RE: Citroen DS5: Guilty Pleasures
Discussion
I was handed the keys to a hybrid model a couple of years ago and drove it around London and up and down the M1 a couple of times. It was a truly terrible car. The auto gearbox was slower than my mum's Vandenplas 1300 from 1968. I was always aware that there was a huge mass sitting towards the back of the car. Good job then that it was so dull to drive, otherwise it could've been a dangerous thing. Lastly, I think that the rear suspension must've been non-independent because the ride over bumps (traditionally a Citroen strength) was diabolical. Actually, one final thing. The boot was ridiculously tiny. So the car could seat 4 comfortably but couldn't take their luggage. Plus there did not appear to be any way to fit a rack on the roof.
All in all I'd prefer to walk.
All in all I'd prefer to walk.
This is the first big Citroen since they ditched the hydropneumatic suspension, which removes a significant benefit (to some) it might have had. If nothing else -you might think of a big Citroen- it will at least ride well. Now that's gone- and then some! They seem to have gone from wafty wobbly comfort straight to racecar hard ride in one generation.
Also, the over-flamboyant design language of the DS range has lost me, I'm afraid- those strakes over the front wings make me wince. I love/forgive the silliness of my C6, because the styling is at least ambitious even if not really ever resolved. The last C5 (X7) struck a good balance, I thought: looks a bit muscular in a 3-series way, springs for the company cars/ hydro for the beardy enthusiasts, driving characteristics about in the middle of everything, well-made interiors, normal build quality, etc. Not exceptional, but it met the competition head-on, and did ok, I think.
To me, the DS5 is back to being a curiosity, but in all the wrong ways: Citroen used to be about obscure engineering and high-minded ideas: this just looks like a wrong-handed attempt to second-guess fashion.
Also, the over-flamboyant design language of the DS range has lost me, I'm afraid- those strakes over the front wings make me wince. I love/forgive the silliness of my C6, because the styling is at least ambitious even if not really ever resolved. The last C5 (X7) struck a good balance, I thought: looks a bit muscular in a 3-series way, springs for the company cars/ hydro for the beardy enthusiasts, driving characteristics about in the middle of everything, well-made interiors, normal build quality, etc. Not exceptional, but it met the competition head-on, and did ok, I think.
To me, the DS5 is back to being a curiosity, but in all the wrong ways: Citroen used to be about obscure engineering and high-minded ideas: this just looks like a wrong-handed attempt to second-guess fashion.
Edited by Jodyone on Tuesday 24th March 20:03
tload of them as company cars at work. Easily the most interesting car in the carpark.Good choice.
Managed to get upgraded to a DS5 at Grenoble airport on the way to snowboarding last year with the wife and two kids. Was a cracking car. Great to look at, nice place to be, we had the basic diesel, it could have been faster but was fine up and down mountain roads.
It swallowed us, boards and luggage easily, was comfortable, felt a bit special and wafted along very nicely indeed.
Only thing was that visibility out of it was awful, but that is true of many modern day cars.
Must be a cracking second hand bargain.
Managed to get upgraded to a DS5 at Grenoble airport on the way to snowboarding last year with the wife and two kids. Was a cracking car. Great to look at, nice place to be, we had the basic diesel, it could have been faster but was fine up and down mountain roads.
It swallowed us, boards and luggage easily, was comfortable, felt a bit special and wafted along very nicely indeed.
Only thing was that visibility out of it was awful, but that is true of many modern day cars.
Must be a cracking second hand bargain.
J B L said:
kuro said:
StefanVXR8 said:
Yes, and she's as ******* useless as all the other knuckle dragging piss poor excuses for human beings at Clitroën UK!
Stef
Must admit thats probably why I ended up not buying one. The salesman seemed totally uninterested in selling me a car for £18k. Stef
Must admit, I went into a Citroen garage to look at cars before replacing my comp car with the Peugeot and the Citroen salesman couldn't have been more helpful. Knew his stuff and options, polite, offered test ride, took the time, courtesy call a couple of weeks later... much better than other 'upmarket' brands garages. I guess it depends of the shop and how it's managed.
So StefVXR8, have you had dealings with her?
I bought a brand new DS3 Racing in May 2011 and within 1,000 miles it started to misfire and loose power. Between May and December it spent 4 months in total at the dealer with multiple parts being thrown at it.
They then said it needed a new engine but these were on back order from France and it wouldn't be fitted until end of January 2012. I found out 4 other DS3 Racing's were waiting for engines too.
I had been emailing all the top management people at both Citroen UK and PSA France regarding the issues.
I finally got an offer of a brand new replacement and took delivery in the January.
Got to around 1,000 miles and yep, this one failed too! By this point I knew of 7 or 8 other owners having issues.
Citroen UK refused to acknowledge there was an issue with the engines, and I had a hell of a job rejecting it and getting back my money, even though the law was 100% on my side.
Finally the threat of court and blowing the problem wide open to the motoring press got results and I got a full refund.
They sold on the cars I had and both have since failed again and they constantly appear on the used market as the owners take a hit and swap them in.
I helped one of the owners through the process and all the time Citroen stated there were no known issues with the engines and that there was no history on my two cars and denied they had been rejected.
I think they teach Ostrich ethics at Citroen, just bury your head in the sand!
Citroen UK customer service were abysmal, if it wasn't for the huge help from the service department at the dealer in Southampton, Citroen would have got the car back at their HQ packed with Semtex!!
Stef
Odd that the DS3 has such engine trouble when it's the same engine that supposedly gives trouble-free service in the Mini Cooper S.
DS5 - just bland and useless as a shape, like the Vauxhall Signum. Awful ride quality. Nothing about the interior or chassis to say Citroen, and I really couldn't live with such appalling rear visibility. At least the C5 is mildly bonkers - concave rear windscreen, static steering wheel centre, so the controls stay put, and hydraulic suspension on the higher end models. Once had a ride in a Xantia Activa and was truly stunned by its ride quality and body control, refinement and comfy, supportive leather seats - vastly superior than my then current wheels (BMW E46 318i Touring) in pretty much every way. Absolutely tore up an infamous local B-road at a rate I could never have achieved. I also have a bit of a thing for the XM, CX, BX, GS, SM and DS. Never owned a Citroen and I'm told they're a nightmare to maintain (although my wife's cousin has a first-gen C5, a Berlingo, a DS and a Traction Avant and absolutely loves them) but part of me would really like to have one. Not sure if I can locate a sufficient supply of brave pills, though...
Other examples of stupidly tiny wipers - Lexus CT200H. I always think these really short wipers look like dog turds... don't know why!
DS5 - just bland and useless as a shape, like the Vauxhall Signum. Awful ride quality. Nothing about the interior or chassis to say Citroen, and I really couldn't live with such appalling rear visibility. At least the C5 is mildly bonkers - concave rear windscreen, static steering wheel centre, so the controls stay put, and hydraulic suspension on the higher end models. Once had a ride in a Xantia Activa and was truly stunned by its ride quality and body control, refinement and comfy, supportive leather seats - vastly superior than my then current wheels (BMW E46 318i Touring) in pretty much every way. Absolutely tore up an infamous local B-road at a rate I could never have achieved. I also have a bit of a thing for the XM, CX, BX, GS, SM and DS. Never owned a Citroen and I'm told they're a nightmare to maintain (although my wife's cousin has a first-gen C5, a Berlingo, a DS and a Traction Avant and absolutely loves them) but part of me would really like to have one. Not sure if I can locate a sufficient supply of brave pills, though...
Other examples of stupidly tiny wipers - Lexus CT200H. I always think these really short wipers look like dog turds... don't know why!
RoverP6B said:
Odd that the DS3 has such engine trouble when it's the same engine that supposedly gives trouble-free service in the Mini Cooper S.
DS5 - just bland and useless as a shape, like the Vauxhall Signum. Awful ride quality. Nothing about the interior or chassis to say Citroen, and I really couldn't live with such appalling rear visibility. At least the C5 is mildly bonkers - concave rear windscreen, static steering wheel centre, so the controls stay put, and hydraulic suspension on the higher end models. Once had a ride in a Xantia Activa and was truly stunned by its ride quality and body control, refinement and comfy, supportive leather seats - vastly superior than my then current wheels (BMW E46 318i Touring) in pretty much every way. Absolutely tore up an infamous local B-road at a rate I could never have achieved. I also have a bit of a thing for the XM, CX, BX, GS, SM and DS. Never owned a Citroen and I'm told they're a nightmare to maintain (although my wife's cousin has a first-gen C5, a Berlingo, a DS and a Traction Avant and absolutely loves them) but part of me would really like to have one. Not sure if I can locate a sufficient supply of brave pills, though...
Other examples of stupidly tiny wipers - Lexus CT200H. I always think these really short wipers look like dog turds... don't know why!
TBH I've followed it on both Mini and Citroen forums and on Citroen forums it's always "everyone told me they were unreliable blah blah blah" and on Cooper S forums it's more of a "freak failure, but the dealer looked after me". And I think that's the difference. The dealer actually looking after the customer for the mini, and per-conceived notions of unreliability. DS5 - just bland and useless as a shape, like the Vauxhall Signum. Awful ride quality. Nothing about the interior or chassis to say Citroen, and I really couldn't live with such appalling rear visibility. At least the C5 is mildly bonkers - concave rear windscreen, static steering wheel centre, so the controls stay put, and hydraulic suspension on the higher end models. Once had a ride in a Xantia Activa and was truly stunned by its ride quality and body control, refinement and comfy, supportive leather seats - vastly superior than my then current wheels (BMW E46 318i Touring) in pretty much every way. Absolutely tore up an infamous local B-road at a rate I could never have achieved. I also have a bit of a thing for the XM, CX, BX, GS, SM and DS. Never owned a Citroen and I'm told they're a nightmare to maintain (although my wife's cousin has a first-gen C5, a Berlingo, a DS and a Traction Avant and absolutely loves them) but part of me would really like to have one. Not sure if I can locate a sufficient supply of brave pills, though...
Other examples of stupidly tiny wipers - Lexus CT200H. I always think these really short wipers look like dog turds... don't know why!
Yup, the DS5 is definitely one of my guilty pleasures too. Every time I see one I can't help but think it looks striking in a concept car kind of way, great shame you can't get one on hydropneumatics though.
I think other guilty pleasures would have to include a Skoda Superb V6 4x4, Matra Rancho and the Renault Safrane BiTurbo.
I think other guilty pleasures would have to include a Skoda Superb V6 4x4, Matra Rancho and the Renault Safrane BiTurbo.
Just taken the courtesy DS5 back and I have to say, I like it.
I don't know what updates Citroen have done since launch, but I can definitely say it was not a harsh ride - far from it ('my' one was a '64, 4k on the clock, 17" wheels, comfy profile tyres). Maybe a bit clattery over really bad road imperfections but generally very smooth the rest of the time. Visibility is not a problem either but then I'm fitted with a rotating head that I swivel round when out & about. The ample glass didn't hinder much (& the 3 sunroofs are ace!), bar the multiple A-pillars that are slightly annoying at roundabouts. Someone above mentioned poor interior materials - disagree strongly there. Felt quite premium in feel and solidness. How long it will still feel like that, well that's for long term owners to say.
I expected to hate it but was won over in the brief time I had it. Nice car for someone who wants something different, distinctive & comfortable. Definitely not something to bring along to a PH hoon
Vive le DS5!
I don't know what updates Citroen have done since launch, but I can definitely say it was not a harsh ride - far from it ('my' one was a '64, 4k on the clock, 17" wheels, comfy profile tyres). Maybe a bit clattery over really bad road imperfections but generally very smooth the rest of the time. Visibility is not a problem either but then I'm fitted with a rotating head that I swivel round when out & about. The ample glass didn't hinder much (& the 3 sunroofs are ace!), bar the multiple A-pillars that are slightly annoying at roundabouts. Someone above mentioned poor interior materials - disagree strongly there. Felt quite premium in feel and solidness. How long it will still feel like that, well that's for long term owners to say.
I expected to hate it but was won over in the brief time I had it. Nice car for someone who wants something different, distinctive & comfortable. Definitely not something to bring along to a PH hoon
Vive le DS5!
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