1994 Peugeot 405 GLDT review from UK and Ireland

Lots of rattles from interior trim including a strange 'moaning' noise from the glovebox when undertaking tight left turns.

Starter motor sometimes does not engage - switch off, try again. Needs up to 5 goes to catch, but always eventually goes. I will be checking the wiring for breakages as it seems to be a common problem...

Wafer-thin Peugeot panels has led to lots of dents all over the bodywork.

Gearchange is hardly a model of 'rifle-bolt' precision, but given the miles this car has done that's not surprising.

Rear offside door no longer opens.

Remote control for the central locking broken. Central locking still works with the key though.

This car was seriously cheap - £150 including 8 months' MOT, 3 months' tax and a decent Sony stereo.

It's seen some use (it needed 3 hours of cleaning and polishing to get the white paint shining again), but apart from the usual Peugeot dents it hides the miles very well. Seat trim is still unmarked.

I understand the XUD engine was the catalyst for the change in perception towards diesel cars. Mind you, the engine was designed over 20 years ago and so compared to a new diesel it is noisy, rough and suffers from an 'all or nothing' power delivery. Once 4000rpm is reached, the power almost instantly disappears. Plus 45mpg average is good, but no match for today's direct-injection lumps which have a few hundred kg more to shift around.

Peugeot designed a great fwd chassis in those days. Despite the weight of the lump up front, it's still fluid and fun to drive. Nicely weighted steering and great handling. Brakes seem to have a lot of pedal travel before doing anything.

1994 Rep Man's equipment levels are matched by most basic superminis these days - electric front windows, central locking, and an electric sunroof. It's all still working which says something for our boys at Ryton. This was one of the last GL's before the GLX replaced it with standard aircon - although I think you'd struggle to find one of those with the a/c still working properly. Certainly not for £150!

Plenty of room front and back, really comfortable driver's seat, all controls fall relatively easily to hand. Big boot.

Perhaps the most impressive thing is despite it's starship mileage and 12 years on the planet, there's still not a spot of rust anywhere. Mind you, when did Peugeot last make a rust-prone design?