Citroen Xsara Picasso 2.0 HDi LX

Author's Car rating:   

Road Handling	Good
Comfort	Excellent
Features	Excellent
Looks	Excellent

Advantages:	Practicality, Diesel engine, Huge boot, Driving position
Disadvantages:	Plasticy interior trim, Wind Noise, Far too easy to speed !  !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full car review

Have just replaced my Volvo so time for my second review - I have just bought an X-reg year 2000 2.0 HDi Citroen Xsara Picasso, and I love it, so here goes!

In early 2000 Citroen launched its first mini MPV to rival the popular Renault Scenic and Vauxhall Zafira. At launch it was available with a 1.6 8v or 1.8 petrol engine, or Citroen's 2.0 HDi diesel engine. It rapidly rose through the sales chart to become the highest selling mini MPV in the UK, a position it has remained despite new contenders, ever since. In its five years since launch it has become Citroens biggest selling model in the firm's history. In 2003 the model underwent a minor mid-life facelift to incorporate body-coloured door handles and side strips new wheel trims, and equipment upgrades.

All Picassos come with five individual seats, with the rear three being able to individually fold up to the back of the front seats to create a van-like load area. The middle rear seat can also slide forward to offset the rear passengers, and all come with three point seatbelts, even though the centre one can be awkward to set up properly. The car also has a four star Euro-Ncap safety rating making it ideal for families.

For anyone interested in buying one new from a Citroen dealer there is good news and bad. The bad; soon to be introduced is the new Citroen C4 based mini MPV to replace the Picasso, owing to disagreements with the famous painter's family the new model will not bear the Picasso badge, and is yet to be named. It will look significantly different to the current model, but aims to build on the practicality, style and ultimately success of the current model. The good news; this new model has, and will continue to, induce dealers to clear stock of the current model before the launch of the new model. TV adverts have been showing models starting at just £9995 for some time now, and this price reduction can be haggled across the range, so there are some bargains to be had, and this has had a knock on effect for the used prices.

My car is light metallic blue and has just 58k on the clock. It cost me £4800 just over a month ago, and so far I'm am very impressed. Having done just over 1000 miles already I have tested the car in a range of driving situations and conditions, and am yet to find fault. The seats are comfortable and supportive on long journeys and the mpg from the diesel engine averaging around 45, which is good considering I live in a city, and most of my driving is town based. The engine also has superb talk and will give most cars a good fight of the traffic lights! One thing to be careful of is the speed, which is displayed on a centre based digital display. The car is very relaxed at speed and therefore the speed can creep up without you noticing, so be careful of those cameras!!

The main reason for the changing in car is we now have a horse, and therefore need a car with a big boot to load bedding, feed, hay, saddles etc, all of which the car swallows with ease. I'm also confident it will be able to tow a horse trailer once I've got a tow bar fitted. The boot opening is also large and folding the seats gives a large flat load bay. In the boot should also be a folding Citroen shopping cart, a bit geeky to take into the shops, but handy to have open in the boot to stop small items rolling around when there's not much in there. When not in use just fold it up against the side of the load bay and clip it into its mount.

As far as quality goes the interior can be a little plasticy, mainly as 98% of the car is made from recyclable materials!! As of yet though nothing has fallen off or come away, so no real complaints. My car also benefits from a full length vinyl electrically operated folding roof. Although not used much in this cold British winter I'm hoping to use it in summer when my girlfriend is competing in endurance horse rides - I'll be relaxing in the sun at the checkpoints nodding off! The only disadvantage to this option is the increase in wind noise, especially at high speed or in a strong side wind, further enhanced by the height of the vehicle.

On this note the vehicle handles well considering its size and shape, and the driving position and large glass areas give good visibility. The gear stick is situated on the dashboard, and although this takes some time to get used to, it is actually very comfortable. As previously mentioned all displays are centrally mounted and digital, and again takes some getting used to, but is clear to see. This unit displays the speed, fuel remaining, trip computer reading, outside temperature, mileage, and stereo settings. The trip computer and stereo can be controlled from the steering wheel and stalks so no more reaching across the dashboard for adjustments. The trip computer details mpg average and current, average speed, date and time functions, and mileage from last and until next fill up of fuel. All these however can be a distraction whilst driving so keep your eyes on the road!

The design of the car is a wheel in each corner to aide stability. This results in minimal overhangs and therefore I find the car relatively easy to park, however it does feel much bigger inside that it actually is, so it can be deceptive. Although I don't have a family, yet, I can see the advantages of such a car to families. In the rear there are two aircraft style fold out tables with cup holders, and all four doors have pockets designed to hold two litre bottles of water. There is plenty of storage too, with a drawer under the driver's seat, and two underfloor cubby holes in the rear. This car would also make an ideal vehicle for anyone with back related problems as due to its height you step into rather than crouch to gain entry.

I am yet to have the vehicle serviced as it came with an mot and service, but am hopeful there will be no major issues. Other running costs are good, especially fuel consumption for the diesel I have, insurance is a reasonable group 7, which still come in at four figures for me because I'm only 20, but is comparable to other cars in this class so I can't complain too much!

In conclusion, this car really is a multi purpose vehicle, and fulfils the spec set out by Citroen when it was designed. Ideal for families, long journeys, and equestrian folk I challenge anyone not to be impressed with the cars abilities. It will be interesting to see how Citroen try to improve it with the new model later this year!