406 2.1TD mpg query... - Freewheel
Hi,

Am thinking of buying a friends 146,000k mile Pug 406 2.1 TD LX S reg, but went to check mpg in Top Gear magazine and it says it only does 28.8mpg, but the estaet figures for same engine are 39.9. I am confused! Do any owners have any real experience, and would you recommend a high mile 406 as a runabout (we do 10 miles a day, 2 trips to London a year, and holiday and weekend travelling around Devon.)

Ta, Happy New Year!

TP
406 2.1TD mpg query... - Andrew-T
Fw - WhatCar? (March 99) quotes 29.7 urban, 49.6 ex-urban, 39.8 combined, which will be manufacturer's figures; their own test result was 42.9. Estate figures are about 1% worse. You should easily be able to get 40 if you try.
406 2.1TD mpg query... - Reggie
Freewheel, I own a 2.1td, but it is an R reg saloon, and has covered 53k, and I have owned it from six months old.
It is often used to commute across Leeds in rush hour traffic, and doing 75% of this sort of driving with a bit of out of town it does about 38/40 mpg. If it does mainly motorway work it goes up to about 45/47 mpg. Of course you'll have to consider that an estate will be a bit heavier and may increase fuel consumption, although I doubt that the higher mileage engine will affect the mpg significantly.
Personally, I am very happy with the car, it's still on the original battery, and this year the exhaust needed replacing at5 years old. The engine has a bit of grunt and is very quiet when warmed up. Some owners have had problems with front discs, mine are still original, although I have had to replace the rear discs at £40 d.i.y. The only disaster I have suffered was the coil spring breaking on the o/s/f causing the suspension to collapse. I repaired it myself, and that cost me about £200 for 2x coil springs and some spring compressors.
As with all car purchases there is an element of luck, or not, but as long as the cam belt is done every 40k or 5 years I cannot see why you shouldn?t buy it.
Reggie