I thought a 2000 model would be relatively good and OK. I knew it had a few minor issues when purchased but one expects that on any Xantia. Little did I know
In truth, my initial feelings were of immense disappointment. It was harsh, drank fuel, handled like any other Xantia and bloody uncomfortable. It overheated on the trip home and nearly ended up in a ditch when I tried taking a corner a bit enthusiastically. The heating blew hot and cold. It was a heap, basically, and I seriously wondered if I'd done the right thing, especially as my old Mk1 SX TD Xantia was in excellent condition and very well sorted.
Luckily it was cheap and all the major items seemed OK. I was nearly reduced to real tears when I found the front passengers side was completely saturated with water I was alarmed the first time I saw it leaning over to one side after an overnight stop 
Worst of all, my 14 year old daughter hated it. She accused me of being disloyal to my blue Xantia (the SX TD). That hurt the most. No worries as I still have it and won't part with it even if it only gets used for towing the caravan nowadays. In quiet retirement you might say...
A good inspection revealed it had more bugs than the average Russian Embassy. Slowly, with much commerce with GSF and with outstanding help from this forum, especially Anders and DickieG, I have exterminated most of the bugs and learned much in the process. Most of the bugs were relatively minor in themselves but as a whole they practically condemmed the car to the scrappies and at a stroke make anyone hate a Xantia.
One of my biggest gripes was I just could not get comfy in the drivers seat. So many adjustments on the semi-electric seat but none made it like an armchair for me.
Now, it is a different matter. The seat seems to have come to terms with me and has finally moulded itself to my body and it's comfy. Took a long time though. Everything is now working more-or-less properly and I'm loving it!
It is a lot smoother now the duff Hydractive Electrovalve is sorted and is riding on (nearly all) new spheres. Handling has improved immensely now the Activa bits are working as they should.
It is simply a joy to drive. I live on the outskirts of Milton Keynes and it is just made for going around roundabouts that abound in that city
I have always hated cars that roll, one of those funny things about me, I just cannot take too much lateral movement before becoming uncomfortable. I cannot fly because just the least bit of turbulence or change in altitude makes me terribly unsettled so from that point of view, the Activa suits me just perfectly 
My idea of hell is to be made to ride a roller coaster.The engine has torque by the bucketful and is what I would describe as "lazy". No need of an auto box here, the gears hardly need changing as once rolling, only 4th and 5th are needed. It'll quite happily take off from a standstill in third!
The Activa is not really sporty so much as a relaxed high-speed cruiser that can get from point A to B very quickly in quiet and comfort. It is too refined to be a true sportster. It is useless as a traffic light dragster due to turbo lag but it flies along very rapidly once on the move. The true speed you are going is not communicated to you very well and you can find yourself travelling at very silly speeds if you're not careful, especially given its ability to seemingly straighten out bends. It seems to glue itself to the road and run on rails. The only similar travel experience is a Pendolino train. I guess the Activa is the road-going equivilent of it..
I love how understated it is. A bit of a "sleeper" really. To the casual observer it is just another Xantia. Except for the discreet door logos, it gives no clue whatsoever to what hides within.
Fuel economy is still a bit of a shock after the TD but is, in truth, not bad if you drive sensibly. It prefers to drink Shell V-Power and is noticably more economical on the stuff.
So there it is, an Activa is a rewarding car but is not for the faint hearted. They are high-maintenance and hard on the pocket but truely an excellent car once sorted.
Mine will be with me for a long time, especially given how much time, blood, sweat, tears and money I have expended on it. I'm nearly at the point where I can just drive and enjoy it
hopefully Jim may remember.