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Citroen CX Review

Overall Ratings

***** *****
***** *****
Overall
*****

Based upon average ratings provided by 7 members - add your own review

Showing reviews 1 to 4 of 4.


Junk Bond
Reviewed January 2002.

Performance Reliability
***** *****
Parts Availability Overall Value for Money
***** *****

Had a GTI T2 for a couple of
years. These cars need specialist
maintenance, but they are an
absolute orgasm on wheels to
drive. I have NEVER posted such
short cross country point-to-point
times as I managed in my T2, even
in cars with double the horsepower
and ferocious reputations.

Everything is laid out to
encourage you to move your hands
and feet in a slow, ballet-like
dance - long throw gearchange,
slow soft clutch, instantaneous
travel-less brake pedal. If you
jump about like a mexican bean
then you will suffer, and so will
your passengers - but if you get
into moving that huge, razor-sharp
wheel in slow arcs, as you wave
the gearstick gently to and fro,
you will discover that everyone
else is a mile behind you and
sweating to keep up!

Almost all the rules for driving
modern cars don't apply to the CX.
The engine isn't even overhead
cam, and doesn't like high revs,
but the torque is so insanely high
that it barely matters. There are
several things that put the Escort
driver right off, not least the
DIRAVI steering, which will turn
the wheels back to straight-ahead
if you let go of the wheel while
stationary. Non-self-cancelling
indicators are part of the
package, too. If you accept these
as part of the charm of the thing,
however, then the whole experience
of the car is just magical.

The magic has a tendency to fade
when it comes to:

- oil changes. Turbo 2 CXes like
fully synthetic oil and run it
murderously hot (it cools the
turbo). You MUST change oil at the
recommended intervals. If the oil
gets too hot, the engine is shut
down! Long runs on hot summer days
are punctuated by watching the
dash-mounted oil temp gauge
creeping up towards 120 deg. c...

- incontinent heater matrixes. XMs
have this problem too - first you
know is squishy carpets, and
replacement is a total bastard.
Worse still, the replacements are
made out of kit-kat wrapper foil
and will fail soon too.

- metric tyres! 240 quid per
corner, not per set!

- the T2 adjusts the suspension
ride height through a pointless
electric doobrey. If this fails
the car stays in 'ground scrape'
mode and won't be getting up any
time soon. Note that Citroen went
back to a mechanical lever system
in the XM.

- dodgy electrics. The loom is
made from nasty stuff you'd be
disappointed to find in a child's
toy, never mind a glorious
executive express. I know of 2
CXes which have finally succumbed
to fire within the wiring loom,
after insulation dries out and
cracks off 8(.

Final note: if you go for the
incredibly rare Safari estate, 7-
seater Familiale or the turbo-
diesels (DTRs), then be prepared
for a course in metallurgy. The
estate bodies had a fine
repertoire of rust traps hidden
away in hard to find places - even
in the last few made, around G-
plate time - and the DTRs had
porous engine blocks made from
dodgy scrap metal (yes, really!).
European owner's clubs succeeded
in making Citroen replace all teh
dodgy diesel blocks, but the
English cars weren't included. The
estates are a huge hoot, though:
you can carry over a ton in them
in perfect peace and quiet at
100mph without the bonnet pointing
at the stars. Just don't try to
park 18 feet of CX estate anywhere
inside the M25!


*****
Owned for 2 years.

Graham
Reviewed March 2001.

Performance Reliability
***** *****
Parts Availability Overall Value for Money
***** *****

The CX (particularly in GTi form) was
(and is still?) the most marvelously
comfortable, fast, marshmallow of a
sophisticated car there has ever been.
Surely the last of the great Citroens -
Look how right they got it back in
1974. Soft springs & firm damping
(Colin Chapman of Lotus also discovered
that was the best way to make a car
handle). Super fast DIRAVI steering
(The new top spec Ford mondeo has the
same 2.5 turns lock to lock to give
easy handling - 27 years late but who's
counting). Interiors which even by
today's gizmo laden standards look, and
are, plush. Superb high speed
stability - a virtue of the weight
distribution and aerodynamicsof the CX -
no other car in the world has bettered
it since. Self levelling suspension
which supplements the ride quality and
stability (still only the province of
top range Mercs and Audis and of
course, Rolls Royce who use the Citroen
system). The list goes on and on. My
advice is to get one now before their
true classic status is recognised and
they rocket in value.

I've had two and am now looking for
another. Forget the horror stories.
They are mechanically tough and the
rust bug was cured by the early
eighties. They take a little time to
learn to drive smoothly, but that's
part of the fun. Passengers usually
adore them. If you've never been in a
CX, try to blag a ride in one - If
possible a long ride.

There's no half way house - you'll
either hate them or love them but I
have a warning. If you're even slightly
susceptible then seduction is a game
the CX will win hands down. You'll
crave for one after the test ride and
NOTHING ELSE WILL DO!!!


*****
Owned for 5 years.

citroen
Reviewed February 2000.

Performance Reliability
***** *****
Parts Availability Overall Value for Money
***** *****

Truly the most wonderful car in the world!
The most graceful, thought provoking and stable high speed cruiser that ever existed!
GTi Turbo tricky to fix but worth the trouble! Moving to London, so mine's for sale.....boo hoo!

*****
Owned for 2 years.

Preloved Visitor
Reviewed November 2002.

Performance Reliability
***** *****
Parts Availability Overall Value for Money
***** *****

By far the most comfortable car you can own. For its size the handling, braking and acceleration (2.5DTR Safari) is second to none. Mechanical components are generally over-engineered and so prove very reliable, however, electrics and overall build quality are poor by today's standards and electrical problems, especially on the more lavish series two cars, are not uncommon. Have suffered head gasket failure in the past whilst towing a boat & trailer which was definately a low point. Rubber return pipes are getting old now and these are beginning to perish on mine. This would have led to failure of the hydraulics on a couple of occasions had it not been for the warning lights, although a new return 'octopus' is still available from dealers. Contrary to popular belief, the hydraulics are easy to live with as long as you keep changing the green stuff (LHM) now and again.
In my opinion, the CX is a good, usable older car which is fast becoming a rare classic. Get one now while you still can!

*****
Owned for 2 years.

Showing reviews 1 to 4 of 4.

 

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