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Personally I prefer the 306. I grew up on a staple diet of Pugs including 305, 205 and now I'm a big boy my mrs has a 405. But the ZX is growing on me really.
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Yep, same car, different clothes, shall we say. All the mechanicals are the same and it's only the body shell which is different. The 306 is undoubtedly the most popular of the two and is prefered by many (including me) due to its looks. The ZX has its advantages over the 306 in the sense that it is cheaper to buy than the 306 as well as having a lighter body shell , thus making it slightly quicker and more fuel efficient than the 306. Both are great handling cars and the ZX especially makes good value for money as even the top spec 1.9TD models circa 1997 can be picked up for just a few hundred £ now.
Martin
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It's always baffled me why a 97 ZX will only fetch £300-400, and yet the equivalent 306 is closer to £12-1300.
Madness. Image strikes again.
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I think it's that badge.....
Although it's a 306 in diferent clothes, it's also a relative of the Xantia, which was plagued with problems
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I seem to remember reading a review of the first ZX 1.9 TD. Can't remember who it was by but they commented how it was the fastest TD in it's class. I can believe that because I went with my step-dad to get mine MOT'd and it went like stink! Although it failed on front wishbones (typical french), a spot of welding (my very typical french) and a PAS pipe
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I had one until recently and they do go surprisingly well. The way the turbo kicks in quite suddenly at around 2000rpm is quite unlike the behaviour of modern TDs and adds to the feeling of 'taking off'.
Best of all is the handling though - the wheel weighs up beautifully on fast twisty roads, occasionally I still find myself wishing I was driving it.
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The ZX can be an excellent car if you get a good one. Way back in 1994 I bought a new ZX Turbo Diesel the same day my sister got a new Mk3 Golf GTi 2.0. The ZX ran rings around her Golf and over tthree years never let me down. I still meet it in the neighbourhood driven by the chap I sold it to in 1997.
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I think it's that badge..... Although it's a 306 in diferent clothes, it's also a relative of the Xantia, which was plagued with problems
The build quality of the Xantia is streets ahead of the ZX. We had both at one time, the ZX going to my father and then my sister, after three and half years here. The ZX was reliable enough, had a very good ride and handling but the build quality let it down. When I first bought it (from new) it had lots of little niggles. Mine was an 1.4 8v and the engine was excellent; 100+ mph and 40 mpg.
As lots of Backroomers will know, our Xantia was never plagued with any problems at all.
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>>our Xantia was never plagued with any problems at all.
Nor mine which was banged around Rio in some awful conditions. Nor my sister's which was bought from some dead dodgy type up in the Fens which is still going great guns with never a murmur.
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I didn't mean to suggest that Xantia's were bad cars. I've been in a few and found the "floating on air" ride very relaxing! I'm just going by their reputation - apparently they have a lot of electrical problems.
I accept that the Xantia is of a better build quality than a ZX. Xantia's seem to be similar in build quality to late (mk 2) Peugeot 405's. This was probably because they were built to compete with the likes of Mondeo's
ZX's seem to have a lightweight feel about them - similar to my 205TD which is sat outside doing not much. It'll be a summer project I reckon!
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Again -- the ZX and Xantia might have electrical gremlins, but why do people not hold this against Pugs if they're going to criticise the Citroens -- they're absolutely no better than the Cits when all is said and done.
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I didn't mean to suggest that Xantia's were bad cars. I've been in a few and found the "floating on air" ride very relaxing! I'm just going by their reputation - apparently they have a lot of electrical problems. I accept that the Xantia is of a better build quality than a ZX. Xantia's seem to be similar in build quality to late (mk 2) Peugeot 405's. This was probably because they were built to compete with the likes of Mondeo's
The Xantia's build quality is much better than that of the 405, which tended to develop rattles. It really was a step up in build quality for Citroen. As for electrical problems, the only possible failure on our car, in 12 years, was the rev counter and this may not have been an electrical fault
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I read somewhere that some models of the ZX had 'passive' rear steering. Is this correct? I don't recall that any 306 models did. I notice how much SWMBO's 405 sqeaks compared to my Xantia but then again the 405 is an estate and is a few years older.
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Xantia HDi.
Buy a Citroen and get to know the local GSF staff better...
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405s are known for developing squeeks and rattles. I nearly bought one several years ago, because I loved the handling, but it had several rattles coming from the dasboard and an engine misfire which the seller couldn't sort out.
Our Xantia never developed a single rattle or squeek in over 10 years. I would say that means it was screwed together pretty good.
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Our Xantia never developed a single rattle or squeek in over 10 years. I would say that means it was screwed together pretty good.
My spelling is a bit awry. Should be squeak, not squeek.
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I read somewhere that some models of the ZX had 'passive' rear steering. Is this correct? I don't recall that any 306 models did.
All models of the ZX had passive rear steering, as far as I recall. I think this applies to the Xantia too.
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Fabulous handling cars. Supple ride, even on the hot models, excellent body control over crests and bumps, an incredible resistance to understeer, and the most wonderful, feelsome power steering you could want.
Lift off oversteer was a joy when you mastered it and a potentially major expense if you didn't.
The best bit of these cars was even the base 1.4 models handled well, just with an extra dose of body roll and a reduced dose of grip.
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My 1.4 ZX was fitted with wider tyres and I have to say that other 1.4s that I drove, with the skinnier tyres, were nicer to drive. With wider tyres and no power steering, it was a pig to park in tight spaces.
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We had a couple of atmo 1.9D ZXs, one of which is still doing sterling service with a friend 13 years on. Yes they are lightly built and light (if only modern cars could be as light) which has its benefits if you don't mind the furnishings being basic (no airbags, AC, etc.)
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Apart from a flip up sun roof, my ZX was devoid of any extras at all. No electric windows or mirrors. Not much to go wrong, of course.
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Again, being a relatively lightweight car, the ZX has respectable performance even in 1.4 petrol and 1.9 non-turbo diesel form whereas the 306 with these engines generally feels somewhat underpowered due to the heavier body. Hence, the 306 is always better with at least the 1.6 petrol and the old 1.9TD XUD and newer HDi diesels.
Martin
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Is there any particular reason why the body on the 306 is significantly heavier than that of the ZX?
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I think the reason is that the ZX uses plastics for the rear three quarter panels, tailgate, and (maybe the bonnet), whereas the the 30, is all metal (galvanised).
Both cars resist rust very well. Not sure if the rest of the zx (i.e doors, wing, roof) are galvanised - but again seem to resist rust very well.
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My 92 Aura TD is still running nicely, one starter motor, a clutch at 180k and a radiator. I'm no car enthusiast but have always put plenty of Millers oil through it. I keep asking the dealer how long the front shocks should last but he says it doesnt need any would new ones be worth it on such an old high mileage car now approaching 220k?
Any suggestions for a replacement? I've a feeling I'm going to miss the lovely ride/handling mix as a tested C4 was nothing special.
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My 1993 ZX 1.9i petrol is now with my brother, so I get to drive it occasionally.
I still love the ZX handling and the juicy, drive on rails steering, even though I now have an E46 BMW 325i. There's something of a special thrill from the ZX that I miss.
Wish they still made small sporty cars that drove and rode as well as that.
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I think the reason is that the ZX uses plastics for the rear three quarter panels, tailgate, and (maybe the bonnet
I don't recall the bonnet being plastic. Anyone know for sure?
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This seems to be one of the few smaller cars that offer an auto box with a diesel engine
Does anyone have an idea how the fuel consumption compares to the manual diesel?
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The auto diesel is likely to be slightly heavier on fuel than the manual equiv. The auto is also likely to be considerably slower than the manual too. Citroen seemed to be one of the few mainstraem car manufacturers to make diesel automatics a decade or so ago. Not only did they make a ZX 1.9D auto but they also made the BX and the Xantia with an auto box mated to the 1.9 diesel engine. Have never driven any of these in auto form but I'm guessing they would be painstakingly slow. Peugeot on the other hand never made an auto diesel 306, 309 or 405 or not as far as I'm aware anyway.
Martin
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That's right, Peugeot have never had an auto box on their smaller diesel engined cars. I notice that the C4 now has a diesel auto option.
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