Cavalier or a Citroen BX
Moderator: RichardW
Cavalier or a Citroen BX
Bit of a dilema here people . Im after a 2nd car but must be fairly reliable should I buy a Vauxhall Cavaler or a Citroen BX , must be honest im a bit scared of the hydraulics anyone give me some advice on what to do [?]
I would not bother with either public transports good these days.
Cavalier would be broken down on the side of the road with the hazards on.
The BX well if it starts that's bonus.
Now on a serious note take your time and buy something you can afford to
maintain and run without too much problem.
Common Bx Faults
LHM Leaks
Rusty Pipes
Spheres
Oil Leaks
Water Leaks
The list is endless. The Bx was a good Motor when it was new but now you would
struggle to find a cracker.
Let us know how you get on
Regards
CIT
Cavalier would be broken down on the side of the road with the hazards on.
The BX well if it starts that's bonus.
Now on a serious note take your time and buy something you can afford to
maintain and run without too much problem.
Common Bx Faults
LHM Leaks
Rusty Pipes
Spheres
Oil Leaks
Water Leaks
The list is endless. The Bx was a good Motor when it was new but now you would
struggle to find a cracker.
Let us know how you get on
Regards
CIT
-
JohnD
- (Donor 2022)
- Posts: 2632
- Joined: 14 Mar 2001, 23:41
- Location: Epsom, Surrey
- My Cars: 2010 Citroen C5-X7 tourer
1998 Citroen Saxo 1.5D
2018 Citroen C4-B7
1998 Peugeot 306. 1.9D
2011 Citroen C1 - x 72
- Contact:
Well of course - it's no contest - I would go for the BX everytime. Your trouble will be finding a worthy purchase. They've become very thin on the ground the last year or so - at least in UK. BX's that are good, are in the hands of chaps who wouldn't part with them. If you can find one, and don't mind getting your hands dirty, and are prepared to give it TLC, it would be a car worth having. Good luck!
I'm sorry to say but I'd go for the Cavalier, they are everywhere and there are planty to choose from. Just keep looking in the classifieds for the cheapest, occasionally they throw up the bargains we all dream about. Simple fact is apart from the body work there isn't a lot that goes wrong with them. The engines are tough, the body are prone to rot, otherwise you'll not find too much to worry about. Parts are in every breakers in the country or are 50p from the local motor factors.
Depends on what you are looking for....CIT's comments re BX can be true, but similar problems will occur from any 10 year old car. What can be said for the BX is that it is relatively cheap to bring it up to spec if you can do the work yourself. New spheres at a cost of £80 will give you new car springing and damping...you can't achieve that on any other make of car for anything like that cost. And remember, you are supposed to change the shocks on most cars at around 36,000. Do YOU know anyone who ever did that?
Rotwise you have to be pretty unlucky to find a bad one. If you are looking for a diesel I doubt you would get better value than a BX although some non-turbo Xantia's can now be obtained for similar prices to BX's and represent a lot better vfm.
What it really comes down to is are you a relatively competent mechanic, or do you know one. If so you will be hard pressed to find a better car than a Citroen. If not then go for the Cavalier.
On the other hand, if you can afford Cit's suggestion of using public transport why not just buy yourslef a new Jag or suchlike and pay someone else to maintain it?
Rotwise you have to be pretty unlucky to find a bad one. If you are looking for a diesel I doubt you would get better value than a BX although some non-turbo Xantia's can now be obtained for similar prices to BX's and represent a lot better vfm.
What it really comes down to is are you a relatively competent mechanic, or do you know one. If so you will be hard pressed to find a better car than a Citroen. If not then go for the Cavalier.
On the other hand, if you can afford Cit's suggestion of using public transport why not just buy yourslef a new Jag or suchlike and pay someone else to maintain it?
Strangely, after seeing almost no BX's at all in the past year or so, I've just seen about ten apparently immaculate ones all in the space of a week, and all within a few miles of where I live !
I think the badly neglected BXs have mostly been scrapped by now, and the few remaining tend to be the well maintained ones.
I think the badly neglected BXs have mostly been scrapped by now, and the few remaining tend to be the well maintained ones.
I'm biased. I fall into the "love them" rather than "hate them" camp, as far as BXs go.
If you want a car to buy for a year and then forget about, give to any mechanic for service, and maybe throw away at MOT time on "cost-of-repairs versus value of car", then buy a cavalier, or something else. If you want a long-term regular-use car or workhorse for peanuts, but are prepared to do some maintenance, then buy a BX for the long-term, and be prepared to see it do a very respectable mileage. But just be sure you buy a loved one, not a badly-treated or neglected one. Regular cam-belt changes, coolant changes and suspension fluid changes are necessary. Though not ever sold as such, it's a car on which most parts can be repaired and/or replaced almost indefinitely by the knowledgeable owner.
As a BX owner/driver of many years I still think it's worth buying these cars - where else could you get so much utility, and such a great support network for maintenance + repairs for so little? There's no end of advice on the web - here, the BX technical forum, the BX DIY site, the japanese Citroen.org site, the Yahoo Citroen BX group etc. etc. Check out the buying and maintenance advice there, particularly on the BX DIY site. Yes, they're all 10 years old and more, and hence well into "banger territory" in the view of those whose vested interest is in making you part with large sums of money for your car regularly, but that's part of the charm. The BX is a "beat the system" car - "utility" is the key word to bear in mind. They'll nearly always fail the "value of car versus cost of repair/maintenance" test in the short term, but consider the long-term-cost of the alternatives in depreciation or continual replacement.
I'd say there are still some well-loved (or maintained) examples around which can make excellent and reliable transport. The problem is in prising them away from their satisfied owners. I use a diesel one for regular 400-mile round trips, as well as everyday use. If they're good ones, they can flourish with mostly quite simple maintenance and regular use, but will be killed by lack of it, as well as general neglect. Oh yes, they also get killed by fear and ignorance - which normally is spread through the mainstream buying guides and their list of "typical problems" (which sometimes seem to have been compiled by asking around at the local pub), which help perpetuate some of the worst myths.
Rusty pipes for example aren't really a problem after 1990 or so - from that point on most of the pipes had a plastic coating which promotes longer pipe life. But you may find somewhere in that service history that an older car had at least some of them retrofitted. Easiest place to check for this is under the bonnet on the suspension pipes which go to the top of the suspension struts. If they've got black plastic coating then that's a good sign. Ditto with the long front to rear pipes.
Sphere replacement? only 2 pairs + accumulator sphere to worry about (unlike many more recent Citroen models). Generally simple to test/replace them when they need doing (in pairs, excluding accumulator of course, refer to web for advice).
Rear arm bearings? Conscientious owners will repair these + not let them go too far.
Spares? - you can buy them from a variety of sources, but not from your Citroen dealer (with a few rare exceptions), and not from car-part superstores or as pattern parts. Plenty of simple spares (bulbs, lights, uprated trim) are obtainable from the scrapyards, though at variable prices.
Fluid leaks? These will happen to all cars of a certain age that aren't maintained on a rolling basis. Rubber hoses age, and various gaskets and seals need replacement when disturbed during service and repair. OK, cooling system maintenance is vital as it was under-engineered, but there's no rocket science here.
I could go on and on...and will if asked .. but I'll stop here for now.
David
BX DIY page - http://www.tramontana.co.hu/citroen/
PS - want a variety of UK opinions - try here
http://www.preloved.co.uk/reviews/revie ... oductID=57
non-UK opinion - try here for a single example http://www.baytan.org/exper.html
There are many other places you can go - google is your best aid
If you want a car to buy for a year and then forget about, give to any mechanic for service, and maybe throw away at MOT time on "cost-of-repairs versus value of car", then buy a cavalier, or something else. If you want a long-term regular-use car or workhorse for peanuts, but are prepared to do some maintenance, then buy a BX for the long-term, and be prepared to see it do a very respectable mileage. But just be sure you buy a loved one, not a badly-treated or neglected one. Regular cam-belt changes, coolant changes and suspension fluid changes are necessary. Though not ever sold as such, it's a car on which most parts can be repaired and/or replaced almost indefinitely by the knowledgeable owner.
As a BX owner/driver of many years I still think it's worth buying these cars - where else could you get so much utility, and such a great support network for maintenance + repairs for so little? There's no end of advice on the web - here, the BX technical forum, the BX DIY site, the japanese Citroen.org site, the Yahoo Citroen BX group etc. etc. Check out the buying and maintenance advice there, particularly on the BX DIY site. Yes, they're all 10 years old and more, and hence well into "banger territory" in the view of those whose vested interest is in making you part with large sums of money for your car regularly, but that's part of the charm. The BX is a "beat the system" car - "utility" is the key word to bear in mind. They'll nearly always fail the "value of car versus cost of repair/maintenance" test in the short term, but consider the long-term-cost of the alternatives in depreciation or continual replacement.
I'd say there are still some well-loved (or maintained) examples around which can make excellent and reliable transport. The problem is in prising them away from their satisfied owners. I use a diesel one for regular 400-mile round trips, as well as everyday use. If they're good ones, they can flourish with mostly quite simple maintenance and regular use, but will be killed by lack of it, as well as general neglect. Oh yes, they also get killed by fear and ignorance - which normally is spread through the mainstream buying guides and their list of "typical problems" (which sometimes seem to have been compiled by asking around at the local pub), which help perpetuate some of the worst myths.
Rusty pipes for example aren't really a problem after 1990 or so - from that point on most of the pipes had a plastic coating which promotes longer pipe life. But you may find somewhere in that service history that an older car had at least some of them retrofitted. Easiest place to check for this is under the bonnet on the suspension pipes which go to the top of the suspension struts. If they've got black plastic coating then that's a good sign. Ditto with the long front to rear pipes.
Sphere replacement? only 2 pairs + accumulator sphere to worry about (unlike many more recent Citroen models). Generally simple to test/replace them when they need doing (in pairs, excluding accumulator of course, refer to web for advice).
Rear arm bearings? Conscientious owners will repair these + not let them go too far.
Spares? - you can buy them from a variety of sources, but not from your Citroen dealer (with a few rare exceptions), and not from car-part superstores or as pattern parts. Plenty of simple spares (bulbs, lights, uprated trim) are obtainable from the scrapyards, though at variable prices.
Fluid leaks? These will happen to all cars of a certain age that aren't maintained on a rolling basis. Rubber hoses age, and various gaskets and seals need replacement when disturbed during service and repair. OK, cooling system maintenance is vital as it was under-engineered, but there's no rocket science here.
I could go on and on...and will if asked .. but I'll stop here for now.
David
BX DIY page - http://www.tramontana.co.hu/citroen/
PS - want a variety of UK opinions - try here
http://www.preloved.co.uk/reviews/revie ... oductID=57
non-UK opinion - try here for a single example http://www.baytan.org/exper.html
There are many other places you can go - google is your best aid
-
roscopervis
- Posts: 43
- Joined: 24 Mar 2002, 23:28
- Location: United Kingdom
- My Cars:
I would by neither and get a Nissan Primera. I picked up one with 71k J reg immaculate condition, all original (as can be for year but wheel trims radio etc) with FSH for £550. I reckon, by the looks of the engine and the way its driving that it could go on for ages! And its a cinch to work on as well. Handles better than the Cav and is in better condition than the BX's that I have seen for sale. The engines are chain driven and almost unburstable. There are loads about as well. My 1.6 carb petrol does 0-60 in 10 seconds, tops 120 mph and gets 40 mpg.
Best banger I reckon.
Best banger I reckon.
-
roscopervis
- Posts: 43
- Joined: 24 Mar 2002, 23:28
- Location: United Kingdom
- My Cars:
Ah yes an L reg Xantia the reason I had to buy the Primera in the first place! It was always going wrong! If you call 8 months in the last 12 always.
I'll admit the Xantia is more comfortable and quiet. It is also nicer to drive (bar the gearbox, I think its on the way out) and is better specced. However, I will still be keeping the Primera after the Xantia has been sold because its an honest car. The problems of the Xantia simply cannot occur on the Primera and is a damn sight cheaper to keep on the road. I think 40 mpg for a 1991 1.6 petrol engine is pretty good considering the way I drive!
I'll admit the Xantia is more comfortable and quiet. It is also nicer to drive (bar the gearbox, I think its on the way out) and is better specced. However, I will still be keeping the Primera after the Xantia has been sold because its an honest car. The problems of the Xantia simply cannot occur on the Primera and is a damn sight cheaper to keep on the road. I think 40 mpg for a 1991 1.6 petrol engine is pretty good considering the way I drive!
-
roscopervis
- Posts: 43
- Joined: 24 Mar 2002, 23:28
- Location: United Kingdom
- My Cars:
1.Burnt out ignition coils
2. Eats through brake pads both front and rear. The rears kept getting loads of corrosion forming on them, requiring a strip down and rebuild each 9000miles.
3.Rear trailing arm bearings
4.A clutch fiasco. Problem was first clutch was faulty but it was such a bitch of a job to do nobody locally wanted to do it, and when I found someone labour charges were ridiculous, even though he charged very reasonable rates.
5.Timing belt tensioner failure.
6. Central locking unlocking the car randomly.
7.Plipper doesnt work
8.Rear washer never worked.
Each garage service I had cost me over £400 in other bits needing doing. In the end I did it myself, but parts were still expensive.
In all fairness it was a lovely car to drive when it worked and if I was richer I would keep the Xantia over the Nissan but I suspect that that person is on a budget so cheap they aint. In terms of overall cost effectiveness against niceness to drive, the Primera wins. Its nicer to drive than the Cav with a similar ease of maintenence and generally better reliability.
2. Eats through brake pads both front and rear. The rears kept getting loads of corrosion forming on them, requiring a strip down and rebuild each 9000miles.
3.Rear trailing arm bearings
4.A clutch fiasco. Problem was first clutch was faulty but it was such a bitch of a job to do nobody locally wanted to do it, and when I found someone labour charges were ridiculous, even though he charged very reasonable rates.
5.Timing belt tensioner failure.
6. Central locking unlocking the car randomly.
7.Plipper doesnt work
8.Rear washer never worked.
Each garage service I had cost me over £400 in other bits needing doing. In the end I did it myself, but parts were still expensive.
In all fairness it was a lovely car to drive when it worked and if I was richer I would keep the Xantia over the Nissan but I suspect that that person is on a budget so cheap they aint. In terms of overall cost effectiveness against niceness to drive, the Primera wins. Its nicer to drive than the Cav with a similar ease of maintenence and generally better reliability.
-
cheesesliceking