xantia versus 406

zorgman · Post by **zorgman** » 15 May 2005, 01:11

hi all
im in a quandry.
ive had xantias for 3 yrs now and im after an estate do i go for the 1.9td 406 or another xantia anyone got views on this ie pro's and cons
many thanks

np · Post by np » 15 May 2005, 01:38

After using my Dad`s 406 est 110 HDI last week for towing,i found that i really missed the suspension of my Xantia,as the rear droped quite a bit.The load area is much bigger on the 406 than my Xantia.Comfort wise the 406 is less noisy than my car,although its the HDI.But mine rides much better.The other thing is that he has the front armrests in his,but theres no lumber control on the drivers seat which i missed.My Xantia also feels a bit more up market,i.e materials used for the dash etc.
I will hopefully be buying his 406 next year when he gets a new car.But i will miss the suspension & comfort of the Xantia.
Xantia`s are still cheaper than a 406 at the mo as well.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 15 May 2005, 02:58

If you are a bit tall you might find the 406 seats a bit on the short side, also, the 406 I drove felt a bit under powered but it was the one with all the bells and whistles, I am comparing it with an XM though.

Rostami · Post by **Rostami** » 15 May 2005, 02:59

I would say that it isn´t something that I would decide before starting to look for a car... It may happen that you find a Xantia that is in very good condition, better than all 406 that you may have seen. Or vice-versa... My point is that they are both very good options, you know what you get if you buy a Xantia, and the 406 is of the same range. So most probably it may be a question of what is the best offer at the time you start looking. In a french magazine I saw last week that both score 14/20 for reliability. Thats as much as any other car...
Before I bought my Xantia, I was looking around and thinking PSA. I love the 406 as much as the Xantia, but for different reasons. However, when the chance to have a fully equipped HDi activa came up, there was no hestitation

jono · Post by **jono** » 15 May 2005, 05:31

The Xantia and the 406 are built off the same floor pan so not much to chose there. Both run the Hdi engine although the 406 in general is more economic but slower than the Xantia. But in my experence having owned both, the 406 is far more comfortable to travel long journeys in (500 miles) than the Xantia, even with the pugs 'harder' suspension. The main item that did it for me was the pugs driving position everything was just in the right place and I got out without any back ache which is something I cannot acheive in the cit. Now with the Xantia nearly worthless @ 1999my I cannot afford to change back to a 406. Just have to console myself with the thought of softer Xantia ride.
Jon

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 15 May 2005, 12:27

No contest.
You'll get a much higher spec Xantia for your money, probably a HDi instead of a TD and if you are really lucky you'll find one with leather seats which are much better than the cloth ones.

Paulmi16 · Post by **Paulmi16** » 15 May 2005, 15:18

Agreed you would get more Xantia for your money, but my preference is for the 406 as I prefer steel springs to fluid suspension. At the end it may come down to which car you find first.
Paul.

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 15 May 2005, 16:31

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Paulmi16</i>

I prefer steel springs to fluid suspension.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
You are just strange.
Why oh why oh why couldn't Citroen put proper suspension on the Synergie/C8? [:(]

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 15 May 2005, 17:45

They couldn't put proper suspension on the Synergie/C8 because they'd have to put the same suspension on the Fiat and the Pug, and the Fiat and Pug owners wouldn't like it.

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 15 May 2005, 19:19

I've seen Cit suspension fitted to a Range Rover and the C8 has plenty of space at either end. I'm sure it would be fairly simple to have fitted it with an electrically pumped system like the C5. The Pug and Fiat versions could stick with steel springs.
Would have been a major selling point. The C8 has nothing to set it apart from the 807 other than the usual Cit Discounts (and resultant low resale value). Having an adjustable height, making it easier for granny to get in and out would make it stand out from the crowd.
Maybe Peugeot were just worried about having too much competition on the doorstep!!!

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 16 May 2005, 00:11

The cars have to come off the same production line, so things like extra hydraulic lines and height correctors would cause the line workers no end of problems. And you'd have to engineer it all, thats doubling the engineering and testing cost of the suspension.
I'm not saying that it couldn't be done, just that it would cost PSA money to do it and wouldn't bring a return.

Post by **Thunderbird** » 16 May 2005, 03:01

These joint-ventures with Fiat group come from a long time ago.
I have owned a FIAT 242, which was in fact a Citroen C35 with Fiat mods. And just guess - fully hydropneumatic suspension! Ah! And the engine was the 2.5 Diesel of the Citroen CX!
This was indeed the best Fiat ever done! [8D]
Now, 406 vs. Xantia... In practical and useful terms, the cars are very close, except for the self-leveling feature on the Xantia, that I consider 'a must' in every break.
Good luck with the demand...