2.0 HDi 16v Exclusive Saloon (138 bhp)

Great ride, good handling but too much trouble...

I have had two BXs and this is my third C5. When it is working I think it is a wonderful vehicle (apart from the lack of cup holders). But I have more trouble with it than all of the other Citroens put together and then by some distance. It is also the newest Citroen (at 6 months and 3000 miles) I have ever bought.

The good things are the handling. Compared to both the mk I and the mk 2 it really feels "planted" on the road. It goes around corners at much greater speeds than are comfortable and is generally stable and quiet. The "magic carpet" ride that one expects from the hydrolastic suspension is still there, but without the boat like rolling of the older cars. Citroen really have got a winner there. I really don't understand why people moan about the steering, it seems fine to me. The fuel consumption is still improving even though it has now done 70,000 miles. The central console on the steering wheel is great idea. As is the flat headlight pattern and ability to change the displayed speed and distance units - I do a lot of continental kilometers.

There are few design issues. They include less rear leg room for passengers, less interior space generally than previous C5s. This may simply be an impression, rather than fact, because one sits much lower in the car than with previous marks. I am tall (>6') and while I appreciate the headroom, the seat back is too short and the headrests too far away with little available adjustment. I do not find the seats as comfortable as earlier versions or as the BX, but that may simply be that I am not a normal shape (a long back). I know it is a cliche, but I did 20-30,000 miles a year for years and I like a cup holder - there isn't one in a useful place (the ones in the centre cubby box are no use, because one stores other stuff in there). The electric brake is annoying as it frequently takes quite a lot of welly to unstick, if one tries to use its "automatic" unbraking feature - especially in reverse when the car is just started. Tyre wear on the front is rather more than I would expect, probably no more than 15,000 miles. The rear tyres seem to last three or four times as long. I cannot understand why bluetooth is not standard equipment on a car of this spec level, with all the other toys that it does come with. The fuel consumption for the first 15,000 miles is rather high, but then seems to improve noticeably and settles down after 25,000 miles.

The driving experience with the smaller engine is not as good as the earlier marks (both 2.2 HDi). The engine is not as torquey as the other engines and one has a smaller usable power/torque band. It clearly doesn't drive like a petrol car, but it is closer than any other largish diesel car I have ever had. One has to stir the gearbox much more than I am used to and it is easy to find oneself running out of torque on hills and having to change down (at least two) gears.

The really bad things include the clutch - it seems to be made of cheese - which wobbles. The clutch has a vague and rather variable biting point. Citroen replaced both it and the DMF at 35,000 miles and I have just replaced the clutch at 72,000 miles as it started to slip in high gears (again). This is, for me, a real downer as I have only ever replaced one clutch before on any Citreon (the C5 Mk I at 170,000 miles) then one other on a previous car which was caused by oil contamination (a Defender). I reckon, in 40 years, I have easily done more than 1,200,000 miles with just two previous clutch replacements. Just to add a bit of spice, when I got the car home after the last clutch, I discovered a pool of hydraulic fluid under the car and, hey ho, it turns out that the HLS reservoir had a hairline split in it. The second clutch was clearly wear (the original was apparently contamination).

Then there was the random rebooting, or going into "safe mode" whilst driving around normally (a faulty fusebox - found only after many frustrating visits to the garage). The aircon condensor in front of the radiator failed ("corrosion") outside the guarantee, but Citroen picked up the parts costs anyway. A suspension strut was replaced as was the steering rack. To be fair to Citroen all of the above was replaced under guarantee except the second clutch and the condensor. The garage picked up the tab for HLS reservoir fault.

When it works I reckon it is a great car for people like me who go on long journeys. It is just a lovely car to drive and to be in.

I would really, really like another one, but I am actively looking for something else that stands a chance of being less trouble - which for an otherwise died in the wool 15+ year Citroen owner says it all. Suggestions gratefully received.

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