Xantia Prices

ActivaV6uk · Unread post by **ActivaV6uk** » 13 Apr 2005, 17:01

i've had a very hard frontal acsedent while driving a BX DTR trubo estate. i have nothing but faith in the build quality of the bx (none in the build quality of a vectra).
the list of BX's and xantia's we have owned is just stupid its now something like 25 cars? the ones that ive enjoyed the most are the:
BX Turbo D (plenty of smiles for your money that boost is great).
BX 4x4 like and activa but worse on fuel sure gets some looks though.
xantia V6 Exclusive (as close as i would want to get to a luxury car makes the BX 16v look like an amatures car (more in feeling and sound than ability)).
xantia activa, 4x4 handeling with out the fuel consumption, makes your mum compliment your driving even when you have been hammering it with her in the car

Andy

Unread post by **martyhopkirk** » 13 Apr 2005, 17:22

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jon

Right, OK then, so the Bx is a plastic toy is it? Agreed that the roof, tailgate and bonnet are in fact plastic,<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Why is my roof rusty then?

ActivaV6uk · Unread post by **ActivaV6uk** » 13 Apr 2005, 17:33

The roof is metal, FYI any one who reads this and has this problem. its possible to get rust at the top of the A pillers this is because of the shell twisting and the paint breaking up in this area eventualy it rusts! had 16v's and 4x4's with this problem.
Andy

dillosk8ter · Unread post by **dillosk8ter** » 13 Apr 2005, 23:17

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ActivaV6uk

i've had a very hard frontal acsedent while driving a BX DTR trubo estate. i have nothing but faith in the build quality of the bx (none in the build quality of a vectra).
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I don't think you can claim that a BX would outperform a Vectra in an accident, much as I like the BX its one of the last cars I'd want to be in in an impact along with 2cv's, AX's mini's etc, Which? mag gave the BX the worst safety rating of any car in its class.

ActivaV6uk · Unread post by **ActivaV6uk** » 13 Apr 2005, 23:38

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I don't think you can claim that a BX would outperform a Vectra in an accident, much as I like the BX its one of the last cars I'd want to be in in an impact along with 2cv's, AX's mini's etc, Which? mag gave the BX the worst safety rating of any car in its class.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yup in this case i can, i hit a vectra and the BX wasnt the car that had to have its roof cut off to get the driver out..... BX 1 Vectra 0 Andy - £27k (long story).
Andy

dillosk8ter · Unread post by **dillosk8ter** » 13 Apr 2005, 23:52

Of course it depends on the idividual accident, but as a general rule BX's don't have a reputation of being good for passive safety. Vectra peformed relativly well in the Ncap tests. I've found my BX tinny and flimsy feeling, very thin, lightweight doors...whole things feels insubstantial. Thats my only gripe with the model. If had to be in an impact in one of my cars think I'd go for my ZX which fels alot stronger.

ActivaV6uk · Unread post by **ActivaV6uk** » 14 Apr 2005, 00:04

according to the fire bregade that were at the acsedent the BX is a very well made car (its this that has kept me with citroen). the accsedent was quite a feet, the vectra was one of only 2 cars damaged other than the BX, the BX was a right off as was the vectra the car the just got scraped (very lucky) was a 306 XSi. the BX lost its bonnet (actualy left the car) the pass side wing, 1/2 the fornt bumper and the fornt wheel was very badly damaged. the vectra lost everything on the drivers side up to the drivers seat back, if there had have been any rear passengers they would have been dead and the driver was very lucky. the BX may not be strong but at 50mph into a vectra i'd still rather be in the BX (ive seen some one hit a tow bared BX at the same speed and i'd still rather be in the BX!. on a side impact to be honest there isnt a car i would trust, maybe the audi A2 because of its spaceframe and weird floor pan.
Andy

FDV · Unread post by **FDV** » 14 Apr 2005, 00:05

Honestly? I bought a Xantia TD to replace an old BX 19RD estate back in Feb.
The Xantia has now gone and the estate now has another MOT on it.
My dad used to have a 1994 TD LX Xant, which proved reliable bar the stupid plastic clip on the clutch cable! Economy wasn't awesome, neither was pace but as an all rounder it was pretty good. My TD I had recently gave me no end of problems, and went to a guy who had a new engine ready for it!
I won't ever buy another Xantia, bar for the V6 and an Activa, which isn't really a Xantia in essence. But I've got two BX's and I'll keep one until it really does decide to give up (and its NEVER broken down, touch wood!)
The other, I won't ever sell period.

dillosk8ter · Unread post by **dillosk8ter** » 14 Apr 2005, 00:06

What happened?

Unread post by **martyhopkirk** » 14 Apr 2005, 03:32

I dont think it matters too much about the car,I think the secret is to try and avoid having an accident in the first place.
Its like when you are towing - the Xantia would tow the trailer & BX at 80 brilliantly - stopping however was not so brilliant - ergo drive slower according to the conditions. The same applies even if you are not towing.
Watch the road, watch the traffic and drive according to conditions and try to anticipate what other drivers will do (you learn to do that a LOT if you ride a bike / motorbike).
Besides plastic has a certain amount of elasticity which will possibly absorb impacts better than metal - this probably means that the Reliant Rialto van is indestructable!

Kowalski · Unread post by **Kowalski** » 14 Apr 2005, 04:19

Turning GRP to powder is very energy intensive, GRP absorbs an enourmous amount of energy in an impact and the fact that its not elastic like steel can be means the energy is lost rather than redirected.
Steel is good in that it tends to bend rather than break, which means GRP is good for a single big impact, but for multiple impacts you want lots of steel, it'll deform plasticly time and time again.
They make a lot of yachts out of plastic, and the feeling there is that in an impact the GRP can LOOK undamaged on the surface but can in fact be structurally flawed underneath, the gelcoat on the surface tends to be more elastic than the GRP and can hide cracks.

David W · Unread post by **David W** » 14 Apr 2005, 13:31

Interesting thread.
Owen if you are thinking seriously of a Xantia have a look over at the Xantia Buyers Guide on the CCC website (left side menu from homepage... About Citroen Cars/The Recent History/Xantia/Buying a Xantia). Written by a top bloke!
I don't want to argue BX against Xantia.. they seem to have quite a different appeal.
I would say the older TD engine is the one to go for if you are hoping to keep costs down. In reality the difference between earlier and later cars is more a personal choice. If anything the earlier cars are proving to be more rust resistant with stronger trim... it's just that they are older hence showing the wear more.
I note comments about the Xantia TD being sluggish. It can feel so but this is only really an issue in traffic light drag races, once on the move they cover ground very well. If I was trying to escape someone driving round the footpaths of a large estate (like you see on the Police camera footage) I'd chose a BX TD for their slightly smaller nimble feel... if I was on deserted fast undulating A roads in Scotland it would be a Xantia.
If I had a Xantia diesel as a company car with all bills paid the extra power/economy benefits of an HDi are obvious. If you are motoring on a budget there is a lot to be said for the older 1.9TD. That XUD diesel engine range was one of the most important of all makes of the last 20yrs in making folks realise diesels could be quiet, smooth and nice to drive. Some folks (me) are quite sensitive to the "clattery" characted of the HDi.
The most important thing about a Xantia is not so much the age or model but getting the right car that isn't facing every one of their *issues* in your first few months of ownership.
David

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 14 Apr 2005, 14:26

BX was a deliberate exercise in lightweight constrcution which seemed something that interested the french then. The Renault 21 was also extremely light for its size without the extreme use of fibreglass as on the BX. (Was also extremely aerodynamic!)
This trend of course continued with the AX but was reversed with the ZX which was I suppose a response to a change of emphasis in the mid 80's The ZX is as heavy as a BX but feels extremely solid and has side intrusion barriers and those sort of things. Whilst I haven't seen any figures it must be aerodynamically clean from the way it acelerates over 70 without a turbo and still returns very commendable fuel consumption.
I think BX saloon was 0.34 drag, Renault 21 0.30!!. This is of course a logarithmic scale which means that BX drag is considerably more than Renault. The interesting thing about the Renault is that even with a 1.7 90 BHP engine it would roar up to 100 and beyond and I have no doubt it would do 112 which I saw claimed for it. I would have thought Citroen's theoretical max of 108 was about rather optimistic for my BXTD estate (90 BHP again!)but at 195600 miles I'm not going to find out!
Incidentally the theoretical max for a 1.9D saloon is 103 for BX and the same for ZX which I don't think hits the rev limits.
jeremy

dillosk8ter · Unread post by **dillosk8ter** » 14 Apr 2005, 23:32

Thanks David, actually looked at Xantia buyers guide on CCC site last night, very informative.
Jeremy, in the ZX handbook the theoretical max speed of a ZX D is 103mph or 102mph if its auto. The TD can whizz up to 115mph apparantly. If I had money sorted now theres a good one in local paper (not diesel though!!!) M'reg 2.0i VSX, 63,000 miles, FSH, new spheres and pipework. Price....................£650. Bargain?

Unread post by **Thunderbird** » 15 Apr 2005, 01:37

Jeremy, if you find a coefficient of drag factor of 0.30 impressive, what about these Cd:
[:0]
1989 Opel/Vauxhall Calibra - 0.26
2000 Mercedes C180 - 0.26
2000 Lexus LS430 - 0.25
2001 Honda Insight - 0.25
Concerning the BX, that noisy and ugly plastic toy that rusts, I must say something in its defense: it has a very low SCx (the multiplication of Cd (Cx) with the surface (S)), which is the most important and linear value to determine the influence of aerodynamics in the car speed.
The Scx of the BX was only 0.59m2 if I am not mistaken.