Looked at a C5 today: Impressions

Post by **CitroJim** » 20 Apr 2007, 16:41

Following my recommendation, a friend has finally taken the plunge into the world of hydraulic Citroens and bought a C5 2.0L HDi VTR Break. He had a Volvo V40 previously and needs lots of space for his model railway layout. It cetainly has that in spades!

I had a look at it today, the first C5 I have looked at close-up. Unfortunately I did not get to ride (or drive!) it

I was surprised to see, despite being a VTR it did not have Hydractive3+

I'm frankly left a little cold by it. Stepping out of an Activa into a C5 was a bit of a culture shock. I was very unimpressed with its interior and overall feel of the quality of the trim, switchgear and instrumentation. It looks incredibly cheap and tacky compared to the Xantia but perhaps I'm not comparing apples with apples. Everything seems a bit flimsy to me and I don't like the instrument pack at all.

I love the space in the engine bay and once all the covers are off how getattable everything is

I particularly like the ride height adjustment in the cargo bay. Great when hooking up a caravan

The suspension all looks very familiar

I looked at the front strut tops and they look vaugely similar to the Xantia and

on this 53 plate car they are already showing signs of corrosion. So will the C5 eventually suffer the same problem as Xantias and XMs with popping struts?

I like the overall look of the car and the general feel when sitting behind the wheel but those nagging doubts remain over build quality. Maintenance should be easier though with everything so easy to get to.

I'll be holding on to the Xantia for a good bit yet. For my money a 2.1TD Xantia Estate is a much finer car all round but for him, not being able to face the high-maintenance challange of an older Citroen, having a Xantia was not a viable option.

Main thing is, he is pleased with it, especially the ride. It is gentle on his health issues, a reason he wanted comfort and the C5 did that along with the space he needed.

Next I'll blag a ride in it and hopefully a drive too. That'll be interesting after a Xantia.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 20 Apr 2007, 16:54

Just as an observation there have been very few postings on here about C5's which would suggest that they haven't started to self destruct yet and some must be 5 or so years old.

Post by **CitroJim** » 20 Apr 2007, 17:12

jeremy wrote:Just as an observation there have been very few postings on here about C5's which would suggest that they haven't started to self destruct yet and some must be 5 or so years old.

Yes, such few posting suggest they are long-lived and reliable so despite my feelings over build quality they must be screwed together rather well. I must confess I have the same feelings about SWMBO's C3 and to date that is standing up exceedingly well to its life as a driving school car

Having only two years of Xantia ownership and experience under my belt, when did the Xantia first start to show strut-top problems?

den169 · Post by **den169** » 20 Apr 2007, 19:24

I got a 2003 c5 sx estate 110bhp last June off ebay one of the best cars iv'e had lovely to drive no signs anywhere of rust.Standard cd player is a bit crap but i replaced it with a sony mp40 and 6 disc mp3 changer great sound now.Only problem iv'e had was the climate control curcuit board failed a few weeks back cost £43.I had a xantia estate before this and wouldn't go back to one after the c5.

reblack68 · Post by **reblack68** » 20 Apr 2007, 21:43

We bought a 52 plate C5 HDi 110 LX Estate last week.

It doesn't seem as fast as my Xantia with the same engine. I don't know if that's because of weight, gearing or the low-ish mileage (52000). It still has the fuel it came with so I can't comment on economy. The steering is extremely light and I don't feel that I'm getting much feedback from it. The C5 is certainly less of a driver's car than the Xantia, which in turn was allegedly less of a driver's car than the BX.

The interior is fine. It's spacious and comfortable, although Citrojim is right in saying the materials look cheaper than the Xantia's. It's smooth and quiet so it should be a great car for long journeys. The boot is huge, though it blots its copybook a bit by having the spare wheel under the floor. I got a puncture once with a fully loaded boot so I'm not a fan of that arrangement.

The tailgate is metal. I know this because it's starting to rust, which I didn't notice until we got it home. I wonder if there is a six year corrosion warranty. The tailgate window opens but we couldn't make it work at first, then it started opening itself randomly (never on the move though). Nearly all the reviews I've seen of the model mention trouble with the tailgate window. We're hoping it stays stuck shut.

All in all it's a decent, but rather bland car. I like my Xantia better, luckily the C5 is my wife's car and I'm keeping the Xantia.

Post by **RichardW** » 22 Apr 2007, 09:56

With the 2.0 HDi You only get H3+ on Exclusive cars - 2.2 HDi gets it on SX. Given the lack of decent Xantias now, I am looking to buy a C5. Given that the hatch is big, might as well go the whole hig and buy the huuuge estate

. I'm looking for a 2.0 HDi - the 2.2 is too thirsty, and has that expensive particle filter. Missed out last week on a 2003 2.0 HDi Exclusive estate, 60k miles - for £6k - not bad for a car that cost the thick end of £25k only 4 years ago. Glad someone else was taking the depreciation

Agree though that it all seems a bit bland - but then I do 25k a year so I just want to get in and go with a minimum of fuss and hassle (perhaps I should buy a Toyota - no, perhaps not THAT bland!)

mooseshaver · Post by **mooseshaver** » 23 Apr 2007, 15:24

Check for the sport button. I've seen one exclusive that did not have hydractive 3+. Or at least no sport button. It was a company car so perhaps they sepcified without so drivers wouldn't press sport and then drive "sporty"

bencowell · Post by **bencowell** » 23 Apr 2007, 22:26

I don't think the 2.0 HDI Exclusive (Mark 1 cars) had H3+ with sport mode. Nor do they have Xenon lights.

Ben

wonderd · Post by **wonderd** » 24 Apr 2007, 07:28

Are there any xantias that have HDi engine?

Post by **RichardW** » 24 Apr 2007, 07:59

"I don't think the 2.0 HDI Exclusive (Mark 1 cars) had H3+ with sport mode. Nor do they have Xenon lights. "

What's the point of that then

perhaps I'll just save the money and buy an LX....

"Are there any xantias that have HDi engine?"

Yes, Xantia was availabe with 2.0 HDi in 90 and 110 BHP variants after about 1999 / 2000.

steelcityuk · Post by **steelcityuk** » 24 Apr 2007, 08:24

There seems to be a fair number of C5s used as taxi's which has to say something of their reliability.
It seems strange that most people are moving on to newer models but I'm going the other way to a XM.

Steve.

Post by **CitroJim** » 24 Apr 2007, 09:52

steelcityuk wrote:It seems strange that most people are moving on to newer models but I'm going the other way to a XM.
Steve.

Don't worry Steve, you're not the only one, I'll be sticking with Xantias for some time to come

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 24 Apr 2007, 10:19

citrojim wrote: Don't worry Steve, you're not the only one, I'll be sticking with Xantias for some time to come

Likewise.
With all the fishing that goes on at the canals near me, I'd be worried one of them might mistake a C5 for a trout and try to land it

Now, if Citroen could only be persuaded to restart production of the pre-facelift Xantias, or Xm's, both with 2.1TDs and bosch pumps for veg oil...

Post by **CitroJim** » 24 Apr 2007, 11:06

Xac wrote:With all the fishing that goes on at the canals near me, I'd be worried one of them might mistake a C5 for a trout and try to land it

Xac wrote: Now, if Citroen could only be persuaded to restart production of the pre-facelift Xantias, or Xm's, both with 2.1TDs and bosch pumps for veg oil...

If only

I'll have a 2.1TD Mk1 Activa in Dantes' Red please!

Oh, and a 1.6 205GTi with a decent injection system on it please. The old Bosch Jetronic with the "flapper" AFM is a complete disaster

SimonM · Post by **SimonM** » 26 Apr 2007, 15:31

jeremy wrote:Just as an observation there have been very few postings on here about C5's which would suggest that they haven't started to self destruct yet and some must be 5 or so years old.

Unfortunately mine has started to self destruct!

Huge problems with electrics, anything with a motor has a mind of it's own. Windows opening /closing on their own, central locking not err locking, wipers that switch on when you unlock the car. Trip comp no longer works.

Engine smokey on start up very rattly even when warmed up.

Eats rear pads and discs at an alarming rate, two sets of each in 29000 miles!

Also has a liking for front tyres

Drivers seatbelt has stopped rewinding

Climate control likes to roast you for a few miles and then freeze you for the remainder of your journey

My newest problem, the right rear wheel bearing has collapsed, should be a straight forward job to get done, oh no not with the devil car. It turns out that ATS lost the locking wheel key (although they don't admit to it) and as you can't just get a replacement key from Citroen I have got to have the wheels surgically removed from the car. My local stealer wants £230+ VAT to do this and £35+ VAT for new locking nuts. Oh and I have to sign a disclaimer waiving an liability should they damage the wheels.

So whilst they are operating on the wheels they may as well do the bearing and replace the rear pads and discs again as the pads have almost gone and the usual scoring has happened on the inside of the discs so these will need replacing.

So how old is the spawn of Satan? 5 years. And his mileage? 62k

It has been serviced on the dot by the main dealer and still it tries to lift more money from my wallet.

As you can tell I am very impressed with the car