I am looking at buying a 2000(W) registered 2.0HDi Xantia, this would be my first citroen so i would appreciate some help from that vast wealth of knowledge out there!
I have had a quick look at the car, it has 53,000 miles guaranteed, but there are no service records present, MOT runs for another 6 months. The car looks in good condition inside and out, at the time of viewing i did not have time to test drive it, but will maybe go back and have another look, this time with a test drive. The car has had a tow bar, which has been removed and the electric cable has been crudly cut off, which suggests maybe some caravan towing, does this cause extra wear/stress on parts?
What should I be looking for when i test drive and inspect it?
All your help will be appreciated.
TX, Andy I.
Buying a Xantia 2.0 HDI
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by abinglis</i>
there are no service records present, <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Not a good sign, but: check the little cubby hole to the right of the steering wheel. A flap hinges down which covers the fuses and <i>should</i> contain the owners manual, service record etc.
One question. Is it a saloon or estate, the estate has a few niggles all of it's own.
And what spec (i.e. is it hydractive)?
there are no service records present, <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Not a good sign, but: check the little cubby hole to the right of the steering wheel. A flap hinges down which covers the fuses and <i>should</i> contain the owners manual, service record etc.
One question. Is it a saloon or estate, the estate has a few niggles all of it's own.
And what spec (i.e. is it hydractive)?
Hi Andy
I purchased an X reg 2000 SX estate 2.0 HDi just before Christmas. Prior to this I had a 1.9 TD VSX hatchback 1995. The newer car has far superior performance with much lower fuel consumption. So far it is averaging 50.12 miles per gallon. The price of a used Xantia is far lower than other cars of a similar age. The reason is down to "street cred" and the perception that they are unreliable, thus costly to maintain, due to to the "complicated suspension". I hope you have seen the quality of help that is freely available on this forum. Don't be put off by the number of problems that seem to appear, it is because this is a Citroen only forum and most Citroen owners like to know how it all works.
As for the towbar, I am a caravanner and my last Xantia towed for hundreds of miles with no ill effect. Indeed I ensured that my latest buy already had a towbar fitted. The comment about estates having their own problems is due to a problem with door hinge welding though I would like to think that this was solved by the time that my and your potential car were built. The other problem is water leaking through the tailgate area, due possibly to the membrane in the tailgate coming unsealed. I had a wet rear mat yet the membrane seal appears intact. It has been suggested that the water could get in via the door seal.
Really it comes down to - do you like the car - does it drive well - does it suit your pocket. If you do go for it you will always find a ready band of like minded people to assist you.
I hope this helps
Derek
I purchased an X reg 2000 SX estate 2.0 HDi just before Christmas. Prior to this I had a 1.9 TD VSX hatchback 1995. The newer car has far superior performance with much lower fuel consumption. So far it is averaging 50.12 miles per gallon. The price of a used Xantia is far lower than other cars of a similar age. The reason is down to "street cred" and the perception that they are unreliable, thus costly to maintain, due to to the "complicated suspension". I hope you have seen the quality of help that is freely available on this forum. Don't be put off by the number of problems that seem to appear, it is because this is a Citroen only forum and most Citroen owners like to know how it all works.
As for the towbar, I am a caravanner and my last Xantia towed for hundreds of miles with no ill effect. Indeed I ensured that my latest buy already had a towbar fitted. The comment about estates having their own problems is due to a problem with door hinge welding though I would like to think that this was solved by the time that my and your potential car were built. The other problem is water leaking through the tailgate area, due possibly to the membrane in the tailgate coming unsealed. I had a wet rear mat yet the membrane seal appears intact. It has been suggested that the water could get in via the door seal.
Really it comes down to - do you like the car - does it drive well - does it suit your pocket. If you do go for it you will always find a ready band of like minded people to assist you.
I hope this helps
Derek
Ab,
HDi Xantias seem to be few and far between so if you have found a good one buy it! We have now had ours for 18 months or so. It's an Exclusive so may have one or two "extras" that yours won't have (like sun-roof and A/C, leather etc?) but basically the same car. Ours had also done a high mileage when we bought it - getting on for 50k in two years, but since our previous BXs and Xantia TD had done 170k, 150k and nearly 100k we reckoned it still had a good few years in it! So far, touch wood, only one problem when a drain tube from sun-roof detached from the plastic spigot providing us with a swimming pool in the back as another "extra"! (Repaired free by a very nice man at a main dealer's in France!!)Has now done 70k including a few k towing a caravan. wouldn't worry about towing, as long as it has been a van and not a huge horsebox or builders trailer, but having bought our previous Cits because they are such good towers it would probably cope with that anyway.
Engine is a beauty (though you don't say whether yours is a 90 or 110bhp one - presence of an intercooler pipe over top of engine is the 110 giveaway)- plenty of BHP and torque and with 30mph/1000 revs on fifth your main problem on motorways is staying below 90 mph!
I wonder if it would be possible to contact previous owner for its history, or even, armed with the vin number Cit main dealer may be able to check it? Others could advise on this perhaps - otherwise , usual checks should suffice.
Cam belt should be good for at least another 20 k, possible even 20k on top of that (interval is rumoured to be 100k, but we are having ours done at next service just to be on safe side)
Friend has been looking for an HDi for months - found one at auction last week and bought it - most people who have them seem to want to hang on to them.
Enjoy it - we love ours and wish they had continued production so that when this one reaches 10k or so, we could replace it with a newer one - so much nicer looking than the C5! Tyres are expensive on ours - 205 by something so make sure yours has good ones, also that rear exhaust box is not falling off through rust where it joins the pipe.
Enjoy it
HDi Xantias seem to be few and far between so if you have found a good one buy it! We have now had ours for 18 months or so. It's an Exclusive so may have one or two "extras" that yours won't have (like sun-roof and A/C, leather etc?) but basically the same car. Ours had also done a high mileage when we bought it - getting on for 50k in two years, but since our previous BXs and Xantia TD had done 170k, 150k and nearly 100k we reckoned it still had a good few years in it! So far, touch wood, only one problem when a drain tube from sun-roof detached from the plastic spigot providing us with a swimming pool in the back as another "extra"! (Repaired free by a very nice man at a main dealer's in France!!)Has now done 70k including a few k towing a caravan. wouldn't worry about towing, as long as it has been a van and not a huge horsebox or builders trailer, but having bought our previous Cits because they are such good towers it would probably cope with that anyway.
Engine is a beauty (though you don't say whether yours is a 90 or 110bhp one - presence of an intercooler pipe over top of engine is the 110 giveaway)- plenty of BHP and torque and with 30mph/1000 revs on fifth your main problem on motorways is staying below 90 mph!
I wonder if it would be possible to contact previous owner for its history, or even, armed with the vin number Cit main dealer may be able to check it? Others could advise on this perhaps - otherwise , usual checks should suffice.
Cam belt should be good for at least another 20 k, possible even 20k on top of that (interval is rumoured to be 100k, but we are having ours done at next service just to be on safe side)
Friend has been looking for an HDi for months - found one at auction last week and bought it - most people who have them seem to want to hang on to them.
Enjoy it - we love ours and wish they had continued production so that when this one reaches 10k or so, we could replace it with a newer one - so much nicer looking than the C5! Tyres are expensive on ours - 205 by something so make sure yours has good ones, also that rear exhaust box is not falling off through rust where it joins the pipe.
Enjoy it
Hi
regarding exhaust box, take a look at www.ferrita.se they make stainless steel exhaust systems with lifetime warranty. I had a complete new stainless steel fitted on my Xantia and I am never gonna touch it again... brilliant ! It's cheaper that original and non original (which rusts...). They also have stainless steel cat. Price on my Xantia, fitted, was about €400. And the pipes have correct size all the way from front to back (had an exhaust box where the tail pipe was 20-30% less in diameter than the original). If you have a car they don't have premade for, they build it as you are there! Read somewhere it took 7 hours on a Mercedes, with design, welding, fitting etc etc
Morten
regarding exhaust box, take a look at www.ferrita.se they make stainless steel exhaust systems with lifetime warranty. I had a complete new stainless steel fitted on my Xantia and I am never gonna touch it again... brilliant ! It's cheaper that original and non original (which rusts...). They also have stainless steel cat. Price on my Xantia, fitted, was about €400. And the pipes have correct size all the way from front to back (had an exhaust box where the tail pipe was 20-30% less in diameter than the original). If you have a car they don't have premade for, they build it as you are there! Read somewhere it took 7 hours on a Mercedes, with design, welding, fitting etc etc
Morten