1992 Citroen AX Echo from UK and Ireland - Comments

Nothing! (Yet...)

What can I say about our little Citroen? It cost me £250 with a years' MoT on it, it's knackered, it looks like it's been pulled through a hedge, the tiny little engine is filthy and it has a funny rumble from the passenger side corner of the car.

But this tough little car runs fine. It's been through the wars for sure, but if it lasts the year (and I've no reason to believe it won't) with minimal maintenance spending then I'm a happy chap!

We run classic cars and this car is (of course) dreadful compared to any of our others, but it's our runabout. It's the car we don't care about, abuse and use daily. It starts first time every time and goes from A to B.

To drive the AX is surprisingly sharp given its diminutive engine. Probably because it weighs about the same as the empty sardine cans it was made out of! I wouldn't want to crash it, but then I don't really want to crash any car I get in so that's kind of a given. It feels solid enough to handle, gives me no cause for concern and starts first time every time.

I'm going to run it until it dies. And when it dies I will quite happily source another one for exactly the same purpose.

Having initially considered this to be an excellent first car, I've changed my mind on that front - it's far too flimsy to be a smart choice for a learner who is statistically more likely to wrap it around a tree. But for an experienced driver dodging around London on the cheap I can think of few better cars!

Just to add to your review...

These cars aren't that flimsy at all...

I have one as my first car, and managed to put in in a hedge whilst going at about 70 down a winding country lane, (stupidity on my fault I know)...

However, taking the breaking and skidding into account I'd say I hit the metal crash barrier at somewhere between 40 and 60... (it was scary and it did teach me a lesson). however the car faired remarkably well... (as did I).

The car suffered little damage considering the force of the impact, and the damage was as such, the front bumper was cracked, (but repairable) and the front body panel was bent, (requiring a new pannel). the radiator had been pushed into the fan (though survived) and the radiator bottom hose had been cut in half by the alternator cooling fins...

Anyway, a new radiator hose, new headlights and a new pannel later (~£100 in parts) the AX echo was back on the road, AND passed it's MOT.

These things are sturdy enough for learners/new drivers to wrap around crash barriers (though I do recommend against it) and they are light enough that I was able to pull the car out of the ditch myself, up a small hill and push it to be parked on the verge at the other side of the road (making it a lot safer for other drivers).

In short I rate the AX as a small car that is ideal for drivers to have their first crashes in, (the bumpers are made of extremely hard plastic that seems to have faired rather well in the few instances that other people have driven into me.

In response to the comment... while I appreciate you walked away from your accident, I'm very pleased to hear, the Citroen AX *IS* very flimsy, I'm afraid. Fact is, when it was launched it was the only 'modern' car which faired worse than the original 1960s Mini in crash testing.

http://www.crashtest.com/citroen/index.htm.

I'm seventeen and my first car is an AX '97' Spree. It's a fantastic running car and the only problems I've had from it in 5 months is to replace a worn drive belt (which by the way cost £3.50 from my local car parts shop).

I suppose the best thing about having a little 1.0 litre run around car like the AX is buying a Haynes manual and repairing the car or checking the car myself. With a little car knowledge and the right materials, something that could cost £80-100 from a garage costs me next to nothing; the AX is that simple!!

Plus it's not too harsh with fuel consumption.