Buying Guide
Temptingly priced, timelessly stylish and great to drive, the makes a strong case for itself as a family classic. Here’s how to bag the best example
Peugeot 405
‘The 405 was launched in 1988 with an explosive ad campaign’
The latter half of the 1980s provided rich pickings for anyone looking for a practical family motor or mile-munching repmobile. Cars like the Ford Sierra, Vauxhall Cavalier and
Austin Montego were already flying out of showrooms, but UK buyers got a new class contender to consider in January 1988 when the Pininfarina-styled Peugeot 405 was launched with much fanfare and a memorably explosive advertising campaign.
Built at the Ryton factory near Coventry, the first offering was a four-door saloon, followed later
in 1988 by a useful estate. Both were available with a wide range of XU/XUD petrol and bullet-proof diesel engines. The latter were particularly punchy and frugal in turbocharged form, but buyers seeking serious performance gravitated towards the 160bhp Mi16. It cracked the 0-60mph sprint in around eight seconds while an ohso-Eighties body kit ensured that it looked the part, too. You could even have your 405 with four-wheel drive, although relatively few buyers ticked that particular box.
In any case, the front-wheel-drive cars delivered a superb blend of agile handling and a supple ride, making the 405 one of the most entertaining family cars of its day. It was spacious and comfortable, too, while a huge range of trim levels provided something for every pocket, including sporty SRi and wellequipped Executive models.
A gentle facelift in the early 1990s further smartened the looks, adding more standard kit such as air conditioning and power steering, better quality trim and (on the saloon) a redesigned bootlid that usefully lowered the loading lip.
The 405 soldiered on until 1995 when the 406 replaced it, although the estate variant lasted another couple of years. Fast forward more than 20 years and the cheap prices make for a tempting proposition and a family-oriented classic that’s rather difficult to resist.