Converting the family(slowly)

[np]

My Dad & me are slowly converting the family to the French car way of life
He is on his 5th.405,Xantia,406 x2,& now a 407.
My step sister now has a 306 D,basic.
My brother in law has just got a 406 2.1 td est,after having a Merc 220 CDi ,
My other b in law`s girlfriend has just got a new C1 Vibe(i think)
My real sister has just got rid of another Ren Clio(she changes cars every few mths)
That just leaves a few more family members & we`ll have a full house

[Xaccers]

We converted to French cars and diesel in the late 80's when dad got a job with a 205 as a company car.
When my sister and I grew up, that was traded in for a lovely H reg 405
When mum needed her own car, the 405 was traded in for a 205 and 106 Mardi Gras, and my sister got a 106 too.
I got a 205 when I went to uni, beautiful GRD that had been lovingly looked after by it's previous owner, which unfortunately span out on a bend and was written off.
Replaced it with a 205 XRD until I sold that (and regretted it) because I got a job with a car supplied. If only I'd known how crappy a 1.4 astra was, I'd have kept my 205!

When Perrys Peugeot of Portsmouth let their customer service quality slide, Mum and Dad jumped to Citroen, as by then I had my first Xantia and preferred it to the 406 Dad had, so he swapped his for a Xantia, and Mum swapped her 106 for a Saxo.
I dabbled with a couple of renaults, parents stayed with citroen, and currently, I have 2 Xantia estates, Dad's got a Picaso, Mum's got a Xsara, and my sister has a C4.
I think I have the best ones of the lot (Picaso has no suspension, Xsara is gutless and C4 apparently isn't that good).

[CitroJim]

I had my first Renault 4 at 18 when dad got a Renault 5. I had another R4, then an R5 which saw me to 23. I then went British but always admired a friends 205GTi when I ran an MG Metro Turbo.

There then followed a long non-French interlude until 1992 when we had an AX. The first 405 came along in 2000, a GRD. This was followed by a 405TD (only sold recently). Then a 205 GRD (now owned by a friend), then my 205 GTi (still have) then the Xantia TD (still have), then Dad got his 205 D Junior and finally I got my Activa.

SWMBO mostly runs the Xantia TD (except when there is towing to do) and also runs a C3 as her driving school car. We have a Pug 307 in the family and my oldest pal runs a Pug 306 DTurbo and a Picasso.

The only non-French in the family are in the posession of our eldest children, a Honda Civic and a Nissan 200SX. They will not be converted although our eldest daughter ran an AX and a Clio for a while and our son ran the 405TD until he got his Nissan.

I look after (as well as my own and Dads of course) the 306 and the 307. I don't touch the C3 or the Picasso (yet!). Keeps me busy...

[weety]

i started of with a Y reg 650 cc Visa which was a brilliant car....really comfortable (if a tadge slow) .Then i got a 205 GRD which was utterly fantastic when that finally expired i got a 305d estate

i had a renault 11 turbo for a few months (quite a fun little car) then a 405 diesel

then i decided citroen was the way to go so got a BX TD followed by two Xantia TD's

then as a treat (and to park easily at the station) i got myself a clio 1.9d which is just like my old 205 and reminds me of so many happy drives i had when young!

i have driven a lot of cars over the years but citroens have always been my favourites.... their character always seems to shine through

[RichardW]

Me: Xantia TD
Wife: ZX TD
Spare: Visa Decap (rusty!)
Mum: C4 HDi
Dad: Xsara HDi
Sister 1: Xantia 1.8i
Sister 1 partner: Subaru thirsty thingy
Sister 2: ZX 1.9D
Sister 2 partner: 206

So nearly a full house of Chevrons. MIL had a C4 but has just chopped it in for a Renault Clio. Still French

[Peter.N.]

My first Citroen was a CX Safari diesel, bought not because I was a particular Citroen fan, but because it had such a superb diesel engine, really quiet and refined, that was in about 1985, once I had driven it on a long journey I was hooked, the ride comfort, handling and economy are only equaled by the XM. I have run big Citroens ever since, three CXs and now five XMs, all diesel manual estates. I have now driven probably in excess of 300,000 miles in them and I dont know what I am going to do when I cant get another XM!

[deian]

It's interesting to see what car people and their families drive, my gf will be in a french car when she passes her test.

Don't ask me what my family drives as it's disappointing, only I drive a Citroen, my cousins family has one citroen van, one pug 306, one pug 206. My sisters is car-less at the moment so maybe she will go french next time.

My dad drives a ford, my bro a vauxhall / fiat, my other bro a land rover defender/ saab... i can forgive saab though, but not vauxhall, ford or fiat (just personal feelings of course)

[TehAgent]

well,
Me - Xantia
sisters - Clio
mum - saxo
dad - 306

Been thinking of selling my car in a few months to get a 306 cab, though they do hold there value well.

[JohnD]

We've been four Citroens or Pug 205's/306 for years - in fact since I bought a new BX TZD Estate in 1990. Hopefully I'm steering the 2nd daughter towards a new C4 to replace the Xsara.

[np]

My Uncle has not long picked up a brand new C4.Not sure which exact model.
I just hope it turns out to be ok.He`s had Honda`s for the last 25+years(lives in Bournemouth,oap )
Its already been back for minor issuse`s in the 1st month

[myglaren]

Learned to drive in an R8
Used girlfriends R8 in Sweden.
First Gallic was an R4, then an R11 TXE that had belonged to some footballer who's sister lives in the next street.
The local kids would come running up for autographs and looked very disappointed when i stepped out of it.
Drove everyone nuts with its constant nagging but saved my bacon one New Year's Eve. Talked a policeman out of breathalysing me, the outcome of which would not have been in the least amusing.

GS 1222 Club
BX 19RD
Visa ??? (that I thought was an AX until I did the logbook )
Xantia 19TD
Currently C5, have looked at C6s but they are still around £20,000 too much.
Daughter had a 306 for a while, then a C3, Dad had an R30 TX 'til the bottom fell out of it.
Can't get the rest of them interested, although daughter #3 has a Saab 900 16v Turbo Aero-S that is almost French? Stupid quick, leaves the C5 miles behind.

[DickieG]

Learned to drive in an R8

Renault or Audi?

[XantiaMan]

Interesting thread. I'm the only one in our family that has a french car.

Our family has only ever owned BL/Rover products and despite their repuatation had excellent experience with them.

I still have my MG Maestro Turbo, just no time or money to enjoy it!

Dad has had Vauxhall company cars since 1988 and again, have been excellent cars. There was a brief moment when he had an Audi A4 and a Xantia for about 6 months and i was very impressed with the ride back then, back in 1999.

Gareth

[myglaren]

Learned to drive in an R8

Renault or Audi?

Renault. Gearbox like a rice pudding.

[mezuk04]

Mother has informed me that the Zx is making a strange noise so I will be trying to figure it out this afternoon.

Not a great start to the year for the Citroens in the family at the moment.