Returning to forum - should I buy a Xantia?

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AnotherStuart
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Returning to forum - should I buy a Xantia?

Post by AnotherStuart »

Hi all,

I've been absent from the forum for quite a while - it was still Andyspares last time I logged in! I haven't bothered to get my old username back because I've long since dumped the email address it was associated with and it's probably not worth the effort anyway - don't think I ever said anything worthwhile ( with one notable exception - it's still pretty high up the "common problems and fixes" archive, posted by AlanS... Stuart, you numpty!)

Anyway, down to the real issue - Should I really, really buy another Xantia?
At the moment, I'm running a Fraud Escrot (yes, they do, this one's a 96/P and becoming rusty!) which I've had since before I owned my pair of Xantiae - yes, it's outlasted them! My dilemma is: do I get rid of a basically sound and reliable motor car ( the Escort) in favour of something that might be a reliability nightmare? On the other hand, the Escort does my back in, and the Xantia coddles my back. (I've had surgery in that department, and have never fully recovered from the initial problem, that's why the old back is such a big deal)
So, stick or switch? My inclination is to flog the ford and get a "real" car. I've always hankered after an HDi 110 SX or better - ideas/suggestions? Maybe even a C5? Although it's not yet through, I've got a probable budget of approx £2000 plus whatever I can get for the Ford.

I'm sure you bulging brains will be able to help. For the record, the Xantiae (is that the right expression?) I've owned have been a ('94/M)2.0i 8 valve SX petrol manual, and a ('95/M)1.9TD (92BHP)LX manual - which felt faster than a (00/X) HDi Forte.
andmcit
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Re: Returning to forum - should I buy a Xantia?

Post by andmcit »

You're not expecting an unbiased/unemotional nor totally unsubjective answer to a Ford v's a Citroen question...? :lol:

I've heard many WITHOUT back problems complain about the seats in the Xantias in tests and forums etc, but if one did the job in the past for you you're off to a good start. The ride of a normal hydropneumatic Xant would do the job well without you having to go with hydractive on a VSX or later/C5 etc.

IMHO, for what it's worth, for the BEST softest ride in any Cit both with it's seats and hydraulics, nothing has ever bettered a CX Pallas or Prestige/Familiale! Nice ones do exist and well within the budget!!

If this isn't your scene a Xantia will do the job - I don't find mine to have reliability issues, unless there's the will it or wont it start slipping autobox model!!

You can try an Xm; I've now changed my bias towards these again from Xantiae of late having got hold of a nice S1 2.0i turbo S1...

If you can get past the ugly fish with a stick stuck up it's bottom appearance of the C5 I'm sure there may be a nice car there waiting to be discovered. Not my thing I'm afraid.

What else is there!?

Well loads - but with decent seats and ride, you can forget anything German!!

Happy shopping - that's why ebay is there!!
Andrew
tomsheppard
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Post by tomsheppard »

You cannot sensibly recommend a CX to a man with a rusty Escort.

Wonderful though they are, they are one of the worst cars in the world and for dedicated masochists only, who revere their four good points and ignore the rest.

The four good points are:
Fine steering
Great looks
Supreme comfort
Keeps the welding industry in business.
Just about everything else about them is crap and they should be avoided.
DON'T BUY ONE ON A WHIM; IF YOU MUST HAVE ONE AFTER COUNSELLING, GET A DIVORCE, QUIT YOUR JOB AND GO AND LIVE IN A TENT BECAUSE YOU WILL NEED ALL YOUR TIME, MONEY AND LOVE TO LIVE WITH A CX.

£2k won't buy a decent C5 yet and Xantiae can be variable. Spend half of that on the best BX turbodiesel you can find.
Be happy: it is a way of being wise. (Confucius.)
'92 TZD Estate(Grolliffe), Gone but never to be forgotten.
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Kowalski
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Post by Kowalski »

The best way to decide is probably to look at your budget and see what it will buy. The conclusion you'll come to is that for the money nothing comes close to an HDI Xantia. For ride comfort and a good diesel engine you will look long and hard to get close.

The CX suggested above doesn't come with as good a diesel engine, it does come with a reasonable diesel but its bigger and thirstier. The BX suggested comes with a good diesel engine, but again its not as good as the HDI and the BX is more like an Escort than a Xantia for build quality.

The Escort is going to get to the age where is becomes a chore to put it through its MOT (think rust and brake pipes) and that will be the time to move to a Xantia. I've got two Xantias, both TDs and I have never been let down by either car. The past two weekends have involved a new ABS sensor and a new wheel bearing on the newer car, but that aside that car hasn't needed any work doing on it (apart from the normal maintenance) for quite some time. I would honestly have to check my pile of receipts to tell you what the last non-maintenance job I had to do on the car was...
goldfinche
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Post by goldfinche »

Hello as a back sufferer for many years it's really quite simple, backs are with you for life and they do not get better as you get older so look after it. Drive a car for 400/500 miles, not just a motorway blast but all types of road, non stop if you can and pick the car that you can get out of at the end without an "OUCH" and you can still walk.
The only cars that I have found that works for me is a Citroen, I have a BX and a Xantia, the BX is best but the Xantia has cruise and air con.
I dont know if your back trouble is top or bottom but it's quite, in fact very suprising, the difference an automatic can make as regards lower back strain and the amount of "twist" caused by pushing the clutch pedal. Just my 2 p's worth.
All the best.
Geoff.
mezuk04
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Post by mezuk04 »

I had my Xantia for about 6 months without any reliability problems and certainly had the nicest ride.
In terms of the seating I suffer from a lower back problem and found that the ZX Temptation seats were the best but the Xantia seats werent too far behind in terms of comfort.
For £2k will easily get you a very good XUD Xantia however you may be hard pressed to find good examples with the HDI's.

Since your currently driving a rusty Escort any change of car will be a big leap in comfort for you :lol: so why not get a 1.9TD SX Xantia....cheap as chips, i think their fairly reliable and easy to work on too and you should have over a grand in your pocket for pocket money.
Volkswagen Golf 59' 1.6TD S :(
AnotherStuart
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Post by AnotherStuart »

Some interesting ideas here!

I've always liked the CX, especially in estate form - but as Tom says, it's just too maintenance intensive to be a realistic choice. Maybe one day, when I've got the space, I'll get one as a hobby car (assuming that the survivors don't all dissolve in the meantime). Realistically, the same applies to a BX - don't get me wrong here, I used to own a 1986 16TRS which was a great car to drive and gave the "boy racers" of the time some very unpleasant surprises at the lights... But they're getting on a bit now, and I really need something less than 10 years old for everyday use.

Interesting comment about the XM - I'd totally forgotten about those! In fact, I had cause to borrow a series 1 2.0Si Turbo Automatic for a week about 3 years ago - if it hadn't had an engine management fault locking out the turbo most of the time, I'd have bought that instead of the petrol Xantia. Interestingly, it was still sitting in a corner of the dealer's forecourt 18 months later...

I'm not a fan of the C5 - it looks like it was designed by Toyota. Japanese style with French electrics, not exactly a match made in heaven. My business partner owns a Golf TDi 130 and is trying to persuade me to spend a bit more and buy a Passat. Over my dead body. He's spent over £1500 in repair bills in the past four months alone and I don't have the heart to tell him that these engines are not renowned for their longevity and his stands a fair chance of expiring soon!

Looks like another Xant then. Most likely a late HDi 110, but the XUD has its attractions too in this age of spiralling fuel prices - I'm sure you know what I mean...
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Kowalski
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Ex 94 Xantia Dimension 1.9TD 199k

Post by Kowalski »

AnotherStuart wrote: Looks like another Xant then. Most likely a late HDi 110, but the XUD has its attractions too in this age of spiralling fuel prices - I'm sure you know what I mean...
Yes, mine does almost 50mpg on the commute if driven correctly *cough* ;)
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Previous:
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Peugeot 807 2.0 HDi 110,
Renault Grand Scenic, 2.0 diesel (150bhp)
C5 X7 2.0 HDi 160 which put me off French cars possibly forever
x 16

Re: Returning to forum - should I buy a Xantia?

Post by Homer »

AnotherStuart wrote:AlanS... Stuart, you numpty!
.......
At the moment, I'm running a Fraud Escrot
AlanS was right, 'nuff said.
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Ian Fearn
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Post by Ian Fearn »

Kowalski wrote:
AnotherStuart wrote: Looks like another Xant then. Most likely a late HDi 110, but the XUD has its attractions too in this age of spiralling fuel prices - I'm sure you know what I mean...
Yes, mine does almost 50mpg on the commute if driven correctly *cough* ;)
Get a V6 and enjoy all that power!
1983 2CV6 Charleston 110k (Re-build in op!)
1993 BX TZD Turbo
1991 BX GTi 4x4
1989 BX GTi 4x4
1991 BX GTi Auto
1998 Xantia V6 Exclusive
ACTIVE8
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Post by ACTIVE8 »

Returning to forum - should I buy a Xantia?
YES !
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