Advice please stilck with Xantia or go with C4 /C5

[Lucifer]

Hi looking for some advice and opines on newer Citroens


I have had Citroens since the early 90’s, several BX’s an old Visa and loads of Xantia’s & 2001 C5


I currently run a Xantia 2.0HDi and it’s a great car good fuel economy 45mpg ( based on mixed runs) and handles pretty well ( certainly a lot better than the C5 did) and with the hydraulic suspension will take any load I chuck in it.

I’m looking to upgrade in awhile as the xantia is starting to show her age 160,000 and looking to replace her but other than another Xantia I can’t see anything that appeals, The new C5 is too pricey and the way the last one drove was not nice also the fuel economy even on the HDi is less than my Xantia, i have looked at maybe the 1.6HDi C4 but don’t like the idea of a non hydraulic car ( but saying that modern suspension should be better)


So basically do I stick with a Xantia or is this the end of my quirky citroens


Thanks
jay

[C.J.]

2nd attempt at posting, following a ruddy power cut here as i was about to post last night.

I've had both the C5 and C4 2.0hdi's.
C5 wasn't a bad car, bit of a pudding to drive and not the prettiest car on the road, but generally reliable. Crashy suspension at the rear that was 'cured' by the dealer by placing thicker sound deadening material under the rear seat, as this was a built in fault on the mk1 versions apparently.
Suspension was sometimes an hilarious talking point, going up and down on it's own in the car park. Never did find out what was wrong with it, as the diagnostics couldn't find a fault.

The C4 that I had was truly dreadful. Don't know if I was just unlucky, as many on the C4 forum seem to rave about them.
The list of faukts was massive, and nearly all electrical, but included many untraceable rattles and squeaks.
I never really managed the fiddly steering wheel controls, and actually managed to get my finger stuck behind the static center once whilst turning the wheel while driving.


Never saw the point of the auto headlights and wipers. The wipers were particulary annoying imo, and it was all to easy to alter the setting from manual mode back to auto.
The final straw came when the car became almost undriveable due to massive hesitancy whilst accelerating, and constant jerkiness and surging back and forth whilst cruising.
It took the main dealer 4 weeks to eventually trace it down to a turbo fault, after having replaced virtually everything under the bonnet....fortunately under warranty.

The only thing in it's favour was it's looks imo.

The Xantai I've just recently purchased is by far the best of the 3, apart from now having a slightly different tailgate colour due to my stupidity last weekend, so I'd say, see if you can find a minter with full history, not an easy task now granted, but go for it.

[andmcit]

Can't talk from direct personal experience with a C4 or C5 and am too
biased in favour of Xantiae and other older Citroen machinery BUT my
sister has changed from a 1990 XM 2.0i to a C4 1.6 HDi 5 door and has
generally taken to it very well in the last year and a half using it very
heavily for her work. She loves the very good fuel consumption in the
high 50's but does say the XM's suspension ride comfort eclipses the C4's.

My family are all very into their Citroens and feel the harshness of the C4
very UNCITROENLIKE - guess it's a Peugeot then!! I've only been in it a
handful of times and felf totally underwhelmed too, to the point where my
sister doesn't bother asking me if I want to go anywhere in her car...

Yes, there has been some warranty work for a hesitation 'limp' mode, but
if you want a competent and more unusual to look at on the roads newer
car I'm sure the C4 will be fine - just don't expect Xantia comfort.

I'm sure it's just me, but I feel very queasy anytime I see a C5 1.
Must be those bug eye headlights and its' clumsy styling; just how anyone
could actually live with one on a daily basis must show that beauty is in
the eye of the beholder or somesuch...

Me, well I'd go for an Xm or a Xantia, or a Cx any day - and I do!!

Andrew

[bencowell]

I'm sure it's just me, but I feel very queasy anytime I see a C5 1.
Must be those bug eye headlights and its' clumsy styling; just how anyone
could actually live with one on a daily basis must show that beauty is in
the eye of the beholder or somesuch...

It is easy, get one in the right colour (Misty Lilac) and park so you get in from the back without seeing the front. LOL!

I've had mine for over 5 years, driven nearly 90k in it and enjoy it every time I sit in the seat and turn the key.

[TehAgent]

tails of woe

Problem with giving a personal history is that, sometimes you get unlucky with cars, sometimes you hit it off well.

if i was putting my opinion across, id say stay away from the xantia at all costs, due in part to me having one for 13months, and ending up fixing for 12 of those 13 months. including, going through 2 fuel filter housings, 2 accelerator cables, and a air conditioning pump to name but a few.

Saying that though, i can probably be certain that i would of been a big fan had i got one that wasn't fighting me for my wallet and time more than the other half was.

My best advice is go with the one that's going to give the highest MPG due to fuel prices, comfort, and least maintenance costs (last one is hard to judge)

although i now drive a 406, which is a little higher on MPG than the diesel xant that i had, its more than made up for it in the fact its needed hardly any work done on it since i purchased it

[Peter.N.]

A 406 with the 2.1td engine is what I would go for (if I didn't have all these XMs) They are the last of the 'old tech' cars that you can repair yourself and reliable.

[davek-uk]

I think Peter has a very valid point here.

... 'old tech' cars that you can repair yourself and reliable.

I have the old trusty Xantia and two Berlingos. Fortunately I don’t often get serious problems but you can’t always be lucky and get a good second hand buy.

The Berlingos (1.6 petrol and 2.0Hdi) are all electronic and fly by wire. When something goes wrong you are reliant on finding someone with the know-how and patience to diagnose the problem before you spend a lot of time and money DIYing.

On the other hand, the Xanita is simple and never fails. Not quite up to the mpg of the Hdi but not far off. Boosted it’s pretty nearly as powerful, it’s a more flexible drive and it’s a veggie.

I, too, have been considering updating the Xantia but haven’t decided in what direction to go. I drive the Berlingos over the weekend, but Monday morning sees me in the Xantia again. And each time I drive it I decide not to change it. While it starts, stops, keeps me entertained in comfort and passes its MoT I guess it stays!

Dave

[Lucifer]

Thanks for the input looks like I'll be getting a slightly newer C5 as I took a trip to the dealers at the weekend and don't like the feel of the C4 and the C4 picasso is far to much money for now.

Got my eyes on a 2.2 HDI with full leather and Sat Nav with an auto box

[lolingram]

The Xantai I've just recently purchased is by far the best of the 3, apart from now having a slightly different tailgate colour due to my stupidity last weekend, so I'd say, see if you can find a minter with full history, not an easy task now granted, but go for it.
Colin

My HDi 90 Xant estate is not even a minter - far from it - but at 220K rides very well after it's second sphere change, very frugal, and just bloody nice to get around in.

[CitroJim]

A 406 with the 2.1td engine is what I would go for (if I didn't have all these XMs) They are the last of the 'old tech' cars that you can repair yourself and reliable.

Funny you should say that Peter, I've just bought a 2.1TD 406 for my son

[Albro]

I had a 2001 3l v6 exclusive SE bought nearly new with 6000 miles on it. I had an awful lot of niggles including door locks, three steering wheels (!), many ghost faults, coils, etc although it only let me down completely once in 80,000 miles. Certainly not reliable enough. Finally it needed a new rear silencer which was going to cost £930+ so I opted to replace the car. After some careful consideration, I ended up with a nearly new New Look C5 2.2l diesel automatic. It doesn't look that different but it is a completely different car. It is extremely quiet, will deliver 40-45 mpg driven resaonably on long journeys, very comfortable and reliable. It is also one of very very few cars that will seat three adults in the rear comfortably. So on my experience, stay away from the earlier model but the later version is worthy of a better reputation than it gets.

As for the model, I'd like to see it with the equivalent of the Volksvagon assisted manual gearbox which delivers the same performance, economy and CO2 of a manual without a clutch inside the car!

[KevMayer]

My 2002 C5 2.2 Hdi Exclusive SE has leather and Sat Nav. it has been very reliable and extremely comfortable.

It appears to be thirstier than I would have expected. My drive to work is through country lanes with a lot of stop starts. So, more like an urban drive. It returns 36 to 38 mpg.

It is quite powerful but not as quick as you'd think. If you cruise around it's great, but , a Mondeo Tdci 130 or a Passat Tdi 130 will easily pull away from it, which is disappointing.

I've had it for 2 years and it never quite makes me smile. If I went back 2 years I think I'd have been better going for a C5 2.0 Hdi 110 SX hatchback and a TomTom. I get the impression the economy would have been better and the performance would have been adequate.

Cheers, Kev

[lolingram]

My 2002 C5 2.2 Hdi Exclusive SE has leather and Sat Nav. it has been very reliable and extremely comfortable.

It appears to be thirstier than I would have expected. My drive to work is through country lanes with a lot of stop starts. So, more like an urban drive. It returns 36 to 38 mpg.

It is quite powerful but not as quick as you'd think. If you cruise around it's great, but , a Mondeo Tdci 130 or a Passat Tdi 130 will easily pull away from it, which is disappointing.

I've had it for 2 years and it never quite makes me smile. If I went back 2 years I think I'd have been better going for a C5 2.0 Hdi 110 SX hatchback and a TomTom. I get the impression the economy would have been better and the performance would have been adequate.

Your thoughts on the SX 2.0HDi makes sense IMHO.