2004 Mk 1 Citroen C5, more interesting than it looks, Goes for a Drive
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The Citroen C5 was the last proper Citroen, with unique and unusual features that make it much more interesting than it looks
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Had a C5 estate, and I loved that car. Not the prettiest car, and some of the plastics felt very cheap, but it was cavernous, comfortable, a joy to drive daily, and the Hydractive system was fun.
I sold these from new - frightening really to think it's two decades ago now! If the styling of these had been more resolved they would have been held in far higher regard . Quite a bit larger than the Xantia it replaced - which put a lot of existing customers off and also not quite 'premium' in fit and finish to attract the junior executive market either in its higher spec versions - the original C5 fell in to a bit of a no man's land marketing wise. Hugely strong though for its time - Citroen never made enough of a fuss over its extremely high Ncap results - and whilst never hugely popular especially compared to its Bx and Xantia predecessors they did forge a very loyal customer base - especially the estates and high spec diesels. Early Y plate examples were a bit hit and miss for build quality - but by 2004 when this Mk1 run out spec Vtr came out they were properly sorted. One of my old customers still owns their 2.2 Diesel auto exclusive nearly 2 decades after I sold it to them - they won't part with it because they love it so much. In the UK they'll forever be regarded as a piece of old French tat - but underneath the less than sexy styling lay a very capable car. Great review. 👍👍
Was the BX popular in the UK ?
@@julienbee3467 Yes it was - the biggest selling medium sized diesel car in the UK at one point.
I was a die hard green blood Citroen fan (still am tbf - own wayyyy too many 😂🤦) and completely dismissed the C5 when it came out...
Big mistake!!! Bought a used, zero service history 51 plate mk1 C5 110 Hdi LX estate about 6 years ago and realised what a *damn* good car it is! Not quite as 'interesting' as any Citroen before it, but incredibly capable, ridiculously reliable and easy to service/fix, still with most of the Citroen benefits... That's now on 195k with me, working hard lots of the time, towing a car trailer.
Cannot believe the condition of the one in this review - absolutely immaculate! Can't be any others like it. Hope someone buys it with the idea of continuing to cherish, so there's at least one pristine low mileage one to appear at shows in the future!
@@julienbee3467 Oh, yeah. Virtually ubiquitous in the late 80s/early 90s. And virtually extinct by the early 2000s as their residuals were quite poor.
The GTi 16v was one of the best performance cars I ever drove, managing to be fast and effortlessly comfortable.
@@Rapscallion2009 I thought British people had mostly high-end cars
It wasn't the last Citroen to have hydraulic suspension, the MK2 C5 was also fitted with HA3 on the mid spec cars and above and all autos. The C6 also came out after this MK1 C5 and was in production after this car was phased out.
The C5 X7 had also hydropneumatic suspension, I believe these were the last ones.c5
@@SovietCaptain03 Yep only in Exclusive spec, everything else got standard suspension. I had a black 2.0hdi Exclusive for 3 years, sadly had to sell it when I needed an auto due to arthritis. It would still be with me now otherwise, I loved it and so did everyone that travelled in it, the suspension was sublime.
The c5 MkIII estate was the last citroen to come with hydro suspension. They were discontinued in 2015
yes, lot's of false info in this video.
Not sure how this in particular is the last “real” Citroen.
It’s the first Citroen that introduced the Hydractive 3 and Hydractive 3+, which was quite different from the previous hydraulic systems.
These H3 systems had lot of components replaced by electronic sensors, and spheres were changed for a new design as well.
The accessibility to the hydraulic system (as you pointed out) has been made harder when compared to previous cars.
Where as all the hydraulic Citroens before were fully mechanical systems. Apart from Hydractive 1 and Hydractive 2 (available on XM and high spec Xantias) which had two additional spheres and computer control to switch from soft to firm automatically. But the height control, height correction, maximum rear brake pressure, and ride level was still all maintained mechanically, unlike on this H3 system (which no longer provides power assistance to brakes or the steering, as those were now replaced by traditional power steering and servo brakes).
The Hydractive 3+ system (which differs from Hydractive 3 by having two additional spheres allowing the system to have a soft and firm mode, just like Hydractive 1 and 2 differed from traditional mechanical hydraulic system) can be identified in the first C5 by the presence of the sport button in the middle of the ride height selector arrow switches that are located between the gear shift and cup holders.
The Hydractive 3+ system was also standard on the Exclusive trim of the second generation of C5, making this car NOT the last hydraulic Citroen.
That is not to mention the C6 that came out in 2005 offering H3+ with additional variable damping, offering not only automatic switching from soft to firm, but also adding 16 damper settings to each wheel that was computer controlled independently for each wheel many times a second. And it’s important to mention it’s been in development already in the 90’s and unveiled as a concept in 99, meaning the C6 was developed largely under the same leadership as this C5.
Edit: I wrote this comment before I had the chance to finish the video. The brakes were separated from the suspension because of EU regulation that came to effect in 2000 requiring for brake systems on cars to not be shared with any other system. Which personally seems a bit silly to me given that old hydraulic systems automatically adjusted rear brake load based on the trunk load, and in case of loss of pressure the cars would light up the huge “STOP” light on the dash, and if you stop immediately the safety cut off and rear accumulator assure that the car is able to stop even during a very dramatic pressure loss. I’d like to see what mainstream car these days warns you about loosing your brakes and warning you in time to stop.
The suspension softness/comfort differs very little between a 4 sphere C5 I/II and a 5 Sphere Xantia. The hydractive 3+ C5 is harder yes, but in turn it gives an uncommon combination of comfort and "sporty" low-roll handling. The "saucer" multicouche spheres were tested before on late Xantias, and are interchangeable with the older green spheres.
@@MrTopgearnerd I never claimed the comfort changed really, and H3+ just carried on the comfort and sport duality from H1 and H2.
My point was that with introduction of C5, the hydraulic system was pretty much entirely new from the ground up.
Therefore there exist three predominant cases where people claim “real” Citroens ended.
First is when Peugeot took over Citroen and so some people claim real Citroen ended with the CX as that was the last model developed prior to creation of PSA.
Some people claim the real Citroens ended with XM and the Xantia since they were the last models using the more traditional hydraulic system that still powered the brakes.
And some say it simply ended with complete phasing out of hydraulic suspension when C5 seized production in 2017.
But personally this is the first time I saw someone referring to first gen C5 as the “end point”.
@@556johny556 First time I saw someone referring to "C5 'seized' production in 2017".
Shouldn't that be 'ceased' production? It's usually rusty engines without oil that are 'seized'. But I've got to say, you sure know your 'CitrOnions'. 😎
@@habsom1406 working nights and having to run errands during the day instead of sleeping will do that to you. I’m currently chasing a sale of an XM and it’s just been taking over all of my sleep time, so I’m surprised this was my only mistake through all of this
I’m not so sure it was a bad idea to depart from the system where the brakes and suspension were connected
I had a BX where the drive belt failed on a long trip.
The suspension began to slowly settle, the testing got heavy, and the brakes started to fade.
I pulled over safely before all power was lost and with the help of an AA man, got a belt from a VW dealer to the nearest size, and was able to continue.
Bringing back lots of childhood memories with this one - my late grandparents had an IDENTICAL spec to this (minus the engine, theirs was diesel) and whilst, at the time, it seemed like a normal large comfy car then you look back now and realise how different these are to anything else on the road. Will always be a fan, lots of happy memories :)
I absolutely ADORE these big Citroen's. They look as though you can get into it and just go, and go, and go until you end up in continental Europe, without stopping. Very plush indeed 👌🏻.
On a side note, now I know it's not specific to this car, however I love the fact that Citroen sold their Hydro suspension to Rolls Royce for years. Whenever I hear the term "it's the Rolls Royce of..." I love to think "no, its the Citroën of..." 😆.
Good Video as usual Matt, I'm off to acquire a C5 now.
I would also love one. Picasso's (which are brilliant) have cill rust at about 13 yrs. Don't know about these though.
Like the C5. This one a very good low mileage example but still looks beautifully prepared for sale. Whoever prepares the cars for Stone Cold Classics does a brilliant job.
My mother had a Xantia for about 9 years when I was growing up, bought it at 8 months old, absolutely loved how comfortable and wafty it was to drive, that was the first ‘big’ car I drove after passing my test, used to use it for a couple of weeks when they went on holiday. Always thought the C5 was a step back, looks wise anyway, especially against the arguably better looking Xantia. However, lately, they don’t look too bad. That one is in exceptional condition too.
I've had a Xantia 1.9td, a MkI C5 2.2hdi and a Mk3 2.0hdi Exclusive. Out of them all the last gen was by far the best car but the MkI was a close second, huge comfy seats and lovely floaty suspension, the only thing against it was it's love of crankshaft pulleys on a regular basis. The Xantia was agile and sharp looking but the electrics were horrendous with it refusing to start with immobiliser issues or the alarm going off when driving! 🤦 The Mk3 was the car touted to take on the BMW 3 series build quality and drive wise and it certainly didn't disappoint, I always felt cheated that the top Exclusive spec however didn't get nav as standard.
Love how eccentric Citroëns used to be, definitely part of the charm. I feel like modern ones don't have their own identity anymore.
I have this car in exclusive maxed out gear, leather seats, automatic windshield wipers, color navigation screen with an option to connect camera, electric mirror folding, middle mirror automatic darkening, commands for the screen near the handbrake, 2000’s mobile business phone with the charger, parking sensors, 6 airbags, extremely good sound system. Car is nearly 500k km on the meter but still goes so smooth and it’s comfortable beyond imagination for a car from that era. It costed me 1600 euro, absolute bargain, best car i ever bought and driven for the money.
My dad, who is a big fan of Citroens had owned a traction avant, ID, then DS. Finally in 2002 he got a C5 3.0 V6. When he first got it I initially thought it was really quite ugly, akin to a blob fish… but one day we took the car in a family trip and that’s where I realised this is quite a special car. The high speed stability was excellent and the V6 engine meant this thing could pull really well. We would be blasting past sporty bmw 3 series but it still felt so civilised inside!
I still drive this car on the daily. Absolutely love it. I bought a beater for 300 euro and never wanted another car. My wife also drives one
My parents had one, three of my cousins had them, I've had one. Were I'm located, they were great value for money, the diesel engines were amazingly reliable, durable and efficient. The electrics, well, the more basic the car the less could go wrong. Tons of space, extremely comfortable. Between the six of us we must have driven more than 2 million kilometres (my parents doing 650k and me 400k), a car that we're all very nostalgic about.
Have you had any issues with electric flaps for the climate system? They supposedly often crack beyond repair and there's a workshop I know that specializes in replacing them with "improved" ones that shouldn't break anymore
@@miraclearranger6438 flaps lol
@@miraclearranger6438 Mine only had air conditioning, never had any big trouble with it. My parents did have a big bill on the climate system at some point, but if it was cracked, a broken compressor or whatever, I am not sure.
My parent's wagon developed a quirk where the rear window (which can open so you don't have to open the entire hatch, a fairly useless feature) would open every time you unlocked the car. So you had to walk back and slam it before you drove off. Very strange.
My cousin's 2.2 diesel with basically every extra that Citroen had on offer, was the biggest problem child, mainly electrics. Not sure if he had a lot of trouble with the climate system.
@@morecoffee998 you just replace the latch on the boot that solves it.
@@brendanc5519 the problem fixed itself after one year, miracle car
I forgot these C5s existed, they're pretty cool actually.
One think I have learned with Citroens, that lean does not really translate into a car that will overturn. The modern C5 Aircross actually does surprisingly well on the moose test. They are more stable than they seem
These are great! I currently have a 2002 2.0L petrol. Mine is a SX spec,which was second top spec under "Exclusive". It has standard equipment as sat-nav, heated seats,on-board computer,folding side mirrors,self dimming rear view mirror,dual zone climate control,walnut details on dash and doors and cruise control🙂. Amazing comfort,though a bit thirsty on petrol.
Mine also have the hy3+, with sport fuction. Makes the car incredible on cornering,and stiffer when strong side wind!
This is the best car i,ve had and a have had more than 50 cars over the years😁
Any problems with the car?
Great review, nice to see one again! My best friend is a ''Citrofiel'' or in English: a Citroen freak. He had one of these new back in '02. A Mauritius Blue 2.0 HDi in Exclusive trim. Also drove it quite a lot, really good car. Super smooth ride, very comfortable seats and very reliable. Now has a C6 3.0 V6 HDi. He has no idea what he has to buy after this one, because no more hydroactive suspension. And no more saloons... Only ugly cross overs. Enjoyed it Matt, thanks!
My wife had two of these, she loved them. They suffered NO body rot, and were very fuel efficient. Thanks for the video. Peace be unto you.
The C5's are pretty reliable too. I've had a 2.0 liter petrol break (estate) from 2003, bought it in 2014 with 416,000km. on it. Gave it to my son at the beginning of this year with over 520,000 km. (323,000 miles) In those 7-8 years never had real big issues with it. It uses some oil though. Great comfortable car and the estate version is very big indeed.
Thank you. That was a nice trip down memory lane. I ran a 2006 phase 2 V6 Exlusive for a couple of years. It was big, enigmatic, and just outstanding in so many aspects - once you got to know it. A truly beautiful car.
What a lovely modern classic Citroën! Not even broken in! I really like the styling, looking fresh and modern, although not as lovely as a C6.
Whoever purchases this vehicle is extremely lucky, it seems to do everything very well, and will remain unique and exclusive! Thank you.
Always had a big, flubbery warm spot for these big old Hectors; they were the weapon of choice back in my caravan testing days and I can still remember the uncanny ride comfort. I prefer the looks of the estate - and the facelift ones in particular - but this is a rare old thing, now. One to put away, given the tiny mileage? Love it!
IMHO one of the best cars ever made. Just so competent all-round
I owned a 2005 C5 Mk2 automatic with the 2.0 petrol engine. Boy could it guzzle fuel. The fuel gauge would start to go down as I was driving out of the petrol station. It just floated along. The electric window switches on the drivers door were all over the place, drivers switch opened the near side rear window, the front passenger switch opened the drivers window etc. The switch unit was replaced free of charge. But I loved it. It was so comfortable and so roomy. The were one of the most underestimated cars on the road, especially in diesel.
The Diesels were frugal.... the V6 Petrols did the opposite and drank like George Bests!!! A totally contrast between the two!!!
Also I'm thinking whether the "sunglasses" space by the handbrake wasn't a pair of cup holders or did the cut-outs look too small for a travel cup??
we had a 2003 C5 Break in VSX trim; got a crash on the Autobahn as a from tire of a HGV blow, it instantly went from the right to the left lane. We hit the trailer 1/4 at the left and were squeezed between the trailer and the barrier. We (two adults and two toddlers) left the car on our own. First responders were wondering that it was possible.
Even by todays standard I believe the C5 is a more than average save car.
From what I have seen from the front there is a massive metal connection between the two deformation elements; unlike the VW Passat for example.
I worked on these when they were new, fantastic cars, always looked forward to the road test after doing a service on one. They were just so chilled yet still handled so well (especially the more expensive versions with upgraded suspension with SPORT! button) and that gearknob was almost sexual!
I recall a boss taking me out for a spin in one of these around 2005. I myself drove a Passat at the time and this thing just left the VW for dead in comfort stakes. The VW wasn't bad in that regard itself, but the Citroen felt like a flying carpet by comparison. I'd say the seats were similar, but the suspension totally different. The only problem with them was the blandness of the package. They were not interesting to look at, and you expect a Citroen to be stylish - this was the vogue of the time, though.
I just recall getting into it thinking "I don't totally hate this..." as I had expected to and after a few minutes thinking how relaxing and comfortable it was and what a generally pleasant place to be.
I have a 2003 C5 2.0 exclusive dark green with 300,000 miles. I used it as a taxi and a lot of my passengers commented on how comfortable it was, the seats are valour which is a risk in a taxi, but they still look good today. The hydroactive suspension was used all through the face lift models but the new C5 from 2009 to 2018 it was used in exclusive models only. It never gave problems only when things wore out. It now as has a easy life as my private drive. I replaced it as a taxi with a 2018 Citroen C5 X7 (estate) 2.0 exclusive. They were discontinued in 2018. Now there is the Citroen C5x.
I’ve had two C5 mk1. Maybe I need another one. All diesels here in Australia came with an automatic box and seem to have died because the boxes claim to be maintenance free but aren’t.
Update: after writing the message I bought a five speed C5. This time 2006 model.
As a previous C5 owner, I will enjoy this review.
I can say I used it to its ability no other car in its price segment got. "Terrain driving" sometimes, as well as towing a 6600 lbs trailer without problem.
Wonderful car for the money I gave for it. I would still own it except for feeling the urge to try something outrageous instead.
Mine was a facelift 2.0 with pretty good spec. If anyone got any general question, hopefully I can answer if you wish. Cheers.
that sun glass hold (according to you) are cup holders. They are the same in as a Pug 307. IMHO this is not the last "real" Citroën. If you define one by the use of high pressure hydraulics for suspension then the C6 should take that title. However, there are a lot of Citroëns that do not have high pressure hydraulics suspension made before or after the C5. I would still class them as real Citroëns.
Great review. I was chauffeured half way across Turkey in a C5 for work, and most comfortable it was. Sorry to be the pedant here but the ZX Volcane (mine being the TD) handled well due to front McPherson struts and an anti-roll bar
, with the rear being a torsion axle with an anti-roll bar and passive rear wheel steering. Also sub 1100kg kerb weight helped.
One of the most favourite cars I owned… drove from rural Hertfordshire to the tip of Cornwall and it was like riding a cloud. Fantastic Car
I just bought one very cheap for a few €. It's a nice drive, not very beautiful but comfy and well equipped for a 2003 car. It's my first french car and I've always wanted to own a hydropneumatic Citroen. The Mk1 C5 is so cheap here in Germany, you can't do much wrong with buying one, even if it fails you haven't lost much money.
Update: 11000km and 5 months later, still don't let me down and nothing fails. It simply works fine.
@@dosenwurst101 great..keep the updates👍
I've owned 4 of these fantastic cars and really don't know how to replace my current one,a facelift 130bhp hdi. They are without doubt one of the most underrated cars on the planet. With a six speed box mine will sit on the Autobahn at 90_100 mph with no problems, cruising at legal speeds in the UK will return up to 60 mpg and the car is so comfortable you can drive all day and not feel any fatigue. They really don't make 'em like this anymore. Incidentally,the cup holder is that thing you thought was for glasses between the seats,press the button,it pops up😂
That's a lovely car. Just by looking at the view from inside as you drive I want one! Looks so comfortable. Citroen will always be my favourite car maker. Quirky, comfy and stylish 👍
I don't think Carly has ever quite forgiven Ian for getting rid of Cecily the C5 estate. Not the best example but an immensely practical and comfortable family load lugger.
@@Grimwriggler Ian will be Ian. Cant change him. Still, the Toyota would have been a good buy if it was functional, and the Fiat was so much fun, especially done up as it were.
Fantastic..
My Aunt had two of these floating wonder barge's. A estate and hatchback.
Great review Matt and great to see one again..
got a 2003 diesel auto estate, quite simply the best car i've ever owned, a truly wonderful machine
I’ve had my 2005 facelift since January with the same engine, very nice to drive and comfortable, although no sports car!
Cup holders are where you said the sunglasses go, but they aren’t very good!
What I thought. Look too shallow.
I put my high cups in the bit behind the sunglas bit😂
Gotten used to the fact I can’t have a large coffee when driving!
@@simonmynott9745 for me its more for closed bottles😂
Never just disconnect the battery on Peugeots and Citroëns of this era. It can scramble the memory of the body computer, including the immobiliser codes. The correct procedure is to close the doors, open the bonnet and wait for five minutes for the computer to go to sleep. Do not open or close any doors during this time (as it will make it wake up again). Then disconnect the battery.
Wow
Hmm - C6 came out in 2005 and surely was still a true Citroen?
I remember when this was announced as the replacement for the Xantia, mentioning to some people that it was called the C5. They immediately associated that name with the Sinclair C5 and were quite dismissive. Thank you for the review Matt. A very nice car indeed. I owned a 98 Laguna for seven years, I had forgotten how light and welcoming the interiors were from that era compared to the dreary dark interiors of today.
They took the "carved out of a bar of soap" look too far.
The designation of the "last real Citroen" seems to be a evolving paradigm.
I'd say it was the MK2 C5 or the C6, although the facelifted Cactus from 2018 has fantastic passive hydraulic cushion suspension derived from Citroen rally cars, which is also being used in the current C4 and C5 aircross
I love french cars but citroen fans love to call their car "last real citroen" every year
Worked on, drove and owned many hydropneumatic Citroën's over the past 30 year's, too many to mention, the Xantia Activa (Not ZX) was the model that had an advance system where it had virtually zero body roll by use of rams on opposite corners attached to the anti-roll bars, controlled by extra height correctors, and various sensors, quite a rare model nowadays ! Zx"s were basically based on a Peugeot 306 with conventional suspension be it with torsion bars at the rear, but Zx's did have a "Steering" rear axle with special mountings 😎👍🏻
Oh, just a small thing: The cupholders you were looking for is the "hole" in the center console you thought were sunglasses holder :)
My old English teacher had one of these when they were new, he used it as a battering ram to push his way through the middle school playground to his special car parking space.
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I had an N reg 1.8 Xantia Expression, it was a wonderful car to drive but eventually the hydraulics packed up and at the time I couldn't afford the repair bill so it toodled off to somewhere else, I always fancied a C5 but to date one hasn't come my way
As a former Xantia owner putting myself in one of these was definitely on the agenda at one time - but ultimately I was put off because the styling is a tad too 'Mr Blobby' for my liking. Looking at this lovely example now I'm starting to think that was a mistake ...
Facelift perhaps looks better, to your eyes? Does to mine, at least.
It’s a lovely car
I used to have a Renault Laguna from year 2000 and it has lots of similar styling and conform, really lovely
Always liked those cars but for me in estate form that’s where that car really shines 😀
I came across a C5 that had been driven over the concrete parking bay dividers in a motorway service area by its elderly owner. It was well and truly stuck and the driver was in the process of calling his breakdown recovery organisation. I asked if he had tried raising the suspension and he gave me a puzzled look, turned out he'd had the car five years and didn't know you could do this! I raised the car up to max ride height and drove it off the divider for him but told him not to drive it away until the recovery mechanic had checked the underside for damage.
As the owner of a 2005 2ltr estate.... I love it! Comfort COMFORT comfort... Did I say comfort! Beats any modern fakir bed. It superseded my Mondeo 2001 Ghia, and I'm glad I did. So is my wife and so is my daughter. And the car is reliable, does not rattle etc. The german build mondeo has the better reputation, I think, but the C5 greatly outperforms the Mondeo in quality, comfort and cost. Oh and the suspension is brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
The rear wiper is an amazing feature!
And this 1.8 liter engine was definitely the most popular in Greece, at a time where 2 to liters and above where taxes more heavily and diesels where not allowed (as private cars) in Athens and Thessaloniki
I had a basic 90hp diesel hatch, which was probably the most sensible version to have - adequate performance and economy, and no DMF. The wheels were unusual. They looked like steels, had plastic wheel trims, but were actually alloys and properly light. I transferred them to the Berlingo after the C5 passed on, in which application they were considerably superior.
I think the reason they took the brakes off the hydro was related to the hydro being driven by an electric pump rather than an engine-driven one. When I first had the car, I was a little concerned by the way the headlights would occasionally flicker, until I realised that it was down to the hydro pump kicking in.
Had a diesel automatic 02 plate as my company car for 4 years -My other half used it for a taxi for another 4 years and it ended up doing 220k..We both Loved it and it never missed a beat .
Never been in one, always thought they were dull.
Now I'm older I can see the appeal. Is it just me or are the estates absurdly large?
They're large by modern estate car standards, yes (and the facelift estate was actually even larger than the mk1 estate - they lengthened the chassis!) but still nothing compared to the XM or CX before it.
I had a 2003 mk1 C5…I still miss her to this day. What a lovely comfortable car she was
My dad bought a C5 2.0-16V Exclusive new in 2002. A 3.0 V6 was a lot more money, so he settled with the 136 bhp from the 2 litre, which is a lot better than the 1.8 in this review. It was a very comfortable and luxury car and he had absolutely no technical problems. The happiness disappeared when he traded it in after 4 years and 38,000 miles: it was worth absolutely sh*t.
Question is why he traded it then, to be honest? Grass isnt always greener..
Had Fords, Rovers, Renaults over the years but the most reliable car ever was my first C5 saloon 2 litre diesel
Did over 200k miles with no breakdowns at all.
Fabulous mile eater in extreme comfort.and very spacious.
Bought the C5 Mk 2 Exclusive Tourer now has 160k on it, Fabulous car, full leather etc, but have had big bills on this one, but I forgive it for that because of the sheer pleasure that I get from driving it
For me personally, this is when cars were at their best: safe, well specced without relying on gimmicks, good real world economy. Plus, lots of people were still buying proper cars instead of rubbish suvs and crossovers or "premium" german tat. I do have 1 slight query with your otherwise excellent video: didn't the C6 and 2008 C5 still have proper Citroen suspension?
Yep they did. Noticed the same
What a coincidence! I've been driving Xantias (+a few BX's) for well over a decade now, and literally 2 days ago I bought my first C5! Mine is a 2001 2.0 with almost 160k miles. I must say the ride was a bit of a disappointment after my Xantia, but I think that's just down to the original (?) suspension spheres getting really flat by now. Funny thing that you mentioned the light and rubbery clutch, it's exactly like that on mine too, despite the high mileage. Mine has the opposite colour combination to this - blue exterior with light greyish beige interior. Thanks for the excellent review, I'm happy to notice you made many of the same remarks as I did when I picked mine up!
I had a c5 exclusive estate after a xantia and agree the c5 ride was inferior. To be honest other than a lot more space and toys it was nothing like as comfy or good to drive as the xantia. It was ugly for no good reason and had the sad aid of deliberate blandness..
Re: the poor rode versus the xantia... the C5 is a bit stiffer for sure, but it's not significantly worse - What size wheels has yours got?
I have 2 C5 mk1 estates - a 2.0 HDi with hydractive 3 and a 3.0 V6 with hydractive 3+. The Hdi rides much better than the V6 and I put most of that down to the wheel/tyre combo on the Hdi versus V6 (HDi has 15" 205/65 while the V6 has 16" 215/55). If yours has 16", I suggest find a set of 15"s from somewhere.
@@wurlyone4685 My C5 actually came with some cheap (and ugly) 205/65R15 alloy wheels with chinese tires on it, while the Xantia is on 16" BF Goodrichs. Yeah, not a standard size for Xantia but doesn't seem to ruin the ride. I'm pretty sure the C5 just needs new spheres or the old ones regassed, the Xantia has recently regassed spheres which surely helps with the silky smooth ride.
@@Bumper3D ah ok, interesting... My 51 plate C5 is still on original spheres at 195k miles, with no problems on that front - the LDS spheres don't leak off anything like the LHM ones.
If it's still got the Chinese tyres on those 15's, maybe start there before jumping on the spheres? Crap tyres certainly can make a huge difference.
The C6, which shared the same platform, was actually the last new model to be only available with a hydropneumatic suspension, and rather than the last Citroën under Calvet’s watch, it was the first developed under Jean-Martin Folz. However, Citroën was still in full identity crisis mode and the C5 is very much an illustration of the famous “a camel is a horse designed by a committee” quip attributed to Alec Issigonis. The strange style and architecture is the result of PSA marketing guru Luc Epron and Citroën brand boss Claude Satinet being at loggerheads about the philosophy the car was supposed to serve. Not all of that quirkinesses is intentional, some of it just happened. I worked at the German subsidiary at the time of the launch and can tell you everyone at Citroën had a bit of a hard time believing in this one at the launch. But it proved its qualities to those who bought and drove them, even more so in estate shape.
C6 shares the same platform with Peugeot 407.
@@tonilautamaki7275 ALL PSA cars bigger than C4/307 shared that platform. But the first car to inaugurate this platform was the C5 Mk 1, just as 307 was the first on the “middle” platform and C3 Mk 1 the first on the “small” one. You can always try to discuss and argue what a platform is, but that’s the way the platforms were defined by PSA: three platforms, small, medium and large for their exclusive products, plus maybe others for cooperation products (like the light duty vans). This was the strategy as announced by Folz in 1997, even though it will have started off a little earlier. A platform meant a certain number of shared elements that would make up about 60% of the car’s value, and usually was tied to a production facility (and indeed the Peugeot 407 was built in Rennes, a former Citroën factory that also made the C5 and the C6....)
Looks like a French 2004 Mercury Sable, designed for much the same purpose.
At around 24 minutes you've confused the ZX Volcane with the rare and record holding (re Scandanavian "Moose" test) Xantia Activa. The Activa had the fully active, early iteration of "Hydractive" electronic hydropneumatic suspension, the ZX on the other hand was only ever equipped with conventional passive shocks and springs.
My dad had one as a courtesy car once and he seriously considered buying one afterwards, despite being an Alfa guy. Personally I loved seeing these soft suspensioned Gaelic saloons on the road!
You know those remote control windows well my dad's got a 2004 C5 with a sun roof and the roof is remote as well with to buttons on the key to open and close the roof my dad's is in lime green in mint condition had four 5 years we love the adjustable suspension witch is self leveling when you put a hevey load in the back
At the time this came out I was given a Vauxhall Vectra estate as a company car which I absolutely hated whereas my colleague had one of these and I was so envious. There was nothing quite like it on the market at the time in terms of gadgets you got as standard, the suspension, and looks. Always wanted one. A true motorway muncher.
I have had many Citroens over the years.
I have had the v6 model and the 2.2 exclusive which I loved I had a gsa a xm they are great cars
These were popular with friends at work who towed caravans. They were reliable and durable but tended to disappear when the time came for an £800 clutch change!
Ooft, who was charging you guys that much for a clutch on one of these? That's OTT on the pricing.
My dad had a 2006 (Mark 1 post-facelift) C5: 2 litre HDi automatic. It was a nice car to ride in (I never got to drive it) with typically smooth suspension that you'd expect from Citroen. My dad isn't the fastest driver in the world so I don't know how it cornered at higher speeds.
Fuel consumption wasn't quite as good as my Peugeot 306 with the same 2 litre HDi engine - but then my car was a lot lighter and was manual transmission.
Dad had several Citroens. First a GS or GSA (I forget which) with its absurdly high-revving engine and that disastrous C-Matic 3-speed transmission: it suffered badly from the imprecision you get with a torque converter, and the takeup of power was very notchy when you changed gear - far more so than an automatic, and I believe the C-Matic was effectively an automatic in all respects other than that the driver triggered the gearchanges. Horrible transmission to drive. Hated it even more than a normal automatic (and I usually end up fighting autos which want to change down ridiculously when accelerating out of a roundabout and won't stay put in third as I gradually press the accelerator).
Then he had a diesel Xantia - unusually for him, he went for true manual. That was a lovely car with a fantastically torquey engine. I didn't get to drive it on my own very much, but when I did and could drive as I would drive (rather than in driving-my-parents mode!!!) it handled very nicely and had bags of torque to accelerate progressively out of bends.
It wasn't a C5 I, but a C5 II. I drove one myself from 2005 and all the papers, including those from Citroen, clearly said C5 II.
Looks brand new 👍👍👍 My dad had several of these, after his row of GS, BX and Xanthias. Super comfy cars.
Extremely comfortable while being able to corner hard and stable in straight line, is what hydropneumatic suspension is about! A truly beautiful system of amazing build quality, with components machined to 1/1000 of a millimeter, lasting for several 100k Mi! Who says the French are bad in built quality?
It should be no surprise that these cars behave very well in corners. The HP suspension was developed to drive fast on the windy and bad post WW2 roads, where you needed softly sprung suspension, combined with the ability to maintain speed in the corners.
The magic is caused by needing very little damping as the resonance frequency of the system is low, and by stiffening up under more load, which is a matter of the physics of compressing a gas.
In effect it means that the outer wheel in a corner automatically gets a stiffer spring.
Same applies when driving under heavy load. It’s not only self leveling, but as the ‘springs’ become proportionally stiffer, the car drives more or less the same when loaded. Also the integrated brakes (pre C5) are fantastic, they deliver proportionally more braking power, just because the entire system is under more load.
Altogether it always feels a bit magical, says an Xm owner.
This is already working very nicely in a fully ‘mechanical’ old school variant. I always call it a hydraulic computer, the way it is thought out and implemented is just amazing.
Typically an extremely reliable system too when properly maintained (300k+ Mi without problems is no exception). Replacing a £10 return hose, regasing a sphere for £10 every 3 years and flushing/replacing the oil is not really expensive, and that’s all it takes. Compare that to replacing shocks on a normal car…
Very sad that EU regulations and the idiosyncrasy of the drivers that demand a car that feels sporty whilst spending most of the time in a traffic jam, prevented continuation of the story. And costs, it was expensive to build of course.
Any hydraulic Citroen is an interesting car.
The best thing driving a C5 ( I currently own a 2006 facelift model) is that when you drive one you cannot see how it looks outside 😂
Back when these were released, I had a friend who worked for Alamo car hire. He said that they had bought a fleet of these and they were constantly off the road due to fault after fault.
My folks had one of these when they were new. Same engine, but the base SX trim rather than VTR, so it had steel wheels and manual air conditioning. The 1.8 petrol engine was a bit short of low end torque for a car as big and heavy as the C5, but once up to speed it was a lovely, smooth, comfy thing to drive. Excellent ride and very comfy seats. That key was a bloody monstrosity though!
Always loved the big Citroëns But the DS and variants, although never owned one. Very expensive if anything went wrong with the all in one hydraulics and if one lived within easy travelling to Dover or Folkestone and it could be driven, taking the ferry to Calais or Dunkirk as was sometimes cheaper to repair at a French dealership or country rural garage. Cup holders in a French car, never, as the French would always stop at a café or a les Routier for a coffee or a glass of wine. They could also smoke a smelly cigarette without stinking the car out.
Never had a problem with the brake button instead of a pedal as was used to vehicles with air over hydraulic systems, they had the same on or off character, one got used to using just the weight of the foot and extreme feathering upon reaching a stop.
The central display was shared between the C5 and the Peugeot 307. In the 307 the display was orange and red, but the graphics were the same.
My 2005 series 2 C5 2.2 Diesel has a sports button between the up-down suspension buttons. That sunglass storage is actually a cup holder.
You mentioned no cup holders but where you said about putting your sunglasses, if I remember right that section is sprung loaded and you can push it down to take cups
Always loved those Citroens. At the time of it’s launching, I was living in Brazil and there were two engine options, the 2.0L and the 3.0-V6. I always liked the StationWagon more. It had a “spaceship feeling”, like the first Ford Taurus Wagon.
*Thanks for sharing.* How many left in UK, of the 1stGEN-series1?
Since you mention Citroen zx volcane, as an ex owner, I didn't notice the flat cornering feel of the volcane . It's like normal thing to me because I'm used to it until I drive other car brand.
5:04 who do we know that's an expert on all things windscreen-wipery? Especially rear ones and headlights? 😁
Yes, i know that is old post, but at the beginning you wonder where the cup holder 😄... You tuch it and thinking...yeees, it's for sunglasses..but nooo 😄 14:24 that is cupholder 🙂... There is button in the middle a cupholder if you want clean look without that strange shape 🙃. No one mentioned it, so I said go for it, even though it's been two years
I drove one of these for 6 months for a job i had at the time, i will always remember the 'Rain sensitive windows' which would essentially roll up the windows when the smallest amount of water hit the windscreen - seemed like a good idea I'm sure when Citroen introduced it, in hindsight, not so much
*I HAD ONE OF THESE* at the same time as I had a 2004 Mercedes CL500 S class Coupe
Honestly, I drove the Citroen more than the Merc. I loved it and I miss it.
Long ago that I saw such a nice C5 MK1, it almost looks new.
You almost don't see them anymore these days.
Read that owners manual! Between seats that is not place sunglases, or you can if ya want. That is cupholder. Heater or ac going backseats under that. How cool is that?
I miss my C5, they are a fab car, it was mega reliable and soooooo comfortable. That’s a stunner and is probably already sold 👌it has two cup holders behind the up down buttons. The centre part is a fold down divider.
I seriously miss my C5 Mark 1 2001 2.0 petrol manual elegance trim level. Ride comfort comparable and exceeds a lot of premium brands. Fun fact Rolls Royce etc. used the patented HydraActive suspension design on their cars.
You failed to mention that the center cuppy was an actual removable trash can. Very practical on road trips. Furthermore there is also cupholders in the glove box. A total of 5 usable cupholders.
Please test drive a Smart Forfour from 2004-2007! ⭐️
Bruh you literally touched the cupholder.
It's what you called the sunglasses place.
Also I've seen a cupholder pop out of that thing where the Traffic Master is in this car
I had a 2003 xsara Picasso and then an 09 c4 Picasso. The amount of bits in the cabin this shares with both of them is nuts!
Loving this, got a Xantia currently and this year going to selling it for a Mk1 C5 Exclusive Se V6 and I'm so excited. Grew up with a long list of these and can't wait for my own
Thanks for the video
You Will need ignition coils, I needed three in four years. The heat of the rear cilinder bank can't go anywhere when the engine is stopped. Read that removing the sound insulation on top of the engine helped but can't confirm this. Being an Exlusive you'll have a sport button on the HA3+ suspension. Boils down to an extra sphere on the axle for stability.
@@michelvondenhoff9673 Thank you, I'll bare that in mind
Ooft, good luck finding one - I spent 4 years looking for my V6 exclusive SE (though I was looking for an estate, which is even more rare than the saloon).
Be warned though... Horrendous costs to run. Fuel economy is shocking and servicing the engine and auto box is eye-wateringly expensive.
@@wurlyone4685 I have found one, the owners just doing the belts and putting an Mot on it but it's a saloon one not an estate.
I don't do that many miles and my Xantia only does 30 on a good day so might aswell get so power and luxury to go with it.
Servicing how so?
@@Retrorixy Ah well if you're used to 30mpg you won't notice an enormous drop in fuel consumption then (but honestly - expect only 30mpg on the motorway, low 20's at best if you're driving round town).
Cambelt job is horrendously expensive compared to basically any other Citroen if done properly, so at least if the current owner is getting that done you'll be ok for a few years. The heads are prone to oil leaks because they get so hot and cook the sealant under the cam cover and it's an involved job to get in there and do (basically the cambelt job again and then some...) so ask the seller if that's being done while they're in there.
Even an oil change is comparatively expensive to a Xantia because of the volume of oil (7l). Gearbox oil same (and the Esso specific fluid is extremely expensive).
Don't get me wrong, the rest of the car is reliable and cheap to run and that engine/box combo is lovely to use - just be prepared that part of it will be expensive to run.
That one looks mint. Quite stylish still.
Citroens are great cars. Not many cars want to be different. If you dont like boring cars, citroen is way to go.