Avensis/406 test drive

fonecrusher1

Right lads took 2 cars for test drives today. This is as accurate as i can report with no preferences whatsover.

2002 peugeot 406 Hdi 91,000miles; Exterior good, interior ok. A plastic strip on door sill fell off. The driver seat door had a big rip. The clutch was knackered & i mean practically non-existant, radio didn't work at all. The engine & oil & water symbol light were aluminated. Oh and a spanner symbol whatever that means. She seemed to hesitate a bit when i put the foot down. Very quiet engine which was impressive for a diesel.
Verdict; not great, i was dissapointed because i like the look of them & kinda wanted one.

2001 toyota avensis d4d 105,000miles; exterior good, interior good (a bit grimey). Drivers door passenger side window control button missing. Clutch perfect, gearbox sharp, very good accelerator response, felt quick & i liked the way it steered. Couldn't seem to turn up the radio volume!
Verdict; I have to say i was quite impressed. It ain't pretty but it just felt solid in comparison to the 406 & it definitely felt quicker.

Ive gone right off the idea of getting a 406 after that to be honest. It was one of 2 406's the dealer had & the one i drove was the pick of them & 'in great shape' according to the dealer.:rolleyes:
The dashboard was lit up like a christmas tree. Its possible this particular car had been very badly treated so im not saying all peugeots are rubbish but with my budget im going to have to stick with Jap.
I thought the avensis was a nice car & pretty fast for a diesel & all so it gets the thumbs up from me.

ShadowHearth

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

Right lads took 2 cars for test drives today. This is as accurate as i can report with no preferences whatsover.

2002 peugeot 406 Hdi 91,000miles; Exterior good, interior ok. A plastic strip on door sill fell off. The driver seat door had a big rip. The clutch was knackered & i mean practically non-existant, radio didn't work at all. The engine & oil & water symbol light were aluminated. Oh and a spanner symbol whatever that means. She seemed to hesitate a bit when i put the foot down. Very quiet engine which was impressive for a diesel.
Verdict; not great, i was dissapointed because i like the look of them & kinda wanted one.

2001 toyota avensis d4d 105,000miles; exterior good, interior good (a bit grimey). Drivers door passenger side window control button missing. Clutch perfect, gearbox sharp, very good accelerator response, felt quick & i liked the way it steered. Couldn't seem to turn up the radio volume!
Verdict; I have to say i was quite impressed. It ain't pretty but it just felt solid in comparison to the 406 & it definitely felt quicker.

Ive gone right off the idea of getting a 406 after that to be honest. It was one of 2 406's the dealer had & the one i drove was the pick of them & 'in great shape' according to the dealer.:rolleyes:
The dashboard was lit up like a christmas tree. Its possible this particular car had been very badly treated so im not saying all peugeots are rubbish but with my budget im going to have to stick with Jap.
I thought the avensis was a nice car & pretty fast for a diesel & all so it gets the thumbs up from me.

well... you cant say rubish about 406 in general, thought the one you tested was crap.

i had 406 00' and it was moust reliable car i ever owned. Just get yourself not abused one, and you will newer regret it.

Newer had avensis, but was a passanger in one, and i thought 406 was way better, but thats just opinion.

go and check out normal 406, not destroyed one, and you will change your mind.

p.s. how can you judge about speed when the clutch is destroyed lol

fonecrusher1

ShadowHearth wrote: »

well... you cant say rubish about 406 in general, thought the one you tested was crap.

i had 406 00' and it was moust reliable car i ever owned. Just get yourself not abused one, and you will newer regret it.

Newer had avensis, but was a passanger in one, and i thought 406 was way better, but thats just opinion.

go and check out normal 406, not destroyed one, and you will change your mind.

p.s. how can you judge about speed when the clutch is destroyed lol

Don't get me wrong i think they're a much nicer looking car than the boring avensis & a nicer looking interior as well.
In all fairness i already said; 'im not saying all peugeots are rubbish'. Its just of the three cars i looked at (two 406's & avensis) the toyota was in better shape. Cosmetically & mechanically.

Im not bashing peugeot. Im just being honest about the particular cars i looked at today.

ShadowHearth

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

Don't get me wrong i think they're a much nicer looking car than the boring avensis & a nicer looking interior as well.
In all fairness i already said; 'im not saying all peugeots are rubbish'. Its just of the three cars i looked at (two 406's & avensis) the toyota was in better shape. Cosmetically & mechanically.

Im not bashing peugeot. Im just being honest about the particular cars i looked at today.

to be honest this is useless thread alltogether, you just proved that one car was in worse shape then ather, thats it... ( no offence)

if you did came for advise then here it is: Go check out ather 406, before making up your mind.

fonecrusher1

ShadowHearth wrote: »

to be honest this is useless thread alltogether, you just proved that one car was in worse shape then ather, thats it... ( no offence)

if you did came for advise then here it is: Go check out ather 406, before making up your mind.

Theres a few people on here that know im in the process of buying another car so i was just letting them know about my findings as we've discussed the pros & cons of a few different cars before.

No offence taken but at the same time don't get upset with my honesty. If the avensis had been a pile of sh!te i would have had no problem writing about it.

Row

My 96 406 has just covered 214,000 mls and still on it original clutch....:)
All original balljoints..track rod ends etc on the front and no rattles...:eek:
I have to say it has been the best car i've ever owned....Don't think my 407
will last as long....:rolleyes:

ShadowHearth

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

Theres a few people on here that know im in the process of buying another car so i was just letting them know about my findings as we've discussed the pros & cons of a few different cars before.

No offence taken but at the same time don't get upset with my honesty. If the avensis had been a pile of sh!te i would have had no problem writing about it.

thats why its a forum, not a blog m8

ShadowHearth

Row wrote: »

My 96 406 has just covered 214,000 mls and still on it original clutch....:)
All original balljoints..track rod ends etc on the front and no rattles...:eek:
I have to say it has been the best car i've ever owned....Don't think my 407
will last as long....:rolleyes:

honestly i heard so many horror stories about 407s.. with all those little sensors etc...

Row

ShadowHearth wrote: »

honestly i heard so many horror stories about 407s.. with all those little sensors etc...

The do alot of beeping alright...but the are there to give warnings in advance.
The beeping gets so annoying that you have to get it sorted or they will drive round the bend..:D
Most new cars today seem to have the same idea...:eek:
Other than that the 407s are not bad...:)

Anan1

I drove a rough Mercedes 450SEL 6.9 a while back, put me right off that particular car.;)

In my book the 406 is leagues ahead of the Avensis to drive.

bryaner

Row wrote: »

My 96 406 has just covered 214,000 mls and still on it original clutch....:)
All original balljoints..track rod ends etc on the front and no rattles...:eek:
I have to say it has been the best car i've ever owned....Don't think my 407
will last as long....:rolleyes:

You must have found a freak

Row

bryaner wrote: »

You must have found a freak

No...just kept it serviced and gave it some Tlc.
My is the 1905cc Td...:)

pajo1981

In case you didn't know there were two diffent HDI 406 units: a 90HP and a 110HP.

A well looked after 110HDI should be a peach to drive. I don't know what the story was with the one ou checked out?

The door sills go on all of them, but are easily replaced. Bushings tend to go at around 80k miles, but again are easily replaced.

I wouldn't give up on the 406 if I were you. They are a nice quiet car and are usually good to drive.

ShadowHearth

Row wrote: »

No...just kept it serviced and gave it some Tlc.
My is the 1905cc Td...:)

Amen, if you look after it, it will go like a rocket.

p.s. i couldnt live with myself when everymorning i should look at the boring face of avensis

i allways looked back when parking 406, its just... nice to look at. Driving experience is way nicer aswell

EPM

Passed a mint looking 406 2.0 HDi GLX with 90k on way to work this morning. Had a quick read of the docket on window while I was passing. £1100 and it was MOT'd.

If you want a good 406 the UK is the best place to find one