how many ladies do you know or seen drive xantias

[Northern_Mike]

On a not coompletely unrelated note, my mom and sister both dread the xantia, maybe because of its size

It's not size. Sian commented that the Xantia did not feel at all big to drive and she's not a big girl by any means. Even I notice how small the Xantia feels after a spell in the XM...

I think it's the front seats. Adriana has no problem driving anything else, including the 5-Series and Merc 200 we had, both of which were longer and wider than the Xantia.

[qprdude]

Mike, It's smaller than a C5 a 3 series BMW and a Ford Mondeo. Not in anyone's wildest dreams is a Xanthia a large car. An estate is in fact just over 6 inches longer than a Jeep Cherokee and a lot narrower and lower. The jeep is one of the shortest 4 x 4's. Try a comparison with the more popular Range Rover discovery which is around 7" longer.
I'm not sure why you compare the size of a family saloon with a 4 x 4 SWB to prove a point. Comparing it to another family saloon would be more relevant.


http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/ ... car=100155" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[CitroJim]

Well, compared to a lot of obese lardy-arsed crap on the roads today the Xantia is positively petite and svelte

It's barely the size of a Poxhall Ashtray these days and they are considered small cars. The Xantia in its day was classified as a large family car.

[CitroJim]

Comparing it to another family saloon would be more relevant.

indeed. Compare it with a 1994 Fraud Mundaneo or Poxhall Chavalier, it's contemporaries. Now compare with the latest incarnation of the Mundaneo or Septum. Both have grown significantly and got fat and ugly.

The 1994 Mundaneo is really quite small in comparison. Now do the comparison with the Mundaneo's predecessor the Cortina...

Even the Fester is a giant now compared to its 1970s ancestor.

I saw a Fraud Escort MKII the other day. It looked so tiny I felt I could pick it up and pop it in my pocket.

[Northern_Mike]

Mike, It's smaller than a C5 a 3 series BMW and a Ford Mondeo. Not in anyone's wildest dreams is a Xantia a large car. An estate is in fact just over 6 inches longer than a Jeep Cherokee and a lot narrower and lower. The jeep is one of the shortest 4 x 4's. Try a comparison with the more popular Range Rover discovery which is around 7" longer.

http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/ ... car=100155" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Try comparing it with a car of it's own age, instead of new large cars perhaps?

I'm merely comparing it with something that many people complain is too big, and the Xantia is in fact bigger than it. It's both longer and wider than a Cherokee of the same age.. I'm not sure how the 1977mm width of the Xantia versus the 1790mm of the Jeep makes the Xantia "a lot narrower"..

[Northern_Mike]

Comparing it to another family saloon would be more relevant.

indeed. Compare it with a 1994 Fraud Mundaneo or Poxhall Chavalier, it's contemporaries.

It's bigger than both of them...

Yes, modern cars are larger than they used to be. They no longer fold up like they used to do in accidents either.

[Northern_Mike]

http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/ ... car=100155" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hmm. Parkers have the Xantia at 1977mm wide...

[Mandrake]

Have to say, a lot of members seem to think the Xantia is some sort of monster truck. It's just an average size family car. Don't know what everyone is used to driving, but lets be honest the Xantia ain't exactly huge!

The Xantia isn't a huge car by any means, but I does feel "bigger" to me since moving from NZ to the UK.

In NZ medium (Xantia sized) cars are a lot more common than smaller VW Golf sized cars and the car parks are sized appropriately. I never felt like the Xantia was a big car there.

Here in the UK Golf sized cars are a lot more common and car parks are a lot smaller, as is the turning space to get into them so I find myself frequently doing a 3 point turn to get a Xantia into a supermarket car park, which makes it feel like a big cumbersome car....

Add to that the ridiculously narrow roads over here and it does sometimes feel like a bit of a squeeze navigating the Xantia

Mind you when I say golf sized the latest two door Golf is nearly as big as a Xantia and certainly a lot fatter! I'm thinking more of the older classic Golf...

[Jogador]

Here in the UK Golf sized cars are a lot more common and car parks are a lot smaller, as is the turning space to get into them so I find myself frequently doing a 3 point turn to get a Xantia into a supermarket car park, which makes it feel like a big cumbersome car....

Add to that the ridiculously narrow roads over here and it does sometimes feel like a bit of a squeeze navigating the Xantia

We used to be a communist country (back in Yugoslavia), so the cars here were, how should I put this...atrocious. And very small (I'll ignore the mercs that high officials had). 20 years ago, the average car was a Fiat 500, a Yugo 45, vw beetle, maybe a mk1 Golf here and there, and the parking spaces were designated accordingly.
The cars moved on (seriously, it's just like the balkans here, if it's not a BM, Merc, Audi or VW, it's rubbish. People buy new expensive cars they can't afford and then can't afford proper tyres or even regular maintenance), but the parking spaces remain largely unchanged. Other than new large shopping centre's car parks, a xantia feels the size of a van when trying to find a spot big enough (and if the spot is big enough, it will go in...even if it takes me some time ). Even now, a vast majority of new cars sold are hatchbacks.
Sorry, I seem to have strayed "a bit" off topic

[CitroJim]

Sorry, I seem to have strayed "a bit" off topic

Never worry about that It's mandatory on here when threads get beyond a few posts. You will often see the admins doing it if a thread seems to be remaining on-topic for too long
To be honest a bit of topic-drift can make threads such as thee jolly interesting and rich.

[addo]

Yes, indeed. Do you prefer the look of nickel or brass plated hardware in a house?

[qprdude]

Nickel plated for me, but only if it's in a bungalow.

[Jogador]

I much prefer the brushed aluminium look.
Preferably with an addition of matte black and a dash of marlboro red...

[qprdude]

Mike, It's smaller than a C5 a 3 series BMW and a Ford Mondeo. Not in anyone's wildest dreams is a Xantia a large car. An estate is in fact just over 6 inches longer than a Jeep Cherokee and a lot narrower and lower. The jeep is one of the shortest 4 x 4's. Try a comparison with the more popular Range Rover discovery which is around 7" longer.

http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/ ... car=100155" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Try comparing it with a car of it's own age, instead of new large cars perhaps?

I'm merely comparing it with something that many people complain is too big, and the Xantia is in fact bigger than it. It's both longer and wider than a Cherokee of the same age.. I'm not sure how the 1977mm width of the Xantia versus the 1790mm of the Jeep makes the Xantia "a lot narrower"..

Don't mean to be pedantic, but the Mk1 Mondeo saloon WAS longer than the xantia, as was the Audi 100, the VW Passat and the Honda Accord. Couldn't be bothered looking for more. Truth is, the OP was asking about the Xantia as a mans car compared to the Xsara, but it was never about comparing with contemporary saloons. If that was the case, how many ladies do you see driving 1990's saloons of ANY sort?

[mendedit]

Ahh.......... Ladies.... Saloons..... I remember them well *dreaming*

Alas now only cowboy's