1990 Peugeot 405 GL review from UK and Ireland

I cannot remember that much went wrong with it.

This was a contract leased car from my company - so if it started and ran when you turned the key any noises could be ignored until the next service - maintenance costs were all inclusive in the lease.

This was a big comfortable car, and I liked it, but it had one major shortcoming.

The engine was 1.6 petrol with a carburettor (fuel injection was less common in 1990) and the engine was a poor match with the automatic gearbox. Exiting a T junction could be lethal - press the throttle and the car would creep at slow speed into the traffic. Press harder in panic and it continued at the same lethargic pace. I very quickly learned to allow extra distance when doing maneuvers from a standing start. The rest of the handling was fine - auto box worked well, kicked down OK, and car could cruise effortlessly on motorways. But the carburettor flat spot on pickaway from start was always there.