1995 Peugeot 405 SRi review from Malaysia
"The best car, nothing comes close!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Air-conditioning: the system was refurbished by replacing the dryer, compressor, expansion valve and cooling coil. Total replacement of all the parts. The circuit for the blower tends to have weak connectors and has changed to simple wire connectors. The wiring seems to change to dark brown, oxidised through time.
Forward suspension lower arm bushes are the main maintenance to be carried out. Due to bad roads and hundreds of speed bumps, the front lower arm bushes tends to wear out fast, especially the left one (always hit potholes with it).
Bulletproof engine, reliable and economical for a 2000cc car. stepper motor needs regular cleaning. So far only normal oil change and spark plugs. Timing belt and bearings are changed every 70k kms and water pumps at 140k km. Still returns 28mpg urban and 38mpg highway.
Plastics seems to be soft and degrading. Apply silicone polish to reduce wear.here, it is very hot and humid, which affects all the rubber and plastic parts very quickly.
General comments?
The car is seriously quick, provided you have the momentum and speed. Has the ability to hang to a faster approach on a bend due to excellent suspension and steering geometry, which most japanese cars tends to back off. Handling is very entertaining on twisty mountain roads, steer by throttle, brake late, fast in, fast out. If the entrance speed is too hot, just ease the throttle, the car will get back in line.
Very comfortable long distance tourer, able to maintain maximum speed for 3 hours without overheating. Able to outperform most "sporting" car and very comfortable too. Excellent suspension, a balance between comfort and handling.
Recommended reviews
| Drives well, many minor problems |
Nice handling, cheap to fix, classy old-fashioned |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1995 |
| Year of manufacture | 1995 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 petrol Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 88000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 246000 kilometres |
| Date of Entry | 13th August, 2006 |