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| Performance | 7/10  |
|---|---|
| Practicality | 9/10 |
| Reliability | 9/10 |
| Value for Money | 8/10 |
| Reviewer Rating | 8/10 |
| Overall Rating | 8.7/10  |
Full review by
redrebo
expert review 
on 12th Nov 2006
User Rating : 8
Respect :
-1
The Citroen Xsara 1.9D offers a solid drive! The engine is extremely generous on fuel, and the car handles superbly in corners and on the highway. The 1.9 atmospheric diesel is a bit noisy at high speeds, but it is capable of pushing this baby to some limits. Acceleration is very good too, and cruising on the highway or the motorway is a delight in this French delight, despite the noise level new injection diesels made us forget. So performance is pretty correct, but what about the rest? The equipment is pretty generous with: front power windows, 2 airbags, frontal CD player / RDS radio with controls on the steering column, power steering, courtesy mirrors with lights for two front seats, electrochrome interior rear view mirror, electric passenger rearview mirror, on-board computer, air conditioning and height adjustable driver's seat. Plenty of storage space with empty pockets on all doors, a storage compartment under the radio for CD's, dual glove box (depending on model, models with frontal passenger airbag do not have secondary, top glove box). Fog lamps front and rear prove to be useful for this car. Three head rests for the back seats come on most models. The car offers plenty of space for four adults, even five moderately sized adults will sit in comfort. The boot offers plenty of space. The seating position for the driver, with the multiple possible adjustments (front seat height + some models adjustable lumbar support, adjustable height for steering wheel).
The noise on the 1.9 Diesel is a bit old fashioned, and the performance reminds you of a mid 90's sedan. Has a taste of the Peugeot 405. Lots of electronic hicks. Even though there is plenty of size, the interior of the car looks confined. Also, the front window controls are on the console and separated by many other dials and buttons, with only driver's side one touch down (no up?) for the model I tested. Models sold after 2002 should be more generous on equipment, and have less problems with electronics as well. Dashboard design looks pretty modern, but the console is ageing.
I have heard the HDi model does better in terms of performance (one of my friends has fallen in love with it), so look for one of those. Be on the lookout for electric problems, as the car I've driven had almost everything going wrong in its third year of ownership (interior electronics, including on-board computer display which didn't work, stereo control on steering column which didn't work, CD player which had to be fixed, air conditioning which only worked on settings 3 and 4, total silence of fans at settings 1 and 2). Avoid cars with a lot of rattle in the suspension, as it could be a sign of an expensive bill. I could not find out if the model I tested did have ABS or not. I suppose some of the latter models should have it. Nonetheless, braking is correct, and even without ABS, the Citroen's suspension should make up for that.
redrebo's review and ratings | 496 words
