Do you want an Activa?

[andmcit]

Hi Adam. The switch is part of the hyrdactive system found on both the VSX
as well as the Activa - in essence as Jim has said, the Activa is a VSX car in
mechanicals/trim levels but has the additional SC/CAR anti roll system added.

The switch just keeps the car in a firmer range of operation with the use of
the central 3rd sphere at the front/back whereas in normal operation the
computer can operate the electrovalves to these as it see's fit with an
emphasis more towards softer comfort.

I'd imagine the shipping cost of getting an Activa out to you would cost
£1000sterling even if you bought an Activa in the UK here for a few 100
£'s and registered it in your name for the required period over here!

Andrew

[addo]

Thanks! It's getting much clearer now. Shame they never made Activa breaks. I'm quite happy with my 16V, but the rehashed suspension would have been nice.

Cheers, Adam.

[handyman]

The blue Activa that sold on ebay was supposed to have come my way as I spoke to the owner about collecting it! He did not seem too bothered about the amount to be paid for it. This was prior to the auction finishing.
I was going to either repair or break it depending on its condition.

Did anybody see the Mk2 V6 that went for £400 on ebay? No MOT but only 66K on the clock.

If anybody hears of any Activas being sold, please post it on the Forum as between us Activa owners, I am sure we can find homes for them.

Handyman

[andmcit]

The last seller of the blue Activa refused an offer from Gareth that was
more generous than the final price it finished for so you can't say he
wasn't bothered about the value generated for it. It was a good car by
all accounts with a few issues that weren't Activa specific. I thought you'd
be keen on it as it's in your part of the world Handyman!?

I watched the v6 and was keen but I'd rather spend 400 on a nice TCT
VSX estate though would probably have bid if it hadn't gone quite as high!
Here's hoping the Pugger Death Squads don't start culling these for the
engine...

We should get Bill Oddie for an 'Activa Watch' to help us protect this
endangered species! Yes, good idea having a Save an Activa 'faction'
of the forum here!

Mind, I'd hope this would get Activa's to folk here that fancy one but are
unsure about what these are all about, not just additional spares for the
remaining cars owned within the forum, IF and an important IF, the car is
too good to break. The lads on the Bx/16v forums operate under a similar
'state of siege' to try and rescue cars from being scrapped for their
engines too!

Andrew

[Xaccers]

If only the pugger death squads did a proper job of removing the engines (yes, I know it would be best if they actually just stuck with Activas and ditched their pugs) leaving the bodies intact and sold as a whole, that way we'd have ideal candidates for V6/2.1TD/1.9TD engines to drop in, giving us the models we were so harshly denied when new.
I'd so love an engine free body to drop a 1.9TD in, or a mechanical 2.1TD

[CitroJim]

Mind, I'd hope this would get Activa's to folk here that fancy one but are
unsure about what these are all about, not just additional spares for the
remaining cars owned within the forum.

Indeed, spread the gospel Get them into as wide an ownership as possible.

Makes a good buying guide all the more desirable. When I have a moment, I'll make a start on knocking one up...

If only I had the space and money I'd have a whole fleet of 'em. Sadly I have neither at the moment

One of my dreams is to run a specialist Xantia outfit as a hobby with the Activa as a speciality and the moment I retire*/get made redundant* (delete as appropriate ) I'm intending to do just that. Shame it's still 7 or 8 years away yet and before I can I have two girls to get through Uni and all the other child-related expenses. Hopefully, by the time I can indulge my dream, there'll still be a few Activas knocking around.

Anyone have a spare barn local to me they can donate to begin a long-term collection ready for when I do retire?

I'd so love an engine free body to drop a 1.9TD in, or a mechanical 2.1TD

Mmmmmmm A 2.1TD Activa.. I like...

I believe this has been done but one runs up against insurance issues. Modified cars and all that.

[KP]

I guess so but with limited miles policies and stuff insurance shouldnt be too hard from speciailists, specially when you say it was petrol, now its diesel....

Im sure you could find a friendly Cit farmer or such like near you where you could park up some Xantiae for a while under some form of cover Jim
Maybe get some form of marque tent big enough for a few cars and tie it down at all corners and have it in corner of a field or something and wood plank the ground as well to stop them sinking in

[andmcit]

Anyone have a spare barn local to me they can donate to begin a long-term
collection ready for when I do retire?

Tell me about it. I'm there with a long term collection of CX GTi Turbo's,
Activae and GS's (plus a few Xm v6's) with a nice hobby/nest egg building
up nicely but now need to halve my collection in one of the barns...

you'd think it'd be easy finding a nice big dry barn now that farming has
gone out of fashion, but now it's folk with horses causing all the mayhem
out here in the countryside now...

Andrew

[CitroJim]

you'd think it'd be easy finding a nice big dry barn now that farming has
gone out of fashion, but now it's folk with horses causing all the mayhem
out here in the countryside now...

And they tend to have a lot more disposable income than us so their power of negotion is stronger Always something to spoil our plans and fun...

The lads on the Bx/16v forums operate under a similar
'state of siege' to try and rescue cars from being scrapped for their
engines too!

Good thinking Andrew To this end I've posted this as a Sticky in the For Sale and Wanted area of the forum as a central place to post all Activa finds. If it really takes off I'll create a sub-forum just for this a la what is on the BX Club Forum.

[andmcit]

Meant to mention this a while back when I stumbled over it and it's
relevant here now; an interesting review on the net which may help
get those undecided amongst the audience fired up, or at least keener!

It's repeated in it's entirety from here:
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Citroen_Xantia_Ac ... ew_5366701

The eye of the beholder

A review by Robert Parnham on Citroen Xantia Activa 2.0 Turbo
November 13th, 2003

Author's product rating:
Citroen Xantia Activa 2.0 Turbo - rated by robert_parnham

• Safety - Satisfactory
• Comfort - Excellent
• Road Handling - Excellent
• Looks - Satisfactory
• Features - Excellent

• Advantages: Performance, Handeling, Individuality, French Quirkiness
• Disadvantages: Insurance, French Quirkiness

• Recommend to potential buyers: Yes

Full review
I’ve written many opinions about cars on here, and although most have
been joint purchases by myself and partner, but this time I’m going to
write about my car; the one I use everyday.

Many of you will have also noticed how picky and critical I am about the
design of cars, so you might be wondering why my own car is something
widely regarded as a reliability nightmare. Read on, and I’ll try to explain.

Background
For those of you that have no idea what a Citroen Xantia Activa is (which,
to be honest, is most people) I’ll fill in some background – without trying to
be too dull! The Citroen Xantia was launched about 10 years ago and is
typically French and quirky – the “Hydro-gas” suspension system is the
most obvious difference to most other cars. Instead of having regular
springs and shock absorbers, the Xantia is equipped with a gas / fluid
based suspension system, which, once pressurised, allows you to float
along on a sort of magic carpet ride – the idea being is that the fluid
suspension can react quicker and absorb more bumps than the
conventional sort.

The difference with the Activa suspension is the addition of a load of
electronic trickery and 4 large hydraulic rams at each corner. Basically, as
you go round a bend a car will lean (or body roll, if you prefer). The Activa
system notices any body roll and adjusts the rams to compensate – so you
go round a bend perfectly level. This means that it can out handle just
about anything on the road. When you couple it with a silky smooth ride
with the cornering ability of a rollercoaster you should (should being the
operative word) have the makings of a great car.

The Activa was introduced in 1996 and mine is a 1999 model, on a T plate.

Driving Experience
If you’ve never driven a Xantia before, they take some getting used to.
The driving position isn’t ideal and the pedals are spaced at an awkward
angle (for my money the brake and accelerator are too close together).
The brakes are also mightily fierce and have all of 2 cm’s travel before
you are having a full ABS moment.

The engine is an old design but fits the car perfectly. It is 2.0 litre, petrol
turbo engine, although the turbo is more about relaxed cruising than out
and out performance. It does have the disadvantage that the mechanicals
are eerily quiet at speed and you need to keep one eye on the speedo to
avoiding a driving ban.

The gear box isn’t the last word in refinement either – 1st gear is very low
(meaning you have to change up quickly) and the overall action isn’t what
could be described a slick. Fast changes into 3rd gear are normally met
with a ‘crunch’ and reverse can be hard to find when parked.

The complex suspension is both wonderful and annoying. Before setting off
for the first time you have to wait for the STOP lights to go out while the
system is pressuring. This can take about a minute and you can feel the
car rising off the ground into its normal driving position. There is a button
on the dash board to alter how firmly you want it set, but to be honest
there isn’t much difference between them.

Out on the road, it all becomes worth it – speed bumps are soaked up
with little fuss and motorway driving is relaxed. On fast country lanes and
traffic islands the Activa suspension really starts to shine – turn quickly
and the car just ploughs round the bend. Because there’s no body roll,
you won’t get much of a warning before it runs out of grip (and dumps you
in the nearest hedge) so it’s best to temper your enthusiasm until you and
vehicle are intimately acquainted. I defy anyone to drive this car without
having a fixed grin on their face.

Comfort, Looks and Design
From the outside, it just looks like any normal Xantia. Being the later
model it has a revised front end which looks slightly less pretty than the
original version, but it’s all pretty mundane. The only way to tell an Activa
from any regular Xantia is a discrete badge on the front wing, a boot
spoiler and slightly fatter tyres.

Inside, there’s a fair amount of toys and it all seems well put together.
There all the electric windows and mirrors you could want, together with
an electric driver’s seat. Though finding the correct position takes a lot of
adjustment and because there’s no memory feature anyone who drives
the car is under pain of death not to adjust the seat!

You also get a decent amount of space and wide opening doors. There’s
even a sun blind built into the rear window. Boot space is good, but the
spoiler makes it a heavy old thing to open. The rain sensitive wipers are
frustrating in drizzle (as they don’t notice it), but are great when
encountering spray on a motorway.

Upfront there are a couple of trays to put odds and ends in as well as
covered door pockets (which are great for leaving things out of sight).
Everything was designed exactly the wrong size to hold an open can of
coke – so they must balanced between your legs! The glove box is very
small and holds roughly the same amount of junk as a flower pot.

You also get a traffic master system (which I don’t think is partially helpful)
and very cold air conditioning. The air con isn’t that great to use and the
slider controls look dated. There’s a silly automatic temperature and fan
control system which is infuriating. A millimetre of difference can change
it between a dessert heat or an artic blast. The fans speeds can be set on
“Auto” (for Auto, read: whatever it feels like), or “Max” (full blast);
everything in between makes no difference what-so-ever.

As a nod towards safety you get his and hers airbags as well as side ones
in your seats. You also get standard ABS brakes. It’s an old design, so I
wouldn’t think it’ll hold up all that well in a fight with a tree – so it’s best to
drive with caution.

Reliability
I’m frantically holding onto some wood as I write this in case I jinx it; but
so far it’s been rock steady. I bought the car with 60k on the clock from a
Citroen specialist. All Xantia require a full overhaul of the suspension at
60,000 so make sure it’s been done otherwise you’ll have a big bill.

The interior is free from squeaks and rattles, but the suspension has a
habit of groaning in cold weather. There’s also a tendency to over inflate
the back end, which comes down with a bit of a thump after a couple of
minutes driving.

It returns about 350 miles on a full tank (60 litres) of unleaded, which is
better than my previous 2.0 Mondeo auto, but not very good by today’s
standards.

Insurance is pricey, being a group 15 – most companies will laugh at you
if you are under 25. I pay £600 per year (25 with 8 years no claims), but
I did have quotes of over £2,000.

Summary (and why I won’t part with it)
Even though the car has so many areas which annoy the hell out of me,
I wouldn’t choose anything else for my daily transport. The fact it looks
like a regular car is great – you simply drive with the knowledge that you
can show a clean pair of heels to any boy racer that pushes their look.
But it’s more than that, it’s the knowledge that I have got something which
is so different from everything else on the road, but without making sports
car like compromises.

If you decide to buy one, don’t moan at me if breaks down all the time
and it costs you thousands in repair bills. Find a good one and be lucky!

If there’s another car out there which delivers so many smiles per mile,
I’ve yet to drive it.

Could've written this almost exactly in it's entirely myself
- who is Robert Parnham? Does he frequent here very often!?

Andrew

[andmcit]

Fight back against the Puggeriser Death Squads!

Buy a 306 Gti6 for its 6 speed box! Or how about 1.9 Gti 205's for their
alloys to fit on Xantia 1.6Lx's!! If its war they want a few molatov cocktails
about Halfords car park on a Sunday afternoon may stop them. But first,
their brainwash control needs to be stopped at all costs: I'll box in the
carparks and hem the journolists at Revs, Max Power and Redline magazine
HQ's! A couple of CX Estates should do that easily! Barry and his pals
will be lost without near naked totty and silly bodykitted family hatchbacks
to ogle over...

Andrew

[CitroJim]

Fight back against the Puggeriser Death Squads!

Or how about 1.9 Gti 205's for their alloys to fit on Xantia 1.6Lx's!!

My 1.9TD does indeed already sport a set of 1.9 205GTi Alloys Andrew

It is not unkonwn for an Mi16'd 205GTi to donate its engine back to a BX Valver either

[handyman]

If it helps to save another Activa, I have covered space and use of a hardstanding to store cars, although the space is finite. Please contact me about any cars in the South East, although I will travel further afield if the car is worth saving. Even cars that have already had the engines removed.

Handyman

[andmcit]

http://www.citroen.mb.ca/Documents/car/1.html


And the good news is:

DVLA VEHICLE ENQUIRY Services Provided By DVLA:

The enquiry is complete
The vehicle details for N439 XCF are:

Date of Liability 01 04 2009
Date of First Registration 29 11 1995
Year of Manufacture 1995
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 1998CC
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker Not Applicable
Vehicle Status Licence Not Due
Vehicle Colour RED
Vehicle Type Approval null
The information contained on this page is correct at the time of enquiry.


Andrew

[citroenxm]

Hmmm interesting...

http://www.citroen-mechanics.co.uk/for-sale/list.php

Scroll down half way .... In silver, and a nice price and good miles too!!

Just thought Id add it here for you...


rgds
Paul