What do you like about your Xantia?

Bren · Post by **Bren** » 14 Sep 2007, 23:20

This is my first citroen, and I have been surprised by -
The build quality - no rust, rattles or leaks
Performance - once the turbo "spools up"
The large flat rear loadspace of my estate - four times a year we deliver littlewoods catalogues - the loadspace, rear seat and my small trailer enable me to lug around 700 of these at a time. Your fords, vauxhall's etc. would be dragging along the floor (you should see the ride height of some people's cars with a fraction of the catalogues that mine is lugging).

Dislikes?
The price of genuine citroen spares
The fact that they dont make them any more.

Incidentally my father has just bought a 99' mondeo TD - he dismissed the Xantia because it "looked too old fashioned".

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 15 Sep 2007, 01:01

Bren wrote: Incidentally my father has just bought a 99' mondeo TD - he dismissed the Xantia because it "looked too old fashioned".

Well, you know what to do, disown him, yup, it's for the best

reblack68 · Post by **reblack68** » 15 Sep 2007, 09:02

I got my first Xantia for £200 in an emergency a couple of years ago. It had done 160k since 1997 and there wasn't a sound off it. The interior was almost like new and all the toys worked.

I replaced all the spheres at a cost of about £140, one hour and no knuckles. That's pretty impressive, considering that's the equivalent of a full set of shocks and springs. The only other significant non-consumables I fitted were rear brake discs. I paid £20 for a set of discs and pads, and another £15 for a new set of calliper bolts. Three of them snapped in the hub and that was the only time I was really displeased with the car. Luckily my mate performed miracles with a MIG and extracted the broken studs, two of which had broken sub-flush!

I've never been into saloon cars so I decided to replace it with an estate. I got a 2000 HDi 110 SX for £1450 and it's impressive, but not a patch on the old one. The seats aren't nearly as good and it doesn't feel as well put together. I still don't know what I'd replace it with though. I think I would look for the latest and best one I could find and look after it.

mezuk04a · Post by **mezuk04a** » 15 Sep 2007, 14:10

Still enjoying my Fiesta

Xantia's are poo

Fiestas are great

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 15 Sep 2007, 14:26

Be fair to the fiesta, it's not a proper comparison, the xantia is more a luxury saloon family car, the fiesta is a cheap compact hatchback. I had one briefly and it was better than I expected. But, no, I won't do a swap, sorry.

mezuk04a · Post by **mezuk04a** » 15 Sep 2007, 14:46

Just popped on ebay to have a look around, cant afford one, especially now saving for the holiday to Bulgaria next May...but it would be so nice to own a dark green Xantia Estate.

XantiaMan · Post by **XantiaMan** » 30 Sep 2007, 18:39

What is it with VW's, had yet another harass me on a bendy motorway slip road (literally glued to my arse) so it was time to test the Xantia's handling, lets just say despite the body roll the poise and grip is excellent, wide track and long wheel base makes a very stable car, and it had no problems accelerating away from the Mk4 Golf which i let pass me shortly after i made him look silly, it was actually a TDi 130.. all speeds were under and upto the legal limit, honest! 8)

Never driven an Activa but it really must show up some exotica..

Post by **CitroJim** » 30 Sep 2007, 19:46

XantiaMan583 wrote:Never driven an Activa but it really must show up some exotica..

It out-handles a 205GTi, 'nuff said...

An Activa handles like a normal Xantia but with practically no roll. It's also a tad harder on the suspension than a normal Xantia. Ride suffers to an extent but it is still nice and comfy

You can find yourself going around corners at silly speeds

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 30 Sep 2007, 20:59

citrojim wrote:You can find yourself going around corners at silly speeds

Really

Never tried it myself

Post by **CitroJim** » 01 Oct 2007, 06:33

DickieG wrote:
citrojim wrote:You can find yourself going around corners at silly speeds
Really Never tried it myself

nick · Post by **nick** » 01 Oct 2007, 09:38

XantiaMan583 wrote:What is it with VW's

I really don't know. Excluding the original Beetle, every recent-ish VW I've driven has been a huge disappointment. The mk 3 Golf was truly the most overated mediocre car I've had the misfortune to drive, the mk 4 was an improvement but still overated. They're not even particularly reliable. I think people buy them as a sort of BMW substitute and are surprised when a "crappy French car", as they see it, can outhandle them.

nick · Post by **nick** » 01 Oct 2007, 09:52

Xac wrote:
Bren wrote: Incidentally my father has just bought a 99' mondeo TD - he dismissed the Xantia because it "looked too old fashioned".
Well, you know what to do, disown him, yup, it's for the best

I actually broke up with an ex girlfriend of mine because she kept saying saying the Xantia I was driving at the time looked "old fashioned"

No taste some people . . .

KP · Post by KP » 01 Oct 2007, 12:45

I love that i just got 648.2 miles from a brimmed tank(veg oil right upto the fuel cap!) until it would no longer run on the flat and stalled out on me

not bad going i think and kept the warning light on for just over 50miles

That wasn't pushing her hard at all and being very light with acceleration and using engine braking a fair bit as well but shows what can be done without thinking about it all the time

JOHN C · Post by **JOHN C** » 01 Oct 2007, 19:16

For what its worth here is my method to find out what you like about your Xantia.

Step 1: Take 1 Xantia , drive about for 3 trouble free years and then decide it will cost too much to put it through another M.O.T.

Step 2:Sell your Xantia for spares and buy a F**d Es*or! Ghia X automatic.

Step 3:Drive aforementioned ES*or! for 1 month or until it breaks down (whichever is sooner)

You will now know what you like about your Xantia

lolingram · Post by **lolingram** » 07 Oct 2007, 17:48

Have you dumped your CatBox yet?

I love that i just got 648.2 miles from a brimmed tank(veg oil right upto the fuel cap!) until it would no longer run on the flat and stalled out on me Smile not bad going i think and kept the warning light on for just over 50miles Very Happy
That wasn't pushing her hard at all and being very light with acceleration and using engine braking a fair bit as well but shows what can be done without thinking about it all the time Smile

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