1997 Peugeot 406 LX review from UK and Ireland

Head gasket went around 130,000 miles (coolant in oil), compression O.K. tried various sealants.

Top radiator pipe blew off around this time.

Recon head done around 146,000 miles and replaced radiator and coolant hoses. £1,500 total for major service, including the head.

Hole in drivers foot-well carpet - with getting out of the car, my heel made the hole over 7 years - foam sponge in carpet (a bit soft) can't take the repeated localized pressure.

Air-con pump leaks slightly, but just recharge air-con every two years.

Had injectors done once, glow-plugs twice (I do a lot of stop-start short journeys).

Stabilizer link and suspension bushes @ 153,000 miles.

Handbrake lever boot broke - 10 years not bad for a bit of plastic to survive.

Most annoying thing was the rear-view mirror - I kept hitting it somehow and the glued joint to windscreen glass comes apart too easily - changed it to a Ford mirror, with sticky pad - never had any more problems.

Rear exhaust section replaced twice, first time shortly after I got the car - every 4 years ish.

Radio-cassette on/off button broke - got nice CD-radio replacement.

White paint has lost its shine a bit, but getting it professionally polished & hard waxed this year to make sure rust doesn't get a chance.

Turbo oil seals starting to bleed a bit of oil - smokes only briefly on start up.

The clutch has never been touched in 170,000 miles.

Servicing = £7,000 over 5 years doing everything for reliability, including regular oil+filter, tyres, brakes, battery, cam-belts, tensioners and MOTs.

Only take my cars to main dealers for specialist work - trim components. They did spot that the cam-belt tensioners needed replacing @ 168,000 miles before something serious happened.

Bought for £4,800 @ about 120,000 miles.

Now worth, I guess, £1,000 @ about 170,000 miles.

When I got the car it averaged 41 mpg now it is 38 mpg only because of the shorter journeys I do. It'll still do over 40 mpg on long holiday runs, fully loaded with a roofbox at motorway speeds all day long.

It's never used any oil, and I now run it on 5W-40 fully synthetic, changed once a year at whatever the mileage.

Still no rust after 10 years.

Seats are infinitely more comfortable than FORD seats, e.g. Fiesta or Focus - Peugeot got the lumbar support right.

Handling - It's an estate, which are good and taut when empty and can get under-steer in first gear in wet, but easily controlled, Avon ZV3 tyres work well.

Power - it shifts at a reasonable rate if you use 3,000 to 4,000 rpm, which it still takes without complaint. It is not a performance car, it's a workhorse. 30 to 50 mph speed limits for most of my driving, so performance is adequate.

As there is no depreciation to talk of now, I'll only get rid of it if someone hits me and writes it off, or the engine blows up or starts burning oil. If the turbo goes I'll probably get a recon unit - £250 I think.

Looking forward to getting well over 200,000 miles now that it is over the mid-life crisis (extra maintenance period for any car).