Owner Review: The car of the future from the past - My 1993 Citroen Xantia 2.0i

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Basic Information

1993 Citroen Xantia 2.0i

Time of Purchase

Dec. 2017

Reasons why I bought this car

Comfort and plushy ride, long-distance travels, daily driving car.

Car selection process

• I had a budget of RM7,000
• Models that I have considered include: 2014 Citroen C5

I had followed the Citroen's hydropneumatic systems for a while, and I thought I would get my hands on it. By far for me, it had the most comfortable ride I've ever driven. Long-distance travel doesn't make me feel tired, I could easily drive 300KM straight and didn't felt strained at all. With a full tank, could easily ace Jalan Duta toll to Sungai Petani back n forth. Also, old cars don't have many sensors, to begin with, most of the repairs and tuning can be done by myself. It has self-levelling which helps the car maintain its height during load and unloading stuff. If one tire is punctured, it can be driven with just 3 tires up to a maximum of 30km/h, also can be levelled to the highest height, only requiring jack stand to take a wheel off the car.

User Experience

• I have already done 290,000 km. 

Many of the old folks would describe this car like a magic carpet ride... provided the hydraulics are in the correct order and mint condition This car was meant to be filled with LHM fluids. There are 3 systems linked to this hydraulic, the brakes, power steering and for suspension. To be frank, I've had run many issues with this car, during the first year I had one of the spheres leaking fluids and causing the car to become lowered to the floor thus making the driving difficult. Second, the manifold seems to be having issues with coolant leaking, making me have to resort to using tap water. With a routine of flushing the water once a week to keep it from corroding too much. I've enjoyed the car so much that once a month I would go on a road trip. I wouldn't mind driving it all day long. Once, my father had a surgery for hernia. He mentioned that he didn't feel much pain at all while on our way home as the car had absorbed those pesky potholes! I have experienced with BMW's and Merc's top of the line car, but the 'sensation' was not the same as Xantia!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Super comfy
• Spare parts are scarce but surprisingly cheap enough
• Quite spacious for me, ample legroom is important. Boot space is average.
• Not a lot of sensors to be dealt with.
• Great fuel economy for long travels.

Cons

• Leaks here and there due to nature of ageing cars. Expect visits to workshop thrice a year, maybe 5.
• Fuel consumption is not great for in city driving.
• Rigorous inspection beneath the hood for any signs of hydraulic sphere or its mountings failure. Once a month 'exercise' for the hydraulics.

Ratings

Total Score: 5
Performance: 4
Quality & Features: 5
Space: 4
Ride Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 4
Price & Cost: 1

Summary

Overall superb ride, worth every penny, the ride's so soft you would fell in love with the car.

Lastly, any interesting events?

I drove through the floods simply by levelling the car high. Nobody took a picture of it though. :(

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