New Citroën C5 !

I didn't like the first one (too classical) which appeared in 2000 but the restyling (2005) is very nice... and costly for Citroën.

Very sleek. Strange headlights, but overall a very nice vehicle.

Fire whoever decided to do the headlights. The current C5 has nothing wrong with the styling

I don't agree with you Jim ! The current C5 is too too too classical, nothing sexy. My godfather has a C5 2.2 Hdi and it's a very good car, excellent handling and comfort, full loaded (GPS, leather), etc. But the styling is not worthy of the Citroën spirit of innovation. I must conceed that the SW is not bad.

This is the current C5 :

I've always thought of the C5 as one of the more "Citroen" Citroens of recent times :D Until the C3 came along of course:D

The C3 (unless its bad built quality :( ), the Pluriel, the C2, and the future C4 and C6 are real Citroën to me, really inovative and creative. ;)

Originally posted by Stefanel1
The C3 (unless its bad built quality :( ), the Pluriel, the C2, and the future C4 and C6 are real Citroën to me, really inovative and creative. ;)


Yeah but these are all future Citroens (C3 excluded) ;)

The C3 exists, the Pluriel just appeared recently, the C2 will be sold in a few weeks. ;)
But the other are not currently in sale indeed ;)

None will have the style of the fabulous Citroen DS! That was an extraordinary design and car! ( except when you had to fix it!, or even change the last spark plug, since the bonnet had to be removed...)

The DS is one of these fabulous carswhich cannot have a downward (un déscendant ? ;) ) like some other cars. But the C6 seems to be very nice.

and sorry for the C2, I was opitmistic : it'll be sold as September 2003.

Citroën has done something that classic with the current C5, that it appears heavy to me. We're far from the fluent style of the Xantia. But this redesigned C5 is much better, and I do hope that it will look like this picture.

The new C5 looks more like a brand new model than a facelift, however- it looks FAR better. I never cared too much about the current model, especially the rear on the sedan looks boring, the estate rear on the other hand looks neat. The front and dash looks dull as well, so I'll be glad to see this one =)

All the same as Edonis ! ;)

That's was the last Citroën of the Jacques Calvet time. The previous CEO of PSA replaced by Jean-Martin Folz. And the current style of Citroën is going to becom much more exciting ! ;)

Originally posted by Stefanel1
That's was the last Citroën of the Jacques Calvet time. The previous CEO of PSA replaced by Jean-Martin Folz. And the current style of Citroën is going to becom much more exciting ! ;)

Let's hope so. I'm waiting till the C-4 gets finalised and see how it'll look and how the build quality is going to be. When it's no good, my current Citroën - 3rd one in a row - will be the last one. Also depending on the price off-course. Citroën is doing major deals in Belguim for more then a year now (21% price reduction) but the resale price is on a basement level after 5 years. In other words - crap. And that's whats making me hesitating in buying my 4th Citroën.

C-5 looks OK, better then the current indeed, but sen from the drawing, the back end looks a bit like an A6 Audi, curves and shape... dunno

Citroën has a strange price policy.... a bad one ! The sell cars at a very high price and make big reductions.
Plus the design was actually not very exceiting, and here, in France, Citroën hasn't a good value on the second hand market. The best are of course BMW, Peugeot, Renault, Mercedes, VW, etc. And now Alfa.

That's why I'm also thinking of buying a Mercedes next year. (A-Class) :wink:

Nice choice!
Well, I actually like the new styling of the C5-to-be, it seems to have changed from a faceless, personality-less car into a more trendy, modern car !

Olivier

The A-Class.... mhhh, why not. personnally, I don't really like this Mercedes which is to me not a real one. The C is better.
Though, the after sale value of Citroën is currently not good because on this maket are sold Xantia, Xsara, etc. which have not a very exciting design.
The C3 is selling well on this market, the C5 is not so good (design again !) but the future C4 will surely be more exciting like the C2 and C3 which have a good value. I don't mention the C8 which sells well but which is the brother of the 807, Phédra and Ulysse. ;)
And what do you think about the Mégane, the 147, the Leon or the 307 ?

I find the Megane, dare I say it, butt-ugly - like all new Renaults nowadays. Besides, there are quite some Renaults in the family (Laguna and New Espace) and they all have issues. Engine, electrics etc.

The 147 is OK for looks, but it's not a practical car. Small trunk etc. and I'm not into Italians at all.

Leon is a Volkswagen product which makes it a hard ride per definition. When you come from the comfort of a Citroën, VAG products are a nightmare as far as comfort etc are concerned.

The 307 is OK, I like the SW with glass sunroof, engines are good, but for the same price you get an A-Class 1.7CDI Long. And as far as safety is concerned I think the Merc - although not a real Merc, I know - it still features a lot of cool things like the double floorpan, ESP as a standard etc. Also the position of the steering wheel is how it should be. Straight up. In comparisson to the other "fake" Mini Monovolumes like Picasso, Scenic and Zafira, where the wheel is more in a "bus" position. But I agree, a second hand C-Class C220CDI 2 to 3 years old, with relatively low mileage, full history record etc. is also on the "wanted list". But I have time .The ZX has 206.000 km's under her belt now and still running fine.

But yes, maybe the 307. hmm. An interesting opening. The neighbours are having one. :smile:

The design of the new Renaults : you like or you dislike. I can understand ;)

The 147 : not very practical and not as comfy as the ZX but very good handling and very nice with awesome engines. Even in diesel with the JTD 140 ;)

The Léon is not the best indeed but looks cool for a relatively low price, that's why I proposed it ;)

So, the 307 SW seems to be a very good choice. About teh same price indeed but the 307 is much safer ! The EuroNcap tests confirm it. 6 airbags, ABS, etc. etc. And this car doesn't need an ESP !!! The handling is excellent, better than the A Class of course, same thing for the comfort. The 307 is an higher category than the A Class. Plus, you can get the Hdi 110 hp, the 1.7 cdi is "only" 95hp.
Don't miss the Picasso, the handling, the comfort and the driving position is more classical than you think. And the new Scénic is better than the previous one which was indeed a real bus :D

"The current C5 is very Citroen-ey, a comfortable, refined, cruiser. They're good value as well. I think the strange styling has something to do with the Citroen-ness of the car. But I'm sure they're loosing sales because of the shape and that's why they have to change it."

Well, apparently some people -including me - like the classic looks of the current C5. The problem is that they live in "small" states. For example in 2002 the C5 was the second most popular car in Denmark but if you want a model to be truly successful it must sell in populous states such as Germany, the UK, France, Italy, etc... Citroën are selling about 150,000 C5s every year while Renault are selling about 250,000 Lagunas (and if the Peugeot 407 sells very well Citroën's position will be even more uncomfortable).

The good thing is that I like both versions of the C5s (the current one and the redesigned 2005 one). I hope the new version will sell like hotcakes.


Regards to you all Citroën enthusiasts,


Tanir

"but the resale price is on a basement level after 5 years."

It depends on how often you plan to change cars. My blokes and I intend to keep our cars for a long time (over five years at least) so a few of us have opted for used Xantias. They've got them at a low price because they're Citroëns, they run on petrol and because everyone wants a diesel minicar (e.g. a Clio).

So for not a lot of money you get a large choice of long, roomy, gorgeous-looking cars provided you buy a fairly basic model (such as a 1.6i Xantia, for instance).


Regards,


Tanir

Bienvenue Tanir !! ;)

I thought to the Xantia 1.6 when I bought my Delta 1.6. Very comfy but not enough original alas.
But indeed, this kind of car is very hard to sell in Europe. I've a 156 1.6, and I'm trying to sell it for 3 weeks... :(
For the C5, mhhh, indeed, this car sells well in some countries, even better than in France, but personnally, I don't really like it, because it's not enough original, it's a car, not more. My Godfather has one (2.2 Hdi Exclusive) and I must coneed that it's wonderfull to drive.

"but the resale price is on a basement level after 5 years."

It depends on how often you plan to change cars. My blokes and I intend to keep our cars for a long time (over five years at least) so a few of us have opted for used Xantias. They've got them at a low price because they're Citroëns, they run on petrol and because everyone wants a diesel minicar (e.g. a Clio).

So for not a lot of money you get a large choice of long, roomy, gorgeous-looking cars provided you buy a fairly basic model (such as a 1.6i Xantia, for instance).


Regards,


Tanir

Welcome Tanir!
It is of course true what you say. I bought my ZX 1.9D 3 years ago when it was 3 years old with 72.000 km on it and only paid 5.000 euros for it. So I should not complain too much in fact. :nono: I guess I was a bit dissapointed when I had to fix a couple of issues which happened all around 180.000 km. Ever since, it's running ok again with 220k on the tacho. I'm waiting for the C4 to see what it'll look like and will decide then - somewhere next year, probably august or so - what the next car is gonna be: New C4, new 307SW or second hand C5.
The new PSA 136hp HDI is gonna be a stunner. Just read a report on the C-Max and the numbers are really looking good. C4 should get that engine as well.

Having to fix some things at 180 000 km is quite honnest ! ;)

Having to fix some things at 180 000 km is quite honnest ! ;)

Not sure what you mean by that? You think that's OK? Well it probably is, you're right, but if the radiator and the power steering pump break and big servicing is needed (drive belt etc) in 1 or 2 months... :mad: it was a bit too much for my wallet at that time.

I mean that's good indeed ! ;)
Be reasured : my radiator broke at 72 000 km on my 156 ! .... mhhh, f*cking pavements ! :D

Hi huudo and Stefanel!


"I'm waiting for the C4 to see what it'll look like and will decide then - somewhere next year, probably august or so - what the next car is gonna be: New C4, new 307SW or second hand C5."

Well it seems that the 307SW is selling really well almost everywhere in Europe. In fact I can understand that because the car is practical with its large booth, but still, you pay as much as for a basic petrol Laguna/C5/406 for a car that is not as roomy and doesn't look as impressive. European drivers are often funny...

I'm sure the C4 will be a quality car, just like the ZX and Xsara. Even though I would definitely buy a second-hand C5...


Regards,


Tanir

You know that the European market is particularly attracted by compact cars (Xsara, Golf, 147, Mégane). These cars are easyer to drive in big towns than a 406 or "worse" a 607 ;) But I agree with you, and prefer "big" cars. ;) and these "big" cars are even not more expensive than the smallest : compare the prices of (equivalents) a 307 and a 406 or of a GOlf and a Passat, the prices are almost the same ! and the smallest cars will be sold easyer !

You know that the European market is particularly attracted by compact cars (Xsara, Golf, 147, Mégane). These cars are easyer to drive in big towns than a 406 or "worse" a 607 ;) But I agree with you, and prefer "big" cars. ;) and these "big" cars are even not more expensive than the smallest : compare the prices of (equivalents) a 307 and a 406 or of a GOlf and a Passat, the prices are almost the same ! and the smallest cars will be sold easyer !


Hi Stefanel,

I found this Forum by searching with the keyword "Avantime"

...as you "prefer big cars" :) and showed some interest for that car which reminds me very much of my former Citroëns - here you'll find some news from the German Avantime scene:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=142911

Coupéspace Greetings

Holger

Citroën fan and Avantime driver

Mmmmh ! The DS, the XM ! Nice cars, and so comfy ! ;)
Look at the Avantime forum, I answered you ;)

Hi huudo and Stefanel!

Well it seems that the 307SW is selling really well almost everywhere in Europe. In fact I can understand that because the car is practical with its large booth, but still, you pay as much as for a basic petrol Laguna/C5/406 for a car that is not as roomy and doesn't look as impressive. European drivers are often funny...

I'm sure the C4 will be a quality car, just like the ZX and Xsara. Even though I would definitely buy a second-hand C5...


Regards,


Tanir

What you say goes only for petrol engines. I'm a diesel driver since I do appr. 50.000 km a year, and with the price difference in fuel prices between petrol and diesel in Belgium, France and The Netherlands, it doesn't make sence to drive a petrol version and in that case there is a substantial price difference between a 307SW HDI 110 and a C5 HDI 110 for example. Plus the engine will have less difficulties in the compacter ones.

I'll certainly look into a second hand C5 preferably an Estate, but given the number of km's I drive and the mileage on most second hand cars, it's not easy to find a good one that can last the distance (4 years and 200.000 km in my hands added up to maybe 100.000 already on it.) :wink: Oh well, I guess it can work out. My ZX has now at 225.000 kms on the tacho and still going strong. :naughty:

Hallo, Holger!


"...as you "prefer big cars" :) and showed some interest for that car which reminds me very much of my former Citroëns - here you'll find some news from the German Avantime scene"

Talking about French more or less large cars, do you have any sales figures concerning the Laguna/C5/406 in Germany? I'd be curious to know how well they sell.


Regards,


Tanir

Talking about French more or less large cars, do you have any sales figures concerning the Laguna/C5/406 in Germany? I'd be curious to know how well they sell.

Regards,

Tanir

Hi Tanir!

I got the German figures for the C5:

August 03/Total Year 03/percentage in market segment

617 / 5716 / 1,2%

decreasing figures, that's very poor...

Kind Regards

Holger

I think that in Germany, Frecnh cars sell well in the 206 category. Over the 307, the figures are not excellent alas.
I know that the 206 CC sells very well in Germany, even better than in France ! 406 coupé works quite well. Mégane II and Twingo too.

Hi Tanir!

I got the German figures for the C5:

August 03/Total Year 03/percentage in market segment

617 / 5716 / 1,2%

decreasing figures, that's very poor...

Kind Regards

Holger


Thanks for the figure, Holger


Indeed this is not much for a state that has 80 million inhabitants...

To compare, German mid-level cars are selling well in France (about 25 000 Passats a year to mention just the Volkswagen). A lot of taxis are Passats or E-class Mercedes. And I'm not even talking about the Golf...

Apparently French mid-level cars sell better in the UK, Spain, Benelux states and Denmark...


Regards,


Tanir

The current C5 evoked memories of quirky big Citroens gone by(namely the CX,DS,SM,XM etc.), but to me it always looked better in photos than in the metal. The C5 already has the goods, the technology,comfort and practicallity. All it needs now is a fresh and stylish wrapper(body). The facelifted C5 looks far more elegant and purposeful than the current model, hopefully they do something with the sub-standard quality dash.

Completely agree with you Ion about the C5.

"The C5 already has the goods, the technology,comfort and practicallity. All it needs now is a fresh and stylish wrapper(body). The facelifted C5 looks far more elegant and purposeful than the current model"

After seeing both models on the street near a Citroën dealership I'm surprised to hear that the new C5 is twelve centimeters longer than the "old" one. It doesn't really show, at least not as much as the difference in length between the last generation of Xantias and the first of C5s.

I find both versions elegant. No, really. The new version C5 looks even better but the change is not dramatic.

The only thing that would put me off buying one some day is that it is not a saloon but a hatchback. Incidentally I don't understand why Peugeot have made their new 407 look so much like a hatchback too. If the rear part had been as long as that of the 406 it would have been almost as long as a 4-door Mondeo. Too bad...I understand that it's the dominant choice in France but it's really something that make me despise those cars.


Regards,


Tanir

The 407 is not an hatchback, and doesn't look like, to me. The C5 is more like an hatchback but, in Europe, this design is liked.