I don't really care too much about what a car looks like, however, I often find if the car is slightly odd looking then I do prefer it
Cars now are so boring, everyone virtually the same as the next. I would find it very hard to pick a new car, its just a blob these days. At least the C5 could well be called ugly by some people, that at least means its not the same as other cars, which is a bonus in my book! I happen to like the looks of an XM, very 80s, very different from anything else and its a nice sleek shape with some good design touches. Indeed designed by .... Bertone? I have had quite a few comments from people about the looks of XMs I have driven. All good comments, mainly people comparing it to a spaceship!
How anyone can say its ugly is beyond me, yes it wont be to everyones taste but ugly? For it to be ugly it would have to be offensive with shapes which do not flow and so on. Which is just not the case. Again, this is subjective, so how can I tell you that its not an ugly car?
Regardless of their looks, the C5 and XM both have many good points which make the car what it is. BEFORE you mock a car for looks, drive it and judge it for a car it is and not how it looks. I can only imagine your married to a super model?
As Jim says, comparing an XM, Xantia or C5 with eachother is not easy. All three are very different cars, despite all doing a similar job. Having owned various models of all three, I still can't say which I prefer as a car.
If I had to make an opinion, I would say the C5 is perhaps the best for ease of use, refinement (model dependant), availability and value. They are all very well equipped (try finging an XM with AC, never mind a working AC) and are by far the safest. However its a pretty dull car, even if it does offer a decent ride and masses of space (which is why I've had three - I'm talking C5I and C5II here, not the C5III). In some ways the C5 is a better car for maintenence, there is condierably less supension pipework and only 4-6 spheres and its generally a reliable system. However, the electrical side of the C5 can have many gremlins and cause costs and hassle. The HDi engines in the C5 are in my opinion the only ones to consider. If you want the best reliability and decent economy then go for the C5I with 2.0HDi 110. If you want a bit more pace with similar if not better economy and don't mind the added hassles of DPF and costly clutch changes, then the C5II with 2.0HDi 138bhp is the one. I am still to be convinced of the 2.2HDi 136bhp in earlier C5s, having driven a few I dont think it drives as well as the 2.0 16v HDi and its certainly not a patch on it for economy.
For a car to do less miles than a daily driver and something to enjoy and waft about in, the XM is the best. It rides the best, its the most unique and there is just something about them that I love. I'm not sure if I would use one as my daily driver to do my 20K a year in, mainly as I like to preserve cars and not use them up. Also some parts are getting a little scarce and finding a good car is not all that easy and again another reason in my book not to overuse one. You do need to know a little about them and be able and willing to do a bit of work, otherwise taking it to garages who know less than you while paying £50 an hour will soon get costly and time consuming. That said, the 5 XMs we have had have been very reliable indeed, with just a HGF to mention.
The Xantia, I still think and know that they make ideal daily drivers. Good examples are still around and can be picked up for very good value sums of money. They are relitively easy to work on, parts are still around in the most part but some are getting more expensive. For me, again my opinion as is everything, the Xantia offers some of the highlights of the XM ... Improved ride over the C5, a better driving experience (C5 is a little dull and ponderous, but these are all cruisers not B-road blasters - see Activa!), they are not a common sight on the roads and this is something which really appeals. Why do I want to drive the same car as everyone else? While the Xantia still offers the excellent 2.0HDI engine which is the pick of the range for me and in the Xantia does without DPF. Superb economy, very good refinement, decent economy and of course its a very well proven engine. I would say, despite the slightly higher road tax that Xantias are the cheapest model to buy and run out of the three.
I guess the fact that I am now XM and C5-less and have two Xantias, does say something about which I prefer to live with. However, I only plan on using my HDi Xantia for a few months before I put it back into second car role and get something else. Not because its not reliable or for any other reason than I intend to keep it nice and for me the best way to do this is to give it an easier role than being my daily driver. I doubt my next daily will be a Citroen at this rate, I have owned enough C5s now and prefer larger cars, which leaves me looking elsewhere.
Well, that was a longer than expected reply
....that's a novel you wrote 
