1997 Citroen Xantia SX review from Israel

Rear spheres were dead when I bought it. (replaced)

Also had to replace rear brake plates and a couple of light bulbs for the road inspection.

ABS going off sometimes for no reason. (I think I'm going to disconnect it)

Fuel meter lies (it can tell you that you have an empty tank when you have just filled up) (starting to get on my nerves, will fix next month)

hydraulic oil tubes drying up and leaking (major problem with the rubber and plastic parts of all cars in my country). (I fix them when I find them)

Air conditioning smells funny (replacing the air conditioner filter didn't help)

What do you want from an almost eleven year old Citroen?

Can't think of a Japanese car with the same ride comfort (maybe a Lexus), however for a 2 liter engine it does lack performance, I think it's because of the automatic transmission. But I didn't look for a ten second car either.

And a word about ZF automatic gearbox - who said that you're not in control when you have an automatic? You can have control of the gears very easily with the right pressure on the gas pedal.

About the ride comfort - well, you can't compare it to a luxury car like a Mercedes or a BMW, it's more like the TV couch at home - simple, yet soft and cozy.

Very relaxing to drive, especially with progressive rock or reggae tune.

Peugeot 2.0i 8v engine is very reliable, but sensitive about the coolant (like in all French cars, DON'T use regular water). In my case, it has done 217000 KM (and still counting) without even having been opened.

A very decent trunk, that can hold weekly groceries for a family of five, or a decent camping trip (or up to three dead bodies, depending on your necessities :) )

Can average 10 kilometers per liter (95 unleaded), which is quite typical for a car of its class.

Maybe will change it for a 98-01 Pug 406 or Xantia in the future. Or go nuts and buy a Mercedes E-class from late eighties or Volvo 940 from early nineties...