Citroen C5 Estate

Advantages: Big enough for the family and their luggage
Disadvantages: Typical French gear change

...This year my company increased the size of the list of cars which we are allowed to choose from. In addition to the usual Fords and Vauxhalls, we were able to get Peugeots, VW’s and Citroens. I decided to go for the Citroen C5, 2.0 SX estate as I do like a decent sized car with enough load space to get all the kids toys, bikes etc. in. I’ve had it for about 12 weeks now and have covered just over 1500 miles so I think I can make a reasonable assessment of it. OVERALL LOOK OF THE CAR It is very streamlined and looks good in the silver colour I opted for. It has aluminium roof bars which are, for the silver version, as near as makes no odds to being body coloured. Most people comment on how large it is when they first see it (stop it) but at 4756 mm long it is an inch shorter than the equivalent Mondeo estate. It also gives...

Thamisgith 24.09.2002 · Read review
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Review of Citroen C5 2.0 Estate

I fell in love with a C5 2.0 HDi hatchback!

Advantages: comfort, style, economy, space
Disadvantages: not a nippy speedy car

...This review is on a Citroen C5 HDi LX 110bhp diesel hatchback 2002 model (02). (The picture under this heading is incorrect and shows an estate car - apologies - picture not from me. The details relate to this hatchback) We bought this car several months ago and I absolutely love it. I have been used to having a company car which is renewed every three years and thought having an older second hand car again would be a nasty shock to the system but have found the complete opposite is the case with this one! We were not planning to buy either a Citroen or a big car but we needed to get something fairly quickly and we went to a local independent garage from which we have bought many cars over the years for ourselves and which we have recommended to many friends an family. The original plan was to buy a car of a similar size...

laveyri 02.02.2007 · Read review
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Review of Citroen C5 2.0 HDi 16v Hatchback

Citroen C5 SX 2.2 HDi

Advantages: Excellent cruiser; Super fuel economy; Powerful engine; Equipment levels
Disadvantages: Difficult to keep clean!!

...reason I bought the car was to tow my caravan, and what a tow car!!! Ample power when pulling away and it cruises at 60 mph in 5th gear. The only time I need to change down is when driving up steep motorway inclines. The most impressive part, however, is the self leveling suspension. Where my old 406 would sag with a caravan on the back, the C5 stays level, thus improving stability Fuel consumption is excellent for a car of this size. On a long journey at steady motorway speeds, the car will easily return 48 mpg. Even town driving is good, recording a figure just above 40 mpg - not bad for a 2.2 diesel!!! As and when this car needs to be replaced (not for a while I hope!!), I will definately be on the look out for another C5, something I've never considered before with any other make of car I've owned (and I've owned many cars!). I would...

WelshRebel 10.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Citroen C5 2.2 HDi

My Citroen C5 experiences

Advantages: Smooth, Well Built, Economical, Powerful Engine, Load Carrier, Comfortable, Nice Design
Disadvantages: Wheel spray on rear window, Rear wiper delay too long

...This is my third Citroen, the other two being a BX TD Estate, and a Xantia TD estate. I have no hesitation at all in saying that this is the best car I have ever owned. There is something about it which just shouts 'Drive ME!'. As soon as you get in, you feel at home. The further you travel, the more comfortable it seems. We take our holidays in the South of France, and tow a trailer camper. In my last car (Xantia), the towing was pretty good until you came to a hill (and there are some hills in the middle of France, believe me). Then, the car would climb any hill, but slowly. The TD has plenty of torque but not much raw power. The C5 2.2 HDi is completely different. Set the cruise control at 75, and just sit back and steer. When it comes to a hill, it will accelerate to 75 and stay there. I have not yet found a hill where I...

nick99 21.12.2004 · Read review
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Review of Citroen C5 2.2 HDi

Citroen C5 - worth the money?

Advantages: Comfort, reliabilty,
Disadvantages: Servicing costs

...factor companies had never even HEARD of it. The only place I could source it was from a Citroen dealer, at £25 a litre plus VAT. The filter requires five litres. It can require this at any time - and it is not recommended that you do this yourself. The dealer charges up to £175 for a refill - if of course that switchs off the light. If not you\'re into investigation - and the price increases accordingly. Eolys fluid can need replacing at any time - ours has just been done less than two years after it was previously filled (we had the filter done then too). On top of which - if you run too low on this fluid, your engine can go kaput. So not great. That aside it is a great car - as long as you are prepared for the servicing costs, it is an excellent all-rounder, but not for those on a limited budget....

tartymuffin 08.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of Citroen C5 2.2 HDi

Citroen Xsara 2.0HDi estate

Advantages: Great engine for power and economy, massive boot, bargain 2nd-hand.
Disadvantages: Dull interior, dull image.

...Well, it has done over 90,000 miles now, but the engine remains powerful, the seats supportive and the trim in good condition. Contrary to Citroen's reputation this car has been extremely reliable over the last 5+ years I have owned it, and the dealer's been fair too. Generally underrated, I have driven far newer cars that don't appear to have progressed much at all. Dirt cheap 2nd hand. The best bits are: The strong and economical engine. It shows a clean pair of heels to plenty of surprised Audi/Merc/BMW drivers and I get 40mpg around town, and over 60mpg on motorways. The nice smooth ride, far better than more modern hard-riding cars. It handles well despite the softer ride and the steering has some feel to it. The boot is big for a car of this size, and gigantic with the rear seats folded down. Tyre wear - on average they are...

clickysteve 09.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of Citroen Xsara 2.0 HDi Estate

Why dont the car mags like the Citroen C5

Advantages: huge interior, great performance, clever gadgets
Disadvantages: fuel consumption

...I have had my Citroen C5 3.0 V6 for two weeks now and it's great. But I don't understand why all the car mags (eg, Top Gear, What Car) rate it as boring, and ugly... I find its looks attractive and distinctive - less brash that the Mondeo, and less eccentric than the Laguna. Its interior is significantly more attractive than the Mondeo I looked at - for me the C5's art nouveau inspired curves are so much more livable-with than the macho metal bits and American-looking fake veneer, and frankly naff clock in the Mondeo. I am quite spoiled by the C5, as after a test drive in an HD2.2, I went back to order one, to find this 3.0 V6 sitting in the showroom with a huge discount (from £24,000 down to under £18k). This is is because as a top spec (auto, leather seats, sat nav, etc) model, the price was up in the Audi/BMW range and customers weren...

robw1 24.01.2002 · Read review
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Review of Citroen C5 3.0 V6

This Citroen Is No Lemon

Advantages: Good eprformance and handling
Disadvantages: Poor rear seat room

...Life can be a lottery. As much as we try to plan our lives sometimes you end up doing something surprising. You may not have planned it but you are glad you ended up doing it. When I travel abroad I often have to hire a car. This gives me a couple of days to try out something different. When I got to the Europcar desk at Brussels Airport the other day they informed me the car allocated to my hirecar booking was a Citroen Xsara 2.0 Hdi. I suddenly thought, I have been driving for 30 years (no, not non-stop before Alkaliguru makes some comment) and I have never driven a Citroen. I have been a passenger in one or two. A relative of mine had a BX, all angles and sharp edges and a ride like a slow rollercoaster. I also went in a recent Xantia which was quite nice if again not the worlds most attractive design. When I arrived at parking...

polydeuces 19.09.2001 · Read review
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Review of Citroen Xsara 2.0 HDi

Smooth cruising in your C5...

Advantages: Economical, spacious, cheap, comfortable, lots of extras!
Disadvantages: Dodgy suspension

...We have had this vehicle for the last year and I have to say I would hate to change my car again. At the time of purchase we were looking for something a lot bigger than our peugeot 306 but still wanted it to be quick. My husband does a very long commute every day so it had to be comfortable but also economical ie a diesel. The Citreon C5 seemed to tick every box, it is a HDi (nippy diesel), it is very spacious inside with enough space in the back to carry a baby's car seat plus 2 adults comfortably. There are airbags all over the place and an alarm for your peace of mind. You get all the little extras such as A/C, 6 CD changer, in depth on-board computer, arm rests in the front and back, sun viser to go over the back window etc etc.. The boot is enormous and you also get loads of miles to the gallon, generally around 47mpg! All of this...

Sydney315 17.07.2006 · Read review
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Review of Citroen C5 2.2 HDi

Grab a family transport bargain

Advantages: Big, comfy, and economical, motorway mile eater
Disadvantages: noisy suspension over rough roads, slightly iffy electrics

...We decided to go for the 2.0 SX Estate as we've had 3 BX's previously (GTI, TD Saloon, and 1.9 RD Estate) and figured that the C5 2.0 HDi Estate was the natural progression to this line up. All our citroens have, in general, been very reliable. Even the suspension, which those that don't understand it think is complicated and expensive to repair, is a brilliant piece of engineering (good enough for Rolls Royce and Jaguar to make use of). We needed a large, reliable and cheap to run car, that is good on the motorway as we travel a lot of miles, as a family, making use of the brilliant French Motorway and Main A road system, the C5 does this kind of motoring brilliantly. As a general rule, we'll drive the full length of France (about 700 miles) on 1 tank of fuel, in around 9 hours (traffic permitting). The reason we can do this...

silvo63 26.09.2006 · Read review
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Review of Citroen C5 2.0 Estate