New Citroen C5 saloon review
Sleek styling borrows from C6, BMW and a touch of new Mondeo
Author: David Miles
Published: 20 March 2008
Exterior sharp styling, a roomy well equipped interior, a high level of value for money specification and a wide range of engine options are the pinnacle selling points for the new Citroen C5 range.
And with a starting price of £15,600 for the four-door saloon it looks an attractive proposition, both visually and financially.
Whilst the C5 saloon goes on sale in early April, the C5 Tourer estates arrive this summer and they look an even better proposition if load space is a priority, and there is growing demand for estate models from business and private users alike.
How previous C5 owners, who liked the five-door hatchback’s versatility, take to choosing between a saloon and an estate, only time will tell.
Apart from the Germanic exterior looks, the next most noticeable improvements over the old C5 are the higher quality and much more modern interior. Particularly impressive is the ride comfort and the quietness with very little intrusion from engine, road or wind noise.
Ride and handling
The new C5 is not as sharp or controlled in the handling department as most of its new German ‘best friends’ but it is comfortable without being too soft. There is little to choose between the conventional coil spring suspension layout and the ‘magic carpet’ ride offered by the optional Hydractive 3 Plus system but many current C5 owners changing to the new models will want the traditional Citroen big-car comfort feel.
The steering is too light at low, speeds although this makes parking easier. It firms up at higher speeds but it still doesn’t provide much feed-back to the driver.
Whilst the design certainly looks elegant due to its sleek, wide and low stance, the relatively small side windows combined with the wide pillars reduces visibility out of the car.
The instrumentation is comprehensive but the layout is ‘quirky’ Citroen. Newcomers to the brand will take some time getting used to the layout and it looks pretty cluttered.
Engines and performance
As for the engine choice. Well nothing is new in the line-up and the petrol engines will be only of interest to a few customers. The diesel units, shared with Peugeot under the PSA banner plus Ford, Jaguar and Land Rover, are the pick of the bunch.
Most customers will opt for the 2.0-litre 138bhp turbodiesel unit which gives a top speed of 127mph, 0-62mph takes 11.6 seconds with 47.1mpg being the official average fuel economy. The all-important CO2 rating of 157g/km puts this car in Band D giving a road tax bill of £145 as from 1 April.
There is also the choice of a 1.6-litre and 2.2-litre turbodiesel engines and the widely used 2.7 V6 turbocharged diesel unit. But the latter with emissions of 223g/km and a high benefit in kind tax rating for business users, this is not the one to choose. Overall I feel the 2.0-litre HDI is the best engine option for most people.
The new Citroen C5 is a marked improvement over the outgoing model. It is a significant step up in design, quality, comfort and overall refinement. With residual values forecast to be around 36 per cent better than the old C5, it looks a serious proposition.
MILESTONES
Citroen C5 Saloon 2.0-litre HDI VTR+
Price: £18,495
Engine/transmission: 2.0-litre HDI four-cylinder turbodiesel, 138bhp, 236lb ft of torque from 2,000rpm, 6-speed manual gearbox
Performance: 127mph, 0-62mph 11.6 seconds, 47.1mpg (33.5mpg actual), CO2 157g/km, VED Band D £145
For: Sleek eye catching exterior design, much improved interior design and quality, ride comfort, quiet and spacious cabin, sound diesel engines, high level of equipment as standard
Against: Vague handling and light steering, poor visibility, fiddly switches
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I enjoy your news letters, and I wonder if you could help me in advising me an alternative to the car marque I have been driving for the last 12 years. I drive a mondeo estate 2.2 TD Titinium X. I drive 25-30K a year,carry a heavy payload and love the comfort.Self levelling suspension,zeon lights etc etc and all the boys toys.Is there an alternative? Or has Ford cornered the market?