14 Jun 07
Citroen C5 Estate (2001-)
Citroen C5 Estate
As Citroen virtually pays buyers to take their cars away with cashback-incentivised new deals and other offers, second-hand Citroens are dirt cheap - especially the big ones.
The often overlooked C5 - hideous in hatchback form, but far more attractive as an estate - is such a bargain. The levitating self-adjusting suspension won't appeal to everyone, but it makes for a lovely magic-carpet ride (when it works properly, although it's much-improved these days).
Citroens are generally cheap to run and repair, and the C5 has long service intervals (20,000 miles for petrols, 12,500 miles for diesels). Diesels are the way to go, being the nicest to drive as well as the most fuel-efficient; most versions are well-equipped with all the essentials.
And think on this: if Citroens really were terribly unreliable, the C5 and its Xantia predecessor wouldn't be so popular with minicabbers.
Road Test: Citroen C5
Driven: Citroen C5 1.8 and 2.0 HDI
Driven: Citroen C5 Estate
