Help me make my mind up time then.

[C.J.]

Well thats hardly a bad experience

They are easily turned off though.

My sister doesn't like auto lights, but ive enabled them on her C5 now and she has stopped complaining about them as she is getting to like them.

See! I'm not alone!

[daviemck2006]

What about a fiat ulysse 2.0jtd. I had one before the c5, 2001 y-reg, bought on fleabay for £820 with 220000miles and full comprhensive service print out, put 20000 on to it and traded in for c5 and got £1000 for it. Only prob I had was the rubber turbo inlet pipe burst whilst towing caravan on motorway. Think I was £35 for a new hose and 5 min job fixing it. Took about 3 weeks to clean the front of the caravan tho!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

About the auto wipers and lights on the c5, I absolutely detest them. They are by far the mosy annoying things I have ever had on a car. If I enable the lights they are on all the time unless the sun is burning a hole in the roed, which never happans north of Aberdeen where I am, and the auto wipers are far too sensitive, one drop og rain and they are on fast wipe. Never use them, just use flick wipe or slow wipe.

[C.J.]

What about a fiat ulysse 2.0jtd. I had one before the c5, 2001 y-reg, bought on fleabay for £820 with 220000miles and full comprhensive service print out, put 20000 on to it and traded in for c5 and got £1000 for it. Only prob I had was the rubber turbo inlet pipe burst whilst towing caravan on motorway. Think I was £35 for a new hose and 5 min job fixing it. Took about 3 weeks to clean the front of the caravan tho!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

About the auto wipers and lights on the c5, I absolutely detest them. They are by far the mosy annoying things I have ever had on a car. If I enable the lights they are on all the time unless the sun is burning a hole in the roed, which never happans north of Aberdeen where I am, and the auto wipers are far too sensitive, one drop og rain and they are on fast wipe. Never use them, just use flick wipe or slow wipe.

Chris, are you reading this?

I'll have a sniff around the usual suspect sites tonight thanks Davie.
Thanks for the suggestion.

Dispatch is looking like the current favourite ...at this moment.
Anyone heard of this outfit....
http://www.amdro.co.uk/
...that does camper conversion kits for them and even the Berligo/Partnet/Kangoo?
Website is down, so click onto his Faceache site, and 2/3rds the way down you'll see a converted Dispatch/Expert in red.
Looks rather neat I thought.

[Citroenmad]

If the headlights are on when its not poor visibility, the sensor is not working correctly. It could also be that the sensor is not positioned correctly, maybe the car has had a new screen and its not bee put back right. Not a huge issue as you can just turn off the auto lights.

Auto wipers, the screen needs to be grease free and the wipers need to be sweeping the whole screen and be in good condition. This should be the case anyway. If this is done and the sensor is over sensitive then the sensor is at fault. Im not sure if the sensitivity of the sensor can be changed via a lexia. Im pretty should it will be able to be disconnected and resort you back to normal intermittent wiping.

OK, so when they don't work it might be a bit annoying, but as you can just turn them off its hardly a problem. When they work properly they are fantastic.

A Fiat Ulysse is just a Synergie and the 2.0JTD engine is the 2.0HDi engine, Fiat don't make a 2.0 diesel. It sounds like you had a good experience with yours, daviemck.

[daviemck2006]

I've had lots of experience with pug/cit diesels. I worked for a coach firm that ran taxis too for a number of years and us coach drivers did taxi work between coach work. They did not ron anything that was not psa undre 9 seats. That took in 406, expert/dispatch, 806, 807, all engines from 1.9 non turbo to 2.2hdi. All kept for mega miles, if I recall the highest mileage I drove was 520,000 X-reg 806 hdi. Think the only origonal bit was the gearbox though! Mt first own one was 806 1.9td before I worked there, fantastic car, toweg caravan from here to scarborough on less than a tank, a distance of near 500 miles, and ultra reliable. The v6 galaxy I had before that could not do 300 miles without caravan! I've had a picasso 2.0hdi, zx 1.9td ax1.5d 106 1.5d ulysse 2.0jtd, which is the 806 with different headlights now the c5 2.2hdi and 107 petrol for commuting. Really should have looked for a c1 1.4hdi, but they are like hens teeth up here and at 65mpg from the petrol who cares? We also have the 206 1.4 petrol which the wife runs, somehow thats the only psa car I've driven that I don't really like, but I never HAVE to drive it although I do occasionally, usually to put petrol in All have been extremly reliable none (of my own) have stranded me, always got home or been able to fix with no real prob (have been stranded in a taxi, thats a different story) I cant find a bad word to say about any of them, even the 206 although I think it would be better if it were a 1.4hdi verve rather than 1.4 16v sport. I really cant think what else to get instead of psa unless it is an aston martni vantage for me and a randr rover v8 for the caravan (now dreaming on bus drivers wages?)

[Citroenmad]

Excellent, very good experiences then. PSA diesels do seem to go on almost forever.

I was talking to a Taxi driver a couple of years ago, for some reason taxis in that area are usually Citroen C5s. Its was at the time I was thinking about getting one and had one lined up to buy. So I thought id ask one of the drivers of the C5s what he thinks to them. It turned out he owned a fleet of 7 C5 HDis which they run as Taxis. He said he had just put one off the road at 350K miles as it needs a bit of tidying up, but said mechanically it was about perfect. He commented that they rarely have any issues and even then they are not major ones. They were running 2.0 110s, 1.6HDis and one 2.0HDi 138. I wouldnt mind going back and talking to him again, to see how he has got on with the facelifted C5s with the 16v HDis. As they had only recently (70K ago) got those. He said the most common thing which goes are the drop links, however there are many cobbled roads around there. He said they are heavy on tyres too, which I agree with.

I was impressed with that and so went about bought the C5 I had planned to, with 108K. Its been almost perfect and still drives very well. Its low mileage compared to the cars mentioned in here though!

Im a big fan of the 107 & C1s, brilliant little cars. Id like to drive the HDi version, though having driven a C3 HDi I found it noisey and not as lively as the 1.0 C1. The petrol 3 pot engine in the C1 really helps make the car for me, its little noise and willingness to perform really impresses. It gives it real character and the economy is excellent too. They seem a pretty good engine too, im yet to hear of one with problems.

[steelcityuk]

Going right back to the original question I think...

My first french diesel was a Metro 1.5, very frugal and reliable. That was sold for a 405 GTX TD, it was great, seemed very perky ran fine on SVO or bio. That was replaced with a Xantia 110 HDi Exclusive, the suspension was never what it should have been (being Hydractive 2) despite countless hours and parts. The engine didn't feel that perky but on a trip from Sheffield to Glasgow and back with a trailor to fetch a 2.1 XM it averaged over 40mpg, on reflection I think the MAF was faulty. The XM 2.1 VSX S2 (with Lucas Epic) replaced the Xantia, by comparison the car was a gem, exceedingly comfy and pulled like a train from lower revs than the Xantia (which leads me to think the Xantias MAF was faulty), it couldn't be run on SVO but in day to day driving (urban) gave low to mid 40s (mpg) and could very easily exceed the speed limit on motorways. Always started easily and never broke down. Next came the XM 2.5 VSX S2 estate, the head was cracked in every chamber, the second hand parts are hard to come by and expensive. The engine is a complete pain to work on due to it's sheer bulk. It pulled well and ran great on SVO or bio but in the same conditions as the XM 2.1 gave low to mid 30s (mpg). At this stage I wanted a XM V6 but couldn't find one for trying so I bought a C5 110 HDi Exclusive (53 plate), this was the most reliable car I've owned, apart from a knackered battery nothing went wrong with it, it had 145K on the clock when I bought it. It pulled well and had the most consistant ride of the lot, all the toys bar Sat Nav. I remapped it to 135 bhp (not rolling road confirmed) and this improved it's bottom end pick up and it pulled very strongly, fuelled purely on 'pump' diesel, in my opinion far better than the 2.5 lump. The 2.5 is smooth due to it's balance shafts but doesn't pull as strong low down or as economica;. Next came a XM 2.0 TCT S2 Exclusive with LPG fitted. This had a full top end rebuild and thorough port and polish of the induction and exhaust systems. Apart from a slightly uneven idle it pulled well and with a boost modulator fitted was wild but the price was 15mpg on LPG. Then I decided that I wanted a XM SED 2.1 (Bosch pump) and that's what I've currently got, although it's still in bits, I decided a good top end rebuild would be a good idea when the injector pump started to leak.

For me 2.1 engine is the pick of the crop, there's loads of spares around, it's straightforward to work on, economical, pulls well and is easy to tune (130 bhp should be easy to achieve with good reliability), it runs great on SVO/bio. The series '1.5' XM is my favourite car upto now, quirky, comfy and very practical.

Hope that helps.

Steve.

[C.J.]

Van is more than likely finally going back to its original supplying dealer this week then, complete with its seemingly incurable creaking (and 4th) clutch pedal assembly and equally annoying clicking (and 2nd...modified and to cure the problem that it hasn't ) steering wheel air bag squib.

Such a shame, 'cus in many respects it has been a fine vehicle, and that 1.7 Isuzu lump is absolutely spot on. Made of granite apprently.

I'm going to look at a horrendously expensively priced, but seemingly mint BX 1.9TGD estate this afternoon, as a possible dual purpose replacement.

The owner of the extremely tasty looking Visa 1.7D that was for sale on flea bay and the Visa forum seems to be having trouble making his mind up as to wheather he really wants to sell it now.
Claims someone is going to have a look at it for his original asking price of £1400!
I offerd him a very reasonable £650 which is double what he paid for it 2 months ago. Most reasonable I thought and have left it with him, but he didn't seem overly impressed.
Yet another miserable fail I feel.

[Citroenmad]

You would think some people never want to see their car at all, I can think of a good few examples recently.

A BX diesel estate, that would make for a good van/car. Or you could alwas try and find one of the rare BX vans ....

I thought you had stopped looking at acquiring another vehicle?

[C.J.]

You would think some people never want to see their car at all, I can think of a good few examples recently.

A BX diesel estate, that would make for a good van/car. Or you could alwas try and find one of the rare BX vans ....

I thought you had stopped looking at acquiring another vehicle?

No. Just drawing breath during this seemingly never ending search. Absolutely weary over it all now, as are all the other members bar you it seems!!

Didn't get to see the BX this aft as I got diverted towards a classic car show in the heart of Cheshire instead. Some damned fine and tasty motors there.
I'll do a bit of research on what to look for on BX's tonight, as it's 15 years since I last had one.
I think it's where to look for rust more than anything else that I'm going to have to be wary of...and his asking price of nearly 2 GRAND too!

[Citroenmad]

his asking price of nearly 2 GRAND too!

You must really want a BX

Ive no idea about BXs, though there is a very good BX forum which im sure will be the place to start with that search.

Im surprised you have not found a good Xantia estate yet, they are out there. Problem is estates often get a hard life, so finding a good estate in any 1990s Citroen can often be a bit harder than finding a good saloon version. Couple that with the lower sales volume of estates and the particular engine and spec that you might like and the search gets very limited.

So your still after a car which can haul things for your work and then be a car when your not working?

I do enjoy a good Classic Car show, a good few days of my year are always spent at the NEC, wondering around old relics!

[C.J.]

his asking price of nearly 2 GRAND too!

You must really want a BX

Ive no idea about BXs, though there is a very good BX forum which im sure will be the place to start with that search.

Im surprised you have not found a good Xantia estate yet, they are out there. Problem is estates often get a hard life, so finding a good estate in any 1990s Citroën can often be a bit harder than finding a good saloon version. Couple that with the lower sales volume of estates and the particular engine and spec that you might like and the search gets very limited.

So your still after a car which can haul things for your work and then be a car when your not working?

I do enjoy a good Classic Car show, a good few days of my year are always spent at the NEC, wondering around old relics!

I was always extremely fond of my many BX's of the past. Never had any major problems at all...apart from changing instrument pod light bulbs.

This one is only 25 miles away, but 2 grand seems like a monster amount of money to me.
It'll have to be absolutely pristine to be worth anything like that ( minus a few hundred) I'd have thought.

Would a BX be classed as a 'classic' now do you think, as I'm not impartial towards doing a few shows again like I used to do in my gorgeous old Anglia 105E back in the '90's.
This could possibly be a three way purchase as opposed to a dual?

[Citroenmad]

This looks fairly tempting ...

[Xaccers]

This looks fairly tempting ...

That looks very tempting!

[Citroenmad]

Actually I know you might need a GS/A estate, DS Safari or possibly even a S1 CX Safari for it to be classed as a classic car.

I guess, since you like simple cars, a BX is about as simple as hydraulic Citrons get.