Dilemma – Xantia or C5? Petrol or Diesel?

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Re: Dilemma – Xantia or C5? Petrol or Diesel?

Post by myglaren »

A Visa might have done too but no automatics there either :(
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Re: Dilemma – Xantia or C5? Petrol or Diesel?

Post by Rufus Baggsby »

:) Many thanks for all this advice, it's priceless.
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Re: Dilemma – Xantia or C5? Petrol or Diesel?

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Rufus Baggsby wrote: 05 Jan 2019, 15:43
Stickyfinger wrote: 04 Jan 2019, 21:42 Off field: but
I would say, get a 2Cv.

Short runs, easy to drive, great on rough roads....and simple.
Already thought of that, but sadly no automatic version. :-D

No need on a 2CV, just remove tin floor panel extend feet and start running.
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Re: Dilemma – Xantia or C5? Petrol or Diesel?

Post by white exec »

Mehari, anyone?
Or a C15 with an XUD-auto? :gt:
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Re: Dilemma – Xantia or C5? Petrol or Diesel?

Post by Stickyfinger »

AX 4x4 ?

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Re: Dilemma – Xantia or C5? Petrol or Diesel?

Post by leithant »

If you don't need the space a petrol Xantia is easily more enjoyable to drive, being more nimble.
The C5 is a lovely comfortable cruiser though.
As mentioned strut tops and perishing rubber hoses are an issue with the Xantias now, plus failing clear coat.
Both will need rear suspension bearings done.
C5 spheres are longer lasting.
C5 has lots more nice modern gadgets if that appeals.
I prefer manuals, but the 6spd auto in the later C5 is a plus if you want an auto.
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Re: Dilemma – Xantia or C5? Petrol or Diesel?

Post by Rufus Baggsby »

xantia_v6 wrote: 04 Jan 2019, 19:28 ... The AL4 used on Xantia and C5 suffered from faulty solenoids, but is not too hard to fix. The 4HP20 used on bigger Xantia/C5 engines is a very strong transmission, but suffers from an internal oil filter which eventually gets clogged (and cant be changed with the transmission in the car), often causing serious collateral damage. The AM6 transmission is very good, but early versions (to 2009 I think) had a design fault which caused the valve block to fail prematurely.

That seems to be the clincher then really if there are no reliable Citroen auto boxes pre 2009. :? Many thanks for the detailed information.

With regard to the 2CV idea there ¡s always its spiritual successor - the much maligned C3 Pluriel. I have always thought it was bordering on genius myself, but I have heard horror stories about the semi-automatic transmission. The subject for a different post I suppose.
white exec wrote: 05 Jan 2019, 16:57 Mehari, anyone?
Or a C15 with an XUD-auto? :gt:

As I expect you already know the Mehari fetches quite a premium over here and the C15 would make me look too... 'Abuelo' :-D
Thank you for the obvious time and trouble you took over your posts. It would appear that your situation is worse than mine as far as the quality of the roads go. At least here we get some of them resurfaced in the summer, either by the council or by the local residents. We club together to buy aggregate and one of the local farmers does it with his machinery. It only takes the odd period of prolonged rain to undo it all again though.

Back to the drawing board then...
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Re: Dilemma – Xantia or C5? Petrol or Diesel?

Post by white exec »

"That seems to be the clincher then really if there are no reliable Citroen auto boxes pre 2009. . ."

That's quite a dilemma, if so.
Auto boxes are not really my thing these days (having had a good few, 70's-90's).
There were two really good exceptions, though:
- :) Aisin 4-speed, fitted to 1.6 Vectra
but two Citroen ones
- :? ZX 1.9D NA Auto* (year 2000 approx)
- :) Xantia 1.8i petrol Auto (year 2001 approx)

Now, that last one was a good car, and fault-free ('box included) as I took it from new to about 60,000 mi as a company car, at about 150 mi a day. 4-speed plus t/c lockup in top, and cruise. I'm unsure which 'box it had, but it never gave a day's trouble. What was that 'box?

*The ZX auto box was lurchy and unsophisticated, and only just about suited to the engine. It was more-or-less the only auto diesel Citroen (or anyone else in the price bracket) offered at the time, maybe because of the limited bhp of that NA engine. The box never gave any trouble; I took it (again, a company car) from new to 94k mi.

This has been a fascinating thread, I must say, not least my discovering there was a 4x4 AX (although not for the UK). Wikipedia has it all.
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Re: Dilemma – Xantia or C5? Petrol or Diesel?

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

If you are mechanically competent (and have the right tools) it is possible to overhaul a automatic gearbox, and give it another ten years (or 150,000 miles) of life. CitroJim has written a very clear and comprehensive guide on how to do this (on a specific model, the ZF 4HP20). You will need a reconditioned torque convertor, and to refurbish the gearbox before it gets bad.

http://eastment.me.uk/4hp20/4hp20_introduction.htm
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