Faults:

Airbag warning light keeps coming on - 4 times since we had the car. Local used car dealer we bought from has been very helpful, but it seems that Citroen main dealer that has been tasked with resolving the problem is not up to the job! Personally I blame the shockingly poor wiring quality, but the dealer thinks the connectors need replacing (at £150 per visit)... luckily for me, the local car dealer is resolving the cost with the warranty company! Also, the air con didn't work - investigation by local specialist revealed that the condensor was "porous" - new unit ordered and fitted, and air con recharged - £304.23! Again, luckily for me, the local car dealer chipped in. Car was serviced yesterday by local independent specialist - £75 for minor service, but car needed brake pads too, also about £75. My bill this time!

General Comments:

Well, we bought it second-hand, at two years old as a second car for my wife. Cheap enough as a used car, but fuel costs have come as a shock after using a 1.1 litre AX for 5 years! Insurance is about £5 a month more than the AX, but obviously the "big-car" benefits are provided in compensation. Lovely ride, and actually quite brisk despite being the 90bhp 8v model. So, mixed fortunes so far, but according to our local indy specialist, the car is basically is sound and should be OK for at least 2 more years! Which is nice...

Faults:

I discovered that one of the doors did not double lock, but the dealers fixed this under warranty.

25,000 I have had to replace front disc pads once.

27,000 pair of front tyres.

Apart from that I have only had to pay for fuel, servicing.

Servicing has cost me £380 (includes fitting new pads)

General Comments:

I am very pleased with this car. I had doubts about buying Citroen, but it offered great value for money.

I wanted to have a new turbo diesel engine and air conditioning. The Xsara is the only new car under £10,000 that offers that.

I get around 47 miles per gallon on varied driving, but have got 53 on long motorway drives.

The Hdi engine feels powerful and this is the quietest diesel car I have owned.

The car handles well has lots of airbags and ABS as standard.

It is comfortable to drive on long journeys.

I like the fact that it is 12,500 miles between services

I have sometimes wished I had got the estate to have more luggage space, but apart from that I have no regrets.

Faults:

The car is on its third set of brake discs after repeated vibration when braking at speed. The airbag light came on and the fault fixed on the second occasion. Paintwork is easily scratched. The battery light won't go out and I have lost electrics to windows, heater, indicator and central locking.

General Comments:

A good car to drive when it works, and there is a lot of extras for the money on my model. But there have been far too many faults and servicing and repairs are expensive.

Faults:

The airbag light came on at 32,000 miles.

One diesel injector went at 38,000.

General Comments:

The car is excellent. It is very economical. It does about 60mpg.

The engine is very responsive and has plenty of torque. It cruises at 60mpg with loads of power for overtaking. The turbo is great for accelerating from 60 up, but on the downside the turbo does not kick in until 3000rpm. Up till that there is a lot of turbo lag.