The Citroen Xantia Is a Weird French 1990s Midsize Sedan
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 พ.ค. 2024
- CHECK OUT THIS CITROEN XANTIA ON CARS & BIDS!
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This is the Citroen Xantia, the weirdest French 90s midsize sedan. Today I'm reviewing this Citroen Xantia, and I'll show you all the many quirks and features. I'm also going to get behind the wheel of the Citroen Xantia and show you what it's like to drive.
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 THIS...
00:29 It Can Be Yours on CARS & BIDS!!!
01:06 Overview
02:22 Even Starting It Is Quirky
03:33 Hydroneumatic Suspension
05:31 Active Anti-Roll Bar System
06:12 Rare "Activa" Model
06:30 More Quirks & Features
08:08 Weird Warning Chime
08:31 Even More Quirks & Features
09:43 Rear Seats
10:58 Powertrain
12:26 Design Elements
13:00 Hatchback
14:17 Sunshade
14:52 The Name "Xantia"
15:33 Driving Experience
16:11 Hate to Admit...
17:02 Comfort
17:27 Anti-Roll Bar Suspension Works!
18:10 Manual Transmission
18:19 Better Than I Thought
19:58 Final Thoughts
20:23 DougScore
#dougdemuro #cars #citreon #xantia - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
![BOWKYLION - ส่วนต่าง (do it without me) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7x-pwcMopzE/mqdefault.jpg)
This was my father's car when he suddenly died in 1999. I had to drive it a few kilometers to their house, two days after he died. "Probably 1234", mom said, when I asked for my dad's Xantia code, and she was right. When I sat down in the 100000 kilometer car, the driver's seat, shaped by my father's back, perfectly fit my own back. I parked the Xantia in the parking spot in front of their garage. It is 2023 now; no car has ever been parked there since; and I am now older than he ever was.
😢
F
Dam son
I'm sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing.
Sad, but also beautifully written
The Xantia Activa still holds the speed record (yes to this day) for the moose avoidance test they do in Sweden. The Xantia performed this test at 85km/h. The car coming in at second place is a 911 GT3RS which managed 82km/h
Looks like Doug is not aware of this.
Jeez I did not know that, or forgot. Would you have to be more careful driving it?! or just common sense and drive at the limit
Surely this is THE fact about the Xantia. I love this fact, might be my favourite one.
Damn I watched this assuming Doug knew this. Sad
Yes, btw it was succeeded by a four electric hypercarswith 2k hp. But anyway it is the best classic car about moose teast and simple cornering on the track, it simply faster then any Ferrari in moose test
The xantia was very popular in Iran as well, fun fact: with all the engineering you mentioned on the suspension, it can level itself on 3 wheels so if you lose one and don't have a spare, you won't get stranded
better than that ! the gsa X3 i had, probably saved my life once..i was overtaking a lorry with 90 kmh, when i foundthe steering felt a bit strange, as if there was something wrong..so i finished overtaking, and then stopped at the side of the road...and found out the right front tyre was completely deflated...i guess with a "normal" car, i would have found myself somewhere under the lorry, but with THIS car, i drove to my home and THEN changed the tyre !
Iran have cars?
@@jeanmariezeyen111 that's amazing, I don't think even one of the modern cars with stability controls and so on, can compete with that, you lose a tyre you better hold on to your steering wheel for dear life
That's why xantia is still a papular classic here
@@kawaiikoto8800, roads too, surprisingly for most N Americans, they're actually really common (both roads and cars) in every country
the famous Mercedes G-Class. This inspiration came from Reza Pahlavi Shah, the former king of Iran. Even in 2023 (concept), the boxy-looking car remains iconic. However, due to mismanaged car economy issues, Iran's car industry has led to the production of shoddy, unreliable, and unsafe vehicles." or importing unsafe and outdated Chinese cars. The famous peugeot 406 was remade in Iran and became the Peugeot Persia as well @@kawaiikoto8800
The two driver vents have a use : the upper one is normally used to defrost the window (notice the passenger side has a fixed one) but can be oriented instead to blow on the driver's hand instead. The "memo" button is to memorize the radio station you're currently on. The "mute" button : try and put a single press button there, and you get a lopsided button layout. As for Citroën's use of X... look at the Citroën logo : < that gives you a X.
in France, most stuff looks weird to others but to us it "purpose"
@@sirflop1220 Hence the origins of the world 'franchise'
@@sirflop1220 Do you have an explanation for why Renault puts the cruise control on/off button on the floor by the centre console when all the other cruise control buttons are on the steering wheel? 🤔There is definitely a certain logic to the Renault audio control hub behind the steering wheel, but IMO the main steering wheel buttons (to set cruise control speed etc) not lighting up on Mk3 Meganes is just bad engineering when other brands could make the buttons light up.
@@TassieLorenzo my mk2 megane has it on the dashboard near my knee, where the headlamp levelling dial is
@@TassieLorenzo I'm also curious what the definitive answer is to that. The audio control stalk you mentioned is awesome, I always use it in my Kadjar. It's convenient, intuitive and for some drivers makes it easier to mentally separate driving controls from the audio controls. I'm guessing the placement of the cruise control and speed limiter toggle, which for me is behind the electric parking brake, might be to stop drivers from inadvertently activating them? Btw all of the recent Renaults have fully backlit switchgear (it was added to remaining buttons in Kadjar in the 2018 facelift).
As I remember, Xantia Activa still holds the speed record on the so-called "Moose-Test". It runs test faster than modern days sportcars. That suspension is an engineering masterpiece
The moose test was made more difficult at some point so the Xantia Activa's results aren't directly comparable.
But that's not to take away from just how wildly dominant this Citroën's results were for the 90s.
@@0HOON0 Actually, the only thing they changed was the the speed limit for pass or fail the test (from 70 km/h to 72 km/h). I've been reading that magazine for ages and the Xantia still holds the record. That doesn't mean that it's the best and/or most fun handling car in the world, but it's nevertheless very impressive.
There are 2 versions of the moose test.
The Xantia Activa performs less well in the version used by km77, for example. But that's mainly because the vehicles tested were a bit worn, new very stiff original tires weren't available, and it doesn't have ESP. Handling is always excellent, of course. Especially if the Activa system is very well maintained and fitted with good UHP or UUHP tires.
yes, holds the record above super or hyper cars, the ride quality is amazing, they call it the flying carpet, did the test with 85 kmh, the second was some porsche 911 with 83.
In the swedish Moose Test ( the one the Mercedes in the previous Doug's video failed miserably ) the Activa is the benchmark and has beaten every Porsche, Mc Laren, Tesla, Mercedes, Lotus you name it. In fact the active suspension was comparable with the 90's F1 cars
THIS is the video I was waiting for.
9 years after the first Doug reviews about his Cadillac, after reviewing countless super cars, owning one (Carrera GT) and creating an auction website, the Xantia has been reviewed.
I can die at peace at last.
Thank you Doug 🇺🇸
Cheers from France 🇫🇷
I'm still waiting for doug to review the Renault Avantime. 🙏
More info about the Activa version : it still, to this very day, retains the record for the fastest time to pass the Swedish moose test, beating cars such as track-orientated 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 RS and the 2017 McLaren 675LT.
Also, from a personal experience, my family, being as French as a baguette could be, owned 2 of these, years ago.
The first one was a 4 cylinder with a brown paint job that would switch from dark brown/black to almost tan, depending on the outside light
The second one was a V6. Right before new laws against high speed driving were applied, in the early 2000s in France, my dad took my on the back seat of it, went to the nearest highway and blocked the needle of the speedometer. It was graduated up to 240 km/h.
He told me that despite looking like a normal Xantia, it was not. The front axle was wider, the chassis was reinforced, the windows were thicker, etc. The guy who bought it from us came from the south of France, in a Lotus Elise. He thought this car would be a collector. He was right.
@@AFP557 The hinges will blow his mind :D
Does Doug actually own a pair of trousers?!
I am French and my Grandfather always bought Citroen, he had a CX GTI and later a BX GTI. He was driving around France selling formica. After The BX GTI he bought a red Xantia V6 Activa, it was the last car he drove until his death from cancer. Thank you Doug this video bring back some memories seating next to my Grandfather when going in Paris in the Xantia when I was a kid.
It's always amusing to see Doug reviewing these cars which are so common in Europe but so strange to the US folks 😁😁 There were so many Xantia's here in Croatia too
Not eveywhere in Europe. It's a uncommon car here in Norway too. I can't remember the last time I saw one and there are only three for sale nationa wide.
Normally is the other way around
Here in Greece they do still exist, same goes for the Xsara too! A rare sight is the older Xantia looking 5 door liftback Citroen that mostly sold in white colour
@@pssst66 it has become uncommon.
In the 90s, before corrosion made its way through sills, Xantia's were popular over there just like other hydraulic Citroën's.
Actually Norway was a major market for Citroën : your country bought 10% of XM estates produced, as Varebiler cars, which is enormous.
We had a lot of those here in Israel too and even more Xaras 😂 It’s amazing to see him get so worked up over things that are so normal here
THIS is the reason I watch your channel, keep your hypercars and new cars, give me the quirky mad ones we used to think were totally normal (like this as I'm from the UK, there were hundreds of thousands of them here, Citroen is very popular), Dont stop making these videos, they keep people like me very happy! Plenty of weird Brit cars you could do, Austin Allegro, the Maestro with the talking audio system, so many!
They sold very well in Spain. And there are still quite a few around. A very comfortable and pleasant car to drive. The HDI models were very popular. A great car.
The immobiliser code was a great idea... This was a period (esp in uk) when car thefts were rife and people had them retro fitted... So a new car with an immobiliser was seen as a good feature I believe citroen had this feature on all their cars at some point
I had this car, so I can answer for the MEMO button: with the stock car radio, it was used to store your favorite FM stations ("MEMOrize" them). Pressing the right side of the button would cycle through the memorized FM stations.
The MUTE button worked in either direction, I guess it was just to avoid manufacturing different types of buttons and contacts.
The passcode thing is an anti-theft device: a burglar who stole your car key would not be able to steal your car.
My brother had a keypad immobilizer added to his 97 Civic for the same reason.
@@GeeEm1313 Yeah it was a pretty common accessory back then to keep insurance companies happy before modern immobilizers were a thing. Peugeot and Citroën just happened to fit them as standard from the factory on some models. The facelift Xantia (~'98 onwards) got a modern immobilizer, so there was no need for the keypad anymore
I am surprised that he thinks that are only strange features. Like the air vent. I think that's a good idea to have two parts. One was blowing into hands at winter the other part to the window so it doesn't get foggy 😊
it was the last time of fully mechanical key and first "antidemarrage à code" before the transponders included in keys few times after, I think its only on 1996&1997
@@janjerebalthough that holds true for some cars the Xantia has actually a small non movable vent up to for that reason
I'm the kind of guy who drove a Citroën Xantia when Doug was still in pre school.
He still seems to be
It's the only car he's ever reviewed that I've actually been in.
@@davepugh2519fr?? he’s driven pretty much anything at this point. Civics, to pt cruisers to quirky cars to super rare super cars
@@DreamcastSoup not if you’re European 😅
So you're just old then.
They were incredibly popular here in Northern Ireland where it felt like they were everywhere but only ever in diesel form, but then the ZX was so popular with young people as they liked to customise it and the BX was popular with everyone especially in estate guide. Brilliant cars, I miss the nintes 😉
Not a bad car from the nineties.
was it red and did someone take a photo in front of it with their son on a busy omagh street?
No way, customizing a ZX is the worst thing I've ever heard 😂😂
Indeed, they were everywhere. The service managers in my first job had them as company cars. Got to borrow them a few time, wallowy but so nice to munch up miles in
So true. It was my first company car back in 99
Not weird in Europe, these were everywhere and they were very very good cars. The 24v V6 activa is probably one of the greatest cars ever made.
Thick head Americans...
Too bad it’s now probably going to rot away in the States,because as soon as something breaks and the discover parts are either extremely hard to find or obscenely expensive, it’s going to be abandoned
It definitely wasnt "mainly only popular in France" this car was a massive success all over Europe.
There are a still a hell of a lot of these on the roads, they were built to last.
They were popular over here in the UK.
Xantia was popular not only in France, but in all western Europe countries. I was 5 years old when it came out and it was so advanced compared to the competition back in 1992. Whenever I saw it I couldn't help myself not to look at it, especially when the car was parked and it automatically dropped to the ground. My parents then bought it in 1998 and it was still the most advanced car in this class. A car to remember.
It was pretty popular in some countries in south America as well, either Citroen or Peugeot.
I remember seeing them in Paris in 1999...I loved the old style Citroens....they had character
they used to be *everywhere* in slovenia, and you can still see them around on occasion
It was super popular in Iran, too.
It wasn’t that popular in The Netherlands. We have a sense of taste and quality.
A fun fact about the xantia is the handbrake situation it's on the front brake rotors instead of back ones
Yep, like several Citroen models.
@@GoldenCroc Exact. The BX for example had also handbrake on front wheels
Aye, made changing pads a more complicated job than it needed to be, but once you had done it a couple of times it wasn’t to bad 👍🇮🇲😜
Yes, I had a Citroen BX with handbrake cables to the front. I remember changing them myself and it was very straightforward.
I almost killed my self in my BX trying a handbrake turn not knowing that 😂
Lots of these lovely frenchies still runing around here in Southern Europe, they were sold in really high numbers (specially basic trim Diesel ones) and are usually loved by their owners because of their durability and relatively great bang for the buck when compared to more "premium" brands.
Having owned a 1998 Xantia V6 Activa , i have to augment Doug on some things;
-The keypad was optional on higher end Citroen models. Its quite rare and not even standard V6 Activa.
-The suspension in the low setting is only used to relieve pressure from the system. It can't be driven this way.
-The suspension in the high setting is only for changing wheels, it's not meant to be driven also. The car will be very stiff.
-The 'sport' button above the suspension slider make's the Activa system kick in sooner. Active suspension wil always be on.
-The rear window button's in the middle console is a remenent of the Citroen CX, wich also had it there.
And i agree with you, the ride is excellent! I could make screaming side sliding corners and be in full control.
The more time goes by, the more I admire Doug. I absolutely love the fact that he's one of the largest car TH-camrs, has recently become very wealthy, but refuses to give in to the trends. I find that so many channels end up being about money or about just showing off. Doung has remained true to what he's always been. He does what he loves and takes us with him. To me, that's what TH-cam is (or was) about at its core.
Also, he’s doing more quirky cars since selling Cars and Bids made him quite wealthy and now he can do videos and not worry so much about views.
Olha só, Mind The Headphone por aqui, muito legal.
The day he starts combing his hair, I'm out.
I’m just stoked he doesn’t do that stupid TH-cam thumbail face.
Well… you can’t really say his channel is not about making money. He advertises heavily his own cars and bids auction site in his videos and that’s fine by me. IMO as long as he keeps reviewing interesting cars that were never sold in America he has my 👍.
As a German where we got a ton of Citroen, Renault and Peugeot, i'm always happy to see Doug get his Hands on one of those Cars that might be super rare in the USA but common over here!
I hope there are many more to come!
Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps
As a Dutch person, i agree!
It's also used to be in UK but the most common vehicle is vauxhall astra, corsa, ford fiesta, focus etc
Cannot remember to have ever seen a V6 here in 🇦🇹 though... They were all Diesels.
I am Irish and i agree with this comment.
@@olavofernandes7286 Another Brit here. True, lots of Vauxhalls and Fords, but there were plenty of Citroens too. I'm a big fan of old Citroens, and have owned both the BX and the CX.
My family had all of them: BX, Xsantia, C5. Simply amazing cars. No American or Japanese comes even close from the ride comfort standpoint up until today.
I'm in the UK, my parents had a Citroen BX in the early 90s. I can still remember the one window wiper.
Wrong. looks like you never had any other than corolla. I had plenty, xantia too.
The last's C5 2012-2013 are excellent cars even today.
@@alexlazy4296 not wrong. Rolls Royce bought license from citroen for hydroactive suspension.
I still think a 70s Eldorado would win over any vehicle available today, but you certainly wouldn't get the driving dynamics this car brings lol
Nice review as always, big respect that Doug is able to get some obscure EU cars in the US.
Here are some interesting facts about the Xantia:
- It was designed by Bertone, no wonder it aged so well
- The V6 Activa is holding the record of the Moose test since 1999 until today with a performance of 85km/h, beating cars like the 911 GT3 RS and the Mclaren 675LT. The Xantia does not even have electronic stability control.
- The Hydractive suspension is very comfortable, and back then a medical newspaper recommended it over steel springs as it protects the spine better by eliminating the vibrations from the road.
The suspension also reduces aerodynamic drag at high speeds by automatically lowering the chassis (reducing ground clearance) over 100km/h, and it also can stiffen the front in case of hard braking.
- The range with a diesel engine could easily surpass 750 miles (1200km).
- The Xantia is not as french and quirky as the previous Citroens; the interior styling is almost boring compared to the older models or the newer, first gen C4.
yeah not as weird as the SM or Ami.
Hey Doug
1- The adjustable suspension only has one real driving position, plus a very low-speed slightly-raised position. You can't drive in its highest and lowest settings, ESPECIALLY for top-speed runs!
2- Memo on the steering wheel was to scroll through radio stations, NOT record a voice memo
3- The mute button is important to be reached quickly. Thus it was easier to produce a two-use button than either confuse the driver with another use or make a single-use mute button
4- Air-con in Europe back in the 90s was a bonus, and many Xantias didn't have it. Thus the reason for a button placed elsewhere
5- They didn't put the horn in the centre of the wheel due to fears of angry drivers setting off the airbag! I kid you not!
6- Why didn't you mention the quirkiness of a sedan having a rear wiper!?
As a xantia driver I approve all of these points
Great points! I'm pretty sure he didn't mention the rear wiper because it's a hatchback.
Perfectly agree: the presenter’s limited knowledge and poor understanding of the car systems are very frustrating.
@@Specproof It's liftback :)
@@furkanerdo8124 True - if you need to be 100% correct :)
My family had one of these in the early 2000s before we replaced it with a Citroen C5. Many years later the C5 needed a major service and the dealership gave us a loaner car which turned out to be our exact Xantia from years back, so we got to drive it again for a few days. That was a fun coincidence
Nice
The hidroactiva suspension is one of the best systems ever done, the problem is the maintenence, very expensive and difficult. This model was very popular in most european countries and also in Spain it was a very popular model. The diesel model was able to make 1200km with a single tank.
Here in Europe these cars are so common. But it is so funny to see Doug getting excited about such a car 🤣
French dude who grew up in the 80's / 90's here. First of all, it's always nice to see a french car reviewed by Doug, especially a car that we've seen a lot on our roads, that we know very well, and that we still come across quite often, because it ages so well.
But it's unfortunate that Doug missed out so many things, just like he did in his Citroën C6 review (you can check out my comment on that video too). And the quirkiness and the weirdness of something, mostly depends on what you're used to. For instance, a few American cars were distributed in Europe during the 80's and 90's (Pontiacs, Chevrolets...) and we used to find them weird looking, poorly engineered and poorly built, because we were used to other standards. We also mocked their ridiculous engines, with huge displacement and low power output.
Back to the Xantia, some context won't hurt : Citroën has been belonging to Peugeot ever since Peugeot was sort of forced by the French government to buy them in the mid 70's to save them from being bought by foreigner car makers. Long story short, the Peugeot group faced huge financial difficulties during the 80's, and had no money to let Citroën "do their thing". They only were allowed to do things the rational way (the Peugeot way, that is), and the cheapest way possible, thus low sales and some laughable products. The group managed to avoid bankruptcy, thanks to the commercial success of the excellent, yet super bizarre Citroën BX (the Xantia's predecessor) and the Peugeot 205 (an amazingly successful supermini that largely contributed to bring the group back on track). By the time the BX needed to be replaced, the Peugeot group's financial health had already benefited from their industrial strategy of component-sharing between brands, and, of course, by the profits made with the latest models. The 90's were just ahead, and it was time for Citroën to carry on launching their new lineup, one model at a time, slowly stepping up their game. The XM and the ZX had been launched in 1989 and 1991 respectively, sharing their parts with (respectively) the Peugeot 605 launched in 1989 and the Peugeot 306 (which was yet to be launched later on, in 1993). That very year (1993), the Xantia was launched and found a very warm welcome from both the customers and the press, especially for its design and its build quality. The car, though "very Citroëny but not too much so" was quite popular, in a period in time where the mid-size sedans were pretty much the only option for average-income families, because the compact-class-based minivans just didn't exist. Of course, the Xantia shared its parts with the bigger XM, with its cousin the Peugeot 405, and even with the forthcoming replacement model for the 405, the Peugeot 406. The Xantia was offered in many versions, with many engines, and the V6 came out 1997, as the result of a joint-venture between Peugeot and Renault. Many Peugeots, Citroëns and Renaults were equipped with this engine, and if Doug had made his research, he would've found out that the C6 he reviewed, had this exact same engine! Although meanwhile, it had been dramatically improved, with a power output reaching the impressive figure of 215 horsepower (hahah😄). The C6 was the very last car to be offered with this V6 petrol engine, which was indeed very pleasant : the numbers are nothing special, but the driving characteristics of this V6 provide a wonderful experience. The sound, the smoothness, the linear yet sustained power delivery... what a lovely engine. Thirsty, but lovely! It was discontinued because it couldn't comply with the early 2010's European emissions regulations. It's also interesting to note that the last "version" of this engine was retouched by Porsche (variable timing for the intake, automatic transmission optimisation, improvements made to the exhaust, etc...)
Anyway, as good as it was, and although it's been reasonably successful, the Xantia sales never exceeded those of more mainstream models, such as the Renault Laguna, another french hatchback from this segment and this era. The only french manufacturer that made true sedans by that time, was Peugeot.
But contrary to what Doug said, European cars in this segment weren't mostly hatchbacks. Of course, there was Citroën and Renault, sticking to this bodystyle because of its practicality and "family-friendliness". Ford of Europe was offering the Mondeo in two bodystyles : a sedan and a hatchback. GM was doing the same with the Opel Vectra. But the more conservative makers, such as Peugeot (405/406), Volvo, Volkswagen (Passat), Alfa Romeo (155/156) and of course, Mercedes (C-Class), BMW (3 Series) and Audi (A4), believed that a car of this segment should have its luggage compartment separated from the cabin, and so they sticked to the sedan form factor. Of course, there were station wagons for these models.
This comment is already waaaaaay too long, but hopefully useful to those who don't know about French / European cars... don't always rely on what Doug says. I love his reviews, but they're full of imprecisions.
Anyway, it is true that the Xantia Activa V6 is definitely the most desirable version of this model, and it's become really hard to come by. If you plan on buying one, just know that prices are through the roof! 'Cause it's also true that it's a really really really good car. The hydropneumatic suspension is no problem at all here in Europe : parts are largely available, most mechanics know how to deal with this kind of stuff, and appart from the "Activa" technology (which was extremely advanced and avantgarde back then), running and maintaining any European car from the 90's is no problem whatsoever (except maybe for brands that have sunk, such as Saab or Rover or Lancia).
In fact, there's a funny tendency slowly emerging in Europe : younger people seek these cars like crazy, much more than those from the 2000's. It's funny, because they didn't grow up in the back of 90's cars. They weren't even born when these cars went out of production. And yet they love them!
Wow, pretty respect for this comment. I remember very well this car, Poland back then was not rich country and this car was upper middle class choice. It was one of my favourites cars, very classy and comfortable and french old style - modern but conservative same time.. love this car
We Americans know our brands suck. That's why we basically all moved to Honda and Toyota. And then Europeans brands are way too expensive and are known for poor reliability here. Even basic maintenance is expensive.
👍🏽❤️
Bien dit !
Merciii beaucoup
I love Doug’s consistent mispronunciation of European brands lol
I also love this car. The last Citroën that actually had character, and one of the last ones fitted with their famous hydropneumatic suspension. Apparently it felt like driving on cotton…
It’s not pronounced Sit roone???
@@DreamcastSoupthere’s an e in the name for a reason
@@DreamcastSoupcitroen, not citroon
the c6 wasn't bad though
albeit it looked more interesting than it was
@@DreamcastSoup where did the "e" go
Dude! My whole childhood my dad had this car. He had it for 14 years. I remember cruising with this car was awesome! Really comfortable cause of it's very good suspension! When it turned 10 years old a lot of things started to go bad. It was overheating, the suspension needed costly repairs etc. But for these first 10 years, it was a really good cruiser. Lots of holidays memories right there!
The Xantia was very popular in the UK, it seemed like everyone had one for a time. The version with the active suspension were incredibly rare, so much so that I don't think I ever saw one.
I had one it ran me about tbe country reliably and comfortably 😊..all positives for the Xantia..Better than the BX it replaced
Never stop making these videos Doug. I will ALWAYS watch a video of yours about weird, quirky, older cars.
Agree 💯 way better than the Corolla Cross Hybrid. I’m from the Range Rover warranty and Nisan Snail thing days.
About that fuel tank, it's probably one of the most underrated features on some cars. I have a 2011 Citroën C5 with the 2.0L HDI diesel (140 hp), also with a 72L tank. And with the fuel consumption that thing can achieve it will get between 1000 and 1400 km of range depending on conditions and driving style. It makes it so much easier to be able to go anywhere in all of France on a single tank, not having to queue for fuel, especially when going on holiday.
Yeah because people go on a holiday every other week…:
@@pinut187 they do in France, 30 days of paid vacation, per year "ah, oui! Bien sur."
@@pinut187 That's not the point... As a student I regurlaly travel between university and my parents' home during holiday periods (every 2 months in France) and that's when it comes in handy not having to stop on motorways
A lot of older cars tbh. I had a Renault Safrane 2.5 (actually a competitor from the Xantia from Renault) and that thing had an 80liter tank !
Now I own a 2001 Lexus LS430 and it's got a 85l tank. Even my 306 GTi6 has a 65l fuel tank which geaves it pretty reasonable range considering the fact than it has better fuel economy than the two other cars mentionned. It's a huge reach if a newer european car has a tank bigger than 55l nowadays.
@@nasen2727 First of all you don't stop on motorways
Secundo price of 1 liter is over 2 €
9:13 : The memo button is for select or save a station on the memory I guess, because on some other french car it is the same, and the "double mute" button is because the switch is designed for double functions (like when the car have a cruse control), so the button stay the same even it is for only one function... it is a classic trick from Peugeot-Citroën.
Other of that, i really like when Doug test our cars... it is such funny and nice to see someone appreciate some reffined details from our french cars :D
I would have loved a V6 Activa, mine was a 2 litre auto SX. That dark blue is very nice too.
The steering wheel controls were all for the audio system, the Memo button was to step through the FM presets IIRC.
One quirk of the keypad immobiliser was that you could program a temporary code for when you give the car to the garage, so they didn’t know your code. Where I got mine serviced used to ask me to set the temporary code to a specific number so the mechanic could start it.
FFS Doug, Memo is for the radio station pre set memory!
I never ever thought I would see a Xantia being reviewed by Doug! These used to be really popular here in the UK. Such a handsome car and the suspension was amazing. My neighbour had a 1996 1.8 16v version and it was superb. The V6 is rare here but a lovely engine and the Activa is quite a legend with handling.
I owned a Xantia and I have to correct you dear Doug - the raising and lowering feature of the suspension is usable for driving only in the middle 2 positions. The top and bottom position is for positioning the car on axle stands - you raise it, apply the stands and lower the suspention after which the wheels retract all the way into the wheel arches. If you try to drive the car raised to the top position prepare to have you teeth rattled and your spine injured as the only damping will be from the strut mounts - the suspention becomes solid hard in the top and bottom positions. Even if you try to change a tyre and jack the car on one side you will see that it is not a simple task with the wheels retracting simultaniously on both sides. Also another totally weard feature is that the parking brake is on the front wheels, probably as a double redundancy against hydraulic failiure as in this car the brakes, suspension and steering use the same system - totally quirky. Best regards from a Xantia fan. And by the way if you drive a non Activa the ride quality is exeptionaly smooth
The PIN code system was very common on 90s PSA cars like the Xantia and the Peugeot 406. The system was secure but not as secure as coded keys which quickly replaced the PIN code after the 90s.
This brought me back to the mid-90’s and our Peugeot 306 XSi!
Since this is a pre-facelift V6, it must be the very rarest Xantia . The V6 was introduced in 1997 just a few months before the facelift. All things considered apart from the Suspension Xantias are rather normal cars. But as a tradeoff they were generally well built, had excellent rustproofing and the engines were bombproof.
My dad used to own a 1997 Xantia Athena Wagon with the 90hp 1.9L Turbodiesel, in that exact same blue as the one in your Video. A superb car for just driving lots of miles. And we did. At some point in 2007 a prematurely failed timing belt killed the engine after well over 300.000miles (~530.000km). But other than that it was very reliable. To this day its the only car my dad truly misses.
I myself ended up with the Xantias Italian cousin, a 2000 Peugeot 406 Coupe, built on the same platform but with conventional suspension. Again, another very reliable car actually, and reasonably cheap to maintain.
The Xantia/406 siblings are easily some of the best french cars ever made, arguably even rivaling the best german and japanese manufacturers had to offer.
And that V6 is one of the most underrated engines out there.
In case anyone is wondering the Italian bit: Peugeot is french, but the 406 Coupe was styled by Pininfarina in Italy. :)
That V6 had great reviews, why would you call that underrated?
@@thiagopepper Not just styled, it was also assembled in Pininfarina's San Giorgio Canavese plant (where they also made the bodies for the Cadillac Allanté)
@@pinut187 For one because its French, because french = shit in many peoples minds, they are somewhat rare and they make fairly mild power in stock form (although I believe these are the base for the 3.2 Twin Turbo engine found in the 208 T16 and some early 2000s LeMans Prototypes), there is nowhere near as much aftermarket support as something like a VR6, VQ etc. And I even occasionally encounter people who still confuse the ES with the PRV, even though both are completely different.
BTW, since the hydraulic pump is powered by the engine, if you slightly press the gas the car goes up/down significantly faster. Another fun fact about the hydraulics is that the same pump provides pressure not only for the suspension, but also the power steering and the brakes. The activa model, as far as I remember, didn't have antiroll bars at all. The roll was entirely handled by the hydro-pneumatic system. I've seen the whole system disassembled down to the last piece and still don't fully understand how this self-leveling actually works :)
I am starting to love this car, even though I do not own it😊
This car speaks nostalgia to me
My grandpa had multiple Citroën Xantia's, my father had on the other end a Citroën XM
Very very relayable cars with over 700K kilometers, my fathers XM had over a million Kilometers without an issue
Citroën makes by far the best cars back in the 90's
My fathers car had also an Passcode, was normal for Citroëns
Never expected this car on this channel but thanks for this video. 👍 My parents had a stationwagon like shown till 2009 and I drove it as a beginner and I loved it. Nice engine (no V6 😕), nice suspension and the look of the Stationwagon is still nice. 🙂
The name Xantia wasn't only chosen because of the Greek meaning, but also (mainly?) because it started with an X. For a while, most Citroëns had names starting with an X or at least having an X somewhere in the name: Saxo, Xantia, Xsara. Earlier, all Citroëns had two letter names, one of which had to be an X: AX, BX, CX, XM. Today, it's all about the Cs: C3, C4, C5, ...
Slap a C badge on a restyled Peugeot.
"X" , at some extent we can say it's almost the same noise that Citroen's high-pressure hydraulic pump make when it levels the car.... :)
("k"-sound for the valve, "X"-sound for the fluid ^^ at least in French this is how it sounds )
kXss..... kX..kX.........kXsss..
A V6 PRV engine (Peugeot Renault Volvo join venture) if I'm not wrong..
@@ricardonunes3633 You are right.
@@yahnsolofrench kiss?😂
My dad had one of those and he refused to give up on it because it had very comfortable ride.
Sadly, some parts broke down and he couldn't find any spares anymore and he had to scrap it.
Some things that Doug didn't mentioned:
1: You're not supposed to drive on the top up and top down positions of the suspension - these are maintenance modes only, although we ran through a flood on the top position once - we didn't broke anything but it was so stiff that we were bouncing on the seats. If you pause on the part with the lever, you can see two horizontal lines in the middle - these two positions are for normal use.
2: Because of the suspension, it is supposedly possible to drive with three wheels only.
3: The brakes were also connected to the pneumatic suspension, so if something happens with the hydraulic pump, you loose your suspension and your breaks.
4: The green balls/spheres on both sides near the firewall are part of the suspension and they have to be refilled with gas from time to time or fully replaced if you're out of luck (there's a membrane in the middle that separates the gas from the hydraulic fluid - if this gets broken, you have to replace the sphere).
5: There's a funny way to diagnose if you have to gas up the spheres - if you push down the car on its corners and it's super stiff, you need to go to the mechanic. If everything is fine, the car should bounce around 1,5 times.
3: Power steering also uses the same hydraulics.
I drove the '98 phase 2 model 1.8L for 9 years until 2018 here in the Netherlands after owning 5 BX's. It was the most reliable car I ever owned with very minor repairs during these years and +130k kilometers. Good quality feel and extremely comfortable driving experience. Changed the spheres and hydraulic fluid twice during my ownership to keep the suspension in good condition. It finally broke down on my way to work at 330k km's when a hydraulic high pressure pipe blew, that apparently rusted through in a hard to spot area. Citroën discontinued those replacement pipes and repair would have been very costly so I decided to scrap it and replace it for an '03 Citroën C5 which I still drive to this day. Although more computerized and evolved, It's not the same cushiony comfort I experienced in the Xantia (and BX)...
The Xantia was reasonably popular here in the UK too. My Dad had the BX, which was actually a decent car. I had a ZX, which was also a good car, if a little ugly and boring but it worked well enough. We like our hatchback here in the UK too, I've never had a 'sedan' or saloon to be more correct, hatchbacks are so much more practical
I had three of these in the UK - two were 1.9 turbo diesels with 90bhp and one was a later 2.0 HDi turbo diesel with 110bhp. The latter could do over 1,000 miles to the tankful on a long run. The high and low suspension settings were not for normal driving and nothing to do with improving aerodynamics at high speed - indeed, you were advised not to drive it at all at the low setting, which was rock hard. These were for maintenance purposes. The high setting could be used for short distances at low speed for ground clearance purposes but it was very bouncy. The biggest quirk about this adjustable setting was that you could change a wheel without jacking the car up. Set it to high, set the jack under the car, then set it to low and the wheel on the corner where the jack was would lift itself off the ground.
Correct. He'll catch up when the US goes metric.
I adored all my Citroens, along with many other interesting marques. Now early retired the in Vietnam the last 10 years, driving pleasure is not on the menu. It's the one thing I miss about living in England.
Yeah my dad had the 2.0 HDI. I remember him test driving it. He also tried out the 2.0 petrol "volcane" a which seemed to go like stink haha (in my 13 year old mind anyway). Really enjoyed that car as kid. It replaced his 1986 19 TRS BX.
Yeah, you had 99 of this. Get a life
If only I could buy one now given the state of the roads in sussex! I miss the magic carpet ride.
I think the Xantia Activa version did indeed lower the ride height by a centimeter or two above a certain speed. Also I don't think the trick for changing the wheel worked anymore on later versions (even the non-Activa).
The Xantia actually enjoyed a certain amount of popularity in the UK, partly because earlier Citroens had also been pretty popular, and the dealer network was substantial as a result - almost as good as the indigenous French dealer network.
However, as an indication of how this car stood out from the crowd, one British motoring magazine described it as "A Mondeo backwards", referring to the manner in which Citroen went its own individual way when designing this car, and chose to do things substantially different than a conventional car like the Ford Mondeo, which was at the time its immediate competitor in the UK market.
At this late stage in its history, however, few of them remain on UK roads, in part because of the hydropneumatic suspension. The problem there being that while it was *reliable* - Citroen screwed the mechanical parts of the car together well - the moment it *did* fail, the repair bill was an unheralded shock for unprepared owners. Few have persevered keeping them running to the present, except for a small hardcore of Citroen enthusiasts, and as a result, in classic car circles over here, the few remaining functional examples are starting to rise in price.
Though here in the UK, obtaining parts isn't as hard as you might think, because of course, Rolls-Royce used the suspension system under licence for *many* years (and Citroen earned a healthy revenue in royalties due to this). Maintaining that suspension is still a fairly specialist job, though.
Oh, and while the BX you mentioned was more conventional, the "hot hatch" version had one quirky feature. Most manufacturers called their performance versions of hot hatches "GTi" or similar. Not Citroen. The hot hatch version of the BX was called the "Volcane". :)
Imagine the Scrappage Scheme did for a lot of them too, as for a lot of other cars from this era. 😔
Use to see loads of these around the UK when I was younger. Such a rarity nowadays.
There was a BX GTI tho, I owned one and don't recall the BX Volcane, but do recall the ZX and AX Volcane. My father had a Xantia diesel and my sister a ZX, as you say they were popular and the dealer was down the road from us. We drove to Austria from UK twice in the Xantia and it was a very nice car/ journey. Totally correct, the issue with the BX and Xantia was the underpinnings as the moment they started to go the costs rose. Until then they were extremely comfortable. My BX had to go when finally I had to pay a lot of money for a chip for the Peugot sourced 1.9GTI engine, but was a lovely car to drive until then!
I hired one for a long weekend out of town back in 2000 and the one thing I remember clearly was the agonizing pain I developed in one ankle due to the awkward (for me anyway) pedal placement in the conversion to RHD. I believe that poor pedal arrangement complaints were not uncommon for many French cars that were shipped across the Channel.
I think you're confusing with BX with the ZX. The BX had a GTI model variant and the ZX had a Volcane model variant.
The ZX was also the conventional one. The BX was quirky as hell. My parents ran one for a while.
My grandfather had one of these. They were really common here in Belgium. Seeing all the stuff like the buttons, the vents and even the ashtray brings back memories. I can even smell the car again. Thank you for this!
They were very popular here in Ireland as company cars for sales representatives and executive. As you got a lot of tech and comfort compared to the equivalently priced Ford Mondeo or a really base model 3 Series. Id say the main contender that year was the Mazda 626. Great car, knew a Rep that put 300,000 miles on one in under three years and loved it.
You should definitely keep reviewing older french cars. They are so weird and fascinating!
C'est vrai
Comme
La Vel Satis V6
Espace 4 V6
Avantime
RCZ ...
Et plus encore
@@ygeir6047 It's too damn hard to find an Avantime to buy where I live. :/
And the hugely rare and beautiful but even more “weird” SM with its Maserati engine, but that was from an even earlier generation of Citroen like the DS
Two words...
RENAULT...TWINGO. As in, the original. If it can be done, DO IT.
Except the suspension there isn’t anything weird about this car.
My dad had one of those in dark green. I remember the suspension broke and it was about 6 foot high at the back and scraping the floor at the front 😂
If I remember rightly, my brothers mate worked for Citroen in the late 90’s and reckoned most of the problems with uneven suspension was a micro switch under the car that would corrode, the part was worth about 10p
Having noted that this was a former Swiss car (look at the CH sticker at the back and the toll sticker in the front windshield) it makes sense why this particular car came with all the bells and whistles (like the V-6 or the Activa suspension).
I had Xantia estate with 2.0HDi (80kw, diesel, common rail). I'm not light footed, but I could get 1000 km out of one tank easily.
And the way it handled the corners... Loved that car.
I had Xsara with the same engine and my thought is that how you drove had exactly zero effect on fuel consumption. Drive it like lunatic, 6 liters for 100km and drive it nicely using the torque and low revs, 6 liters per 100km. Attach a trailer.. well still the same :D
C5 with 2.2HDi had some response for driving style as it was 8 in the city and 5,5 driving smoothly on open road.
One of my favorite car growing up in Côte d'Ivoire. My buddy's dad used to have one. Can't wait for Doug to review one of the most iconic french car in the 90s, the Renault 25.
I owned a brown coloured '87 Renault 25 Monaco for a few years, and till this day it was the best car I ever owned.
@@FireFoxCosworth This was my number 1 favorite car. The dashboard was so futuristic. Very beautiful design as well. The Safrane was the true successor but everything that came after, never measured up to the 25 and Safrane legacy
I drove this car from Massachusetts to California last year to deliver it to the owner, my son. I call her Giselle, and she’s a darling, graceful goer, so comfortable that my legs didn’t cramp up at all at the 500-600 mile-a-day pace. Everything that needed to be repaired has been repaired and the suspension parts should be just fine for five years.
This exact car?
I must admit that it is a very rare car in the USA. Any hydraulic suspension issues and if so how did you find someone professional to service it? I still have mine. 1996 model. 27 years old and my engine has never been opened other than timing belt changes. Just oil changes and she runs great. Transmission shifts like new. 2.0i 8v. Minor hydraulic leaks but it's to be expected for the age. Not parting with it.
@@Sklounst_Actual Yes, indeed. I painted a yellow bunny on its flank.
I remember driving my parents 1997 Xantia which was the sport version of this one in exactly the same colour. I used to cruise the streets at 17 with my best bud in the passenger seat & the chicks in the back. What a laugh we had lowering the suspension as it would literally bounce along. My folks hated this car, but I absolutely loved it! 🤣😂
The Xantia is one of the least weird Citroëns. It was at the time that Citroën was stepping away from their most quirky stuff.
The Xantia was als very popular in other countries in Europe!
The 'secret code' was also applied in many other brands at the time. It was just the primitive beginning of theft protection, before the code was simply put in the key.
B-pillar lights had been around for many yearss and were common in European cars. And so on..for a European car the Xantia was quite normal!
also it was kinda criticized at the time of launch because it was just too linear and not very personal. Today instead it looks pretty interesting...because new cars are pretty much the same shape and same SUV type.
My Xantia is a phase 2 with no code. Simply turn the key and you can start to drive.
Wow, I owned one of these back in 2001/2. It was a 1995 1.8 manual Dimensions model. Great car, particularly on the motorway. However, itwas expensive to own. I had to get the suspension repaired at a cost of £450 .Memories come back watching this, thanks so much .
I run a 93 Xantia 1.9 Turbo diesel and it is absolutely ahead of its time. The best thing about the Xantia is towing capacity and ease. You lift the car high to unhitch your trailer and after dropping the jockey wheel, you simply lower the suspension to uncouple and drive away. When hitching up your trailer, you drive in low and raise the suspension to couple up. Most people who ever owned a Xantia will say that they wish they still had one. The Xantia Activa V6 still holds the record in the moose test !!!
Ah, this takes me back! I had one of these sometime around the late 90’s / early 2000’s. The self levelling suspension was a lot faster than this example and would come in very handy when we used to do booze cruise runs to Calais on the ferry!
Some more quirky things: when you do a full stop it sometimes does the “xantia shuffle” - basically it wiggles a bit left to right to calibrate or something like that. Also, when you open the doors the suspension gets softer for extra comfort going in and out the car. It has dual hinges on the hood(pretty uncommon). Some newer ones, the facelift basically, had an sos button and a dedicated traffic info button that was hooked to the car stereo. The suspension is mostly mechanical but the activa has a dedicated computer that manages the firmness and the antiroll stuff. Another quirky thing is that it uses the hydraulic liquid for the breaks and the steering. So if you had major leeks it would fail sequentially (breaks last so you could still stop safely). You can ride it with 3 wheels. You don’t need a to jack it up to change the tires, you can use the suspension and some rock. I have a 2l diesel one as my daily’s driver- over 200.000miles still going strong. I also own a v6 hydractive with an automatic transmission that is very comfortable and not bad at all. Cheers!
So, the 'breaks' were last to brake?
@@bearhugman yes lol
This car was famously one of the fastest cars in the world in a low speed-slalom type course/test back in its day. This includes the most extreme sportscars/supercars you can think of. For example it had the best time of any car in the old version of the "Moose test" that the Mercedes A class you previously reviewed/bought flipped over in. Nothing sporty at the time had the active anti roll bars this has and it did wonders for body control and fully utilizing the grip of the tires.
Other than that its a pretty great car all around. I guess you can call it the "Anti tesla" in the way that where they do away with all the buttons and stalks for a touch screen, this sometimes got two buttons for the same thing, like for example the rear power windows.
I like it. I had the newer C5 myself.
I've lived in France for years, never knew that there was a V6 model!
If I was still in the US I'd buy this car in a heartbeat.
Interestingly 1999 Ford Contour SVT had one of the fastest slalom times as well, above many high performance cars. Same set up ,front wheel drive, V6, manual.
Still is the record holder for the moose test, more than 25 years on.
I used to drive such a car in the 90's, not the Activa version but still one with an active suspension.
It had an amazing ride, like being on a flying carpet...
Small details : the memo button on the steering wheel is not to record memos it is to switch between memorised radio stations and the double mute button acts like a single button
...can't expect an american to know that ! 😆
The quicker you drive this car in corners, the more level it gets and the better it turns - it is something quite incredible.
The non activa models also have a similar thing whereas the back wheels follow to a percentage.
Man I'm really happy that Doug has started to do these weird quirky cars again! This is straight up home to me
This Citroen was a 90s businessmen dream in our postcommunistic times in Czechia. Massively even popular into 2000s. Everybody saw one in those times.
Funny to see this car in your video. This car still often appears on the roads in my country (Hungary) and I was never considering it interesting just because I saw it so many times. But finally I can hear about it's quirks and features :D
Another very weird thing about the Xantia, the handbrake operates the front wheels so no you cant do handbrake turns, youll understeer and end up in a ditch also the key for operating the optional sunroof is in the center console and the wing mirrors are blue and there's hidden storage compartments in the front door panels that slide out and another hidden storage compartment under the steering wheel and the glove box is small in an old Citroen fashion
You should review a Citroen XM. It's MUCH wierder.
I always love seeing French cars on this channel. I'm a French car enthusiast from Finland and iv'e owned a 2000 Citroen Xsara, essentially the little brother to this without the suspension, and a lot of the same switch gear and such are the same, as is the steering wheel controls (i never used the mute function so couldn't help you there). I also own a 1997 Peugeot 605 which is the brother to the Citroen XM, which is the full sized Citroen. Mine is a sohc turbo 2.0l but needs work (and lots of it). Currently i drive a 2015? Peugeot 208 with a 1l turbo 3 cylinder, and since it's only a temporary car until i get my mk1 Twingo back on the road, iv'e not much to say about the 208.
I had the petrol 2.0 LX version from the mid 1990s. It was good looking and a really comfortable car that did motorway runs well. It also cornered really well; partly the suspension but also some passive rear wheel steering. From memory, the downsides were it was not that economical ( the diesel version was though), or powerful and had a smallish flat boot (trunk). The only real problem I had was the suspension that made it so comfortable needed repair when it was four years old.
Oh, my God.
You just walked me through the car that I loved the most. It´s silly, it´s weird, but I just loved the car. That car had personality. It was original.
Always love these reviews of cars I was used to see in my dad's humble garage. Thanks for bringing value to things we thought as "normal".
By the way, Doug, you forgot to say that this very specific car holds the absolute speed record on the moose test --and as tendency in the automotive industry goes, it'll probably hold it for life.
Thanks for the fun review Doug.
I owned a 2 litre turbo Xantia Activa and it was our family car with three boys regularly in the back seat. They adored the car & said it felt like a roller coaster around mountain roads due to the lack of body roll. We kept it for 10 years and had zero major mechanical issues which surprised me. Citroen must have truly worked hard on this model as it never developed rattles and was super reliable. Even now I miss the combination of family car practicality + comfort + good performance + amazing handling.
Hi, I owned the 2 litre turbo Activa for 8 years in Germany too. It was a marvel! Safe at any speed! And any means any! I can`t understand, way this system was discontineud.
@@rudibauer4585 It's all about economics.. Not enough people bought the Activa compared to the regular Xantia's and due to the extra complexity, it was scrapped. So sad because there truly was nothing else that felt like it.
Nice video, as always for a quirky car !
When will you go to France to make a series on all the quirky French cars ? You could even make a great collab with @Villebrequin !
Bought my second Xantia 1.8 16V today. New clutch, distribution, oil, filters, airco filled, sparkplugs etc. Rustfree. 244000 km on the clock. For 1100 euro I'm in heaven, again❤
My dad had a 1997 in the same color. The suspension was so smooth that you practically felt like you were driving on clouds. The design was also quite distinctive for that time, typical of Citroën. Greetings from Brazil! 🇧🇷
Pretty cool, Mine had one as well except it was dark green.
He had a BX before he had the Xantia though, I personally always liked the BX a bit more, but it was a nice car never the less
The (edit) was me fixing a typo 👍
Such a great car, and it brings so many good memories. They were fairly popular in the late 90s and early 00s in Macedonia (now North Macedonia) too, especially with upper-middle class families, although most of them were imported as second-hand cars from richer Western European countries.
My uncle had the 1.9 SD diesel (facelift version) and drove it for more than 300k km before swapping it for the Passat B5.5 (another car Doug should review!). What a great car the Xantia was.. I remember it felt like driving on a cloud. Oh, and the coolest part was the hydraulic suspension leveling itself once you start the car.
7:10 This was very common for 90s cars. It was easier and cheaper to mount them there as some models didn’t come with electric rear windows.
Hi Doug, you should have taken it on a track to corner it… watch reviews, it rocks. My dad owned a 1.8 with 110 hp after 2CV, Diane, AX and BX. One of the first cars I drove in Belgium. I loved it at the time😉
I’ve had 2 Xantias (1995 and 1999 model years), although not the Activa. Very good cars, and a rather un-French high reliability as well. But what really set them apart from other 90’s cars were how brilliant they were during Norwegian winter. Never any issues starting no matter how cold, heated up quickly and were almost unstoppable on slippery roads. Never got stuck in deep snow, partly due to the suspension. And of course the comfortable ride all year round. This is one of the great French cars ever. Maybe the best.
Big fan of the Xantia. Excellent rider quality, punchy V6 and decent transmission. The oleopneumatic suspension was/is a great concept. It meant no need to jack the car when changing a wheel. Very versatile and perhaps strangely satisfying car to drive.
Awesome revue as always haha! My grandpa had this car (Citroen has a reputation of being cars for old people in France) such a great car, really hope someday you will review the Citroen AX! Not as quirky as this one but still worth a review I think ^^ it’s my current car
Doug - the top & bottom suspension settings are not for driving other than slowly as they are hard on the rubber bump stops, used for changing tyres and forwarding flooded roads.
The mid level is all your normal driving - fast or slow.
The more you loaded the car the nitrogen gas got compressed as more oil was pumped in to level again. This was the only car with progressive springing.
The other driving height is for rough roads and can be used at speed.
The hydraulics also power the brakes, with the 'hard' pedal operating the powerful brakes with almost no pedal travel. The same high pressure hydraulics power the steering.
The Xantia was one of the best all around cars you could buy.
Comfortable and roomy and great brakes and handling.
Very reliable if you service the suspension by changing the LHM Fluid, cleaning the filter and every 8-10 years changing or regasing the spheres.
I had a 1997 Xantia 1.9 Turbo diesel and it was a fantastic allrounder,
Amazing in the far outback of Australia on the Oodnadatta Track.
Great ride and dust sealing and air conditioning.. as low as 5.4 litres / 100 km.
Xantia was a popular car in my home country, Iran, during the late '90s. Although we didn't see it as a weird car back then, one interesting feature of this car is its ability to run on three wheels, similar to the old Citroen DS
I am from Vigo, a town in Northwest Spain where a big Citröen factory operates since many decades ago, and you can see xantias everywhere you go around the city still to this day
My grandfather bought one when it came out. He kept it for many years. He said later this was one of the best cars he ever had. Outstanding stability in any circumstances.
My dad used to own one Xantia V6 like this one but the clear blue color. It was strange I agree but where diesel engines are king in Europe, having a gas powered V6 Xantia was the coolest thing growing up and felt like it was a ton of power compared to other diesel 4cyl engines lol.
0-60 in under 3.5 minutes 😮😮
Diesel engines are king in Europe? Never knew that
@@shingosshojiopoulos6608 really? Well yeah, they’re more efficient at the cost of power. Allot of europeans prefer the trade off
@@DreamcastSoup Here in Greece most cars use petrol and it's not like we are the richest people in Europe nowadays
@@shingosshojiopoulos6608 was, as nowadays emission regulation phased them out, but in the 80s - mid 00s diesel was big in france
We used to have these at the car rental place I worked in. Used to be great fun sending the new guys out to handbrake turn them😜 The confusion on their faces was amazing (handbrake works on the front wheels 😬) 😂
Just like my old Saab 900!
The hydropneumatic suspension was not invented in order to lift the car up when you reach a bad patch in the road. You are not suposed to drive in the high or low posision as it will destroy the suspension. This is ment for example to change a tire in a pinch. You lift the car up and pit something under the jack point. Then you lower it and "voila", the wheel is free.
The suspension was designed to be much more confortable then normal spiral or leaf suspension and it does its job really well!
We had a few Citroens growing up in Ireland. BX, AX van, Xantia. They were good for towing because of the leveling suspension and we had a trailer tent.
It was the first new car my Dad bought and he loved it.
Owned two BXs...essentially the same suspension but without the active 'Activa' element. Bear in mind that the high and low settings were essentially for maintenance, not for actual running, although the high setting could be used briefly at very slow speeds - eg. I used it to cross moderate floodwater. The main benefit of the hydro-pneumatic system is the self-levelling regardless of load, brake bias adjustment and power braking, plus the incredibly comfortable ride... I personally prefer the BX saloon styling by Bertone with Marcello Gandini's angular lines a la his Lamborghini Countach...
I use the high setting when I have old people getting in or out of the car. Also in some cases it is helpful for loading or unloading.
Rather shamefully I used the extreme low setting on my BX to drop the car and avoid a clamp at the local village train station when they brought in parking charges. The elderly station master would joke with me each time he saw me, 'I'm going to get you', but I never got a clamp.....
Yay my grandparents had one of these 🥰 I don’t think I ever rode in a more comfortable car than that, absolutely fantastic.
Xantia was fairly popular all over Europe, not just in France. Big Citroen sedans were always fairly popular all over Europe, partly because of the luxury and tech legacy, and partly because they were cheaper than big German sedans. You might think that's not really competition, and in a way it wasn't but Citroens were always a budget luxury for those not quite happy with cheaper cars, but not quite rich to buy German. Also, they always stood out with their design, from the DS to the XM.
Is it sad that modern Citroen models are essentially Peugeots with different styling? No hydractive suspension etc. 🤔
@@TassieLorenzo I own multiple Xantias, and to be honest, I don't think it is a huge deal that they don't make hydropneumatic cars anymore. Hydraulic parts are hard to find. And I as the owner have to be an citroen hydraulic expert, because mechanics aren't that. The ride is great when new, but when it ages you need to buy new spheres and do LHM changes, plus check the pressures at the regulator and electrovalves to maintain the nice ride. And the self steering rear subframe bushings tend to be not so self steering now.
The self levelling is great though, lots of fun and very practical as well. I wish more cars had this.
The activa system is cool and I wish it was more popular, but it has extra hydraulic rams and bushings that wear and leak which results in bad performance.
One thing I really like about the pre C5 cars is the LHM powered brakes. They are pressure sensitive and it feels so easy to modulate the huge amount of power unlike newer cars that are hard to modulate and are really sensitive to pedal movement.
So many great memories!!
We had both a ZX and Xantia when I was growing up. And I bought an Xsara wagon 2.0I as my first car. Engine and comfort were just great! And even if there were some electronic problems, it was just the car's personality. I think 6 out of 10 of my friends' families had a Citroen xantia or a Peugeot 406. And the last ones had a Passat B5 or BMW E34/39. Citroën was and still is wildly popular in Denmark :)
Love it! Remember sitting in the back of a Xantia as a kid and being amazed how confortable it was, even in base trim. Thank you Doug, this is a treat 😉
Love it. My step dad had one of these and I always felt it was going to be a bit of a classic. Not full on Citroen weirdness, they were actually quite conventional by their standards, but the Activa suspension kept the Citroen DNA going. Would be tempted by one myself if I could justify it.
If you could find one. Not many left now. Used to be everywhere in the UK :(
For the full-on Cit weirdness I guess you'd have to go back to the CX era... by Xantia time PSA had "tamed" Citroën to a large degree.
Had an XM myself and loved it - owned it for 11 years. When we needed to replace it, because it was essentially a two-seater with a partition wall and flat floor behind the front seats (Norwegian green plates - very low tax as it was intended for business/cargo use - and one of relatively few such models to come built as such from the factory; most were adapted by companies in Norway).