Newbie, wanting 406 HDI

[cardaft]

Hi, I thought id introduce myself. Im Chris, im 22 and currently drive a 53reg 206 2.0HDi. However i have a lengthy commute to uni and work each day so im wanting somehting a little more at home on motorways, something with space as the 206 is far too cramped for me and the pedals are dangerously close, i still need something which is good on fuel and which still delivers a good drive but with more refinement, ride quality, space and practicallity.

Ive grown to like the 2.0HDi and know it to be a very good engine, yes they can have their problems but when searching around they are excellent compared to many other diesels from different brands, ive had 3 and never had a problem.

My previous car was a 52reg Citroen C5 2.0HDi 110 SX, three months ago i swapped cars with my sister as she wanted a bigger car and i wanted something a little more involving to drive, so she got my C5 and i got the 206. However i feel like ive got the worst deal as i really am not liking the 206, its just too cramped, bumpy and tiny. The C5 was a great car and is faultlessly reliable, though id reather not buy another as the earlier ones are a bit too numb for my liking.

So i know the 2.0HDi engine well and would like to stick with that engine, which got me looking at what cars its available in. The 406 has always been a car ive liked but had not thought of getting one previously as id like a hatchback because i sometimes have our 2 dogs in the cars boot but I dont want an estate, and the 406 is a saloon. Anway i do prefer the looks of a saloon, so thats not bothering me anymore as ive got use of another car which is an estate, a 406 saloon will fit the bill nicely for me im hopeing.

Ive known many people who have had 406s and they have never had a bad word to say about them. Ive been in one but not driven on yet, my plan for the weekend, though ive looked at a few now and they do seem very spacious, well specced and excellent value.

So i want a 2.0HDi, not too bothered about if its a 90 or 110, 110 would be nice but im sure a 90 is just as good after a remap. Id ideally like a 2002 onwards car with under 80K miles, i like the rapier spec, though there are so many 406 trim levels it would seem. So long as it has ABS, air con, alloys and a CD player then that will do me!

Chris

[mjb]

I really wouldn't rule out the 406 estate, it's a much better car than the saloon - better rear visibility, feels less confined inside, handles better due to more even weight distribution, more practical (even the coupe's got a bigger boot!), doesn't suffer from water ingress via the light clusters, has a rear windscreen wiper as standard and I think it looks better too

The coupe's another option to consider as it comes in HDi form too. It's more expensive, but it's drop dead gorgeous and although the ride is slightly harder and there's no armrest, it's a lot less vague to drive. I've got a really bad back, and I still have no problem driving 700 miles from Germany in one sitting though, so it's not uncomfortable on the motorway at all

[BruceT]

Hi,

Where are you based?

We have a 406 Estate & Saloon in the family both are of the same age (6 months apart)
Estate is a LX with Air/con, CD Player, Alloys, ABS.

My Rapier is far better looking inside as its dark cloth (Not grey like an LX) and has darker trim (Not bright fake food) which makes look more 'sporty'

Rapier IMO is a better trim for a younger driver if you like your car to look nice inside.

If you could find a 110 Executive you'd be laughing

[highlander]

Hmm, feeling all inferior with my LX-spec saloon now, having heard a lack of love for the saloon. I prefer having a set of rear doors on my car, and I don't have any use for an estate body.

The saloon is still a great car to drive - quiet and comfortable - though I agree it "wallows" a bit when cornering using standard suspension.

I would like to get a set of firmer shocks for it (not necessarily lowering the car), but don't know where to start or how much I should budget for. I would also like to replace the interior with black-leather from an Exec or half-leather from the D9 SRi (I really like it), and replace the clocks with the white dials. Also, a stainless steel exhaust would be cool too (I don't want one of the massive fat ones you see hanging out of the arse-end of Imprezas though, they look like crap and sound like a farting baboon).

[Welly]

Definately look at estates - they look more modern and purposefull looking.

A 90bhp model is more simple but can be great with a remap.

[Doggy]

I like estates, cos of the dogs and mine doesn't have the usually noise / rattles issues, but I recognise that you young uns might see image issues here. Saloons are nice too, coupes are gorgeous, but pricey.
If you go for a saloon or estate, I'd go for the best spec - (2nd hand they don't cost any extra) - but make sure all the toys work. For motorway work, I recommend cruise & armrests
To get cruise as standard, you need a GTX or exec, (was optional on some others). It can be added afterwards, but it's much simpler to get it 'free'.

BTW my lad could be in the market for your 206 - PM me the details if you want to sell it

[DiscoPol]

To get cruise as standard, you need a GTX or exec, (was optional on some others). It can be added afterwards, but it's much simpler to get it 'free'.

Oh Really i feel cheated now, mines a GTX but no cruise , i have all the other stuff just no cruise.
Damn those french

but other than that lil omission i can recommend the estate, i have a 90 and its not too bad on the motorway
(if your happy round the speed limit)
and you never know when u might need that enormous boot

[cardaft]

Wow, what a warm welcome, thanks

I dont really need an estate for my daily uses just occasionally when i could use another car anyway and yes i wasnt really wanting an estate for image reasons! Have thought about a Coupe, though i would like rears doors and ive heard of problem after problem with the 2.2HDi engines, injectors and FAP filters being the most common? Shame you cant get a 2.0HDi coupe. I might look at an estate and see what i think to those, i seem to see more estates with higher spec than saloons for some reason.

Water ingress through the rear light clusters, thats something i should watch out for i guess, thats an odd one.

Im based in the Northeast. Yes thats why i like the rapiers as i dont really want the wood trim and a darker cloth would be nice.

Ive not driven a 406 yet but had read that they drive nicely, body control is supposed to be good as is the ride, but this might not be the case then? Im more wanting a mororway cruiser as thats where i spend most of my time, though a bit of nice handling wouldnt go a miss. Though i suppose things can be done to make it better. Its odd that you say the estates driver better, often its the saloons which are a little tighter to drive as they have a closed back, rather than a huge hole for a full boot lid. One good thing about the 206 is its handling, for a standard cars it does handle very nicely, little roll, precise steering and has a nice touch of lift off oversteer when you want it though its very controlable. Not that i drive like an idiot, its just a bit like a go cart!

My 206 is a 90 and the C5 110, so ive had both, though im thinking a 90 406 will be a quite a bit slower than im used to, a remap is something id be wanting, so thats not a problem.

How easy is it to have cruise fitted, The C5 didnt come with cruise but the dealer fitted it for about £130, which i thought wasn't too bad, and its the genuine stalk too. Id like cruise but i dont miss it too much with the 206.
dogslife: Ill PM you shortly about the 206

Ive always liked french cars, though ive got to say mainly Citroens, though nothing fits my bill there, other than another C5. We have 7 french cars in our household, 6 of which are big Citroens, ive never been let down by any of them, French cars are just brilliant, quite annoying that they often get slated by boring people with german cars

I believe spec goes: L, LX, Rapier, GLX, Exclusive? Can you get 110bhp Rapiers or are they all 90s?

[Doggy]

To get cruise as standard, you need a GTX or exec, (was optional on some others). It can be added afterwards, but it's much simpler to get it 'free'.

Oh Really i feel cheated now, mines a GTX but no cruise , i have all the other stuff just no cruise.
Damn those french

Sorry, should have qualified that - diesels didn't get cruise until around 2001

[hammerman]

Hi & welcome Chris:) Dont forget the last 406`s.Mine is an SE est 110HDi (remapped to 140)on a 2003/53 reg.It has half leather,front arm rests,off white 5 dial dash,cruise control,sat nav,16 inch alloys plus all the standard kit.The interior "wood" trim is black,with silver stereo & heater surounds,door trims etc.
I belive the SE came out in late 2002 on a 52 reg untill the 407 came out,in both saloon & estate.An 04 reg is the youngest 406 i`ve seen.Some of the SE`s i`ve seen are quite cheap these days.
And the 406 coupe did come with the 2.0 ltr 110 hdi,but only in europe .

[Doggy]

Hi & welcome Chris:) Dont forget the last 406`s.Mine is an SE est 110HDi (remapped to 140)on a 2003/53 reg.It has half leather,front arm rests,off white 5 dial dash,cruise control,sat nav,16 inch alloys plus all the standard kit.The interior "wood" trim is black,with silver stereo & heater surounds,door trims etc.
I belive the SE came out in late 2002 on a 52 reg untill the 407 came out,in both saloon & estate.An 04 reg is the youngest 406 i`ve seen.Some of the SE`s i`ve seen are quite cheap these days.
And the 406 coupe did come with the 2.0 ltr 110 hdi,but only in europe .

Forgot that too I really like the SE, especially the interior - looks much more up to date. When I was shopping for one 18 months ago, SE's were at least a grand more than exec's because the age difference was a lot more significant then.

[cardaft]

dogslife: Did you get my PM?

There is one i like which i want to go and see this weekend hopefully, its a Rapier. Ill have to look out for the SE spec cars.

It would seem that after a certain year satnav became standard, is that right?

Ive seen the S spec which looks very nice, slightly larger wheels than the rapier i think, nice silvery interior trim and seats etc.

hammerman: How is your 2.0HDi after a remap? What is performance like and how did it effect your MPG?

[Doggy]

Got your PM, thanks - It's a bit too expensive for him, (may well be worth it, but he needs to lower his sights a bit).

[cardaft]

Ah right, no problem, im not sure if im asking the right amount, might be a little much perhaps but its about there going by others.

Test drive:

Well i went to test drive a 406 today, as i had not previously driven one. I found one quite local, a 51 plate with fsh 72K miles 2.0HDi 110 LX in the nice grey/blue colour. Really just went for a look at one but i rather liked this particular one, the colour, history and mileage appealed.

The salesman was very honest and said the car had been in for two months - without turning a wheel. The car was immaculate, very clean, no obvious scratches or dinks, its paint looked original and it even had its original wheel trims which were unmarked too. However there was a burn hole on the back seat, but the interior didnt smell of smoke, so the only really minor thing. It was taxed till the end of the month and a full MOT would be put on. However 2 tyres were on the limit and would need to be replaced for the MOT.

I had a good look around the car, played with all the knobs and switches, looked at the spare wheel well, folded the seats ect, played with the driving position to see if it would suit me. It did, i really do like the 406 so far. So i asked for a drive, the salesman tried to start it but the battery wasnt quite strong enough to turn it over after having been stood for 2 months. A battery pack soon had it going but it was running rough for the first few minutes. We left it running for a bit and it got better, eventually sounding as it should. Though i did notice a slight whisp of blue smoke from the exhaust when the guy drove it out of its space. Anyway i thought id give it a drive, it drove very nicely, i was impressed with the ride and the space for me, im 6ft 2 so like a bigger car, the steering was a little light but i felt it handled well, though i was obviously going very careful with it, i felt at home with it too. I do prefer driving bigger cars to smaller ones, after having the 206 after a C5 thats something ive realised. Everything worked on this 406, it was very nice even though the LX wasnt on the top of my wish list it had everything i could want, apart from steel wheels and wood dash inserts. Though i thought 406 alloys should be easy to come by and im sure the black trim cant be too hard to find.

However, as the car got near to running temp, it was obvious it had not been started for the 2 months they said as it took an absolute age to even start to warm up, when it did i could hear a metallic knock from the engine at around 2000 rpm. It wasnt a heavy noise but i thought it might be the start of something going wrong. I knew it wasnt normal as ive had 3 2.0HDi cars now and none have sounded like that. Though saying that i have thought it might just be the fact it has been stood and could do with a bit of a run and an oil change. However the noise put me off so i left it there, at least it did it some good having a run out Had it not had the noise i would have probably bought it, as it seemed a good price and a geniune car straight from a main dealer as a part ex.

Though my main aim was reached, i do very much like the 406, im sure it will do my daily commute admirably and suit my car needs very well, i like the looks of the 406, the space, value, spec, engine etc. Which is a bit of a result to be honest as ive driven and looked at so many cars lately and either not liked them or found major potential problems/design faults which ive been put off by. So im pleased ive found something i do like and i already know its mechanicals pretty much. Ive found one im very interested in which is about 70 miles away, so i plan on going to see that this weekend and hopefully if its any good ill be a valid 406oc member!

[Captain Jack]

Don't be too put off by the LX model as you can easily have it looking as good as an executive. Here's my previous S-reg 2.1TD D8 LX model slightly "upgraded".

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