1995 Peugeot 405 GTX 1.9 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Peugeot at their best
Faults:
Nothing nasty, just the usual wear and tear like brakes, suspension parts and stuff when needed at MOT tests and regular maintenance like oil changes and so on.
If I'm being really picky, the interior plastics did not hold up well and looked very cheap and worn when it was still young (ish), but nothing broke as far as I remember. There was a faulty indicator relay switch, and a coupe of other minor electrical gremlins. The air con also stopped working, but I never bothered to get it fixed.
General Comments:
A car I bought at a reasonable price and served me well. The 405 had an average reputation at best when compared to rivals, but I think stood out with excellent reliability and low running costs. The diesel engine was slow, but it did do 50 MPG, which in the 1990s was about as good as it gets for a larger saloon car.
Driving this car was nothing special, but it handled smoothly and the gear change was OK. The brakes were tight and the interior was comfortable, very nice seats felt high quality; shame the rest of the interior felt under par with the door cards and general plastics feeling cheap.
Looked very nice in red with alloy wheels. Styled by Pinninfarina I believe. Was a really good looking car, one of the things that made me buy it. Also the 405 was very popular as a taxi during the 90s, due to good economy and interior space. I did hear of a taxi version lasting to over 250,000 miles.
Due to financial circumstances at the time, I sold mine on at 120K miles still going strong and would like one again, but they are rare these days. Mine was one of the last of the 405s on an "M" registration before they changed over to the 406. A 406 would be more reasonable as an everyday car now, although some complained they were not as reliable; but I've also heard positive comments in regards to that car and its overall ability was good, and also even better looking. The 407 is where I believe Peugeot went downhill. Still, I miss the old 405 and 406, they were good looking cars from a simpler time.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 21st June, 2017
25th Jun 2017, 16:49
Interesting, I thought the 406 was about the same as the 405 in regards to reliability. Most cars I buy used so I guess it depends on many things, how it's treated and so on.
Still wouldn't touch a 407 though. Heard so many bad things about it. Mind you, might have to if I want another big Peugeot, because a good condition 405 or even 406 is getting harder to find. Could try a 408 when they come down in price... or a 607 just now if I'm feeling really brave :)
17th Mar 2022, 22:11
408 don't exist, I think you mean 508, which is the car that replaced the 407. It is supposed to be a decent family car.
And the 605 and 607 were executive cars and good, but just not good enough to take on German rivals.
28th Apr 2026, 03:57
Both were generally reliable cars. The 406 was somewhat more technologically advanced, and, as is often the case, more technology meant more problems, whether serious or minor.
Furthermore, the diesel engines in the 405 were different from those in the 406. While the former were XUD (simpler and more basic), the latter were HDi. Yes, both are good, but if we're talking about reliability and durability, the XUD wins.
I don't want to go into too much detail, but the same applies if we compare the 405 with its predecessors, the 505 and the 504. The 405 was much more modern and easier to drive than the other two, but also more prone to problems.
In any case, both the 405 and the 406 were the last two great sedans from Peugeot. Today, this brand is a mere shadow of what it was in the 80s and 90s.
24th Jun 2017, 21:21
Having owned both a 405 diesel and a 406 HDi, I can confirm the latter was several notches down in terms of reliability... and the interior quality was only a slight improvement.