Peugeot 407 sw... please talk to me :)

[Dids444]

Good Afternoon all

I'm after a bit of advice on behalf of a good friend who has just moved on his Range Rover Sport and is looking to get something a bit cheaper to run for a couple of years or so.

He's looking to spend about 4 - 5k and is going for a diesel estate with as many toys as possible and something that looks the part. He's also wants something that is reasonable new.. perhaps 2003 or younger.

The reason for my post is that he's found a Peugeot 407 sw that he quite likes (The one he has seen is a 2005 with all the toys, with about 100k on the clock, for about £4.5k) and was picking my brain about them, but it's a motor I know very little about. Can anyone help please? Are there any major issues with them or known faults?? Would you recommend or stay well clear?

Cheers
Dids

[Davie_GLA]

Cant comment on the estate, but I have the two litre HDI saloon.

Had it for three years now, it's showing 80k and never had any major problems.

Ball joints at the front are a known big problem but at that mileage I'd wager they have been done, probably twice.

Bigger than you thing, comfortable, all the toys including Bluetooth and plenty low down grunt.

Not THAT economical though but that might be down to the way mine is driven.

[Dids444]

Thanks for the replies guys, much appreciated.

Mondeo's have been mentioned, especially as I have one and its been a great motor, but for that sort of money you'd have to go a bit older to get the sort of trim levels he would like. The Peugeot he's seen has got leather, bluetooth, xenon's, panoramic roof etc - its amazing value really

Mg ZT's were on the list too and Accord tourers in sport trim, which are about the same money.

[robsco]

In short, terrific diesel engines, well equipped and comfortable. Make sure your friend drives the vehicles he's looking at first though; some drive like a bag of knackers with 100k on the clock, others like nearly new.

[farrendahl]

Dids444 said:

Thanks for the replies guys, much appreciated.

Mondeo's have been mentioned, especially as I have one and its been a great motor, but for that sort of money you'd have to go a bit older to get the sort of trim levels he would like. The Peugeot he's seen has got leather, bluetooth, xenon's, panoramic roof etc - its amazing value really

Mg ZT's were on the list too and Accord tourers in sport trim, which are about the same money.

Had a 407 estate as a temporary company hack in my last job, and it did the job well enough, although the earlier comment about drive being vague is spot on. It's a nice enough place to be but personally I would be looking at the Accord or ZT above the 407. Alternatively, and althoguh the drive still isn't the most involving a C5 estate will offer huge load capacity, is when you get down to the bare bones of it, the same car as the 407 but should be available as even cheaper still for the age or newer for the same value as the 407 (for instance 4995 will get him an 05 plater with less than 70k on the clock and a fair few toys)

[RobM77]

I'm a bit of a Peugeot fan, but the 407 really is an awful thing to drive. The petrol models have a huge delay between throttle input and engine response, and the suspension is teribly wallowy and vague. The 407 holds the dubious honour of being the only car I've ever driven to make me travel sick whilst I'm behind the wheel. If it was me I'd save some money and buy a good example of the excellent Peugeot 406.

[confused_buyer]

I wouldn't describe the 407 as particularly wallowy. It drives in a very old fashioned French way with little steering or gear precision but if you let it do its stuff it actually handles quite well.

The diesel engine is the same one as in the Mondeo, Volvo S40/V50 etc. so a known quantity. Failing particulate filters and flywheels are the main issues. The DPF on the 407 needs topping up with fluid evey now and again so worth seeing if its been done recently.

Build quality is pretty average, the tailgate often sticks, the plastics are old fashioned and and it all feels a bit cheap. That said they are very, very cheap to buy used, well equipped and there are loads about with huge mileages so they can do them.

Not a brilliant car but by no means a terrible one IMO.

[confused_buyer]

Oh, and on the Estates, the glass roof blind usually falls apart.

[RobM77]

confused_buyer said:

I wouldn't describe the 407 as particularly wallowy. It drives in a very old fashioned French way with little steering or gear precision but if you let it do its stuff it actually handles quite well.

Yes, I couldn't fault the actual handling, as Merc and Peugeot prove time and time again, soft suspension doesn't mean bad handling. It was the connection between car and driver that made me sick I think. I'm not talking subtleties like comparing a BMW with a Lotus, the 407 that I had (a new one from Avis a few years ago) had a huge vagueness and lag between any controls and the car's response. I felt like a passenger in a badly driven luxury car. Oh, and the damping, it was extremely underdamped. I spent years driving various saloons from Avis (Vectra, Mondeo, Laguna, 156 etc), and the 407 was the worst I had in that time. I'm not prejudiced either, as I really like French cars and was expecting to like it - it certainly looks the part compared to the rather dull looking opposition. The 406 was just so much better that I really must recommend that instead - cracking cars.