DustinV

Hi all,

Yesterday I was able to sample the new Citroen C5 2.2 HDi. To make a long story short I have a German friend who works at a Citroen dealership in downtown Stuttgart and a few days ago we were talking about cars. He mentioned that the new Citroen C5 could easily compete with cars like the Mercedes C class, Audi A4 or Lexus IS for that matter. I expressed interest in testing one and he said he'd handle it. Well, yesterday morning he phones me up and tells me that there is a new 2.2 HDi C5 demo car at their dealership and that I could take it for a two hour spin if I wished. Awesome! Sadly, my camera batteries weren't fully charged and on the verge of dying so I didn't bother bringing my camera along.

Anyway, let us get to the car. My experience with French cars is non-existent but the new Citroen C5 has always looked good to me. Exterior wise the design is elegant, futuristic and makes a premium impression. The interior is even better. Once you open the doors and enter the plush interior, you feel as if you're sitting inside a luxury car. Everything was within reach and the ergonomics looked to be virtually perfect. Oh, and the build quality looked very good.

So how does she drive you ask? The 2.2-l 4-cylinder diesel engine is twin-turbocharged if memory serves me right and good for 170-horsepower. While these specs might look moderate on paper, they're more than adequate for real-world driving. In fact this car could accelerate brutally due to its massive torque reserves. I don't know the torque figures, but let me just say that when I hammered it I was pushed back deep into the leather seats. Yep, leather seats. Despite being a diesel engine, it was very refined. The motor was quieter and more responsive than the base diesel engine found in my company car Mercedes C200 CDI. When pushed, it also produced very nice sporty sounds. But for the most part the engine was a very quiet performer at most speeds and this aided comfort. The 6 speed manual transmission worked well with the motor but the shift patterns were a bit rubbery.

I'd say one of the greatest strengths of this car was its comfort. There are so many positive aspects about this particular criteria in this car. First, the suspension is buttery soft and does an excellent job of filtering out rough roads. The suspension is also quiet. Furthermore I thought the seats were well-shaped and very comfortable to sit in. Next, the cabin was very quiet and well isolated from outside noises. Impressive, especially since this is a mainstreamer.

Handling was ok. The C5 could be driven in a sporty fashion and coped reasonably well but you could feel that the car liked to be driven in a relaxed and stately manor. The brakes were very responsive and possessed good stopping-power. The steering response is quick but most of the time the steering feels a little lifeless and too artificial. I suppose this is due to the fact that the car is layed out for comfortable cruising rather than sporty driving.

I took the car on a little drive on a small stretch of autobahn and brought it up to 160 km/h (100 mph). Even at this speed the cabin does a good job of isolating exterior noises. The engine is a bit loud at these speeds but not loud enough to be annoying. The car feels easy to control at these speeds and more importantly feels solidly placed on the road.

The price of the car I drove with all its standard and optional features was about 33,000 Euros - a great deal when comparing it to the A4, C class, IS, 3er etc.

So what's the verdict? A very impressive car. In fact I could see myself driving something like this if I were to remain in Europe. Superbly crafted interior, beautiful exterior design, high quality comfort and a variety of appealing engine choices designed to suit the needs of many. What more can I say? Oh, and great value. The base C5's start at around 22,000 Euros and come well-equipped. From a build quality and comfort perspective, this car is easily on par with the C class, A4 and IS (and others in this class). In fact I'd say that the C5 has the most charming interior of them all, despite being a mainstreamer. As much as I love Japanese cars, their offerings in Europe lack the visual charisma of the Citroen C5, especially products from Toyota (no offense, guys). The Toyota Avensis, the C5 competitor, looks outright bland compared to this beauty.


Here are some pictures I stole from a wallpaper website. This is what the car looked like, except the C5 I drove was a sort of dark metallic blue. A very nice color.

Vladi

Thanks for feedback I always wondered how does it stack against competition. Its a wonderful car, interior is crisp and some weird cross of traditional French and traditional German design. I think this is the best car French auto industry can offer right now.
But like many cars on European market they all look good in top trim and this C5 is no different. In order to get those wonderful 19' rims and massager in front seats you have to get top of the line but underpowered 3.0 V6 that will set you back more than 40,000Euros at least in France and that is a shame.

And believe it or not a lot of people buy Avensis because its one quality car foremost but also because it blends with the traffic and you don't get noticed that easily. I know a lot of so called big shots that drive Avensis even though they could drive MB but dont want to be marked on a red light or so. But of course situation in eastern Europe is quite unique so ..

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

jeremy clarkson drove that car, like last year, and he also liked it very much. I'd drive it over an a4 anyday

Och

iTrader: (3)

Not a bad looking car, I see 3GS and some BMW in the rear, with the dash being a complete BMW ripoff, and 3GS like seats. But the whole car looks pretty good, except for the front, reminds of of a malibu.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

DustinV - thanks for the review. Car looks GREAT. And Citroen is legendary for their incredibly capable and refined suspensions. And thanks for letting others know that diesels don't have to be noisy and clattery.

mavericck

french.....no thanks.....cheese eating surrender monkeys....

Lexmex

When I lived in Mexico, we had Peugeot and Renault, and while I did like the 206/207cc from Peugeot and the Megane and Clio Sports from Renault, I always liked Citroen better. There was a guy in my neighborhood there who opened up a gray market dealership for Citroen (we still didn't have them at the time I left) and I remember a lot of people used to stop by just to look at the designs that were unique.

mmarshall

THIS is what is missing from FAR too many cars nowadays, even traditional luxury cars.....riding comfort. French cars have traditionally emphasized soft seats and suspensions. Almost everybody else worships at the altar of handling, quick steering response, and high g/skidpad figures.

Big Andy

After years of being told that they can't do big cars like the Germans, Citroen have agreed and made a German car in France. It's even advertised as being unmistakebly German:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMQnPWjK5pE

You can even specify it with steel springs instead of Citroen's famous hydropneumatic suspension.

I ran a Citroen Xantia Turbo Diesel (the forerunner to the C5) for 140,000 miles and found it to be an excellent car with an unrivaled ride comfort. It was well built, reliable (a friend still has his 300,000 mile example) and a pleasure to own - I rue the day I had a mental block and traded it for a Volvo.

LexFather

Thanks, very cool review.

DustinV

Agreed. This car certainly has its charm and feels very well put together and furthermore is an affordable alternative to the more expensive premium cars out there. The C5 is like a Toyota Avalon: a mainstream car with premium aspirations and I think it does this quite well.


I agree about the trim part, but in terms of standard features I don't think most people need anything more than is already onboard. My car is literally a stripper but I'm happy with it.


The Avensis definitely has that famed Toyota quality, but it also has that "boring Toyota design" typical of the cars they export to North America and Europe and elsewhere. It seems to me that Toyota keeps their stylish cars in Japan only, which is a shame.

DustinV

Thanks.

I agree. The Citroen C5 is a very nicely designed car that sure will turn heads. I know it does that here in Germany as it totally distinguishes itself from other cars on the road. And like I said before it also looks very upscale and premium.



Agreed. Alfa Romeos are just so lovely and have that emotional appeal. I rarely see them here in Europe (well in Germany) but when I do they're just stunning looking, especially the Brera, GT, 159 and even that litle 147.

DustinV

Anytime. Yes, Citroen was and still is a very innovative company in regards to improving automobile comfort. The C5 here was very comfortable and quiet. I enjoyed the car immensely.


Sure thing.

DustinV

That's the word I was looking for about Citroen designs. Indeed.

I always thought Citroen was one of those brands that took risks when it came to design and it has paid off. Cars like the Citroen CX, DS and that awesome SM have become legendary not only for their design but for their comfort.

DustinV

I agree completely. Furthermore this car doesn't pretend to be sporty but lets you know from the start that comfort is its main focus. It can be driven in a sporty fashion though and will generally cope well but take it to another level and you'll quickly reach its handling limits.