1982 Peugeot 505 GR review from Australia and New Zealand

Oil leak from rocker cover.

Rear brake callipers seized up occasionally. This means the handbrake doesn't always work.

Tweed wool seat cloth has started to un-stitch itself on the driver's seat.

Linkages in 5spd manual gearbox broke, meaning no gears could be selected.

Considering this car is 20 years old, it is extremely reliable and cheap to run. The things that have gone wrong are fairly minor really, and fairly inexpensive to do.

It's an absolute joy to drive. Fantastic handling through corners, yet maintains one of the most comfortable rides I've ever experienced. This is due to its amazing 8-valve (Peugeot patented) shock absorbers and fully independent suspension setup. It can go through corners faster than many new cars.

As I've mentioned it has a very comfortable ride. It soaks up all bumps. While you might hear them due to a fairly rattly dash board, you never actually feel bumps through the seats. Seats are very comfortable and supportive.

The cabin is a fairly airy place, with good vision all around.

However, driving position is not very good. The brake and clutch pedal are far too close together. The steering wheel is not adjustable at all. Gear stick is a long way away, and when in 1st (on Right Hand Drive model) it can be hard to reach if you have short arms. It also has a weird gear-knob which looks like a golf club. You do get used to this however, and other more conventional cars feel a bit strange!

Gearbox and clutch are very easy and light, although the gearbox has a long throw, which means it feels a little imprecise.

The engine, while strong and reliable, is quite wheezy and underpowered. It only has 71kw and 161nm, which isn't much to haul around a large sedan. It is fairly willing to go, and will rev happily up to 6750rpm, although there isn't really any performance benefit from doing this.