2005 CItroen C5

Good to hear we have another happy C5 owner here. I have a 2007 C5 wagon, which is a 2.0 HDI with the 6-speed gearbox. When I bought the car it had already done 175,000 km but it came with a full service history. In the meantime it's up to 193,000 and the biggest cost so far has been the replacement of the gearbox valve body which was quite expensive. But I love my car, it's as comfortable as a car can get with abundant space and very fuel efficient, especially compared to my Landcruiser :D.

Enjoy it!!
 
I am also looking at one of these at the moment, but if I were to spend the closer to $10k for a facelifted diesel in good condition I'd probably opt out for a Mk. V DSG Golf. They're just a newer car without the quirky French habits. I note that there are some early 2.0L models with HDi engines, what sort of fun and games am I likely to run into as compared to a similarly aged 2001-2003 model 406?

I like the idea of stepping up to a newer model car, but in particular the AL4 issue worries me with some of the cheaper cars which is a similar issue in a lot of the Pugs. Could anyone clarify which of the pre-facelift cars had the AL4 in them? I need a modern and reliable daily driver, that's not going to give me the shits. I am probably in over my head with a Cit which is where I'm looking at the later D9 406s for a similar price, but can't discount the Cit entirely.
 
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The C5 is not really a quirky car in the way it might have been levelled against the CX and earlier models. It's very much the same as a Pug except for the hydropneumatic suspension and styling. If you are worried about owning a car with an AL4, then the best advice is not to buy one. It was used in the first series C5 other than in the V6 (ZF 4HP20) and obviously manual petrols. You might have no trouble or a lot, depending on what you buy. It was certainly also used in some of the 406 Pugs. Some cheaper cars will be cheap for a good reason, so check carefully or buy a manual or something else entirely. For the money, you might just buy a high mile 6 speed auto privately. The budget also gives you a good selection of C4 models and you might even chase up the 1.6 EGS bradbury listed in the classified recently if it's not yet been sold.
 
I hadn't realised C4s had also dropped in price this significantly, it gives me something else to look at as I'm not set on a specific size of car. As I said if I were going to spend the high side of $10k I would go for a Mk. V Golf TDi as its simply a newer car with some nice features. I realise that modern Citroens aren't that quirky, my dad drives a Xantia which overall despite some issues has been reliable. I just don't want to get myself too far over my head when I'm used to standard struts and Pugs/VWs as thats what we've always had.
 
Just wondering what "a newer car with some nice features" means when you compare a C5 to a Golf V? A Golf has a lot less standard features when you compare them to a C5, even an older C5. From a cost perspective I just did a quick search for a Golf V Diesel DSG and the first one with a mileage below 150,000 will set you back $ 12,000.- and has the old 1.9 TDI engine with a 6-speed DSG.

Reliability wise, maybe you should google DSG failure and read some of the threads....
 
Its certainly a more modern car in terms of design from top to bottom, including the engine and gearbox package, which lets face it the C5 is more than a bit of a tortoise and runs an older HDi engine design. Perhaps I should spend more time investigating the DSG box, but I can't imagine it having any more problems than the AL4 in the Citroen, or anymore than the Citroen version in the C2/C3. I'd say this would be the case particularly for an older C5 as well as imagining the hassles of dealing with the sealed unit hydro-pneumatic suspension with some cars coming to or over 200k kilometres.

There was a nice Golf TDi for $8k on carsales, but it sold pretty much instantly.
 
I sold my Golf 2l. Traded it in on a C5. The Golf just didn't suit me. On runs to Hobart and Launceston it was a pain, in more ways than one. The ride was very bumpy, my wife could not read or use the computer without complaining that I was driving too fast. Our backs suffered from the harsh ride. A persistent squeek bugged me until the day I traded it. It turned out to be a loose hinge on the drivers door. (I located this after 3 years of the service agent lubricating the door rubbers). The car developed a very disturbing fault that caused it to surge (accelerate) when it should not. It also refused to start when parked after a long run, until cold. The handling left a lot to wish for. I understeered badly, not something you need on Tasie roads. The C5 was a revelation, so smooth, wondefull ride, braked and handled well, carried 4 and their luggage in comfort. We covered many Km's on the mainland in great comfort and economy.
I bought the golf based on the perceived reputation of quality and reliability.
My previous 2 cars were Peugeot 504 and Renault? So I was spoilt for the ride.
 
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