USED Peugeot 406 Estate (96 - 04)

My car

The primary use of this vehicle was that of a towing vehicle. The secondary function was to transport a dog safely and apart from other passengers. On both counts the vehicle has fulfilled its' functions and has done so with comfort, very good economy, and reliability. It has suffered indicator-stalk failure and central locking blips but these have been acceptable. The vehicle is R-plate and to date shows no sign of corrosion. Suspension is original and brake discs/pads have been replaced all round at a very reasonable cost. Standard equipment is high and having purchased the car at auction four years ago for £5000, depreciation has been low. I would definitely buy another.

My car

Smooth, easy to drive. Not outstanding performance but it will eat the miles. Consumption is OK, service interval is a bit short for high-mileage drivers. Loads of space, great air-con.

My car

I bought the car second-hand, at three years old with only a genuine 10,000 miles on the clock - and only paid £8,500!

It is a veritable wolf in sheeps clothing and can beat most cars off at the lights if you stick your foot down. Otherwise, it's a silent and smooth cruiser. The 3.0-litre engine is a dream to drive, yet still retains 32mpg on long journeys.

This is a very well equiped car with plenty of gadgets for the boys, plus comfort and space for the family.

Despite a few reliability concerns before I bought the car (I even managed to buy a three-year extended warranty from Peugeot) I am pleased to say that I have had no problems whatsoever, apart from the usual tyre and brake replacements.

I have owned the car for 2.5 years now and touch faux wood, have not had anything go wrong.

Buying second-hand is definitely recommended as an inexpensive way to get your hands on a reliable, luxurious, fast and rewarding estate car. They depreciate hugely in their first couple of years and so prove a real bargain if you can get your hands on a low-mileage model.

My car

Estate car for family use with 76,000 develops coolant leak in rusted engine core plug nearly a year after I purchased it from a Peugeot garage. The core plug is located at rear of engine below exhaust manifold.

I have been told that this is an engine-out job to fix and was advised to replace all core plugs while engine out and do cam belt and possibly water pump as well. While I accept the advice as reasonable I am shocked that Peugeot cannot engineer a reliable inert component that has such major consequences in failure.

I am interested to know if anyone else has had this problem? Cost to replace £1.50 component is £450! But how long will new core plugs last?

This undermines confidence in what I once considered to be an excellent vehicle.

On the brighter side, I save money on cambelt change and water pump replacement both recommended while the engine is out!