Discussion
Muddle238 said:
The other thing I love about it is the way you feel behind the wheel. Not only in your own little world inside the "cockpit", but outside you know that the exterior visuals have a strong presence, it's difficult not to look in shop window reflections!
I have the hybrid version of the DS5, and for me this comment nails it. These cars bring a smile to one's face, and make one feel good in a way that so many other cars - even those from the class above - fail to do.They are surprisingly high quality. For example, Citroen claim that within the cabin, everything that looks like metal is real genuine metal. Not plastic spray-painted to look like metal. The metal looking bits feel heavy and cold to the touch, so I believe them.
They are quite special. Hats off to Citroen for making something like this, and long may they continue to push the boundaries of WTF-ness.
AmitG said:
They are surprisingly high quality. For example, Citroen claim that within the cabin, everything that looks like metal is real genuine metal. Not plastic spray-painted to look like metal. The metal looking bits feel heavy and cold to the touch, so I believe them.
They are indeed metal, infact the metal flourishes by the window switches and on the door handles are a plastic moulding with a metal skin, I discovered this when I had the metal parts off to put squeak proofing bits underneath. The only downside though is that by dropping keys accidentally, the wafer thin metal is easily dented. I imagine Citroen charge a fortune for replacements!I have the same spec car in auto. Moved from a C5 Exclusive and regretting it. Suspension like a rock. This car is crying out for Hydractive3.
Citroens luxury model? Half the seat adjustment that my C5 had. Passenger seat with no lumbar support? No spare wheel? Once again, Citroens totally crap Sat Nav with no provision for full UK postcode search. The car LOOKS the part, but it's not a patch on the discontinued C5.
No tailgate auto open/close? "Boot Lip" as high as a small mountain. Absolutely no place in the boot to stow even a meagre few tools, rags first aid kit etc.
I had the car a few days when I noticed oil on the driveway. Took it back to the Citroen dealer and they said "Rear oil seal leaking"???? Whatever that is. It has been in for 5 days now and been promised it back every day so far. 5 days is complete engine and gearbox change time, but for an oil seal????? Something ain't right.
Have been given a C4 Grand Picasso loaner and it's superior in every way except looks.
If the DS5 is Citroens "prestige" model, I wouldn't want to risk their base model.
Sorry to be a damp squib, but that's my take on the DS5.
I've had nearly 30 cars from ford prefect to Jaguars in over 45 years of driving . The DS5 is disappointing and doesn't seem to have half the amount of toys that the C5 Exclusive had.
Citroens luxury model? Half the seat adjustment that my C5 had. Passenger seat with no lumbar support? No spare wheel? Once again, Citroens totally crap Sat Nav with no provision for full UK postcode search. The car LOOKS the part, but it's not a patch on the discontinued C5.
No tailgate auto open/close? "Boot Lip" as high as a small mountain. Absolutely no place in the boot to stow even a meagre few tools, rags first aid kit etc.
I had the car a few days when I noticed oil on the driveway. Took it back to the Citroen dealer and they said "Rear oil seal leaking"???? Whatever that is. It has been in for 5 days now and been promised it back every day so far. 5 days is complete engine and gearbox change time, but for an oil seal????? Something ain't right.
Have been given a C4 Grand Picasso loaner and it's superior in every way except looks.
If the DS5 is Citroens "prestige" model, I wouldn't want to risk their base model.
Sorry to be a damp squib, but that's my take on the DS5.
I've had nearly 30 cars from ford prefect to Jaguars in over 45 years of driving . The DS5 is disappointing and doesn't seem to have half the amount of toys that the C5 Exclusive had.
qprdiv2 said:
I have the same spec car in auto. Moved from a C5 Exclusive and regretting it. Suspension like a rock. This car is crying out for Hydractive3.
Citroens luxury model? Half the seat adjustment that my C5 had. Passenger seat with no lumbar support? No spare wheel? Once again, Citroens totally crap Sat Nav with no provision for full UK postcode search. The car LOOKS the part, but it's not a patch on the discontinued C5.
No tailgate auto open/close? "Boot Lip" as high as a small mountain. Absolutely no place in the boot to stow even a meagre few tools, rags first aid kit etc.
I had the car a few days when I noticed oil on the driveway. Took it back to the Citroen dealer and they said "Rear oil seal leaking"???? Whatever that is. It has been in for 5 days now and been promised it back every day so far. 5 days is complete engine and gearbox change time, but for an oil seal????? Something ain't right.
Have been given a C4 Grand Picasso loaner and it's superior in every way except looks.
If the DS5 is Citroens "prestige" model, I wouldn't want to risk their base model.
Sorry to be a damp squib, but that's my take on the DS5.
I've had nearly 30 cars from ford prefect to Jaguars in over 45 years of driving . The DS5 is disappointing and doesn't seem to have half the amount of toys that the C5 Exclusive had.
I agree with the Hydractive3 comments, the DS5 really should have it. It's the biggest downfall of the car, the standard suspension setup. The early cars, 2012/2013 had different rear shock absorbers to the later cars, I have just fitted the later 2014+ shocks to my 2013 car and it has made a huge difference, the ride is much softer, more stable and less crashy than before. It's not hydropneumatic soft but it's a big step in the right direction. I would recommend anybody with an early DS5 do this mod, well worth the money. Sachs part number 314934. Citroens luxury model? Half the seat adjustment that my C5 had. Passenger seat with no lumbar support? No spare wheel? Once again, Citroens totally crap Sat Nav with no provision for full UK postcode search. The car LOOKS the part, but it's not a patch on the discontinued C5.
No tailgate auto open/close? "Boot Lip" as high as a small mountain. Absolutely no place in the boot to stow even a meagre few tools, rags first aid kit etc.
I had the car a few days when I noticed oil on the driveway. Took it back to the Citroen dealer and they said "Rear oil seal leaking"???? Whatever that is. It has been in for 5 days now and been promised it back every day so far. 5 days is complete engine and gearbox change time, but for an oil seal????? Something ain't right.
Have been given a C4 Grand Picasso loaner and it's superior in every way except looks.
If the DS5 is Citroens "prestige" model, I wouldn't want to risk their base model.
Sorry to be a damp squib, but that's my take on the DS5.
I've had nearly 30 cars from ford prefect to Jaguars in over 45 years of driving . The DS5 is disappointing and doesn't seem to have half the amount of toys that the C5 Exclusive had.
Also agree with your comments about the auto tailgate, it would benefit from such a feature. Not sure if it's possible to retrofit the electric struts from a C5 into the DS5. The satnav can be a bit slow at times, unfortunately it's the PSA eMyWay unit pulled from the PSA parts bin at the time, so the DS5 isn't the only car to suffer the lack of decent postcode entry. I rarely use mine however so it's not much of an issue for me.
As for toys and seat adjustment, do you have electric or manual seats? I haven't had problems with the electric seats in mine, although I do wonder why the lumbar/massage functions aren't included on the passenger side when they are on a DS4..??
Overall though, two years into DS5 ownership I'm still very happy with mine. Even more so now that I've sorted the OEM suspension out. The big Citroen gets looked after and so far to date (touch wood) has been flawlessly reliable, although I have adopted the "money no objective" attitude towards keeping her healthy and well maintained. Will post an update to this thread in the coming weeks when I get a chance on all the developments since I bought the car a couple of years ago.
When I was working for a Citroen dealer, one thing I thought the car lacked was a decent ride quality. Citroen would have been better with a nod to their heritage and make the thing ride like it was sprung with honey, rather than trying to make it something (i.e. another "sporty" 5-Series rival) it wasn't.
Thought I'd give a thread update, after the first two years of ownership and just under 30,000 miles put on the clock brining her to almost 60,000.
Ok so first question about big French modern car with lots of electronics on board, what's gone wrong. Well, so far nothing electronic has gone wrong. Every electronic gadget still works and performs the same as the day it left the factory. I've recently made two fixes however to mechanically related items which I'll get to in a sec.
Back in March, I took all 4 wheels and wheel arch liners off the car to have a poke about behind, do a visual check and also clean out the then 55k-ish miles of road crud and muck that had been accumulating between the wheel arch liners and the wings/rear quarter panel. It turns out however, the wheel arch liners in a DS5 are an excellent fit as there was virtually no muck whatsoever behind the liners, which I was surprised at. This will prove well I hope for keeping body rust at bay in the future. While everything was off, I gave the brakes and hubs a bit of a seeing to and freshen up. Not bad for 60k.
At the same time she received a full "decontamination" (whatever the detailer people call in), clay bar to remove 4 years of tar spots and other bits from the paint, a polish and eventually a wax. Combined with unmarked bodywork, you really wouldn't think this car was four years on the road.
Over on the DS5 Owners Forum (yes there is such a thing) a thread started about improving the ride quality in these cars. It's a known fact that Citroens are some of the most comfortable cars in the world, while it's also known that the early DS5's didn't live up to this reputation. The car doesn't have Hydractive III suspension, instead for some unfathomable reason, Citroen decided to give it torsion beam, linked to the car via shock absorbers filled with concrete and springs made from diamonds. The result was that on even slightly rough roads, the ride was a bit jarring and on bad roads the car was terrible. Hit a transverse bump on the motorway and the whole rear end would jump about in a skittish manner, quite unnerving at times. As a result, "driving to the conditions" took a new meaning in the DS5. Cars after 2014 benefit from a different shock absorber made by Sachs (314934 if anyone's interested) which made the ride much more compliant and "wafty", although it's still no match for Hydractive cars. Following the advice on the DS5 forum I decided to purchase a pair, the car was still on it's original shocks at the time and they weren't brilliant. I went underneath the car to check the mountings and damn, one of the shocks in covered in oil. Double damn, she's in for her MOT in two days and the shocks aren't going to arrive before then...
Two days later the car has passed her MOT, having removed the evidence of the leaking shock with a paper towel just before dropping off the car. The day after, the new shocks arrive so I get to work changing them over. The result is a car that is totally transformed for the better, the ride is far far superior to how it used to be. As I said, I can now use the term "wafty" with my car, despite it not being a traditional hydraulic Citroen. In hindsight it's hardly surprising the shock sprung a leak, they were so firm that 58k miles of British roads was enough to fail them. Or at least one of them anyway.
Around the same time, I started to notice a metallic rattle coming from the front wheels, when the car was stationary and at idle. Fearing a belt tensioner or knackered pulley, I pulled the o/s wheel off and liner to discover a heat shield over the inner driveshaft had broken loose from one of its two mountings, three standard washers and a spring washer fixed that. Rattles no more, well, no more than any other diesel anyway.
Now that the girl is well out of manufacturers warranty, I have less reservations about doing the repairs and maintenance myself. I intend to keep the car for a long time, so it makes sense to do the work yourself. Not only does it save money but you get to know your car well, I bought a copy of the Citroen Service and Repair manual which details just about every part on the car, plus job descriptions on how to do just about every maintenance and repair job you could imagine. Not bad for a tenner, worth it's weight in gold. So far by doing work myself, I estimate I've saved almost £600 in garage "diagnostic" bills and labour.
That's about all really, not a huge amount to talk about. The car has been reliable and continues to do so. She also remains a relatively rare sight on UK roads which is fine by me, still attracts positive attention from people asking what it is and many are surprised how old she is, given her condition. Long may it last!
Ok so first question about big French modern car with lots of electronics on board, what's gone wrong. Well, so far nothing electronic has gone wrong. Every electronic gadget still works and performs the same as the day it left the factory. I've recently made two fixes however to mechanically related items which I'll get to in a sec.
Back in March, I took all 4 wheels and wheel arch liners off the car to have a poke about behind, do a visual check and also clean out the then 55k-ish miles of road crud and muck that had been accumulating between the wheel arch liners and the wings/rear quarter panel. It turns out however, the wheel arch liners in a DS5 are an excellent fit as there was virtually no muck whatsoever behind the liners, which I was surprised at. This will prove well I hope for keeping body rust at bay in the future. While everything was off, I gave the brakes and hubs a bit of a seeing to and freshen up. Not bad for 60k.
At the same time she received a full "decontamination" (whatever the detailer people call in), clay bar to remove 4 years of tar spots and other bits from the paint, a polish and eventually a wax. Combined with unmarked bodywork, you really wouldn't think this car was four years on the road.
Over on the DS5 Owners Forum (yes there is such a thing) a thread started about improving the ride quality in these cars. It's a known fact that Citroens are some of the most comfortable cars in the world, while it's also known that the early DS5's didn't live up to this reputation. The car doesn't have Hydractive III suspension, instead for some unfathomable reason, Citroen decided to give it torsion beam, linked to the car via shock absorbers filled with concrete and springs made from diamonds. The result was that on even slightly rough roads, the ride was a bit jarring and on bad roads the car was terrible. Hit a transverse bump on the motorway and the whole rear end would jump about in a skittish manner, quite unnerving at times. As a result, "driving to the conditions" took a new meaning in the DS5. Cars after 2014 benefit from a different shock absorber made by Sachs (314934 if anyone's interested) which made the ride much more compliant and "wafty", although it's still no match for Hydractive cars. Following the advice on the DS5 forum I decided to purchase a pair, the car was still on it's original shocks at the time and they weren't brilliant. I went underneath the car to check the mountings and damn, one of the shocks in covered in oil. Double damn, she's in for her MOT in two days and the shocks aren't going to arrive before then...
Two days later the car has passed her MOT, having removed the evidence of the leaking shock with a paper towel just before dropping off the car. The day after, the new shocks arrive so I get to work changing them over. The result is a car that is totally transformed for the better, the ride is far far superior to how it used to be. As I said, I can now use the term "wafty" with my car, despite it not being a traditional hydraulic Citroen. In hindsight it's hardly surprising the shock sprung a leak, they were so firm that 58k miles of British roads was enough to fail them. Or at least one of them anyway.
Around the same time, I started to notice a metallic rattle coming from the front wheels, when the car was stationary and at idle. Fearing a belt tensioner or knackered pulley, I pulled the o/s wheel off and liner to discover a heat shield over the inner driveshaft had broken loose from one of its two mountings, three standard washers and a spring washer fixed that. Rattles no more, well, no more than any other diesel anyway.
Now that the girl is well out of manufacturers warranty, I have less reservations about doing the repairs and maintenance myself. I intend to keep the car for a long time, so it makes sense to do the work yourself. Not only does it save money but you get to know your car well, I bought a copy of the Citroen Service and Repair manual which details just about every part on the car, plus job descriptions on how to do just about every maintenance and repair job you could imagine. Not bad for a tenner, worth it's weight in gold. So far by doing work myself, I estimate I've saved almost £600 in garage "diagnostic" bills and labour.
That's about all really, not a huge amount to talk about. The car has been reliable and continues to do so. She also remains a relatively rare sight on UK roads which is fine by me, still attracts positive attention from people asking what it is and many are surprised how old she is, given her condition. Long may it last!
sleepera6 said:
Stunning car I wish I had the balls to buy the 6mth old fully specced demo that was up for sale for £18k...
£18k sounds like a bit of a steal for a 6 month old car. Although I'm not sure that the DS branded cars are quite up to spec when compared to the earlier Citroen branded cars, even the DS Prestige models don't appear to have equipment such as HUD as standard, whereas on the equivalent earlier DSport models it was standard kit. My pick would have to be a late-Citroen car, one that benefits from the new suspension but still the Citroen front end, although the DS front lighting looks very cool indeed. Been keeping an eye out for the sequential indicators online but they're as rare as hens teeth.
Nice write-up and good to hear your '5 is treating you well, Muddle. My 'DS' version is also proving to be good car, too. The only thing outside of routine maintenance it has had, was a squeaky drivers seat base, all sorted under warranty.
RE specs, I found a year old Prestige with 'watchstraps' (very comfortable/very good quality leather), HUD and electric/heated seats. I think the only thing it has not got is the Denon hifi which I'm not bothered about as the standard system is actually pretty good. Plus none of the boot is taken up by the rather large sub that comes as part of the Denon system. I'm quite impressed with the ride comfort and handling balance of this version - it's certainly not harsh in the slightest. I find it quite rewarding to drive down a country road - good grip, direct steering and narrow enough not to worry about the sides if anything comes the other way. Standing start acceleration is nothing to shout about (blame short 1st and 2nd gears for that) but once rolling, it's quick enough for everyday usage and has decent punch on the motorway. My only gripes are that the mirrors are not linked to the memory seats and it would be handy if the pax mirror dipped when reverse is selected.
It's an interesting car, body design wise. Stand up close to it and it can seem a bit blobby. Stand back and take in the details and it makes much more sense. I really like the front wheel air intakes under the headlamps and the bulging front wings along with the swage line that wanders along the side of the car. Your white car really sets those elements off well. My dark blue one, hiding them a bit, perhaps. It is a confident, modern looking design without looking too aggressive or 'blingy'.
The interior is a nice place to spend time in. I've done some 4/5hr stints in it and not ached anywhere at all. I've also enjoyed travelling in the back when my brother had a go in it. Ride comfort back there is good, too.
It's a good car. I think where it's let down is not by the car itself, but by Citroen/DS UK themselves. They don't seem that bothered about promoting them. Maybe they just know the majority of UK buyers just wants an A3/A4/3 series/C class "Because German, innit", which is a bit sad. I wouldn't claim the '5 is 'better' than them (there's no such thing as the perfect car, IMHO) but I do think they deserve a closer look.
Anyway, I hope to add plenty more miles in mine, too
If you're ever in Wilts, Muddle, drop me a line - we'll have our own 'DS5 mini-meet' if you like 
Somewhere in Yorkshire
Somewhere in Norfolk
RE specs, I found a year old Prestige with 'watchstraps' (very comfortable/very good quality leather), HUD and electric/heated seats. I think the only thing it has not got is the Denon hifi which I'm not bothered about as the standard system is actually pretty good. Plus none of the boot is taken up by the rather large sub that comes as part of the Denon system. I'm quite impressed with the ride comfort and handling balance of this version - it's certainly not harsh in the slightest. I find it quite rewarding to drive down a country road - good grip, direct steering and narrow enough not to worry about the sides if anything comes the other way. Standing start acceleration is nothing to shout about (blame short 1st and 2nd gears for that) but once rolling, it's quick enough for everyday usage and has decent punch on the motorway. My only gripes are that the mirrors are not linked to the memory seats and it would be handy if the pax mirror dipped when reverse is selected.
It's an interesting car, body design wise. Stand up close to it and it can seem a bit blobby. Stand back and take in the details and it makes much more sense. I really like the front wheel air intakes under the headlamps and the bulging front wings along with the swage line that wanders along the side of the car. Your white car really sets those elements off well. My dark blue one, hiding them a bit, perhaps. It is a confident, modern looking design without looking too aggressive or 'blingy'.
The interior is a nice place to spend time in. I've done some 4/5hr stints in it and not ached anywhere at all. I've also enjoyed travelling in the back when my brother had a go in it. Ride comfort back there is good, too.
It's a good car. I think where it's let down is not by the car itself, but by Citroen/DS UK themselves. They don't seem that bothered about promoting them. Maybe they just know the majority of UK buyers just wants an A3/A4/3 series/C class "Because German, innit", which is a bit sad. I wouldn't claim the '5 is 'better' than them (there's no such thing as the perfect car, IMHO) but I do think they deserve a closer look.
Anyway, I hope to add plenty more miles in mine, too
If you're ever in Wilts, Muddle, drop me a line - we'll have our own 'DS5 mini-meet' if you like Somewhere in Yorkshire
Somewhere in Norfolk
Edited by Hammerhead on Saturday 8th July 00:00
Hammerhead -
Glad to hear you're still enjoying yours too. I must say the darker colours really do suit the DS versions, looks very very smart indeed. Interesting you mentioned a rattling seat base, that triggered my memory to when my front passenger seat rattled when I bought the car. Turned out to be a bolt in one of these at rails was loose, a socket had it sorted in seconds. For a complex car, I'm pleasantly surprised how simple most of the "fixes" are
The watchstrap leather is something I'd love in mine, not only does it look stunning but it's so soft to the touch, I investigated the seats of a DS3 that had watchstrap and it was sublime. If I ever come across an watchstrap interior I may consider swapping them over.
Agree with all your comments about branding/marketing/advertising, it's a real shame that Citroen and DS don't seem to bother selling the car. I've never seen an advert for one, on the plus side it keeps them a rare sight and maintains exclusivity.
Next time I'm in Wiltshire I'll drop you a line
Glad to hear you're still enjoying yours too. I must say the darker colours really do suit the DS versions, looks very very smart indeed. Interesting you mentioned a rattling seat base, that triggered my memory to when my front passenger seat rattled when I bought the car. Turned out to be a bolt in one of these at rails was loose, a socket had it sorted in seconds. For a complex car, I'm pleasantly surprised how simple most of the "fixes" are
The watchstrap leather is something I'd love in mine, not only does it look stunning but it's so soft to the touch, I investigated the seats of a DS3 that had watchstrap and it was sublime. If I ever come across an watchstrap interior I may consider swapping them over.
Agree with all your comments about branding/marketing/advertising, it's a real shame that Citroen and DS don't seem to bother selling the car. I've never seen an advert for one, on the plus side it keeps them a rare sight and maintains exclusivity.
Next time I'm in Wiltshire I'll drop you a line
Stickyfinger said:
Would be nice to see these DS5's there.....day tickets are available to no members
https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16114590_10209985811714713_5234558944310318201_n.jpg?oh=679316a7b8afc81fa8c898fe33f142df&oe=59C4E3B5
This is tempting, I'll be passing Huntingdon on the 14th. Is it open all day on the 14th?https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16114590_10209985811714713_5234558944310318201_n.jpg?oh=679316a7b8afc81fa8c898fe33f142df&oe=59C4E3B5tonyb1968 said:
I love the DS5, such a nice car with a great design, but its getting old now so you need to look at the new DS7 and semi retire your DS5 as a 2nd car 
Ha I thought into this, although the 7 is an important car for DS, I really don't like SUVs... Instead I was thinking about buying a C6 and splitting the driving 50/50 between that and the DS5 
Muddle238 said:
This is tempting, I'll be passing Huntingdon on the 14th. Is it open all day on the 14th?
Sadly the 14th is the start day, so just the campers arriving later in the day....(I note: it is a little misleading (to new members/general public) to show the 14th.....and will raise it at the next meeting)
Stickyfinger said:
Sadly the 14th is the start day, so just the campers arriving later in the day....
(I note: it is a little misleading (to new members/general public) to show the 14th.....and will raise it at the next meeting)
Ah in that case it's more tricky then. Not totally sure whether I'll be able to make the Sat/Sun as I'm working. Perhaps though, I'll see closer to the time. (I note: it is a little misleading (to new members/general public) to show the 14th.....and will raise it at the next meeting)
Muddle238 said:
Ha I thought into this, although the 7 is an important car for DS, I really don't like SUVs... Instead I was thinking about buying a C6 and splitting the driving 50/50 between that and the DS5
I have an invite to the upcoming DS7 launch at a Citroen dealer that has invested heavily in DS (new showroom etc.) I am looking forward to seeing it, although like you I am not a huge fan of SUVs.Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff