1993 Citroen AX Jive from UK and Ireland - Comments

Well, where do I start, in order:

1. Corroded wheel needed replacing.

2. Aerial broke.

3. Electric switch broke (drained battery).

4. Hand brake system, needed an overhaul for it's MOT.

Brakes a bit spongy, and the acceleration is awful (although once up to speed is fine), struggles going up hill. Requires a downchange when going up hill, or overtaking. Noisy at high speed. Gear change notchy.

Despite all this, it's a great car to drive, handling great (in my opinion), car seems to stick to the road however roughly I drive it (except in crosswinds). It does what it's told, it regularly goes on the M5 between Taunton and Bristol, and eats the miles. Comfort is great for short journeys. Petrol economy is fab. Town driving gives about 40mpg (in Bristol). It also has great character and heritage. Never failed to start (except when the switch drained the battery).

To sum up get one if:

- You like good economy.

- You like a reasonably reliable car.

- You like somethiing a bit different.

- You love taking corners at speed.

Don't get one if:

- You're a boy racer (go for the AX 1.4GT instead).

- You're used to modern cars.

- You generally enjoy responsivee acceleration.

I agree with this AX-worthy driver..

The ax 1.0 may feel a little under-powered but when you compare it with modern 1.0 cars like the nissan micra or seat arosa. You'll see the performance of this ax is superior due to the lower weight and low cw (0.31).

My AX, 187,874 miles and still going.

Yeah, they are a nippy economical car to drive and are a hoot round town!

I've had my ax for two months now, cheap to run and cheap to insure. I love it.

Original writer of this review speaking. Me and my Citroen have parted company, I do miss it in some ways, but my nearly new Rover 25 (review to follow) is a better car in almost every respect (with the notable exception of fuel economy... no surprise there). I clocked up about 110,000 miles before trading the car in, therefore clocking up about 30,000 miles in nearly 4 years of ownership. Since my review, I had a few more fixes on various brake components (a common problem with AX's), it suffered a blown head gasket (expensive), and a couple of exhaust repairs. I do have fond memories of the car though and I still praise the handling it handled almost as well as my much newer 25 (although there is more roll in the AX).

Goodbye and many thanks to my great first car!!!