BX TZD v Xantia 1.9TD Acceleration

[centurus2400]

I had a BX DTR which I then traded in for a Xantia 110 Hdi. The BX was OK but if you caught it off boost could be very flat footed until it hit about 1800-200rpm, then it went well.

The Xantia had no noticeable turbo lag, the acceleration didn't seem any worse than the BX, and it certainly felt far more solidly built.
After that I had, and still have, a 110hp C5. That was certainly not so quick off the mark, but a spot of remapping helped in that respect. Now when you give it some stick you can feel yourself being pushed back in the seat - or you could until the MAF started playing up....

The best diesel I had was my old Visa 1.7D, to which I managed to bolt some sort of a reasonably sized Garret turbo. In the days before having to worry about emissions tests I wound the pump well up and away it went, normally followed by a cloud of black smoke

It did have a tendency for the overheating light to come on, so the drill for that was to turn the heater on full and open the two front windows. It can't have done the engine any harm as it had over 200,000 on the clock when I sold it. It survived for a number of years after that, only finally been seen off by terminal body rot.

[jacksun1987]

I have had 2 xz 1.7 tds a tzd which looked good but not that good in ride quallity. And a red txd which unfotinly went due to rust. Bur once i sorted bits and bobs out it drove a lot better and seemed faster the the black tzd.
Basicliy i had 1 whick looked good and good body work what drove s**t. Then another one what felt good and handled well. Which didnt have very good body work.
I had messive hydrolic failor on the motorway. The pis croodied. Luckly i was in the slow lane not going fast when it happerned. Good knows what have happerned. If i was in the fast lane over taking.

I loved the perfomance of the bx tds. Went like a rocket. Good on fuel as well. I went to work and back which is 40 miles then 30 mins away from hemle hemstaed on 20 pound.
I regrct buying a petrol was stupid of me.
Bt i must admet the xantia still looks fresh better build quality. But doesnt stand out as much in a crownd.
I test drove a 1.9 d xantia ir was s**t
Another one would be 1.9 bx vs 1.9 xantia vs 1.9 zx vs 1.9 xsara
Love to see that.
You could always have 2.5 td cx vs 2.5td xm And 2.1td xantia vs 2.1td xm

[Peter.N.]

The Turbo 2 CX DTR was the real beast, 0-60 mph in around 10 seconds and 120 mph at 3600 rpm! They don't make cars like that anymore.

Peter

[evilclive]

Would that be the one with the self-destructing engine? Real shame they screwed that one up, because it seemed like a really great car otherwise.

[Peter.N.]

They didn't self destruct but the head gaskets kept going on some due to a pourous block, mine included. I bought it at 114k miles and sold it at 266k, I had to replace the gasket about every 15k - that's a lot of gaskets

Peter

[MPV]

I used to have a BX turbo, it went like a rocket and went round corners very nicely. Later I had a Xantia and it felt like I was driving a pregnant whale, not at all fast and a pig to get around corners. It was a money pit too with all the bits that kept going wrong and there were problems with the electrics and trim build quality. I'd rather have a decent BX than a Xantia. The Xantia was a step in the wrong direction.

[evilclive]

The Xantia is nicer on motorways - quieter, lower revving, feels more secure. It's a rather more relaxing drive at speed.

[Peter.N.]

I would agree with both of the above. The BX was fast, nippy and economical, the TZD had very nice seats, but the Xantia has a much more 'quality' feel to it like the XM. I liked them both.

Peter

[tim leech]

The Xantia is nicer on motorways - quieter, lower revving, feels more secure. It's a rather more relaxing drive at speed.

Good and bad for both, the Xantia was heavy, but then again it needed to be to compete against the Mundano, things had moved forward alot in the 10 years since the BX first landed, airbags, seat belt pretentioners and side impact protection were the norm. Plus the Xantia was alot better built with heavier higher grade materials, sound deadening etc, again the market had moved on and people demanded more. To ride in I find the Xantia a very comfy place to sit, but to drive I would choose a BX as i find it more involving, but then again I dont do many miles.

[evilclive]

Oh yes - the BX on an A-road was more fun, but most of my journeys are fairly long so the Xantia wins there. Still miss that surge at 2K rpm though

[Norlander]

Later I had a Xantia .... a pig to get around corners.

Xantia estate cornered very nicely on Goodyear Hydragrips.

[ecohouse1]

I liked the speed and acceleration of the BX but like the solidity of the Xanty.
What I don't miss from the BX were:

Front door hinges parting from the A-pillar (always welded it on squint so that the door did not quite fit properly!)

Rot in rear wheel arch inners and inside rear bumper.

My Saloon had a split front subframe!! Did an emergency stop and crack ! The wheels started splaying out

The rear braided coolant pipes on the TD - always splitting & a pig to replace!

Rusty rear door /rear wing on the sill seam!

Constant hydraulic haemorages!! (remember once when BX was 8 years old the dashboard going up in smoke due to a glow plug power wire through the bulkhead shorting. On my way to get it fixed the rear NS suspension cylinder blew out all the fluid under pressure - the joys!! Cost a fortune!

Thats not t say that the Xant won't throw up any googlies too!

[tim leech]

I liked the speed and acceleration of the BX but like the solidity of the Xanty.
What I don't miss from the BX were:

Front door hinges parting from the A-pillar (always welded it on squint so that the door did not quite fit properly!)

Rot in rear wheel arch inners and inside rear bumper.

My Saloon had a split front subframe!! Did an emergency stop and crack ! The wheels started splaying out

The rear braided coolant pipes on the TD - always splitting & a pig to replace!

Rusty rear door /rear wing on the sill seam!

Constant hydraulic haemorages!! (remember once when BX was 8 years old the dashboard going up in smoke due to a glow plug power wire through the bulkhead shorting. On my way to get it fixed the rear NS suspension cylinder blew out all the fluid under pressure - the joys!! Cost a fortune!

Thats not t say that the Xant won't throw up any googlies too!

Ouch, you got a bad one, youve listed most BX faults there, the trick with a old BX's is plenty of waxoil and regular pressure washing of the crevises!

[ecohouse1]

I remember buying it for £1300 and it ended up costing me over £4k after 4 years with constant problems - lovely car though! Ironically I pampered that car with gallons of waxoyl - especially the chassis, and HP lines every year. Still rusted like mad. It was almost that it resisted for so long then rotted alarmingly quickly!

Seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time getting dripping burning LHM on me as i tried to free up rusted solid HP unions with the blow torch!

Just remebered 5 years ago being in a supermarket carpark on xmas eve with an angry manager asking me to move it as the ignition key jammed in the lock and would not come out- ended up drilling the lock out in the freezing dark & snow - joyeoux noel! Suddenly a new car on HP from the stealer seems very appealling at those moments!

[Peter.N.]

We have had three BXs the first was all diesel, the first was a D hatch, that one did give a lot of trouble in fact I scrapped it in the end. I then bought another D estate with a cracked head, repaired it ran it for years with very few problems. The last one we had was a TZD estate and that was a lovely car until the cam belt broke - my fault as I though it had been changed but it managed to get to 114K before it went, I repaired it and it we ran it for a long time, probably five years with very few problems, we then passed it on to our son and someone ran into the back of it when parked and wrote it off.

Peter
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