Hunger

[spigven]

After 20 months without a drivable oleo cit I'm suffering the withdrawal symptoms worse than ever and have recently found myself regularly trawling Autotrader. I fear my breaking point is close and a Xantia purchase may be imminent.

HDi 110 Forte models appear to be the most readily available. While I'm familiar with Xantia in general I know nothing of the HDi engine/transmission so am hoping for some advice in case I actually get to view a car.

Thanks

[rory_perrett]

There really isn't anything new to know about the HDi other than it is a very good engine. I've had the 1.7 in BX and the 1.9, 2.1 and now the HDi in a Xantia and they all seemed pretty much of a muchness in terms of maintainance and working on them. All have done/ did serious mileages, current HDi is at 270K+ miles, the gearbox seems bullet proof and I'm still on the original clutch. Reqular oil changes with a decent oil and cam belt changes seem to be all they ask for. Only real problem I have had is changing the glow plugs where the "hot" end snapped off in the cylinder head on 2 and I had to make an extractor to get them out (big pain). Not that I have driven one, but I would probably not go for a 90bhp version - I suspect it would feel underpowered and has a different gearbox and clutch IIRC.

They don't run on veg oil and tend to run quiter and smoother that the older generation 2.1 and 1.9. Economy is good, I manage mid 50 mpg most of the time and not much under 40 mpg when towing a 1.5 tonne car trailer, which is more than I got with the other two. If you can find a good example I don't think you will be disappointed - planning to hang on to mine for as long as possible.

Good luck with your search.