15th Jan 2002, 04:12
It is a pity to read that there are still people who judge after one experience. I have 4 CX'es and to be very honest I have not been able to judge the reliability as I bought these cars very recently.
The best thing to do is to get informed before you buy a CX, but in my case I "needed" to buy one for nostalgic reasons (my family have been driving CX in the past..)
So do not be encouraged, but informed. Join a CX club to get to know the car even when you are not going to drive in a herd on a Sunday morning.
21st Jan 2002, 19:26
Well the CX is not a Volvo, that's for sure! I owned a 2.0 Prestige, 1979 model-year. A lot of problems with electric parts and poor built quality. Plus, hard to find spare parts in Greece. But this car was ahead of its time anyway. Great shape, modern even nowadays, great brakes, extremely comfortable and rides like a magic carpet. I wouldn't buy another one, but I always admire this car. When the CX was introduced, Volvos looked like cars from the 1920's!
27th Aug 2008, 01:31
Swedish design is more innovative than most, for example early SAAB; those cars had 'soul', they had balance, and they were a worldwide success. Same with many of the early Volvos which had less soul, but a lot of charm.
The big Citroens CX and DS were designed only for France; the suspension was grossly over-engineered, the body sacrificed practicality for showiness/elegance; these cars have more craft than soul. Wonderful cars but loaded with more paradoxes than a surrealist painting.
I wouldn't swap my SAAB 2-stroke for the early, frog-eyed DS Safari, I owned, but I wouldn't swap either of them for anything. Both cars were beyond compare.
Why do some Swedes believe that everything Swedish is boring? A wonderful country with a strong heart and a beautiful soul!
29th Dec 2008, 09:50
Agreed! I have owned 3 Citroens and put many many miles on them. Except for the Citromatic transmission on 1 that was a nightmare, the cars were incredibly reliable. I had a wagon that was given to me because the garage could not repair it. It was an easy fix for me :) I drove that car well over 200,000 miles trouble free except RUST! But, alas, they simply rusted away no matter what I tried.
I now drive SAAB's. I am on my 3rd 9000; a '95 Aero. A wonderful car with lots of zip and very reliable. A very different sort than the Citroen for sure.
12th Jan 2002, 14:02
The CX is obviously not a trouble free vehicle, but if maintained correctly it should last "half-a-lifetime". Indeed I quote from a CX Auto brochure "with moderate care, the CX should last you well into the 21st century".
I am one of a very view CX enthusiasts in South Africa. The person in question was either prejudiced or his car was very badly maintained. The latter I find hard to believe because of the limited amount of CX's and spares in SA, and we still don't hear of such disasters.