Citroen C5 diesel Car for Holiday

[RabidGranny]

Morning All

For our next holiday home, my dad is allowing us (myself wife and three kids) the use of is 2013 citroen c5 for the duration of the holiday. He is saving us a fortune by doing this but i have a couple of reservations.

1. it doesn't get driven all that much. it has 150,000km on the odo and seems to live a charmed life in the garage, He does maintain it but 'cant be arsed with the tyre sensors' so it spits out error messages. It drives well though and is a 2.0l tdi with 150bhp so wafts along quite nicely.

the thing is, a French car at that age... i have visions of it leaving us on the side of the road.. am i being unrealistic/unreasonable?

should i just shut up and go with it, considering a hire car for the period would be well over 800e, and take out breakdown cover for the trip?

Thanks in advance

[SmithCorona]

That it's a French car doesn't worry me.

But any relatively leggy car that has not had a long journey for a while, and then goes on one, could throw up a few issues.

I'm the summer time I often see family haulers at the side of the road - probably because its their only long journey of the year.

[Alex_225]

Does the car get serviced regularly? There's definitely a difference between ignoring the odd electrical gremin (it is French!) and just not bothering to look after the mechanical side of things. If he does, then I'd have no issue taking it.

We have spent over £1k hiring a 9 seater for family holidays so for the cost saving, I'd say you might find it to be absolutely fine for the drive. The mileage wouldn't phase too much. There are plenty of French cars for sale on Autotrader with that kind of mileage.

[911Spanker]

Breaking down is part of the adventure and the kids will love it.

Get breakdown cover though and enjoy.

Your dad is doing you a favour -be grateful.

[captain_cynic]

Domestic or international?

Just make sure you've got decent roadside coverage just in case.

[shtu]

RabidGranny said:

Shut up and go with it, considering a hire car for the period would be well over 800e, and take out breakdown cover for the trip?

That.

Check the tyres and the fluids, give it a service if it's due, get breakdown cover, and get on with it.

[7 5 7]

Just crack on with it! It will be fine

[vikingaero]

As others have said breakdown cover, check tyres and fluids which is about the most you can do. Tyre sensors probably need the batteries in them replacing and is a phaff. Pop into a local supermarche for a litre of oil, coolant, fuses/bulbs and you'll be guaranteed not to need them.

[romft123]

Holy st. Is the OP post a real one???

[Jordie Barretts sock]

OP, are you really that entitled and ungrateful?

150k isn't a lot of KM on a ten year old car. And French diesels are good engines, it's the rest of the car that falls apart.

Stop being a brat.

[valiant]

They're good cars with a proven lump under the bonnet.

A few electrical gremlins and wobbly trim but overall solid cars.

As said, get some breakdown cover just in case but you're over worrying about it.

Or spend near a grand on a hire car that could just as well leave you on the side of the road in tears...

[Roger Irrelevant]

I don't know why some people are having a pop at the OP here - from the occasional conversation at work it's readily apparent that lots of people's gauge of automotive reliability is still stuck in the 70s. A colleague didn't take his VW Sharan on holiday to France - despite it having originally been bought for that exact purpose and having never broken down - because it was eight years old and had 70k miles on the clock. You don't even have to look far on PH to find people (i.e. absolute fannies who should know better) seemingly petrified of breakdowns and 'big bills' on anything out of warranty.

OP you really don't need to worry - if it hasn't broken down in the previous 150k an is generally looked after then it's very unlikely to do so in the next 2k or whatever. Follow the basic advice you've been given here and pocket the savings.

[swisstoni]

The reason the car is still around is because it’s a good’un.

[samoht]

In 25 years of driving cars >10 yo I've only had to call the AA out once. C5 diesel sounds perfect for a long trip en famille, take it and enjoy

[donkmeister]

A mass market mainstream car that's 10 years old and 90k miles... Checks calendar... Nope, it's not the 1970s, she'll be reet.

[Triumph Man]

You seem incredibly ungrateful!

[Triumph Man]

Roger Irrelevant said:

I don't know why some people are having a pop at the OP here - from the occasional conversation at work it's readily apparent that lots of people's gauge of automotive reliability is still stuck in the 70s. A colleague didn't take his VW Sharan on holiday to France - despite it having originally been bought for that exact purpose and having never broken down - because it was eight years old and had 70k miles on the clock. You don't even have to look far on PH to find people (i.e. absolute fannies who should know better) seemingly petrified of breakdowns and 'big bills' on anything out of warranty.

OP you really don't need to worry - if it hasn't broken down in the previous 150k an is generally looked after then it's very unlikely to do so in the next 2k or whatever. Follow the basic advice you've been given here and pocket the savings.

I'm taking a pop because the OP's dad is helping him out and his attitude seems all out of square about it!

[captain_cynic]

Triumph Man said:

Roger Irrelevant said:

I don't know why some people are having a pop at the OP here - from the occasional conversation at work it's readily apparent that lots of people's gauge of automotive reliability is still stuck in the 70s. A colleague didn't take his VW Sharan on holiday to France - despite it having originally been bought for that exact purpose and having never broken down - because it was eight years old and had 70k miles on the clock. You don't even have to look far on PH to find people (i.e. absolute fannies who should know better) seemingly petrified of breakdowns and 'big bills' on anything out of warranty.

OP you really don't need to worry - if it hasn't broken down in the previous 150k an is generally looked after then it's very unlikely to do so in the next 2k or whatever. Follow the basic advice you've been given here and pocket the savings.

I'm taking a pop because the OP's dad is helping him out and his attitude seems all out of square about it!

So saying "no thanks dad" is incredibly rude to you?

Having bothered to read the OPs post before judging him and piling on, their main concern is that the car doesn't get driven very often, not sure if want to take a garage queen out on a 150 mile drive if it's the first drive it's done in months.

Maybe ask the dad if he can take it out for a 10-1tl5 mile spin to make sure nothing pops loose.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

The clear inference is because it's 'a French car' it isn't good enough.

That is why the OP is getting grief. It is a post that seems to be written in an 'I'm entitled to better' way.

[RabidGranny]

Morning All

Thanks for the responses and the virtual slaps.

Yes i am real and yes I am probably overthinking etc. I am not ungrateful in the slightest and I'll gladly pay for whatever work that needs to be done on the car prior but like one of the last posters mentioned, i have a mentality from the 1980's where certain makes were deemed unreliable and 100k on the clock meant the car was worthless.

Thanks again, Ill get onto the AA.