C5 X7 Canberra wheel swap? - you get bigger diameter, wider wheels!

Hi Julian :)
I have a Renault Captur which came fitted with optional low profile tires on mag rims standard. I got sick of the sh*t ride on suburban streets and as new tires were due just recently I fitted rims off a Clio, two sizes down, and tires two profiles up.
I have been happy enough with the change as it takes the edge off the sharp bumps and holes. It does not transform the ride to a hydraulic Citroen equivalent, but has enabled me to stop thinking of selling the car due to the poor bumpy ride. What were they thinking ???? :rolleyes:
IMHO the marketing people and the spin merchants have taken over from 'common' sense.
Jaahn

they might look dumb and have a wheezy petrol motor ..... But try a citroen cactus. My parents have one and its ride reminds me of a Renault 19 .... its remarkably good for a modern car!
 
I’ve a X7C5 in Canberra with 17s, if you want to take it for a spin to potentially decide if it’s worth the effort. I was an old Autospeed subscriber too - really enjoyed it.
 
I’ve a X7C5 in Canberra with 17s, if you want to take it for a spin to potentially decide if it’s worth the effort. I was an old Autospeed subscriber too - really enjoyed it.
That would be great.

I'd prefer to drive my car and yours back to back over the same roads, but my car is going back to the dealer tomorrow (headlight stalk doesn't work - low beam lights just always on, and no fog lights or high beam). So I am not sure when I'll be getting it back.

I'll contact you when I have the car again.
 
The C5 needs a new headlight stalk assembly. 4-6 weeks delay on the part. I kicked up a fuss and Lennocks gave me a loan car for that whole period. (They basically sold me a car that wasn't roadworthy.) So nothing will be happening soon!
 
Hi Julian :)
I like your new book and would read it but might have to win the lotto first ! Sorry !
It must be disappointing, knowing how suspensions can be designed for super ride, to buy a C5 and find that the ride has been compromised since the original design, by marketing forces. I had an early one with sensible tires.
I have been disappointed by French cars generally in recent years, unreliable, ride like carts, no dealer service, and over priced generally. I will probably buy a Toyota next as they are better riding, handle OK, and are more reliable. Hmm or a Korean car ! :)
Jaahn
 
Jaahn, one of my tribe has a C4 B7. The ride is smoother than anything I have been in without hydraulics. I am yet to try a Cactus. The French can still give a better ride than the Japanese. The non-hydraulic C5s on 17 inches are pretty good too.
 
The C5 needs a new headlight stalk assembly.

Is the delay because it is coming from Citroen, aka Inchcape, who are notoriously slow. The simplest thing is on the next container.

If you know whether you have a Valeo or a Delphi made Com 2000, you can get Chinese knockoff stalks from eBay etc. The whole unit contains electronics and is quite expensive.
 
Julian, I’ll have to retract my offer due to the parts delay.

I’m moving to VIC (sucker for punishment) in mid-Jan with the car. If the parts arrive early, offer still stands.
 
Yes it's my belief that ride quality of normally-priced cars has just gone down and down over the last few decades. Stupidly low profile tyres is certainly part of that.
Not only that, but so many of them are "run flats" and they are even worse! I have Michelin Primacy 4s on my C5, and they are pretty quiet on normal surfaces, give a comfortable ride and I generally get about 30,000 ks out of a set.
 
Long shot I know.

I have just bought a 2011 C5 X7 with 245/45 tyres on factory 18 inch rims.

The profile is a bit thin for my roads and I am wondering if anyone nearby wants to 'upgrade' to these wheel and tyres from their higher profile / smaller diameter rims, by a direct swap?

I'd have to check the smaller wheels still clear the brakes, have the same offset, etc

Am also open to buying the wheels.

(Haven't been here since I owned a Pug 405 about a decade ago. But that email/password no longer works, so explaining post count of 1.)

Long shot I know.

I have just bought a 2011 C5 X7 with 245/45 tyres on factory 18 inch rims.

The profile is a bit thin for my roads and I am wondering if anyone nearby wants to 'upgrade' to these wheel and tyres from their higher profile / smaller diameter rims, by a direct swap?

I'd have to check the smaller wheels still clear the brakes, have the same offset, etc

Am also open to buying the wheels.

(Haven't been here since I owned a Pug 405 about a decade ago. But that email/password no longer works, so explaining post count of 1.)
 
Hi there, I have 4x 16 inch steel rims that were on my C5X7 HDI , your welcome to them or anyone else who wants them.
 
If anyone is interested, I have now bought a C5 X7 2.0 litre HDI Tourer Exclusive. A couple of reasons:

1) I thought the 1.6 litre turbo petrol C7 I bought was OK but a diesel with more bottom-end torque would be much better.

2) Given how brilliant I found the C7 as a long-distance car, a wagon has advantages. (We've just come back from SA in my wife's W212 Mercedes sedan. Absolutely filled to the brim with four adults and a lot of luggage. A wagon would have been nice.)

The Tourer has a few interior / cosmetic issues to fix, but I got it at a good price. It also seems to ride better than the 1.6 turbo sedan - more weight?
 
Nice.

Can’t comment on petrol/diesel differences, but I’ve the tourer too (but not an exclusive). One surprise to me was the lack of rear seat legroom - my 3yo can barely fit her feet between the chair and seat and I’m not especially tall. Likely to be better once she’s in a booster.

In Canberra for another couple of days if you want to assess wheel diameter differences.
 
Hi Julian,

You took my silver DSpecial for an spin and photos while you were writing an article for Autospeed a number of years ago.

Congratulation on buying a 2.0 litre diesel X7 Hdi. They are a very underrated car, with excellent build quality and reliability . I now have a 2013 Exclusive of that model. Generally if you hav the choice you wolud go for the RHH model, with a slightly larger engine 163 as opposed to 138. THis car is an obsolute gem, and I hope you appreciate it as much as many owners do.!
 
Nice.

Can’t comment on petrol/diesel differences, but I’ve the tourer too (but not an exclusive). One surprise to me was the lack of rear seat legroom - my 3yo can barely fit her feet between the chair and seat and I’m not especially tall. Likely to be better once she’s in a booster.

In Canberra for another couple of days if you want to assess wheel diameter differences.

Thank you - but I don't think we'll be able to do it in the available time.

Re the space in the C5 X7 - yes, I also think it's pretty bad. I am not sure why it is so tight - the wheelbase?

But in fact, all the packaging of the C5 X7 looks bad to my eyes - poor door pockets, poor centre console room, poor rear room, even poor boot room... so that's more a deficiency of the general design approach. Very few car manufacturers get it right in all areas! (The loan car Ford Mondeo I have at the moment just craps all over the C5 in design efficiency. Pity it has a PowerShit transmission...)
 
Hi Julian,

You took my silver DSpecial for an spin and photos while you were writing an article for Autospeed a number of years ago.

Congratulation on buying a 2.0 litre diesel X7 Hdi. They are a very underrated car, with excellent build quality and reliability . I now have a 2013 Exclusive of that model. Generally if you hav the choice you wolud go for the RHH model, with a slightly larger engine 163 as opposed to 138. THis car is an obsolute gem, and I hope you appreciate it as much as many owners do.!

Yes, I remember the occasion well - and your car also went into my book on the history of car suspension.

I am not sure of the engine code of my newly purchased car, but it is a 2013 2.0 litre diesel model.
 
A 2013 model should definitely be a RHH
and therefore a 163 motor ie more power and less fuel consumption, the best 2.0 hdi I think. Definitely a great car!
 
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