Wanted...

[DHallworth]

I've never said that my V6 Activa would slaughter a Impreza WRX STD or whatever the hell they call them as it simply wouldn't. What I do enjoy is the look off the chavs driving them as they see what they believe to be an old French hatchback doing what it does.

A lot of the Impreza's up here tend to be the boring ones with the bodykits and big exhausts thrown at them, it's quite funny to show them up when they've got a car full of their mates.

For me though, I like what the V6 Activa has to offer. It's not to everyones taste but it does what I want it to and it's a car I really enjoy driving. A friend of mine has just spent £15,000 restoring an old 205 GTi. He's got no chance of getting that money back on it if he sells it, it's not the quickest or the comfiest car in the world, but it makes him incredibly happy driving it For me, that's what a car should be about. I've got 4 cars on the road at the moment, (Range Rover Supercharged, C6 2.7 Exclusive, XM V6, Activa V6) and they all fulfil different duties. I don't have a clue which one I'd sell if I were going to thin the numbers though as the chances of finding another 40k mile C6, 52k mile V6 Activa or 52k mile V6 XM in the colours, and condition that my cars are in would be nigh on impossible.

I'm trying to keep my numbers where they are just now and live with what I've got for a year or two as the next car I buy I *really* hope will be an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Problem is though, that'll put me to 5 weekend cars as I've got a van for work during the week!

[Northern_Mike]

V6 Xantia Activa.....was a good car for the system and I think (so far) that it is a great combination for a Quick Road car WITH comfort.
.....I also think the 2ltr is fine and really not a mistake, I see nothing wrong with it as a medium fast mid range saloon.....the engine could be better but I could say that about a lot of cars of the time. Does it not still propel you fast for the UK roads ? (open question)

It is true that people seem to need balls out power and hard handling to be happy or theoretically impressed....road cars are much much more than that.

A UK spec 1998 2.0 normally aspirated Mondeo was as fast, a lot cheaper, and consumed considerably less fuel overall than a 2.0 TCT Activa. The problem with the Activa is that it wasn't available with an economical and/or powerful engine in the UK for a start. It was also a Citroen. I imagine the system would have been more successful if BMW or VW had marketed it. They'd have developed and improved it for a start.

I like Citroens. I've had two Activas. I've got two Citroens on my drive. One of them has soft roly-poly handling and 90bhp, and I love it, which disagrees with your last point I actually prefer driving it to the C4 most of the time, as the ride in the C4 is too hard, and it needs revving to make it go properly. Neither of them pretend to be something they aren't though.

How fast is fast enough for UK roads? Sometimes I like to potter around at 55mph, just faster than the trucks. I drove to Oxford and back on Monday, about 75 miles, and never went above 55. As you know yourself, speed doesn't kill. Inappropriate speed kills.

[Northern_Mike]

I've never said that my V6 Activa would slaughter a Impreza WRX STD or whatever the hell they call them as it simply wouldn't. What I do enjoy is the look off the chavs driving them as they see what they believe to be an old French hatchback doing what it does.

A lot of the Impreza's up here tend to be the boring ones with the bodykits and big exhausts thrown at them, it's quite funny to show them up when they've got a car full of their mates.

For me though, I like what the V6 Activa has to offer. It's not to everyones taste but it does what I want it to and it's a car I really enjoy driving. A friend of mine has just spent £15,000 restoring an old 205 GTi. He's got no chance of getting that money back on it if he sells it, it's not the quickest or the comfiest car in the world, but it makes him incredibly happy driving it For me, that's what a car should be about.

You're 100% right, of course David. I know you've never said any of these things about your Activa. It looks like a gorgeous car. I'm glad there's people around like you, Sticky and Jim to look after them and keep the best examples alive, in standard or modified form. A car is definitely for enjoyment, whatever it is. I still fail to see the attraction in some real old British tat though, however hard I try!

[DickieG]

Found this on my desk

[Northern_Mike]

Is your desk level or have you had to fiddle with the legs?

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[DickieG]

Is your desk level or have you had to fiddle with the legs?

Funnily enough it was level but since this badge appeared,,,,,

[Stickyfinger]

Yes please...PM ?

[DHallworth]

Is your desk level or have you had to fiddle with the legs?

[DHallworth]

I do know what you guys mean about Activa reliability as well.

My dad bought one 6 months old with 1000 miles on it from Citroen Manchester when he retired his 24v XM from daily service in 1998. It was an Emerald Green Series 1. It was a strange car... not as quick as the XM, thirstier then the XM, but it was a good laugh. There were cars that would out perform it on the straights but the cars it could embarrass on the corners was quite funny. However, the problems he had with it was unreal. It would lean to one side, the dealer couldn't fix this. You could be sitting in bed at night with the windows open and you'd hear it unlock itself on the driveway, it used to do it when he was parked at work as well! One of the ECU's packed in and hit him with a bill for over a grand, it was a very expensive car to keep on the road. With the forums today though, it would of been much easier to keep going.

That's when he traded it in for his Peugeot 406 Coupe in 2003, this is the total opposite, it's been the most reliable car he's ever had. It's cost us very little in the 12 years we've had it, up until last year that is when we resprayed it to get rid of the little marks and stone chips it picked up when dad was commuting before he retired.

Anyway, back to the Activa... It is amazing the difference a boost controller will make to the standard TCT though. I had one fitted to mine and it was like a different car altogether. It's how the TCT should have come from the factory. My Activa lived in the garage for nearly 6.5 years with a cover over it and only went for 2 MOT's in that time. During that time I had been running XM's, my C6, and Range Rovers. Then, Cheryl got her 207 GT and after having a bit of a blast in that I decided I wanted something back that was a little bit of fun to drive after having big wallowy beasts.

I was about 10 minutes away from buying a 207 GTi with the 175bhp THP engine in it when my dad reminded me that I had the Activa gathering dust in the garage. The year before I'd bought the Mallard Green Xantia V6 to put the V6 into the Activa but just hadn't bothered my arse to do anything about it. I took the cover off the Activa, replaced the battery, gave it a once over and threw it in for an MOT which it passed with no issues to my amazement. On the way home form MOT I realised that 150bhp just wasn't enough. It was OK, but not enough. That was when I bought the boost gauge and boost controller to get me through that summer, then it had the V6 in it.

The V6 has absolutely transformed the car, the difference in performance is massive, much more then I expected it to be to be honest. For me though, it's about the smoothness of the 6 cylinder, and the noise it makes. It's a much better engine then the TCT ever was. When I'm not pushing it, I'm sure it's better on fuel as well!

David.

[Northern_Mike]

I had my Activa as daily driver - our only car for nearly 2 years. In that time it did 42k miles, and apart from a few spheres, and a leaky pump it never broke down or did anything remotely bizarre. It would never, ever do more than 31mpg, however I drove it. My V6 Auto would regularly better that, going faster. My Activa was mint too, until it had an argument with a steel post that it lost badly.

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[CitroJim]

Found this on my desk

Pleased you've found Sticky one Richard, saves us nicking one off an Activa in the Citroen Conservatoire today

[DickieG]

Pleased you've found Sticky one Richard, saves us nicking one off an Activa in the Citroen Conservatoire today

Bet they haven't got one

Sticky, can you send me a pm with your details?

[Stickyfinger]

Yep

[CitroJim]

Pleased you've found Sticky one Richard, saves us nicking one off an Activa in the Citroen Conservatoire today

Bet they haven't got one

Can't tell Richard, the one sole Xantia in the Conservatoire is an S1 V6 Activa but so hemmed in the rear is totally invisible so whether or not it has a badge on the back will be forever unknowable.

[holmedog]

V6 Xantia Activa.....was a good car for the system and I think (so far) that it is a great combination for a Quick Road car WITH comfort.
.....I also think the 2ltr is fine and really not a mistake, I see nothing wrong with it as a medium fast mid range saloon.....the engine could be better but I could say that about a lot of cars of the time. Does it not still propel you fast for the UK roads ? (open question)

It is true that people seem to need balls out power and hard handling to be happy or theoretically impressed....road cars are much much more than that.

A UK spec 1998 2.0 normally aspirated Mondeo was as fast, a lot cheaper, and consumed considerably less fuel overall than a 2.0 TCT Activa. The problem with the Activa is that it wasn't available with an economical and/or powerful engine in the UK for a start. It was also a Citroen. I imagine the system would have been more successful if BMW or VW had marketed it. They'd have developed and improved it for a start.

I like Citroëns. I've had two Activas. I've got two Citroëns on my drive. One of them has soft roly-poly handling and 90bhp, and I love it, which disagrees with your last point I actually prefer driving it to the C4 most of the time, as the ride in the C4 is too hard, and it needs revving to make it go properly. Neither of them pretend to be something they aren't though.

How fast is fast enough for UK roads? Sometimes I like to potter around at 55mph, just faster than the trucks. I drove to Oxford and back on Monday, about 75 miles, and never went above 55. As you know yourself, speed doesn't kill. Inappropriate speed kills.

But would you be seen dead in one of those horrible old rust buckets found of road in a ditch. And so slow even the original mondeo st couldn't keep up with my old 405 1.9 gr as we raced from wakefield to Huddersfield on the m62. I was expecting to get blown away but as I passed him on the m62 he couldn't keep pace 3 times we did this in the early ours of sunday morning. Know idea who the guy was but he was not happy. £ for £ I do believe the V6 Activa is better than the Scooby. If you spent the difference that you save in buying the car on mod's then much better.

I don't believe the Scooby is that quick my mates Megane 225 has seen off plenty of Scooby's. And even he admits the 225 0-60 isn't that quick.