What to do?

[robert_e_smart]

The best advice I can give is buy the best XM you can afford, and if you are lucky that it ticks some of your preferred boxes, all the better.

The 2.1 TD Auto isn't all that slow, its a very nice car to drive. More choice too. 2.1 Manuals, no thanks, I much prefer the 2.5's gear change and clutch arrangement.

2.5s can be high maintenance as John points out, but you aren't planning on doing big miles in it every year, so another 2.5 mightn't be that bad a proposition.

[joe90]

I have 2.1 td auto with all the toys. Treat it as the great barge it is and not a racing car and it's fine. Kick down responds well enough to over take tractors on A roads and at 50 mph I get 50 + mpg. It'll cruise at 90 all day but then don't expect more than 35 mpg.

Most of the time these days I'm stuck behind queues of traffic on A roads and motorways and the tail gating Audi brigade don't get any further on. Stick the cruise on and the radio and relax in style.

If its working right there's more than enough power. Some are probably underpowered because they've not been looked after/serviced/cleaned.

[ragger]

Thanks for your comments, people; they are very interesting and largely confirm my own thoughts. There really is no such thing as the perfect car, if there was we'd all be driving it and all the fun would have gone out of motoring.

I've done a couple of hundred miles in the Saab this week and it is a very nice place to be, I think my only complaints are that the ride isn't oleopneumatic and the seats are most definitely not as good as an XM.

Just seen a very smart looking Renault 5 Mark 1 advertised in Leeds - wonder if I could replace the Hyundai and up my budget? No, thought not!

Rob

[citroenxm]

A 2.1 TD Manual is hard to find! certainly in later cars as most are auto, a 2.5 pointed out as above.

A TCT is toooo thirsty so the only route I found suitable was a V6 on LPG! I had one for 40k and loved every moment of it. Sadly now, needing a few jobs dooing which I will do. Ive got my 2.1 Manual so the V6 on LPG will get done up and sold on.

But for me, performance was brill (Perfect engine noise too) and the LPG gave me 40mpg equivilent!
That was auto too!

Sorted!

[Peter.N.]

The nearest to perfect car was the CX

Peter

[citroenmad]

As Robert says, its all about getting the best car and not really the right spec. Its how I have always looked for XMs, find the best examples rather than the ideal spec and engine combo, as you might be left with a worse car. Obviously if its going to be a daily driver and needs to be economical, or whatever, then it has to suit that.

Hence why we have had two SX 16vs, and a VSX 16v and then by chance the best of the lot, the 2.1TD manual estate, which is the most useful and economical XM. It does without AC, which is my only complaint. Whoever it was at Citroen who thought a mid spec Executive estate car should not be equipped with AC as standard did not deserve their job!

A mk1 Renault 5! Wow, would that have the R4 style gearlever? Certainly more interesting than the i10!

[Dieselman]

Whoever it was at Citroen who thought a mid spec Executive estate car should not be equipped with AC as standard did not deserve their job!

This was 1994 though, not 2004. Most cars didn't have a/c in the UK back then.

[citroenmad]

Whoever it was at Citroen who thought a mid spec Executive estate car should not be equipped with AC as standard did not deserve their job!

This was 1994 though, not 2004. Most cars didn't have a/c in the UK back then.

It was standard fit on Xantia SX and above from late 95 and standard on LX in 96.

[ragger]

Many thanks to Chris who brought over his 2.1 manual estate for me to try today. It has helped to clarify my thoughts - a bit.

What I think I have decided is that it will take an exceptional car to draw me back into the XM fold. I don't think a 2.1 will do the job for me, but a 2.5 hatch might. I did find the very tatty estate that I brieflly owned better than adequate in performance. Since my Saab 2.3t has returned over 31mpg in the 4000+ miles I have driven it, I think that the type of journeys it does means that economy maybe shouldn't be a deciding factor. Which means that a petrol turbo or 24 valve could be considered. I think that given the need to buy the best I can afford then the V6 may be unobtainable, which leaves turbos.

Do any of you folks from down south know anything of this car C303376 advertised on Car and Classic: this is the link: http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C303376

As things stand at the moment, the Saab is a very good car and not one I should give up easily.

Once again thanks to everyone who has contributed to my thought processes.

On a slightly different note, it actually brightened up enough this evening for me to roll the roof back and take the 2CV out for a tootle around the lanes - great fun. I really like the engagement you get in driving an "old" car without the fripperies of more modern technology. But only when I want it, not all the time!

Rob

[citroenmad]

Not a problem Rob, I enjoyed the drive in your Saab 9-5 and it is a very nice car. You are certainly wise to be thinking twice about selling it.

I think the best XM for you is a petrol automatic, that silver TCT looks about ideal.

Glad you took the opportunity to get the 2cv on the road, ours is awaiting a look at its brakes. It doesn't like its new Valeo brake pads, they are extremely noisy!