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Citroen C5 3 0 litre V6 Review

Citroen is a clever car maker. Always has been. Over the years it has given the world some ground breaking stuff -- Traction Avant anybody? How about the 2CV? The companys place in automotive history is well entrenched and nobody can take that away.

But I get the feeling these days that Citroens pioneering legacy is more of a burden than anything else. With each new model the quirky French brand appears desperate to impress with innovation -- for innovations sake.

Citroëns C5 is unlike anything Vanessa Hinkley has ever seen before



I have to admit, I am of the generation that saw the rise and fall of Sir Clive Sinclairs C5 the funny little egg shaped car that needed a flag to show other road users exactly where it was hiding, so quite why the double chevron people should chose to name their car after this pioneering, if a bit inadequate, motorised egg is beyond me. However, they have done, so I guess Ill have to live with that. The C5 did live quite nicely on my driveway for a week, attracting admiring glances from the neighbours for its unusual styling and large glass area. The lady two doors down actually asked me if she could put her tomatoes on the dashboard to ripen.

The cheek of it.

The interior is as spacious as it looks from the outside and the sleek lines of the bodywork mean that there is plenty of room for movement inside. The seats were fully adjustable and after a little experimentation, I managed to get the perfect position so that I could drive comfortably. The 456-litre boot swallowed all the luggage that my husband wanted to take for our weekend away with ease, while the supple engine coped admirably with the load. I had the 2.

2-litre HDI power plant and was delighted to return high fuel economy figures. So style neednt always come at a premium The interior possibly isnt the most engaging I have ever travelled in grey velour seats, mock wood and real grey plastics are calming but not interesting. Although for approximately the same kind of money, you could buy yourself a Ford Mondeo, the C5 doesnt feel as well screwed together. Nice optional touches though did include a voice-controlled stereo (but due to my bad singing I had to turn that function off the radio had no idea which way to tune) and a telephone system that routed through the speakers.

There is no doubt that a lot of thought has gone into the C5s gadgetry and comfort, and it does show.

The driving experience is something that nothing could have prepared me for. Think of a magic carpet, and you are getting somewhere close. The incredible Hydractive suspension soaks up every little bump in the road, floating over sleeping policemen and rutted farm tracks alike. Devotees of the marque who owned an XM or a Xantia will know what were talking about here, for both of these cars featured early versions of this system.

In its latest form, the advantages of this fluid-sprung set-up over conventional steel springs are almost impossible to ignore, and I would thoroughly recommend the car on the strength of this alone, unless you are lucky enough to live on perfectly tarmaced roads of course. Sensors strategically located around the car feed information to a central control system that can then change both spring and damper rates as necessary. For example, on bad surfaces below 43mph, the car will be lifted by 13mm to prevent the possibility of grounding out. Over 68mph on a smooth road however, the gadgetry will automatically lower the front of the car by 15mm and the rear by 11mm to reduce drag.

You can even choose a raised 40mm position for potholed farm tracks or an even higher setting to make it easier to change a wheel - if you really want to that is. Cornering is an art form in most cars as the body rolls into and out of the bend. However, in the C5, the car stays perfectly level through the steepest of bends. Lovely, but it does take some getting used to.
The choice of engines across the range is excellent and buyers will choose between five different units - a1.8, 2.0, and 3.0-litre V6 petrol units plus 1.
6 and 2.0 HDi turbo diesels.

In a market sector this tough, prices have to be competitive and they are, ranging from around £15,295 for the 1.8-litre LX up to £22,695 for the 3.0-litre V6 estate. For this, you are getting the benefits of years of Citroën engineering experience, a 5-year warranty and a genuinely enjoyable ride. The options list is definitely worth raiding to spice the experience up, but even the base models are well worth the money. Up against VWs Passat, Peugeots 407 and the Renault Laguna, the C5 can definitely hold its own.

I think that I could certainly get used to the unconventional styling, which incidentally, I think works much better on the estate version. The ride is very pleasant, the engines well honed and there is plenty of room inside. Yes, one could definitely live on my driveway, but Id have to remove the C5 badge first.

The steering is incredibly light and it will be a personal decision whether this is to your taste. It wasnt to ours. We have a few gripes with the six-speed auto too. It seems to get confused at times and hunts for the correct gears. And the sometimes bumpy changes dont match the smooth engine and ride.

But lets not forget that this car scored the highest ever Euro NCAP safety tests with 36/37 making it the safest car in the world. We agree that this absolves any over-the-top clever touches but they still get under our skin.

We appreciate Citroens innovative thinking, but enough already. Yes, we notice and yes, were impressed. But please, Mr Citroen keep busying yourself with the things that really matter and forget the quirky innovations.