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Post by jdrsmith on Aug 29, 2008 9:08:19 GMT
Hi All,
Where to start...
OK, got a brand new 407 Sport as a company car a few weeks back.
Has an old style Passat before which has gone back.
First off I noticed that the ID badge on the door pillar actually said SE as opposed to Sport..after getting Peugeot UK to put some pressure on the dealer this was resolved and I now have the correct ID sticker affixed. The car is definately a Sport.
Anyway that one resolved.
What do I like about the car ? ..all the toys..
What do I hate about the car ? the ride ! it's not very good at all, especially at low speed around towns etc, all bump thump etc etc.
Also the steering seems a bit..well vauge..especially at speed.
Anyone any thoughts on how anything could be improved ?
Tyres ?
Tracking or similar setup ?
Can the suspension be softened up a bit ?
Passenegers in the back, ie the kids say it's like riding a bike, you feel every bump in the road..
Ahh..thats what you get with a Sport say the dealer...feel for the road..
Any thoughts anyone ?
Jim.
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Post by 504V6Ti on Aug 29, 2008 11:50:46 GMT
The amount of S H I T E that comes out of certain Dealers will never stop to astonish me! The "Sport" label that I remember on the 407 simply refered to a level of trim! That's it. You do not get any kind of fancy suspension or anything like that. The only feature of a "Sport" model that could affect handling is alloys and tyres. As far as I know Sport trim fitted between SE and GT as shown in the following August 2007 brochure: ww3.peugeot.co.uk/ppp/PPPWEBUK/Brochures_Peugeot/vp/407/407407SW.pdfNo difference in road handling or behaviour to be expected. Of course, tyres can influence the handling, but have you heard of a manufacturer that made a "Sport" version of a car this side of the 90s by simply changing the alloys and tyres? You really should go and have a laugh at your Dealer by asking him what makes a Sport model's ride so hard on the road! I'd be eager to hear his pathetic answer, especially if you show him this (dated August 2008)... ww3.peugeot.co.uk/ppp/PPPWEBUK/Brochures_Peugeot/technical/407.pdfEngines left aside, 407 models only differ in terms of alloys, trim and various gadgets. No mechanical differences between models of a given motorisation otherwise. The story of your SE/Sport badge is very interesting indeed. Whilst the current online brochure (dated August 2007, i.e. somehow obsolete) does list S, SE, Sport and GT models, the range has evolved a bit and the "Sport" model has now been dropped from the catalogue. Now you get S, SR, SE and GT: ww3.peugeot.co.uk/ppp/PPPWEBUK/Brochures_Peugeot/Staircase/407_saloon_sw_staircase.pdfPeugeot must have conducted a model review in the last few months and made some modifications, where the SE trim level may now match that of the previous Sport model. Hence your badge story. One might argue that, depending on the official launch of the revised model range, changing your ID badge from SE to Sport does make your car appear older than it actually is! To me the badge was correct, you probably got what is effectively the current SE model (you said you've had it a few weeks), not a true old Sport model, even though that might be what your ordered initially. Regarding handling and steering, well the car is brand new so suspension should soften as you gather miles; the car is not known for having a stiff ride. Steering, well, it might be like the 406: very powered and you feel nothing of the road in your hands. |
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Post by columbo on Aug 29, 2008 12:30:43 GMT
The so called "Sport" is not an official model range Peugeot. More of a limited edition. From what I can see there is no difference in the spring rating or dampers unless its a V6, 2.7 Hdi and some 2.2 Hdi's. However wheel and tyre profile sizes can make a difference. Most Standard 407's sit on 16" wheels and tyres middle to upper range have 17", which I would guess you have, and there are options for 18". Petrol engine versions tend to have a stiffer ride than the diesels. This is due to the weight of the engines. I would recommend checking the tyre pressures to see what they are and if they are correct to reduce the rear tyre pressures by 0.4 Bar and the fronts by 0.2 Bar if the car is mainly used unladen. But remember to increase the pressures if loading the car up for holiday etc.... Also the suspension is always stiffer on a new car. It gives a bit after the first 3000 miles or less if you live near speed bumps  |
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Post by jdrsmith on Aug 29, 2008 13:30:37 GMT
It's not the new model, it was ordered in May and delivered in June.
Interestingly the brochure at the time said that the Sport variant now comes with a mesh sports grille...mine didn't it came with horizontal chrome bars..not that I'm complaining..I think that looks better than a mesh grille anyway..I catually think it looks better than the new horiz/vert chrome grille..
As for the ident badge..our 12month old 207 Sport said Sport on the badge, so did several other 407 Sports that I had seen.
Though I clocked another Sport with an SE badge, it was about a year old.
I asked several dealers and they all said that now and again some Sport's have been coming through from the factory with SE ident badges, they didn't seem at all worried.
But I wanted it put right, so in the end I had to get someone from Peugeot UK on the case.
As for the wheels yes, it's got 17" alloys and Pirelli rubber.
Curiously I was driving around with the window down yesterday and turned into a long narrow country lane with a road with quite a smooth surface and I heard a considerable amount or tyre roar or something like that which appeared to be coming from the front offside tyre, this only appears to be noticeable when driving alongsdie something which reflects the sound, ie the tree lined lane or alongside a wall.
So much so I stopped a short way down the road to see if a carrier bag or something had got stuck under the wheel arch, couldn't see anything..weird.
So perhaps I should check the tyre pressures and maybe get the tracking checked.
The steering wheel is ever so slightly off centre on a dead flat road, if the road has some camber then it's quite a way off centre.
Other than that I;ve had the RT4 completely reboot three times in about nine weeks, each time it's been in heavy traffic, ie motorway jams or busy rush hour.
I've seen other people report the same thing.
Just come back from a trip out somewhere, yes perhaps the suspension is getting a little better.
Doing the spare wheel up tight probably played a part it reducing the bump thump...the strap wasn't done up tight and it was bouncing around in the boot well.
Jim.
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Post by columbo on Aug 31, 2008 7:00:34 GMT
"[Curiously I was driving around with the window down yesterday and turned into a long narrow country lane with a road with quite a smooth surface and I heard a considerable amount or tyre roar or something like that which appeared to be coming from the front offside tyre, this only appears to be noticeable when driving alongsdie something which reflects the sound, ie the tree lined lane or alongside a wall.
So much so I stopped a short way down the road to see if a carrier bag or something had got stuck under the wheel arch, couldn't see anything..weird.
So perhaps I should check the tyre pressures and maybe get the tracking checked.
The steering wheel is ever so slightly off centre on a dead flat road, if the road has some camber then it's quite a way off centre.
"[/color]
It sounds like you may have some inner wheel arch or lower engine cover / trim loose. Take it back to the dealer to get it checked out. Also check to see that the sports grille is not loose.
I have heard of some electrical problems being caused by loose terminals on the battery......
Long gone are the days where factory assemblers and service mechanics took pride in their jobs....
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Post by frank on Aug 31, 2008 20:57:19 GMT
Long gone are the days where factory assemblers and service mechanics took pride in their jobs....
[/quote]
hey dont tar us all with the same brush i take pride in my job!!
the road noise you are experiencing with your 407 is normal, i take it youve got 215 50 17 tyres on your sport as i had on my car, they are very noisey. i changed my tyres to michelin which quiet it a bit.
also the suspension over bumps is right aswell, the car was primarily developed for reps cruesing up and down motorways so are not designed for back roads, no excuse i know but there you go.
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Post by columbo on Sept 1, 2008 9:46:07 GMT
Glad to hear it !!
Sorry, but just too many bad experiences with a multitude of garages. Not just Peugeot.
Also Peugeot class the 407 as a family car. Therefore you would have thought the suspension would be more compliant.
Our second car is a 307 which is also very "Bumpy". I also have my fathers old 504 ti which just glides over bad surfaces and puts a lot of todays cars to shame in terms of comfort.
The business of many car manufacturers producing cars with "Sports" biased or hard suspension set ups is just a waste of time on UK roads. Even the so called best handling cars under German manufacture are bone jarring. No wonder so many parts work themselves loose over a period of time......
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Post by jdrsmith on Sept 13, 2008 9:01:03 GMT
Seeing as the car has an optional suspension adjustment..can this be manualy adjusted and set a little softer ?
Is the Sport *really* running a stiffer setup than say an S ?
Or is this just a Sport badge ?
I think that the tyres have a lot of influence on the, I've never been a big Pirelli fan..
Jim.
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Post by 504V6Ti on Sept 13, 2008 11:39:00 GMT
According to the Peugeot litterature, this is just a bage to refer to a given level of trim.
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Post by jdrsmith on Sept 13, 2008 15:44:31 GMT
...so it's not really any different suspension wise that a regular 'S' model...unless you have the suspension option pack ?
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Post by frank on Sept 13, 2008 19:07:08 GMT
the suspension is the same across the range, apart from the 2.7hdi and coupe. the sport badge just refers to the level of trim as there all prety much standard bar interior, there isnt any adjustable suspension on the 407 range
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Post by jdrsmith on Sept 14, 2008 18:44:46 GMT
..I'll take a cushion with me and sit on that !  |
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Post by Piston Broke on Nov 7, 2008 21:42:43 GMT
The confusion arises with the model designations as the SE is available with the option of the 'sport' or 'Luxury' packs, the difference being only trim and wheels - no suspension or engine changes. With the luxury set up the SE is almost identical to the rare SVE, lacking only full leather (a very attractive half leather on the luxury) and the CD multichanger. To further muddy the waters, al lot of the Sport pack kit is also available as SP accessories, hence my SE Luxury also having the chrome mesh grille.
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