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By
EWAN KENNEDY
13 September 2004
Citroen
Xsara is more mainstream, less idiosyncratic, than many others from the
famed French marque. Despite not using radical technology, Xsara works
very well in the comfort and handling stakes and will appeal to many
Aussie buyers who may have been reluctant to go for a Citroen from a
couple of generations back.
Not only is the Xsara more conventional in its makeup, it’s also well
priced. Resale value isn’t as good as that of some of the more
established Euro brands, but neither is it the disaster it used to be in
the days of the wildly-odd Citroens.
The Citroen Xsara was first seen here as a five-door hatchback, way back
in August 1998. A sporting three-door coupe arrived in February 2001. A
few weeks after the coupe arrived, the five-door received a facelift to
bring it into line with its sportier brother. That later model is more
in keeping with Citroen's reputation for bold body styling. With its
unmistakable ‘chevron’ grille and large teardrop headlights it makes
its roots very clear.
Though Xsara uses a conventional ‘metal’ suspension, rather than the
electro/hydraulic setup seen in larger Citroens, it still manages to
provide outstanding ride qualities on sealed roads and better than
average comfort on dirt and gravel surfaces. The steering is light,
direct and quick to react without being too sudden. A sports suspension
system is fitted to all versions of the coupe, so even the lower powered
variant has excellent handling that will really appeal to the keen
driver. The VTS coupe is probably the pick of the bunch.
Engine options on the original five-door Xsara were 1.8 and 2.0 litres.
The smaller engine became smaller still (1.6) in February 2000, though
it was a redesigned unit and lost less performance than you might have
expected. That engine was further refined just 12 months later when a
twin-cam cylinder head was added.
That version of the 1.6-litre engine, was also fitted on the then-new
coupe. Xsara Coupe also got a hot 124 kW 2.0-litre engine, so was a
genuine performance car, not the pretender that we see in some competing
vehicles. At the same time, the facelifted hatch also benefited from a
2.0-litre twin-cam engine, but with 102 kilowatts in place of the
coupe’s 124 kW. All engines are smooth and quiet and more than happy
to rev to their redlines.
Spare parts are reasonably priced for a small-volume imported car and
aren't as hard to find now as they often were in the past.
Citroen dealerships are still not exactly common in Australia, but the
number is growing. Those that do exist are well organised. During the
lean years for the French marque in Australia, non-factory specialists
kept the Citroen flag flying. These guys usually have a genuine love of
the marque and can often fill in the gaps left by official dealers in
some geographical areas. Make inquiries about the factory warranty if
that applies to your car.
As they are less unusual in their mechanical makeup than many Citroens,
Xsaras can be worked on by a good amateur mechanic. As always, it pays
to have a workshop manual beside you all the way. Please leave the
safety items to the professionals, though.
Insurance charges aren't exorbitant but, as is sometimes the way with
smaller volume models, there can be quite a variation from company to
company. It’s worth spending a few hours on the phone to track down
the best deal.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
The engine should start within a second or so, even when it’s
cold. As soon as it fires it should settle into a steady idle.
Acceleration should be virtually instantaneous the moment the pedal is
pushed and there should be no smoke from the exhaust pipe even if the
engine is worked hard.
A manual gearbox should be moderately light in its action and not crunch
on any downshift, no matter how fast. If the automatic transmission is
slow at picking up a drive gear from Park or Neutral it may be due for
an overhaul.
An air conditioning system that's slow to work or overly noisy in
operation may need a professional inspection.
Check for crash repairs. Poorly repaired damage will show as paint which
doesn’t match from panel to panel; or a ripply finish in a panel; or
as tiny spots of paint on non-painted parts such as glass and badges.
Seriously bad repairs can leave the complete body twisted. This can only
be checked properly by an expert panel beater or an inspector from your
motorist’s association.
Get a quote for even apparently minor repairs as some can be a fair bit
more expensive than normal for a car of this price and size.
CAR BUYING TIP
Sadly European cars at the lower end of the price ladder generally
aren't as well built and reliable as Japanese cars in the same class.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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