C4 Opinions

Trixie

Trixie

Active member
Fellow Frogger
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Messages
490
Location
Sydney, Australia
Should our Xantia (8-valve manual) need replacing, the C4 is top of the theoretical list. I've been and kicked tyres and thought the design superb, good seats and I thought plenty of interior space.

However, compared to the Xantia, some of the interior fittings felt...well....less durable than I was expecting. Then I read in Wheels (I know, I know, they do seem oddly biased against the Chevrons at present) that the ride is inconsistent (huh?). Now a drive around the block is not likely to disappoint, but anyone out there who has one or has had a decent run in one, I'd be interested to hear if there are any issues with trim rattles, and how you find the chassis living with it.

One other thing - I've sampled a 1.6 307 auto and wondered if they forgot to include the engine. We would be getting a manual 5 door; any thoughts on the relative merits of the 1.6 and 2.0?
 
Read this month's Wheels... All that class of car compared....

Maybe an Impreza RS Hatch should join the Liberty in the garage.
 
Actually, I have read that issue and they were rather rude about the C4. Hence my posting. The RS is a decent car, but near the end of its model cycle and its nice to have some variety in the fleet :wink2: .
 
Actually, I have read that issue and they were rather rude about the C4.
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Rude? or honest?? Up to you. They have no vested interest in promoting one car above another (AFAIK). In fact they state that last month the C4 won the Wheels design award.
 
mantra said:
Rude? or honest?? Up to you. They have no vested interest in promoting one car above another (AFAIK). In fact they state that last month the C4 won the Wheels design award.
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Indeed it did. Was an interesting article. Really liked their Active Safety article the month before too.
 
Yes, the interor is very poorly compiled... the materials are good, but they're not built in properly!

Everything is loose, more so, the mirrors scratch when they open and close :cry:

Driving is very bland, other then that, the ergonomics are simply great :banana:
 
However, compared to the Xantia, some of the interior fittings felt...well....less durable than I was expecting. Then I read in Wheels (I know, I know, they do seem oddly biased against the Chevrons at present)
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They have always been against them...:cry:

One other thing - I've sampled a 1.6 307 auto and wondered if they forgot to include the engine.
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I dont understand this comment the 1.6 307 automatic is a very reasonable car I thought. I dont understand this suggestion:confused:
 
Uga Boga said:
Yes, the interor is very poorly compiled... the materials are good, but they're not built in properly!

Everything is loose, more so, the mirrors scratch when they open and close :cry:

Driving is very bland, other then that, the ergonomics are simply great :banana:
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That was sort of my impression about the interior (in the basic 1.6) - Wheels said the ride was uneven in quality, harsh over smaller bumps but absorbent overall - how do you find it fares with ownership?
 
Trixie I recently purchased a gold C4 1.6 auto saloon - my only extravagance being the panoramic roof ( highly recommended ). I couldn't be happier. Sure it's no firecracker but I don't want or need a rocket. What you get is a visually stunning vehicle that is a real head turner - you don't feel like the rest of the herd. I'm sure it's performance would be more than adequate for most people's needs. My only major grumble was a seriously annoying rattle in the drivers side door but the dealer fixed it during its first service. Problem solved. No buyer's regret here.
 
danielsydney said:
They have always been against them...:cry:



I dont understand this comment the 1.6 307 automatic is a very reasonable car I thought. I dont understand this suggestion:confused:
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When I bought the Xantia they had just done a 4-way test and felt it was the pick of the bunch. But that was then :violin:

I drove a 307 1.6 auto once (well run in) and found the off-the-line performance rather lacklustre. OK once running. I think the long-travel accelerator or dull throttle response at low revs seemed to accentuate the sensation that, in fact, it wasn't going to go at all :eek: . Similar feel with the Xsara 1.6 auto; I expect you get used to it but its funny at first especially as the Xantia is so torquey of-idle and has such a short throttle travel.
 
Well, it depends whether you want best in class or something that looks and makes you feel good. Neither is the wrong choice.

There are no real duds made anymore... but some cars are quantifiably better to drive.

For the price the mid spec Focus LX/Mazda 3 looks like extremely good value.
 
mantra said:
Well, it depends whether you want best in class or something that looks and makes you feel good. Neither is the wrong choice.

There are no real duds made anymore... but some cars are quantifiably better to drive.

For the price the mid spec Focus LX/Mazda 3 looks like extremely good value.
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:2cents: The ride of the Mazda 3 (I've only driven the auto SP23) is the only thing it really has going for it. The build quality is great too.
As far as driving and performance goes, I'd take the C4 1.6 Manual any day of the week. I'm sure the fact that the SP23 I've driven is auto has made me dislike it a lot.
 
OG15 said:
:2cents: The ride of the Mazda 3 (I've only driven the auto SP23) is the only thing it really has going for it. The build quality is great too.
As far as driving and performance goes, I'd take the C4 1.6 Manual any day of the week. I'm sure the fact that the SP23 I've driven is auto has made me dislike it a lot.
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a 80kw 1.6L vs a 115kw 2.3L..... hmmm, weird boy :)
 
Trixie said:
That was sort of my impression about the interior (in the basic 1.6) - Wheels said the ride was uneven in quality, harsh over smaller bumps but absorbent overall - how do you find it fares with ownership?
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how it fares with ownership? Boring... just useful for getting from point a to b...

The driving is really BLAND... that's why i was looking for a way to get some more power into it.. :cry:
 
mantra said:
a 80kw 1.6L vs a 115kw 2.3L..... hmmm, weird boy :)
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I know!!! :confused:

My only explaination could be that I drove the C4 prior to getting my Xsara VTS, and only drove the SP23 after that - which would make sense. The C4 felt great, didn't feel underpowered at all, where as the C2 (I drove the same day as the C4) felt VERY sluggish - it was probably just the sensodrive. I love the C2, too bad it doesn't have either a more powerful engine or a real manual. I wouldn't mind the sensodrive if it didn't feel like it was holding the car back.
 
Well I went through and worked out how much it would cost us to run the Xantia for a further 4 years, and did the same for a new C4 1.6. All up, the C4 would likely be only $60-$80 per month extra once a small tax benefit from work use is taken into account.

Simple then. 10 years younger, wins Wheels inaugural design award, brand new so its a no-brainer.

My main concerns - jiggly ride and sluggish performance - were soon out the window; its a peppy car with a nice engine note, absolutely fantastic clutch, brakes and steering. The ride is good - pleasingly immune to small imperfections and potholes and impressively controlled over larger dips and humps. It handles well too, neutral to a point with unobstrusive understeer if you push too hard and the availibility of a whiff of oversteer if driven properly. The seats are very comfortable, engine, road and wind noise fairly well suppressed (well, very good for $25K). The boot is OK and well-shaped. An honest and capable drive and good value as well.

However, I get a strange feeling form preceeded function in the design process. Sure its fun and different but it is a bit of an ergonomic dog's breakfast. For me there was a major blind spot from the a-pillar location, it was almost impossible to reach the seat belt (183cm driver), there is no footrest and the weight and thickness of the door would make owning the coupe impossible for us. Then there is the dashboard - sure the central speedometer display is a nice bit of work in isolation, but I'm sorry, I had rather a lot of trouble delineating 8 from 0 and found that my usual habit of using both speedo and tacho to guide me was too difficult. Furthermore, the various other little bits of information are scattered haphazardly around these displays and the icky yellow of the trip computer/tacho just does not match the nice white of the speedo. The whizo steering wheel? Well the boss is nicely finished, but it aids in random and unexpected selection of radio stations and what in all conscience did they make the steering wheel itself out of. Yuk.

Oh well, maybe the sedan then; at least people would be able to get in and out of it in parking stations and it is a good drive.

Back in the Xantia - softer, more comfortable seats, better ride, engine not quite as smooth revving out but more low end torque for a more relaxed (and actually brisker) journey, and the whole car felt better screwed together too. Chucking it through the same corners as the C4 had tried earlier and it just went 'round that bit quicker, with less drama, nice balance assisted by the rear-wheel steer and the oleopneumatics. Best of all its got a footrest (I still cannot believe the C4 doesn't).

So for the moment, that's one less Xantia on the second hand market. LHM rules. :cheers:
 
Yeah, the lack of a footrest in the C4 is annoying...

Good point with the A-Pillar, it can be quite dangerous going around corners, with such a huge blind spot.

Better R&D Citroen please...
 
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