be very tidy.
Didnt realise either that the Coupe had those very Jaguar XJS esque c pillar buttresses.....lovely.
If You like this one You need to try the 405 Mi16 !! You think the 205GTi is good well 405 Mi16 is all that and gives more space!
The 406 chasing the e35 in Ronin was a classic from my childhood.
This shared a platform with the Citroen Xantia… They’re surprisingly good too! Enjoyed this and good for people to see that French cars have been good in the past!
In my opinion the 406 was even more comfortable and reliable, the seats were just as comfy but more supportive. Lately had some testdrives with Xantias and its been quite disappointing for me!
Also the handling was fantastic, the Xantia is too spongy for my taste
Actually saw one today and hadn't seen one for some time. 03 in silver
Peugeot were the chassis masters back in the day, think 205,309 gti brilliant handling cars 😁
I had a manual 2.0 (previously LPG converted) back in early 2K... It was just a cheap daily att, though it was lovely to drive to and around Wales. I enjoyed the relaxed comfort and the low mpg (with the LPG).
Two years ago, I have purchased a Skoda Octavia of 2012 at 300 pounds with 185 000 km. As it is running, it seems to improve and does 5.5 liters per 100 km.
I had one with manual transmission, it was fabulous I confirm!
French cars make the best sheds, once you have run a cheap car you don't care about you never want to go back.
Cars from that era were generally pretty good to drive. I have been driving 99 accord for the last 20 years and I used to think it was a boring car but it actually drives brilliantly. I would love to prelude swap it one day with a manual just need to find a reliable shop near me to do it.
I used to have a R reg in that colour, beautiful car.
I took it to France, Spain and Italy and aside from a blown exhaust, which was replaced in Siracusa, Sicily, it never missed a beat.
Great video, keep them coming, they’re brilliant!
PS I have a 2012 BMW 640D convertible which I love, welcome to have a drive if you want.
Loving these bargain cars. Thanks for considering your less wealthy subscribers. 👍👍👍👍
i bought one in indonesia last year. was deciding between this and the 405, however the 405 wasnt available with the 16v engine. Ended up choosing this because of this xu10j4r engine. 16v head, iron block and square cylinder dimensions like the beloved sr20! Proven on youtube to make 528hp in a 306 with the help of a turbo! If you have seen the new car market, 2 litre engines are disappearing in lower priced cars.
Love your enthusiasm for cheap old cars. Great review Jay - glad you noticed how good the chassis is.
No Pininfarina-designed 406 coupe? tsk-tsk-tsk
The HDI's can run on cooking oil no problem. Absolute tanks. The rest of the car will fall apart around the engine
Love these budget car reviews, much more interesting than a hyper car test drive
Had a 406 Coupe, loved it, still keep an eye for them on the classifieds
It had a big set of tyres to fill.
The 405 had a superb chassis that it shared with the BX. But the chassis sorcerers at Peugeot made sure the 406 didn't go wanting.
Like the 405 it was also a handsome looking machine.
I had a 405, then 406 & got rid of it & went back to another 405. The 405 was a much superior handling car, I found the 406 was lacking on a twisty road, it just couldn't corner at the speeds a 405 would.
I had a late 405 Mi16. It had incredibly secure feel in the corners. Much better than the contemporary Cavalier SRi. Wasn't as punchy though.
I had 2 405Sri's! Great handling, great ride with a nice torquey 1.9 205Gti engine. With Nice Comfy( I mean really Comfortable) seats, a big boot was a really Great all round car.
I was put off by the 406 by the fact it wasn't deemed as good as the 405 and the Mondeo mk3 was a really good all rounder. So when I needed a car for family duties I bought two of those.
I really should try a 406. The 2.2 170bhp sounds like the one for me😊
Had 405 before I take my current 406. Yes, 405 handling is smoother and sharper, I still miss it sometimes
Wheeler Dealers just did a 405. Mi16 - would love to see you review that
So nice to see you have fun in a relatively unappreciated car. I find this kind of video a lot more engaging than when you drive a supercar.
Had one of these a decade ago for £900. A beautiful car, well equipped and with brilliant sound isolation. Seemed much more expensive than it was.
Sadly mine failed the MOT for a dozen reasons (not least of which: the MOT tech could punch holes through the floor) which explained the cheap price. Sold it to the owner of a welding shop for £250. Saw it on the road a few years later, too.
Howevee the 206 I bought later cemented my decision to never buy a Peugeot again - they can't handle their road salt AT ALL.
i had 406 2.1d estate i still miss it ;( then i had 407 2.0hdi i didn't enjoy it at all
There’s a manual 3.0 V6 on autotrader for £1500!
I had a 406 and a 407 and loved them both as practical cars, long distance marvels and reasonably enjoyable drivers cars.
Best company car I ever had was a brand new 406 hdi GLX estate, 2000 on a w reg.
metallic blue.
I know many who owned one 406 and they always mentioned that it was made in the tradition of Lyon providing you with a very good chassis tuned for excellent dynamics considering that this is a middle class vehicle.
It's a really damning statement about how bad most modern cars are to drive that we have JayEmm here - who I think it's fair to say has driven far more, and more impressive, cars than most so he should be in position to know - raving about how good the driving experience is in a mid-sized, front wheel drive, saloon car in middle-spec trim. It's not a sports car. It's not even the sports edition of the 406, but apparently it's a nicer steer than most things made today.
i dont know why, but ive got a subconscious fondness of the 406
Had one for a year quite some time ago. Had 1 hour of highway driving each way to work. Went from a more modern VW to the Peugeot. The 406 was miles better to drive in every way. Much more quiter at higher speeds + quite amazingly fun in the snow for a fwd :)
Will never understaand how Peugot could go from the perfection that was the 406 to the terrible 407.
Sold it for more than a bought it for when the day trip droped to 10 min.
All Peugeot from the 06 Era are drivers car, from the 106 to the 806.
Thank you for this vidéo and thank you for this facelift 406. ❤️
Very rare to find a 406 saloon now. Most petrols have been exported out to Africa in the past decade. I love my 3.0 406 coupe.
Had my W reg 2.0HDI 110bhp for 10 years, well over 200,000 miles on it when I sold it.
Most reliable and comfy car I’ve ever owned.
Pulled like a train and returned around 45mpg.
I've got one since 1997 and it's perfect car!
There was a 3.0 v6 estate for sale on car & classic few weeks back
Used to have the face lift 1.8 petrol manual. Loved it. Handled better than it should have, was great on long runs and fuel economy was decent. This has made me want another.
I always preferred the 405 looks-wise but these are still very handsome, especially in estate form
I always wanted the V6 406 Coupe !
As of this video coming out, I can see four V6 406 Coupes on Autotrader. Go on Jay, you know you want to!
At 5:08 you're driving past the place that often has a pale blue 406 estate. Reminds me of my X reg GLX estate 2.0 diesel. A Supremely comfy load lugger.
I had a 406 Turbo Executive. Loved it, great mid-range acceleration and a great ride as well as a brilliant set of speakers. Probably did 25mpg if I was lucky!
In 4th gear it was faster than my current Seat Leon 184 Coupe.
Toby sounds eerily familiar...
I bought a roadster for the summer at the start of the year (albeit an mgf) and just bought a practical banger for the winter months: a '99 Peugeot 306 estate whose previous owner works as a car mechanic, for 750,-. It's absolutely fab! Sure, it has a few dings and scratches and the interior has been... lived in, but it's so comfy and drives like a dream.
I will always prefer to drive a 500 $ car as opposed to a 40k dollar car .... when both do the exact same thing...
I know how to crack the radio code! (If it's a Clarion model similar to other PSA group cars of the time). You take the last 4 digits of the serial code located on the back of the unit. Add 1 to the first number, 2 to the second number, 3 to the 3rd number and 4 to the 4th number. Your new 4 numbers are the code to unlock the radio. If any number goes above 6, you just count the next number from 1. For example, serial number ending in 2142 would have a security code of 3253. Enjoy!
After running two Peugeot, 405s company cars, they were followed two Peugeot 406s. They didn’t handle quite so well, but still more than acceptable against the competition but with brilliant ride quality. The big difference was a huge uplift in quality, both perceived and actual. Where the 405 was a bit Fisher-Price plastics the 406 was an altogether better place to be. However, the one I wanted was always the 406 coupe, sadly above my pay grade!
I agree, I had a 405 estate as a company car in the early 90s & they did handle very well, then a 406 estate in the early 2000s, as you say they didn't handle as well but were a fair bit plusher inside.
The phase one 405s had a horrible hard plastic dash, the facelift was much nicer. I'd say the 406 was more refined than the 405 but lacked the handling.
Although my 405 had the 1.9 non turbo and the 406 company car I briefly had was a 2.0 hdi 110.
The 406 was one of the last proper good Peugeots. I had 305 for most of my younger years and a 806 when I had three kids and I'm currently restoring a 604. When my knee went I bought an automatic 607 HDI but didn't really like it and replaced it with a Jag XJ.
You know, I think cars probably peaked within the 90s, and after that things have just been so incremental that sure, a modern car is a bit better, but i think spending sub £1k on almost any car and finding out there is minimal difference to something modern, just gets you wondering, why pay more if its not worth the extra couple of thousand for practically anything else?
Great video. I had one of these way back in the day, early 2000's. Same age, engine, manual, in green. I loved that motor.
As someone who owned one of these in the late 90's, and all the hell I went through owning one, I can't even imagine how terrible the ownership experience would be 25 years later 😲
I don't know of a worse built car, EVERTHING broke on it, even things you would never have break on any other car.
Example, one day while driving on the motorway, the seat frame snapped and I ended up in the back of the car while travelling at 70mph. This was when the car was 3 years old. Took it to a welder and they said they had never seen such crappy welds.
Another example, the handbrake would snap every now and then, it was not actually the cable that would snap, but the retaining bolt, which was hollow. My mechanic at the time said he had never seen a hollow handbrake mount in his life. It was just such a badly put together car. Ultimately I ended up trading it in for £2200 when it was 4 years old, so it is insane to me that someone would pay near £500-£3000 for one 25 years on 🤣🤣
My Dad had many Peugeots over the years, we had a gold coloured 405 on a G reg. My mum had a couple of 406s, both in beautiful shades, one blue and one red, the blue one ran on cooking oil out of the care home she worked! 😂😂😂
The 405 and 406 were truly great cars. I had two of the former old school 2.0 TD that combined went close to 400k mileage. Wonderful smooth drive and those velour seats were just 🙌
James I'm 100% with you on the 406.
I'd not driven one until earlier this year when I was brought a Doable Red V6 with a manual gearbox to film a review and oh my word, what a great drive.
I took the car along one of my regular rest route and I tend to go a little easy when it's not my own car. The 406 Hower I felt at ease with by the first quick bend and with the V6 engine and manual gearbox I soon forgot that I was in fact driving a four door saloon. It also sounded fantastic and had plenty of mud range torque (the last car I'd reviewed before it being the Rover 45 V6).
I think the 406 coupe with the V6 engine and a manual gearbox could well be the perfect average Joe's GT car.
A 406, even if it cost a million pounds, would still be worth every penny.
LX had AC
GLX added digital climate control, arm rests, rear electric windows, electric mirrors and the oil gauge.
You really wouldn't have wanted the manual, the clutch was super heavy, the gearbox was very notchy and you could not shift into first unless completely stopped, which was annoying as often you needed to at low speeds
I have been driving 406 coupes since 2005 and I love mine 3l V6... Stunningly beautiful and a sweet drive. And despite owning and driving a 911 997 c2s and a BMW z4 3.0i I still adore driving my 406 coupe...❤️
My parents had the 406 saloon version 2l 110cv diesel and it was a very good car indeed, and so cheap to run and mega solid. My dad hardly changed anything during his 130k ownership 👀😳
Cab drivers had them and they are rock solid... Many did over 500k with them👀
My only regret... When I was after an estate car for my dog, I should have bought a 2.2 diesel 136cv 406... Instead of a Vauxhall Vectra C 1.9 cdti 150 (which is ok though and was mega cheap too)😖
........i'm surprised........with all your youtube videos to date......there isn't one of a drive in a Pininfarina 406 Coupe with the V6 James??? ...you've driven/reviewed just about every other quirky car in the uk
I picture a 406 in green and gold. The glory years of British Touring Cars had some really beautiful designs - and all makes immediately recognisable, before every design tended towards angular similarity.
Concerning the Code-Problem:
I have a Peugeot 306, quite similar to the 406 when talking about the stereo.
If the Radio is from clarion and has a serial-Nr. starting with C700000... there's a simple way to find out its code:
1. Take the 4 last numbers (Example: C70000001234/Here it would be 1234)
2. Add 1 to the first number (1+1 = 2)
3. Add 2 to the second number (2+2 = 4)
4. Add 3 to the third number (3+3 = 6)
5. Add 4 to the fourth number (4+4 = 8)
The radio mostly lets you put in only Numbers 1-6. So from each number over 6 you'll need to substract 6.
So with my example it would be 2462.
Hope this helps :)