Used Citroen C5 review: 2008-2010

Let's face it Citroen is at best a bit player in the Australian motoring landscape. The brand has never really had much impact here, probably never will, but it sells enough cars to rusted-on buyers to hang in here.

It's not that Citroen makes bad cars, far from it, but the brand is an acquired taste, always has been. Road testers usually greet every new model with enthusiasm, often predicting it's the beginning of a push to market leadership, but they're kidding themselves.

Even Citroen's importers aren't foolish enough to think they would sell any more than a handful of cars to people who appreciate Citroen's unique qualities of comfort, economy and quirkiness.

NEW

The new C5 arrived amid a fanfare of bold predictions, but has slipped into the same rut that brand has been in for some time. It was a decent car of Commodore proportions that offered wonderful comfort, surely the Citroen signature, diesel economy, and heaps of features.

There were sedan and wagon versions that came in two roomy models, the Comfort and the more highly equipped Exclusive. Entry to the C5 came via those models with the 2.0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder engine, which opened up the Comfort and Exclusive model choice.

The four-cylinder turbo gets along smoothly; it's great for long distance touring and will give back in the form of miserly fuel consumption. Step up to the 2.7-litre turbo V6 diesel and you get extra punch, but no less smoothness.

Backing up both engines was a ZF six-speed automatic transmission. The ZF was nicely matched to the engines, shifts were smooth and unfussed, and ratios could be swapped manually.

Few cars can rival the C5 for comfort; those inside feel insulated from the woes of the world. There's little road noise, wind noise is at a minimum, only the muted sound of the diesel can be heard when you rolling along the road.

Don't expect the C5 to have sports car handling, because it doesn't. It handles well, but there's not a lot of feel in the steering to give you a strong connection to the road.

NOW

Before buying a Citroen it's worth considering a couple of things. The first is that the dealer network isn't as extensive as some other brands and you might not have a dealer located close by. The second is that resale isn't great; buyers aren't exactly thick on the ground.

If you feel you must have a C5 thoroughly road test any cars you might consider buying, and think about having an independent Citroen specialist inspect them. CarsGuide readers haven't felt the need to complain to our help desk, which suggests they are contented lot and there's little to be concerned about.

The lack of complaint can be at least partly attributed to the fact that the X7 C5 has only racked up 50,000 or so kilometres to date. Just the same tick off the usual boxes when checking any car, that is make sure it has been serviced according to the maker's recommendations, that the oil and associated filters have been changed as specified, and everything works the way it is meant to work.

Take particular notice of the operation of the ZF auto, the six-speeder can give trouble, so observe shift quality, engagement, and general smoothness.

SMITHY SAYS

If comfort and economy is your thing, the C5 could be for you.

Citroen C5 2008-2010
Price new: $49,990 to $65,740
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel, 100 kW/320 Nm; 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel, 150 kW/440 Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, FWD
Economy: 7.2 L/100 km (2.0TD), 8.4 L/100 km (V6)
Body: 4-door sedan, 4-door wagon
Variants: Comfort, Exclusive
Safety: 5-star ANCAP