If not a 406, my choice would be...

[bargainbro]

Don´t know if this has been discussed here earlier on. Couldn´t find it thru search...

Out of curiosity, what would you drive if all the PSA products were left out?

My personal choice would be Alfa 156 or better yet 159. Enough soul, style and performance. Also enough unreliability to keep me satisfied. Oh, and even more expensive services

[steve_earwig]

I really like the look of the 156 sportwagon. I was serious until I read what goes wrong with them

No, I don't want to have to drive my car wearing welly boots... Linky

I've looked at all things German, dissapointing and very expensive.
I quite like the look of a Mazda 6 sportwagon, they're supposed to be ultra-reliable and they have that natty kamikaze seat folding system. The prices are on a par with 406s here too. Alas, all the oil burners have particle filters and an extremely expensive 75,000 mile service.
Ideally, I'd like something with a lot of ground clearance, not a 4x4 but maybe something like a Scoobie Outback or an XC70. Sadly, anything with any offroad ability here commands silly prices (eg. a 3-year-old Outback costs more here than a new one in the UK!). All that's left is a Lada Niva, they're 1.7 petrols but everyone converts them to lpg and they're dead cheap because they're utter rubbish.

[mav]

probably a mod spec 110 land rover
the original and best military 4x4

[Eric]

Before I went diesel I'd have said something Jap and turbo charged for bonkers performance.
Now it's something German and oil burning.

[mbell666]

If i went for another saloon it would be a Honda Accord, SE Exec or Sport with CDTI, or Mazda 626 if funds where little lower.

At the minute i getting tempted by something sportier than a saloon, but I guess a 406 coupe falls under the "not a 406" rule

[mjb]

Golf/Passat TDI or a 3 series diesel

[Welly]

Passat 2.5V6TDi 163
Golf GTTDi 130 + winter pack
Audi A4 1.8T S-Line for some reason
A strange liking for a 3.0DCi Vel Satis (1st class travel) (check the prices)
Mercedes Diesel C class
A DC2 Tyre R teg 1998 model (stop it now)!

In other words I haven't got a cooking flue

[steve_earwig]

Mercedes Diesel C class

What, the ones they assembled in South Africa and forgot to rustproof?

[Welly]

Mercedes Diesel C class

What, the ones they assembled in South Africa and forgot to rustproof?

Yes I've heard about that where do they rust exactly, and why was it 'forgotten'?

Some of the Golfs were built in SA and they had some 'issues'.

[steve_earwig]

[Yes I've heard about that where do they rust exactly, and why was it 'forgotten'?

South African 2000-2001 build quality niggles. Check paint very carefully for starring, particularly solid colours. All W203 C-class to April 2002 (saloons and estates) were manufactured without door / seam sealant. Since August 2002 C-Class models, produced in Bremen, were completely sealed on all panels. Inspect the seam on the bootlid and round the bottom of the doors. Despite the fact that they are rusting from the inside out it is NOT classed as perforation and ONLY repaired.

Probably forgotten because someone forgot to give the natives any education for quite some time...
I was looking at one in a Porch dealer in town, a 2001 diesel (can't remember which) because I thought the fact they don't salt the roads here would mean it wouldn't be a problem. Wrong, it had a big rust spot on the rhs rear door. Nien danke.

[Welly]

Don't you just love Honest John

He has surprisingly little to say about the 406 compared to the Golf although he does mention about the self-igniting late 406's with multiplex wiring

[steve_earwig]

He does say Which? ran out of space for all the things that go wrong with them. I thought he had quite a bit to say about the 406. If I'd have read that before I bought my first one it would have put me right off.

Golfs, well, everyone says VWs are reliable so they must be, right?

[TooT]

VW Golf V6 4motion or TDI 150
VW Passat W8
Audi A4 1.8T Sport
Skoda Octavia VRS
Seat Leon Cupra R or Cupra 1.8T or TDI 150
BMW 325i 328i 330i or 330d
Ford Mondeo ST220
Mazda 6 2.3 Sport
Saab 9-3 2.0t

Basicly ive got no idea either, those above are the most common ones ive been looking at on Autotrader

[steve_earwig]

VW Passat W8

That reminds me...

So now I know! Skew-bores, like the VR6

As you were.

[V6Exec]

It would have to be a 1972 SIII long wheel 6 cylinder Landrover