DS5 Hybrid Knowledge sought

[cachaciero]

Time has come to rationalize the fleet the problem is with what.

Having had Citroens for many years and still running a C5 they have to be a consideration, always had Cits for the suspension and in their early years the advanced technology, now though with the disappearance of hydraulic suspension the case for choosing Citroen is not so good. I also run a Prius which around town is magic 55mpg come what and only £10.00 tax and no DPF. However the ride comfort is crap by comparison with the Cit and long distance motorway work is tiring. Further in some ways the Prius is not so well built choice of cabin materials leave a bit to be desired and they are not so robust as the C5.

So what I wanted was something as economical and smooth as the Prius 5 door with boot space close to that of the C5 and comfortable suspension.

Finally came across the DS5 Hybrid does anybody know anything about this car, Auto gearbox EGS?? how good / bad are they? suspension seems to get a poor write up is it really that bad can it be improved? reliability? any technical info really would be welcome.

[macAU]

I believe that the latest version of the DS5 has 'improved' ride/suspension! You'd be best to go and take a test drive of one to form a better opinion.

[hattershaun]

DS5 Hybrid 4 uses a 2.0hdi 160hp engine to drive the front wheels via a 6 speed EGS gearbox (semi-auto or robotised manual) and a 37hp electric motor to drive the rear wheels.
Many people don't like the EGS as it's not a full auto with torque converter box and they perhaps don't adjust their driving style to get smooth gear changes. However, in the Hybrid it works much better than other applications as the electric motor can assist at the same time as the Diesel engine, which smooths out gear changes.
It will run from stationary up to about 35pmph for 2-3 miles in EV mode if you are gently, so can be good for town driving.
Hybrid is a cleaver idea, but in the real world it is 200kg heavy than other DS5, plus there's a noticeable loss of space in the boot, as the electric motor sits above the rear axle. List price is £3000 more, although second hand that disappears. You need to adapt your driving style to get improved fuel consumption, otherwise it's the same as a 2.0hdi.
I ran a DS5 2.0HDi 160 Auto for a year in 2012 when it was launched. I loved the interior design around the dashboard and seating position, the exterior design is different and interesting. But the suspension was awful, compared to other conventionally suspended cars, let alone a hydropneumatic Citroen.
I've driven a facelifted version, with the DS logo on the front grill, and the suspension had improved significantly to the point of being acceptable, so I'd suggest a proper test drive to see for yourself.
Fuel consumption wise I averaged 40-45mpg with the full auto gearbox.
In the current range the 1.6HDi 120hp engine will give adequate performance and likely 50mpg, if economy is your priority. This engine can be had with a manual or full automatic gearbox.

If comfort is your priority then you can still get a C5 Excluisive with hydropneumatic suspension.
Otherwise, C4 hatch, C4 Cactus, Berlingo Multispace & C4 Picasso all have decently comfortable suspension.

[DickieG]

Shaun, that's a very interesting insight into the DS5.

[cachaciero]

Shaun

As DickieG says an interesting insight thank you for that.

You confirm that the suspension leaves more than a little to be desired, least ways on the age of car I might be looking at, were the wheel sizes the same on the two cars that you have driven seems to be a belief that 17 inch wheels are a lot better than 19. Technically how does it work steel springs? / airsprings / steel springs with computer controlled shocks?
Fuel consumption seems to be well short of 70mpg claimed by the marketeers. With only an electric motor on the rear wheels that implies that there is no regenerative braking on the front wheels and so no energy recovery from the wheels which will be braked heaviest. Seems on the face of it that the whole hybrid powertrain is inferior to the Toyota solution, although you won't get 3-4 miles out of the battery on a series 2 Prius. What is the battery technology niMH or Lithium?.
The EGS concept getting rid of the Torque converter does have the advantage of saving quite a lot of fuel and with that reducing RFL gear change technique I could probably adapt to / live with provided the EGS is reliable is it? I notice that it is almost standard on 1.6 Picasso's so there must by now be some knowledge about how good (or bad !) the implementation is.
Don't think I would be interested in the 1.6Hdi seems to have an unreasonable amount of oil/turbo problems. These days with the mileage I do (low) and all the anti-pollution measures applied to diesels I am inclined to lean towards petrol where satisfactory options exist.
Just had a thought maybe I need to spend some time and money on Citroen Service web site.

cachaciero

[RPekka]

I believe that the latest version of the DS5 has 'improved' ride/suspension! You'd be best to go and take a test drive of one to form a better opinion.

Blowing life to an ancient thread but there's only one aftermarket option for spare shocks on DS5/Citroen DS5 fitting all models from 2011 to the end in 2018.

Does anyone know if it is the only thing that makes the difference or are the springs and bushes also different?