Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £16,095 to £27,195
Comfortable, roomy, well-equipped with strong, smooth engines, especially the diesel; good value for money; five star NCAP crash test score
Nondescript side view, not as roomy in the back as it looks, can fidget over sharp-edged bumps, huge depreciation
Big, imposing, interesting Citroen, more striking since 2005 restyle
Seven airbags are now standard for 2005, including two side 'bags for the rear seats, two curtain 'bags for head protection and a new steering column airbag to protect the driver's knees and shins. Traction control and ESP (electronic stability programme) are now standard, along with the mandatory ABS anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution. The pre-facelift C5 didn't score as well as the Renault Laguna, Peugeot 407, Toyotas Avensis and Prius and Volvo S40/V50 in the Euro NCAP crash tests, getting an average four stars, but this latest version has achieved the full five - plus three for child protection (with Citroen's approved child seats) but only one for pedestrian protection. There's a rolling-code immobiliser, and the doors automatically re-lock if they haven't been opened within 30 seconds of unlocking. The boot locks as the C5 starts to move, and an alarm and deadlocks are standard; the C5 has scored well in security studies.
