Underwhelmed by new C5

bencowell · Post by **bencowell** » 19 Mar 2008, 19:07

Citroen sent me the new C5 brochure. I don't like the pictures of the interior (apart from the door armrests!).

The specification is also underwhelming. Steel springs on all SX models, H3+ on VTR 2.0 Auto and 2.2HDI, H3+ on all Exclusive models.

The car is a heavy lump. The 1.6HDI taking 13.4 secs to 60, even the 2.2HDI is 10.0 secs. (11.5 and 8.5 secs in the last C5).

Are velour seats out of fashion? All models have cloth or part leather/cloth. And what are these sport seats they talk about? The fastest 2.7HDI V6 takes 9.5 seconds.

I'm not going to be first in the queue to buy one.

bencowell · Post by **bencowell** » 19 Mar 2008, 19:16

Honest John has driven it

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/index.htm?id=317

XantiaMan · Post by **XantiaMan** » 19 Mar 2008, 19:42

Sod the 0-60 figures, i'm sure its a great drive, an exceptionally handsome car it is, mpg, safety and mid-range performance are more priorites for me and it is definatly a contender if i were in the market for a new car.

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 19 Mar 2008, 20:16

I'm quite taken with it - it actually looks like it has the same road presence
as a C6. It may not be as drop dead gorgeous as a Ds, Sm or Cx but it
certainly looks like it has a modern menace; a sharpness that looks like it
means business among the me too deja-vu designs of the other French
manufacturers and the boring Germans.

For the first time in ages I'm liking the new Citroens!!

The C4, C6 and now C5 do look like there's an effort being made to make
interesting/dynamic and attractive cars. Just don't see why they have to
dumb it down with full metal springing after offering double wishbone
suspension instead of the cheap'n nasty McStruts!

Andrew

Stempy · Post by **Stempy** » 19 Mar 2008, 22:38

It's certainly the best looking variant to date, pity they don't offer a big petrol engine, but I suppose in this day and age there's not the demand.

rossnunn · Post by **rossnunn** » 19 Mar 2008, 23:03

personally I love it, especially in estate form. (although you do loose that concave rear window)

KP · Post by KP » 20 Mar 2008, 12:00

I love it and what it stands for that citroen are partly heading back to the way they should be.

The bit i dont like is come resale time there won't be many with hydro suspension as almost all buyers will opt not to have it, thus citroen will then decide in later years to drop it from all but the exclusive varients as an option. thus eventually killing off hydro.
In fact ill put money on it that its dropped from citroens range in the next 10years which will be a crying shame as its such a lovely ride.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 20 Mar 2008, 13:11

Its german -

At least thats what the add tells you ...
But it certainly looks as bulky as any german car these days.

- no elegance, just a tank really

IMHO this is the end for Citroen. The Peugeot gang in the PSA has finally triumphed and removed ANYthing that makes a Citroen a Citroen. Its just another german Peugeot

rossnunn · Post by **rossnunn** » 20 Mar 2008, 18:47

TBH I was abit deflated by the c6. It just wasn't as big & wide & impressive as I'd hoped it'd be, certainly one of those cars that fattens infront of the lens.

Sphinx · Post by **Sphinx** » 20 Mar 2008, 19:43

I helped release this car (don't worry, I don't work for Citroen so I'm not biased) but I thought it was a nice car. I took the V6 version for a drive and was very impressed with it, particularly on the motorway.
Out of all the competition, I would rather the Mondeo but it is a close call.

citroenesque · Post by **citroenesque** » 20 Mar 2008, 21:23

AndersDK wrote:IMHO this is the end for Citroen. The Peugeot gang in the PSA has finally triumphed and removed ANYthing that makes a Citroen a Citroen. Its just another german Peugeot

I sadly have to agree. Owning a Citroen now does not raise eyebrows as it used to. It is unashamedly (and especially in France) a car for the masses. Cheap, normal and nothing to aspire to. Even since the XM, no amount of pretence is going to convince otherwise - which is why big Cits never do well.

Where Citroens excel is the small to medium sector (2CV, Visa, AX, Saxo, GS, BX, Xantia, C3, C4 and so on.). The CX merely acted to reinforce the brand and aided sales of other models outside France.

But what do we have now? C1 (a Toyota), C2 - lost because of it's lack of a 5-door option, C3 - poor interior space, but quite quirky in a sort of pale imitation of the new Beetle, C4, not quite Focus rival, C5, not quite Audi/VW rival and C6, not quite BMW/Mercedes rival... and C-Crosser? Well I imagine not quite Freelander...

All-in-all, brand loyalty aside, why choose a Citroen on anything other than price?

Discuss

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 20 Mar 2008, 21:40

The one issue Citroen is still trying to come to terms with is the balance
between offering quirkiness and innovation versus commercial reality.

We'd all love it if they started punching out a new DS; drop dead gorgeous
looks and bristling with Mitsubishi EVOesque gizmo's and techno but in the
current marketplace nobody would buy it. Combine this with a self
defeating marketing crusade to be perceived (in the UK at least) as the
cheap and cheerful heavily discounted option to everything else, and you
can see the dilemma for Citroen's future model development team.

They went too far the opposite route with the anodyne ZX, Xsara and to
some extent the last C5 but had a massive hit with the Xantia and BX
which had full hydraulics yet were capable very competitive cars of their
day, and there's the Pluriel and the Picasso (old and new).

The C6 is in fact as good as it gets and many can't believe Citroen were
brave enough to even produce that - thank your stars they did! If you're
all expecting a new DS you can forget it!

I'd settle for a handsome competent modern Xantia - new C5 anyone?

Andrew

XantiaMan · Post by **XantiaMan** » 20 Mar 2008, 21:47

andmcit wrote:
I'd settle for a handsome competent modern Xantia - new C5 anyone?

Andrew

Finally looks like we have one! Old C5 really didnt do it for me.

bencowell · Post by **bencowell** » 21 Mar 2008, 08:12

The old C5 had loads of interior space and feels big and open.

The new C5 looks (not sat in one yet) like you are coccooned (or stuck) in the drivers seat.

The gear lever gaiter is below the level of the centre console, that means hemmed in feeling for driver and passenger.

Why can't the interior be understated? Too much chrome, although the interior door pulls are interesting (look closely at the old C5 and you will see the same shape is there, just covered by fabric).

The inside door handles are boring. I've lost count of how many times people have commented about the old C5 door handles.

The seats are made of too many panels and look fussy. Compare with the simple elegance and comfort of the old one.

The centre arm rest is fixed as in German cars, I loved the seperately adjustable ones of the old C5. I imagine the arm rest would get in the way for traditional handbraked models (on steel springs).

For me the C6 interior is much nicer, the dash is flat and doesnt look like a clone of a Beemer. Can the C6 keep depreciating please? Exterior looks are just as good but the interior is somewhere I would like to be.

People commented that the first C5 is ugly as sin, but it is pleasant inside, comfy, deceptively quick but not a sports car. I've spent the last 80k and 5 years inside the car and have loved every minute.

The Mk1 controls are logical. The radio, air con and hazard warning lights are naturally placed. Look how complicated the new one is. The hazard warning lights are not even easy to reach. I don't know how many times you use the hazrards but on a busy M62 they are essential to keep the tailgater off your double chevrons when the motorway comes to a rapid halt.

I'll give up ranting now and eat some cornflakes. I will take a look at a C5 in the metal and give it a spin sometime.
Ben

Quackers · Post by **Quackers** » 22 Mar 2008, 02:07

I do like the new C5, but i still would rather have the C6 anyday, its got more toys, and the inside looks nicer.

My main thing with the new C5 is why they are so slow!!!! Put a manual gearbox in that 2.7 HDI and i bet it would do 0-60 in 7 seconds, as i've found most Citroens seem to have about 2 seconds between the manual and auto on the same engine. They really need somthing 6-8 second ish. Its just to dam slow! When i took the C6 (2.2HDI) for a test drive round a race track, it just seemed breathless (infact when i flawed it round a corner, loads of flashy warning lights came on

). The 2.7 HDI is only just over half a second faster... so much waste..... (still wanted to drive away with it though

)