gadgetgricey wrote:Basically there has been a new mouth appear in the household. (A beagle - Thank God, already got two kids, not sure if I could handle a third )
So thinking about getting a larger vehicle (more than likely an Estate, so dog can go in boot), so thinking about the C5 instead of a Xantia.
Would be a 2.0hdi again
I went from a 2.0HDi 110 Xantia to an 03 Plate C5.
The C5 is a *much* better car. Safer, quieter, quieter and more stable at motorway speeds, more roomy (it is, I measured, despite what others may say) and I think it looks better.
Yes it IS a more modern safer car, but the later cars called the S2 by Citroen are EVEN BETTER!
Mum and dad just bought a 05 1.6 HDi design, 110k, new clutch, new cam belt etc, 1,850..!
They still have sticky drivers rear door locks, sticky front calipers prone to siezing, drivers door interior handles snap off, hand brake cables can be prone to siezing too....
But they are nice. Get a VTX 2.o HDi Dave, they have Cruise and Sat Naff (Only for the colour screen) as standard, and bluetooth radio but you still need to put yur sim card into the radio..
Avoid the 1.6, even though mum has bought one, they are a delicate engine and need lots of care and certain oil.
Last edited by citroenxm on 17 May 2013, 20:33, edited 1 time in total.
Sharing a pug 207 1.6 hdi Sw 16v.
M reg Xm 2.1 td auto exclusive S2 269k and rising
L reg XM V6 12v SEi auto .. Light project
He wants to avoid the 2.2 16 aswell, they can also be trouble with the injectors if not cared for and by now, we wont know who or what tom or dick has had the 2.2's in the past... and not cared for them
Sharing a pug 207 1.6 hdi Sw 16v.
M reg Xm 2.1 td auto exclusive S2 269k and rising
L reg XM V6 12v SEi auto .. Light project
I've had three C5s and three Xantias, my current daily is the HDi Xantia Exclusive but I try and share my commuting miles with our eldest 2002 C5 2.0HDi.
The C5 certainly has its merits, it is very safe and if you do get the C5II that Paul says you should (2004-2008), that is still one of the safest cars you can buy, it beats the newest C5 on the euro ncap, just! Saying that, the original C5I is only very slightly behind the II, which got drivers knee airbag and a slightly longer and softer front end for running down pedestrians.
In my opinion of driving many C5s, the earlier cars have the best ride while the later C5II cars have a slightly firmer ride but more composed handling.
Anyway, whatever model of C5 you get:
Vs Xantia, they are without doubt more spacious in the front and the boot but I think rear seat space is similar. The C5 is better equipped (like for like spec), so much easier to find a well cared for example (though there are many rough ones about, which need to be avoided). The C5 hatch has quite a large boot as it is, quite a bit bigger than the Xantia hatch, however a Xantia estate offers a good bit more space. Unlike the Xantia, the C5 estate is not really estended in the rear overhang by the same about as the Xantias are.
We have had two C5 estates which are very spacious and we have struggled to fit everything which goes in our working C5 estate in Volvos, Lagunas, Passats etc.
Things to look out for on C5s:
Comms2000 - check that the functions operated by the indicator and wiper stalks do as they should and nothing strange
Windows - check they all work and go up and down, C5s have a habbit of turning the up buttons into down buttons. Our 2002 C5 needs morse code to get the windows back up, something I need to fix - drivers door module I believe.
Brakes - check front calipers are not binding due to a stuck handbrake lever. Check rear brakes are not wearing wedge shaped - the caliper can touch the inside of the wheel if theyget too bad
Heating - check that the drivers and passengerside both does hot and cold, it seems more of a problem on earlier C5s but they passenger side heater flap motor often wears the part in the dashboard and it gets stuck on hot
DMF - check the clutch is not rattling at parking speed and/or slipping at higher speed
Estate rear window - should open but you find one which does!
Thats all which springs to my mind at the moment that are C5 specific things which are the most common. Suspension wise they are pretty reliable and require less maintenance, spheres last a very long time, they dont have suspension top mount rusting problems.
The 2.0HDi 8v in the earlier ones is, as you know, very well proven and the best one to get for durability. The 2.0HDi 16v in the C5II is the next best thing, it has a good bit more torque and power than the 8v and its 6th gear makes it for a superb cruiser but very similar if not better on fuel. If there is one thing I miss about my C5, its the 138bhp 2.0HDi 16v engine and 6 speed box.
Don't be put off by the list of problems, just things to watch for. In my experience they are good cars and while they can have some electrical gremlins and I dont find some of the interior brilliantly put together, comparing them with many family sized cars of the similar age, they are superb value for money, safe and on the whole, just as reliable if not better.
I just like Xantias and I can see myself owning one for years to come yet. I would certainly buy another C5, having two here anyway doesn't give me the opportunity for me to miss the ones I have and for that reason I would be tempted to look at something else. However, I do enjoy every drive in the Xantias and I quickly became too used to the C5s, after 4 years with C5s I was bored and so it went. I keep looking at what to replace it with as I dont plan on to keep piling the miles onto my HDi Xantia but nothing strikes me and I find the Xantia so comfortable and good at what I want from a car. For me, even the the C5 is more spacious, the Xantia is a more comfortable car. For me the Xantia has something about it and while C5s are very good cars, they are more car to be a workhorse but I would have another.
Chris
07 Citroen C6 V6 HDi Exclusive - Red
07 Citroen C5 HDi VTR - Red
09 Citroen C3 1.4i VTR - Silver
01 Citroen Saxo 1.1i Forte - Mango Orange
.
93 Ford Mondeo 2.0i GLX
19 Hyundai i10
Northern_Mike wrote:I'm either going to buy a C5 Estate or a Saab 9-5 HOT Aero Estate with a manual 'box... depends which I like the ride of more
Mike,
Depends if fuel economy is an issue..... If its is C5 Diesel, if not get the Saab Petrol.
Currently quite lucky as have the Xantia Hdi, as daily driver, and a Saab 9-5 HOT Aero Saloon as a second car. Am also contemplating changing the Saab for a BMW estate and keeping the Xantia, but not sure if I want to get rid of the Saab, hence the C5 question.
Mentioned before on here how people seem to switch between the two car brands, must be something about the quirky but well designed nature of the cars.
Test drive a 9-5. Also if you need any info re Saabs and what to look for, drop me a pm.
cheers
- Dave -
C8 - Petrol Auto (Love the electronic doors)
Xantia Hdi Exclusive Estate (gone but not forgotten)
I've seen a few C5s bought to replace Xantiæ; not once yet has there been a net saving within the first year or two. A serious item for your consideration.
addo wrote:I've seen a few C5s bought to replace Xantiæ; not once yet has there been a net saving within the first year or two. A serious item for your consideration.
So far, I find my Xantia cheaper to run and maintain than the C5s I've had
Chris
07 Citroen C6 V6 HDi Exclusive - Red
07 Citroen C5 HDi VTR - Red
09 Citroen C3 1.4i VTR - Silver
01 Citroen Saxo 1.1i Forte - Mango Orange
.
93 Ford Mondeo 2.0i GLX
19 Hyundai i10
Northern_Mike wrote:I'm either going to buy a C5 Estate or a Saab 9-5 HOT Aero Estate with a manual 'box... depends which I like the ride of more
Mike,
Depends if fuel economy is an issue..... If its is C5 Diesel, if not get the Saab Petrol.
Currently quite lucky as have the Xantia Hdi, as daily driver, and a Saab 9-5 HOT Aero Saloon as a second car. Am also contemplating changing the Saab for a BMW estate and keeping the Xantia, but not sure if I want to get rid of the Saab,
Thanks for the info Dave - what sort of "economy" do you get from the Saab? I'm looking at adding an extra 600-700 miles to my monthly running about at the moment, probably half and half motorway/mixed driving (From Twyford to Alconbury and back a couple of times a month). I like manual boxes, and I like power - I miss the 260bhp of grunt the Impreza had, but I don't miss the horrid interior, noise, and harsh ride. I realise a 2.3 Turbo petrol isn't going to be anywhere near as economical as a diesel C5..
I do of course have the Berlingo to go up to Alconbury in, but it's in nice clean nick, and I don't want to pile the miles on it as we intend to keep it for some considerable time to come, it's also not that economical if you dare to venture over the speed limit by even 1mph.. I averaged 46mpg over 1100 miles in it recently, but I really drove it quite carefully indeed..
I test drove a 02 plate 9-3 Turbo last year , the 175BHP version but it just didn't feel anything like as quick as I expected it to. I had the old C900 T16s, which were quite barmy and uncouth compared to modern stuff though.
addo wrote:I've seen a few C5s bought to replace Xantiæ; not once yet has there been a net saving within the first year or two. A serious item for your consideration.
So far, I find my Xantia cheaper to run and maintain than the C5s I've had
Had yours not been kept so well by the previous owner, that may well not be the case though..
)
