Peugeot 607

The French have always struggled to sell luxury cars in Britain; in fact they’ve struggled to sell them anywhere except France. The reason is simple: in the minds of most buyers, when it comes to luxury cars the Germans lead the field.

This is good news for the 7.8m Britons who buy a used car every year because it means depreciation rates make French luxury cars a great bargain. Take the Peugeot 607. Buy a range-topping 3 litre V6 brand new and it will lose around half its value in 12 months. Run it another couple of years and you’ll be looking at a part exchange figure of about £7,500 for a car that originally cost £30,000.

But the reality is that the 607 is not a bad car. It’s chic, well equipped and spacious. It’s available with both petrol and diesel power, auto or manual transmission, and the extensive network of dealers means it’s easy to keep in good condition.

It has its shortcomings. The ride is good but not as good as a Jaguar’s, the cabin is not as quiet as a Mercedes’, and its handling can’t match that of a BMW. But its cost second-hand more than makes up for this. That horrendous initial depreciation suddenly becomes its biggest asset: now, instead of competing with the Germans it can go head to head with more run-of-the-mill offerings such as Ford Mondeos, Vauxhall Vectras and Rover 75s. And against cars like that it does rather better.

For a start the Peugeot 607 is both big and handsome. Accommodation for the driver and passengers is sumptuous — large soft seats, gently curved dashboard, tasteful wood inserts. It lacks nothing in equipment, either. You’ll find climate control, alloys, electric windows and emergency brake assist as standard, even on the base models. For just a few hundred pounds more you can enjoy the electric front seats, parking aid and CD player of the SE.

There’s also a good range of engines with three petrol units — a 2 litre 136bhp, 2.2 litre 160bhp and 3 litre 210bhp — and a pair of diesels. The pick of the petrols is the 2.2 litre, which returns around 30mpg when married to a manual gearbox.

But you don’t buy a petrol car from a manufacturer famed for great diesels so it’s worth spending around £700 more to get a second-hand 2.2HDi. Its 136bhp output may sound modest but the 235 lb ft of torque is anything but. Less appealing is the 2.0 HDi — producing only 110bhp, what you gain in fuel economy you more than lose in driving pleasure.

Peugeot reliability sits around the middle of the motoring pile so you’ll need to check your used example for signs of trouble — air-conditioning, electrics and trim being the most obvious. The luxury interior has made the 607 a favourite for upmarket minicab drivers, so check high mileage examples particularly carefully. But the good news is that if your 607 needs work, the chances are you’ll pay a lower hourly labour rate to a Peugeot dealer than you will in a Mercedes or BMW dealership.

The 607 is far from perfect. When the French start to get as uptight as the Germans maybe they will start to produce luxury cars that are just as good — but I prefer their cars as they are: great value and gorgeous.

• Service history: Servicing is every 20,000 miles or so a missed service can leave a lengthy gap in the car's history
• Upholstery: Standard velour fabric can wear badly and soft seats can look tired. Leather more desirable but still needs feeding regularly to retain its suppleness
• Engine: Timing belt and pulley both need replacing every 60,000 miles
• Electrics: Faulty windscreen washer warning light a common problem and check electric windows, mirrors and seat adjustments work correctly
• Gearbox: Optional four-speed manual lacks the extra ratio of some competitors but is strong and rarely causes any problems
• Insurance groups: Relatively high ratings range between group 16 and 18
• Boot: 509 litres, larger than a Mercedes Benz S-class
• Dashboard: Originally adorned with plenty of wood but on 2005 model this has been replaced with aluminium
• Satellite navigation: Originally a monochrome system but later cars gained a full-colour system
• Stereo: Base model lacks the all-important CD player although many owners specified it as a factory option
• Wheels: Early models had alloy spare wheel but from April 2001 cars came with a steel rim spare
• Front discs: Check for warped discs on auto models, which may have been held on the footbrake while sat in traffic

• Peugeot 607 2.2 HDi SE auto saloon 2001 51-plate
  metallic paint, leather upholstery and 50,000 miles
  Pay £8,695 at a main dealer or £7,500 privately
  

 © Jason Dawe Productions Limited October 2004