1994 Citroen AX Debut review from UK and Ireland

Clutch completely collapsed at around 91000 miles, this was replaced and no further problems have arisen.

Slight grinding occurs when attempting to engage second gear at around 20 mph.

Handbrake is poor, and struggles to hold the car on any type of incline.

The 954cc engine is surprisingly nippy and pulls away from the lights rapidly. However the gearing is a little dodgy. 1st gear will take you up to around 20 mph quite comfortably, 2nd to around 30 mph. After this point, the remaining two gears are pretty useless. You are then left with the challenge of experimenting with 3rd and 4th to get the power needed for over-taking etc.

This car is designed for town use, and hence is not suitable for motorway driving. The lack of a 5th gear means the car is "screaming" at around 60 mph, don't expect to venture out of the slow lane!

Fuel economy is excellent, even though I push this car to the limits on a day to day basis, I still get around 55mpg! With a more forgiving right-foot, figures of 65mpg can be achieved regularly.

My only real problem is the body role when turning corners at any more than 15mph! The can dives violently and this makes for an uncomfortable ride for front passengers.

Grip is another issue with the AX. When navigating tight bends, the front end of the car dives and the front wheels fight for grip. The lightweight of the car also means wheel spins are quite regular in wet weather!