When I first set about looking for a replacement car, I dismissed French cars entirely because of the general negativity relating to their reliability ("French cars are weird, they'll break down all the time, they're very cheaply made" etc etc) and overall fit and finish. My mother has also had a 2005 Citroën Picasso for about six years now and it has been plagued with electrical problems and has generally been a bit of a money pit. So I looked at Vectras, other Focuses, the occasional 90s BMW, Civics, Rovers, all sorts of cars in my price range (one or two thousand euros).
At some point I decided to stop ignoring French cars - I came to the conclusion that I'd really like to see for myself if they really are as unreliable as people say they are. My two best friends have Peugeots that they drive daily, and they've been very reliable - a 2006 307 and a 1989 205.
I looked at lots of 206s, almost traded the Focus a few months ago for a black GTi. Earlier this week, I came across a very nice '98 406 1.8 16v, which, long story short, brings me here! I bought it on Friday for the exact sum I was paid for the Focus, 1290 euros.
The car was inspected two weeks ago (I believe it's called an MOT in the UK?) so no need to worry about that for a year. Its driven 215,000km so relatively average, but it was by far the lowest-mileage 406 in my price range which is why I went to have a look at it in the first place. It's in mechanically good condition, but being a 15-year-old car it does have its fair share of bumps, scratches, dents and cracks but nothing to write home about. The verdict so far: I'm loving it. A far cry from the Focus - so quiet and comfortable. Crossing my fingers for many, many worry-free miles!
I have many questions to ask, mostly about mechanical woes but also about how some things work on the car and where can they be found, should I start a thread for each question on the relevant board or should I dump them all in one post? Obviously I'll have a look first to try and find an answer on another thread.