... You'll often hear that the suspension is complex on these Citroens but it's really not, once you understand it. It's just very clever (and different)!
Mine doesn't have all the toys but it does have air conditioning which will be very welcome as the weather heats up. In fact this is 'climate ... Read review
Advantages: Still looks modern, fantastic ride comfort on long journeys, great for towing. Disadvantages: Some common faults develop (but they're well known and easy to fix). Bargains to be found!
...the spheres. I had a Citroen specialist change the back two spheres for £20 each plus VAT and labour and - Bob's your uncle - the ride is now like a magic carpet. Even the most vicious potholes are nothing more than a gentle 'thump' as you glide over them.
2) The blower stopped working one day. This is, apparently, a very common problem on earlier models caused by contacts burning out because they carry more voltage than they should. ... ...(instructions around the internet) or by replacing with a new blower from a scrap yard. In my case I fixed it by replacing a couple of transistors in the air con unit for a few quid.
3) Squealing brakes. Nothing unusual here - but, again, the maintenance was surprisingly straightforward. I just got my Haynes manual out, took off the back wheels and cleaned the pads, discs and calipers up with a stiff brush and put it back together ... more
I bought my Xantia about 6 months ago and it has been the bargain of my life. I was lucky to find an example that had been very well looked after and I have had minimal problems with it. You'll often hear that the suspension is complex on these Citroens but it's really not, once you understand it. It's just very clever (and different)!
Mine doesn't have all the toys but it does have air conditioning which will be very welcome as the weather heats up. In fact this is 'climate control' where you can set the temperature to your desired setting and put it on 'auto' and the car will work the heater, air con and blower semi-intelligently to maintain that temperature in the car. The 16-valve engine is smooth and sufficiently powerful (but no more). The car is often noted for being one of the best towing vehicles ever, due to its automatic ride-height adjustment which keeps the car (and the handling) the same, no matter the load distribution.
I have had just three problems with the car which were easy to fix.
1) When I got the car the ride was very hard and bouncy. After a bit of reading around it became clear the first thing to try was to change the spheres. I had a Citroen specialist change the back two spheres for £20 each plus VAT and labour and - Bob's your uncle - the ride is now like a magic carpet. Even the most vicious potholes are nothing more than a gentle 'thump' as you glide over them.
2) The blower stopped working one day. This is, apparently, a very common problem on earlier models caused by contacts burning out because they carry more voltage than they should. It is easily fixed by wiring in a relay (instructions around the internet) or by replacing with a new blower from a scrap yard. In my case I fixed it by replacing a couple of transistors in the air con unit for a few quid.
3) Squealing brakes. Nothing unusual here - but, again, the maintenance was surprisingly straightforward. I just got my Haynes manual out, took off the back wheels and cleaned the pads, discs and calipers up with a stiff brush and put it back together again - good as new.
Now, here's the big secret: people are so scared of these cars, because they think they're expensive to maintain and they're unreliable, that they can be found for bargain prices. Mine is a 1997, pristine example, with full services history and just 60,000 miles on the clock. And it cost me £550 cash from an ad in AutoTrader. I love the car to bits and I can't believe how much car I got for the money. (And it started perfectly every time throughout winter, too.)
My car has a keypad immobilizer, deadlocks and an alarm factory fitted which makes the car very unattractive to theives and joyriders. Later cars use a transponder built into the key instead. I actually don't mind the keypad - it makes me feel a bit like James Bond tapping in a PIN and then watching the car rise up on its hydro-pneumatic suspension. :)
As they say, your mileage may vary (actually mine averages about 33mpg on a good day) but if you find one that's been well looked-after you'll be very happy with a Xantia. If you look after a Xantia it will look after you - more than any car I've had before.
I would give this car 10/10 but I'll take 2 points off for the following:
- Electronics (or, moreover, the 'electrics') have issues due to some slightly dubious design decisions in earlier models. There are some awesome user forums around, though, that help you diagnose all these niggles. - Safety rating. For some reason, the Xantia fairs less well in passenger safety tests that other Citroens and gets distinctly average safety scores. You can find more information on the Web.
I've now had a Xantia 1.8i 16v for nearly 6 months now, It was bought as i'm pretty lanky and was completely fed up with small cars. Being 6'6" this is an ideal car as there is plenty leg room even when I have the seat back, I can have someone sit behind me. Also these cars can be picked up very cheaply, especially the Mk1. I paid £375 for a 1996 N reg with a year MOT and 100k on the clock.
I had looked for a diesel version as this would have been ... ...the price range I had set. Even with the high mileage this car runs sweet. No noises from the engine and no smoke from the rear.
For the price second hand I couldn't recommend something better, especially with equipment.
INTERIOR
The interior of this car is great, lots of room for 5 people and the seats are really comfortable velour covered. The front seats can be fully adjusted, but the driver has extra settings of seat height and lumbar support. ...
John_severn 19.04.2006
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Citroen Xantia 1.8
Advantages: Comfort, handling, nice to drive, loads of room Disadvantages: cost of parts
...my other car is a Citroen AX, but I needed a family car. My Peugeot 505GTi had been stolen 18 months ago and I had tried to cope with just the little car. It was fine until we wanted holidays or outings- not enough leg room for my lanky teenagers and not enough luggage space! Have you ever been on holiday with four females? The luggage requirements are immense - and yes we all do need to take one huge suitcase each and at least three pieces of handluggage ... ...finally settled on a 1993 Citroen Xantia SX. It cost £2,000 with 6 months tax and a three month warranty.
It is a large family car with many good features.
INSIDE:
It is very comfortable and roomy with plush velour seats. There is loads of leg room for everyone. The windscreen is large and the drivers seat is adjustable in every conceivable direction, thus giving the driver optimum visibility.This is extremely handy if you are a bit of a half ...
water-witch 28.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Citroen Xantia 1.8
Advantages: Fast, reliable car Disadvantages: Hard to park
...rooms, I decided that a Citroen Xantia, would be a perfect buy. It was perfect for my dad and me, for him it has wide doors, so it’s easier to get in and out, the seats are big and spacious and there is plenty of room in the boot for the wheelchair. For me it has power steering, electric windows, air conditioning a six speaker stereo, adjustable seats and steering wheel it even tells you the outside temperature. I have the 1.8l and it is fast, ... ...motorways and overtaking. The Citroen is an excellent car it’s comfortable even on the longest of journeys, it fast, it looks executive and anyone would feel good driving it. The only drawback is, this is a big car and it can be hard to park it, especially when you just want to pop down to the shops. This car is probably more suited to someone who does a lot of motorway driving, maybe a rep. I’ve owned my Citroen for a year now, and in ...
mandyco 09.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Citroen Xantia 1.8
Advantages: dream-ride, great looks, good value Disadvantages: alarm too sensitive
...I will probably stick to Citroen now - at least until I can afford an E-class Merc or 5-series BMW ;-) The engine is very responsive and quiet at that, the interior is fairly simple but classy (partially probably due to the particular spec, like Alcantara upholstery, leather steering wheel etc.) The car handles fabulously and ride comfort certainly teaches Vauxhall, Ford and consorts a lesson. Fuel consumption is slightly on the higher side, but ... ...equipped with this feature tend to be a bit thirstier than others) but on the other hand, said air-con certainly gives you something in return, since it takes all but two minutes on the road for the car to be comfortably warm - even in below cero degree temperatures. The only slight drawback I can really think of is the alarm/immobiliser. I don't know if this is just my car but the alarm seems to be much too sensitive - it just keeps going off for ...
saxon 10.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Citroen Xantia 1.8
Advantages: Confortable seats, air bags Disadvantages: ride stability,fuel consumption,body strength
Just as my girlfriend and I started to go out with each other , my girlfriend bought her fathers Xantia 1.8 sx 16 valve , it was very low millage (15000), well maintained, only 3 yrs old and immaculate inside and out. A bargain indeed , we used it quite alot as my car was expensive to run around town (its a 3 litre carlton), and apart from the ride stability which could only be compared to driving around on a jelly on steroids , it was a very reliable ... ...later my girlfriend was driving home when she came across a set of portable trafic lights which were on red , stopping at these. she was just about to put the handbrake on, when a drunk driver doing between 30 and 35 miles an hour ( according to the accident investigator) drove straight into the back of the car causing damage to the back valance, bumper, lights,petrol tank, tailgate and there was noticable ripples in the roof. The car then shot forward ...
ANDREW9369 19.11.2002
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Citroen Xantia 1.8
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OK so I'm a bit of a Peugeot fan, I had a 205 Style for 4 years and my parents both own 306s (they do look a bit silly when all parked together - daddy car, mummy car & baby car!). I bought the 306 XS 1.8 (petrol) 1 year ago, S-reg, gold (!), second hand with 60,000 miles on the clock for just under £4000.
*Looks*
I think it looks good, even in gold! Mine is an S reg so it has the newer 306 styling (a rounder nose and rear). It comes with alloy wheels. I've got the 3 door version so it's not really a family mobile, but it's got loads of room for 2 with a good-sized boot. You can just about squeeze 2 adults in the back.
The vision is superb both front and back, lots better than hubby's CitroenXantia. I think that's why it ended up in a ditch... or so he tells me!
*Engine*
The 1.8l injection engine is pokey enough to get up big ...
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