Diesely the best (Peugeot 405)

Member Name: babajane32

Product:	Peugeot 405
Date:	22/11/03 (2545 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: ecconomy, reliability, size

Disadvantages: ermm, errr, none?

The day I bought my 405 GRD was the day I discovered there is such a thing as a perfect car.
Having owned a huge array of cars over the years I had come to the conclusion that you either had economy,space,reliablility,safety,power,style or comfort, and never all together.
Now I know that having held on to this motor for over a year,the only way I will part with it is for another of the same make and model.

General specs**
1.9 direct fuel injected diesel engine
5 speed manual gearbox
4 door saloon
weight aprox. 1 tonne
optional extras (air conditioning,electric windows etc)
55 pmg+
Airbags

Body**
Made from pressed mild steel this body is made not to rust.I have seen dented and banged 405's but never a rotten one.
The shape and style of this car is not particularly special or impressive,but it is descent and nothing to be ashamed of.It doesn't date much and is unobviously appealing.
The thickness of the shell panels is good,and offers a feeling of being in a sturdy and solid car.
The paintwork is available in a variety of colurs although some are optional extras and cost more,and is a twin pack and laquor finnish.This is as far as I can tell the only possible downfall as an older vehicle can suffer from the laquor cracking and will need a bit of tlc,but still the body will not rot.

Engine**
This is one of the best features of this great car.The engine is bullet proof.Mine has been round the clock twice and still hasn't missed a beat,and runs like new.Of course to get that sort of service out of any engine it needs regular oil changes etc,but it's well worth it.
For a diesel it is amazingly nippy.Most deisels tend to be sluggish at best,but this little babe will make you proud,and leave similar sized pertrol engines and cars standing at the traffic lights.
Oh,I did find one more downside to the car...the engine is diesel so despite being fairly quiet inside the ca

r,you will still hear that familiar "tractor" sound when you start it up and if you are an early riser so might your neighbours!

Handling**
I have already established that it is fairly nippy,and on a motorway the performance is just as good.Now 110 pmh is illegal on british motorways,but this car will sit at it all day long and is very smooth at this sort of speed.It won't slow down on a hill, having alot of passengers wont slow it down either,and towing is a pleasure.
The handeling is pretty good and it sticks well to the road,The gearbox is gentle and yet precise.

Safety**
With sturdy body panels.Good seatbelts,airbags and good ABS breaks you feel and are pretty safe in this car.
Should I have the misfortune to hit a ford sierra head on in my 405,I have no doubt that the crumple zone will be the sierra.

Interior**
My family of 5 fit nicely in with plenty of leg room and reasonable confort even in the back.The seats are very comfortable and the drives seat provides an excellent drivers position.
It doesn't have the fanciest of trims,but it's not tacky or flimsy.
With good soundproofing it is nice and quiet inside and allround makes for a pleasent and comfortable drive.
The boot is also very roomy and I can easily place three good sized suitcases in along with a host of other bags and some tools.

Econnomy**
You can expect to pay a little more for a descent diesel car in comparison to its petrol equivalent,but it is well worth it.At 55+ MPG you can soon save the extra plus a whole lot more.I have managed to exceed 70 MPG on a long and steady run,and have no problem averaging 60 MPG round town.

Reliability**
I have never had occasion to question it's reliability as mine has never let me down,starting easily even on the coldest and wettest morning.
In the slightly unusal weather conditions we have had lately too,it has proved its reliability to me aga
in an
d again,as the beauty of diesels is that the engine does not cut out in water.With the large quantities of rain this year and the area I live in I often have to drive through a foot or two of water..which is more than the petrol driven cars can manage.

Miscillanious**
Insurance is reasonable,and lower than for many comparable cars.
Parts are easy to obtain as the engine is the same as is used in all citroen diesel vehicles,and as pattern parts are now available the prices for parts are excellent.

Conlusion**
This is not a large car,nor too small.It has excellent performace coupled with great handling,looks,economy and reliability.
If you need a family car or just a run about,this car is ideal.I cannot recomend it more highly,it is a dream to own and drive.

Summary: