Top of the range xantias spotting

[Citroenmad]

cool i hope i get it. Im going to cripple my self on the mony frount. But if i get it ill be sorted. Im a bit worried about driving a estate. Ive never driven 1 before. Surly they arnt that bad to park.

Estates are SO easy to park, as they are flat backed, where the window ends is pretty much the back of the car. BX, Xantia and XM estate have excellent visability. The Xantia estate is a little longer than the hatch, but not by a huge amount.

Our C5 estate took no adapting too, but the saloons take a bit more thought, as the boot sticks out and is unseen, it has a high rear window and the addition of a rear wiper on the later ones didnt help that. I had thought about fitting parking sensors to my saloon C5s, but I have it down to a fine art now, inch perfect!

[myglaren]

What they said, estates are simple to park.

[Chris570]

once more for good measure, the estate is easy to get into small spaces as you can see each edge. the hatch is more of a pain

[DickieG]

CD changer and A/C were extra cost options on VSX spec in 95, A/C became standard late in 96 as it was on lower spec models but the CD changer was still an extra cost accessory.

[jacksun1987]

I hope i get it means bring out the credict card one last time. At least my credict rating will go up. I can not et a load cos i dont have a rattings. Its rubbish. People who havernt got in debt or borrowed mony cant get it.

[CitroJim]

Hope it all goes to plan jacksun, you'll like a VSX but for goodness sake do check the condition of the strut tops before parting with your dosh - in fact check everything very carefully, particularly the cooling system...

[jacksun1987]

how do i check the cooling systerm ? And if the struts are ok.
Do i just bounce t op and down. And if it feels hard its bad.

[Citroenmad]

You need to check that the cooling system isn't overpressuring which could be a warning sign of a blown headgasket.

Strut tops rust out, you need to check the condition of the strut top on the upper side (under the bonnet) and the lower side (under the wheel arch) Check its in good condition, check that the metal is very thick and not thin. The Xantias strut tops have rubber covers over both the upper and lower sides of the strut tops, which can make inspection a problem, the rubber also houses moisture which leads to rust ... if the rubber have come away then it might not be a bad thing. A lot of people recommend pull the rubber coating off and paint it.

There are occasions where a strut top unbonds from its base and shoots through the metal section. However rust is a more common problem. Not the end of the world if they are a bit crusty looking, you can get decent replacements for £80-£100 a pair and fitting is not too dificult.

There is loads of info on here about strut tops, this following thread is a good place to start looking:
http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 19&t=19386" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Keep in mind that just about every used car will need money spending, work doing and time consumed. So if your wanting the most cost effective car, try and source a good one with a good history, recent cambelt changes, recent spheres etc. They are about its just finding them, they dont always command over the top money either.

Do we have a Xantia buyers guide on here?