1991 Peugeot 405 MI16 from UK and Ireland - Comments

Sunroof glass blew out like an ejector seat due to worn guides @ 162,000 miles.

Sunroof cable guides corroded.

Exhaust manifold snapped @ 180,000 miles.

Exhaust back box replaced 3 times.

Rear axle replaced @ 179,000 miles.

Brake lines, 2 ABS sensors and all brake disks and pads replaced at least once.

Throttle housing replaced because gears inside were sticking @ 170,000 miles.

Idle speed valve replaced due to incompetent roadside assistance mechanic (see above)

Rotor arm exploded @ 172,000 miles so distributor replaced.

Starter motor replaced @ 175,000 miles.

Alternator replaced @ 174, 000 miles.

All wheel bearings replaced at least once.

All engine mounts replaced at least once. Apparently, they are not strong enough to withstand abuse, ie, a heavy right foot.

Both drive shafts including CV joints replaced at least once.

Headlamps and/or glass replaced due to pitting or dulling of reflectors at least once.

Heater fan squeaking so dismantled and rebuilt to eliminate noise.

Both headlamp washer motors replaced.

All consumables such as clutch and cable, gaskets, handbrake cable, bulbs, etc replaced as necessary.

These cars sound quite fragile although I REALLY abuse mine, possibly not the right thing to do in a 12 year old car with more miles on it than the starship Enterprise. It's just so much fun though. Maybe this is why my engine has started to clatter, sounding like piston slap. Another entry on my 'to fix' list.

They need to be driven hard to maintain decent progress on the twisty turny stuff and when pushed, the MI16 can reach 130mph on an open road in standard form, without breaking sweat.

A typical family saloon? No way. Good handling coupled with 160bhp can see off most other boy racer type cars when given a chance. Vauxhalls and VW's stand no chance, especially in a straight line drag. Watch out, the MI16 does attract a lot of attention from lads wanting to race, especially since you're only driving a supposedly slow 405.

It has a killer rep and always attracts positive comments from people in the know. Take yours to a garage and hear what I mean.

Whatever you do though, DO NOT take your Pug to a main dealer for servicing or repairs, they will have your teeth out. Find yourself a good parts supplier and a trustworthy, reasonably priced mechanic and watch your maintenance costs more than halve.

After all the above comments and associated costs, you'll no doubt be asking-Will he sort that engine noise out, that piston slap? YES and it'll be worth every penny.

So would your Mi16 leave my Cavalier GSi 2000 in a straight line drag?

I Think not my friend!

The GSi 2000 (2 wd) has always been the Mi16's rival,

and its always out performed on the straight runs thanks to its notoroius red top engine!

I'm not saying your motor is slow, far from it.

In fact if you could have a combination of them both with your handling (cav handles like a battle ship) and the GSi's grunt we'd av one heck of a 4 door family saloon!

But yes I must agree, VW don't stand a chance in the 4 door saloon catagory, just stay clear of the VR6's!!!

Jason from Folkestone.

Who cares about straight line speed. when you try taking on a 405Mi16 around a corner, i'll be laughing while your sliding sideways.

Have you guys tried to laugh at Citroen BX 16v in them corners? Holds the road like glued. Steel springs suck!!

405 Mi16, (the lighter, better 1.9 model at least) would just about edge ahead of a Cav GSI in a drag race, but there's not much in it and I have to admit the cav engine is stronger from low revs.

I've just sold my Cav GSi, now have a Nissan Primera 2.0 e GT

this is a better car altogether! handles like a dream and with 150 bhp goes well!

A solid car which I think would be a competitive rival against Mi16's and GSi's.

Anyone else had one of these?

When my Mi16 finally had to go, I was gutted. I bought a cheap 1994 Rover 220 GTi and was very impressed with the low revs torque. It would climb hills without changing down a gear, much steeper than the Pug could. Almost matched it for straight line acceleration too. It could accelerate in any gear without fuss, in fact, the rovers 4th was like the mi16s 3rd gear, never had to change down a gear to maintain speed up a hill.

Jiggly, twitchy ride and not as good at high speed or around bends and corners though.

Had that for 2 years before somebody wrote it off, reversed a 4x4 into the front wing, repairable, but "beyond economical repair". Shame really, the insurance assessor didn't want to write it off as it was in very good condition.

I then got a 1998 Primera GT with 100000miles on it, nice car for the money, high spec and very comfortable. After owning it 1 year though, the main and big end bearings are banging away like a machine gun. That's not so bad, but the head gasket has just gone and caused the water pump to "burst" because the cooling system became over-pressurized. No warning, just overheated. End of engine.

Before, and even during the bearings prob though, the engine was sweet, free revving, grunty and responsive. Still passed it's emissions test on 1tst Feb for it's MOT.

Not in the same league as the Pug engines high end torque-4000rpm+, or the Rovers low end- 1500rpm upwards.

It wasn't as quick to 60 either, but has a better ride than the Rovers at speed and matches the Pugs. Better driving environment, plenty of cabin space, etc and more toys than either.

Neither the Pug or Rover could match the Primera for boot space though, I still can't believe how much stuff you can carry in there.

Excellent for driving to holiday destinations.