Chosing an used Citroen - three options

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tomsheppard
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Post by tomsheppard »

I'm afraid so. Were the dealer support better, it might be another story but they can be a challenge without reward. In the HDi that you own already, you probably have the best of the bunch. If you need another car, why not try for an estate?
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Post by bencowell »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Thunderbird</i>

Tom,
The last generation V6 block is more solid and resistant than the HDi.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Can you explain this a bit more? I thought the HDI was a very tough engine.
Who else has made a modern diesel engine that has been in production for 6 years and is arguably as good as any newer design?
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Post by NiSk »

Why is the XM TD 12 in your list an auto? The TD12 engine is arguably the best engine PSA ever produced - my own ('93 XM man.) has covered 530,000 km with very little attention outside regular servicing, over it's entire life it has returned a fuel consumption of 6.4 l/100km. If you get the injection pump and turbo adjusted by someone like Van Akken, you will have a very respectable power and torque output - higher in fact than the V6 (torque that is). The XM is the most comfortable of recent Citroëns and you get an awful lot of car for your money!
//NiSk
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Post by Stempy »

Why not go for a V6 Exclusive, that way you get 'normal' HA2 suspension, V6 engine and all the comfort and luxury you need.
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Post by bbrucez »

There's a 2.0 HDI Xsara estate on Ebay (2487145023) could be worth a punt.
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Panjandrum
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Post by Panjandrum »

Activa? Once you've driven one for a while everything else feels like a double-decker bus about to fall over on corners and especially on roundabouts. While going well, hard to beat.
Anything odd with suspension and there's no-one with any real understanding of how it works - or even what's normal! And of course any problem at all gets the sharp intake of breath, the shake of the head and "Ah, but it's an Activa you know" - like I might have forgotten. Still, I'm not for changing mine.
Thunderbird

Post by Thunderbird »

Answering some observations...
- V6/HDi -
The V6 is cleary more robust than the HDi (we must consider the engine and the expensive organs around it). Also, the previous 2.1TD/1.9TD from PSA are too far more robust than the HDi.
The V6 (Renault-PSA joint-venture born in 97 as you know) is one of most solid gasoline engines every produced. 300.000 miles is nothing for this engine.
The HDi, like many other common-rail engines from other manufacturers usually gets some complications from aspects of the design itself. After all, the 'H' on 'Hdi' means Haute, Rampe Haute Pression (High Pressure)...[:)]
- XM -
Concerning the XM, as I said, parts get more expensive and harder to obtain. I agree the XM is more comfortable than any Xantia. It also is harder to park.
I've mentioned an Auto TD12 as an option because have found one for sale in good condition. Went for a drive and concluded it responded well - smoothly and available.
However, between a Xantia V6 non-activa and a XM V6, I would prefer the later - even more luxury, comfort, and soupless. Still, haven't found a recent one.
Activa:
I also agree my Xantia HDi behaves like a boat on hard cornering (has the body-roll of any ordinary car), while the Activa, at the same corner, doubling the speed, works like a last generation spaceship.
The Activa is like one of those gorgeous women that get very expensive and difficult to keep. Is it worthy the trouble? Well, it depends on the pleasure you get... [;)]
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Post by tomsheppard »

An activa works like a last generation spaceship?
It wont corner any faster than the HDI 'cos of its extra mass and the fact that
"Ye cannae alter the laws of Physics, Captain."
As for the High pressure: all Diesels inject at high pressure.
Thunderbird

Post by Thunderbird »

In a diesel engine with indirect injection, the diesel is injected with a pressure between 130 and 175 bars, while on common-rail engines, pressures go from 1350 bars to 1700 bars, 10 times more.
Xantia Activa corners indeed much faster than other cars, even cars with a more powerful engines (on dry roads).
Here where I live there's a hard corner that on Xantia HDi is impossible to keep the car on the road at 70km/h and I do it with the Activa at 100km/h like a spaceship (could be drinking coffe while cornering). I talk by experience.
My boss has a BMW M3 (286Hp I think) and it just can't do that corner above 90km/h.
Tom, I'm starting to believe you never drove a Xantia Activa...
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Panjandrum
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Post by Panjandrum »

Well I wouldn't be drinking and driving at 100km/h on a corner in my Activa - but to be sure I would be sitting snug in my very horizontal seat in a very horizontal car. Even in the Activa, the coffee cup would slip sideways off the dash. As would the saucer and the silver spoon...
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Post by DoubleChevron »

What decision ??
There isn't one to be made, the V6 Activa would already be parked in my drive [}:)] [:D]
seeya,
Shane L.
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Post by tomsheppard »

And If we're going down the "My mate's musclebound and overtyred BMW won't go round this bend as fast as my front wheel driven car of more modest tyre sizes" road, I'll just make my excuses and leave, avoiding quoting Mark Twain.
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