£750 Citroen C6 1200-mile test! 2.7 twin-turbo diesel. But what's it like?

[@UPnDOWN]

Saw this pop up on my feed for some reason, and rewatched it. Over a year on, I thought I'd update on some of the issues, for anyone interested. * The suspension is working fine here. That's just how they are. It's not 'bouncy' as such, it's just trying to compensate every little bump/undulation, which ends up in a worse situation on our awful roads than it would have otherwise. We took it to France not long after this, and it was transformed (because they know how to lay roads!) It's possible the centre spheres might possibly be a teeny bit low on gas, but it's not by much. Have since driven tidier, lower miles C6s which ride worse! Ian is correct in that it's underwhelming, though; It's very smooth compared with other cars of the same age, but compared with older Citroens it's not the amazing experience people make it out to be. It is very impressive in the corners, though, given the size/weight/softness. * The gearbox is actually working fine, too. The issue actually seems to be the torque converter permenantly locking as soon as the gearbox oil heats up up, which is why it's so horrendously laggy pulling away and when pushing it in lower gears. It's effectively trying to accelerate from idle with no slip whatsoever. How it doesn't stall the engine more, I've no idea! * The A/C now works, and it's brilliant. * It wasn't running at full power; the DPF was semi-blocked. * The steering controls were a dodgy connection, which affected cruise and speed limiter. Again, all fine now. 🙂

[@HubNut]

Cheers for the update!

[@benjamindoyle668]

I believe these Aisin gearboxes do this when they detect the fluid has been overheated too many times. My Volvo S60 with the TF-80SC went into such a mode when the fluid was in poor condition. Mine has 125,000 miles and I don't think the transmission will ever be perfect, but I do think some more fluid changes might help extend its life. Upshifts are mostly fine, but it seems to struggle downshifting at low speeds as this C6 does. It also has similar trouble going between neutral and 1st when stopping and starting in Drive as well. If the fluid was changed and the adaptives were reset, perhaps it would come back a bit.

[@erikgranqvist3680]

A famous writer here in Sweden (Jan Gillou) had one of those. I remember seeing an interview with him at the time, where he was asked what dream car he would buy if he could. The answer was "I already have my dream car - my Citroen C6".

[@itsmephil2255]

I'm gonna get geeky now" he said to Ian who speaks in chassis numbers and paint codes

[@plym1969]

In today's money this is a £58k car. Love the interior. Would I buy it? No. Would I have bought it new if I had the money? No. Would I like to drive it for a day? Definitely! Great review as always.

[@nickc4518]

Agree, also new top end French cars always depreciate like a brick thrown from a tower block.

[@TassieLorenzo]

"Would I buy it? No." It seems that a lot of people said that, hence the low sales numbers. 😟

[@gryfandjane]

Watching from the USA, I’ve only been able to experience the C6 (and pretty much any other Citroen) via photos and videos such as this one. But I’ve found them strikingly attractive, and mechanically intriguing in the same mold as the DS, SM, etc. I love how Citroen could start with a clean sheet and seemingly disregard how everybody else was doing it, in favor of creating something unique and beautiful, even if quirky and flawed. So thanks very much for this episode! I enjoyed the chance to become acquainted with this C6.

[@give_me_my_nick_back]

The problem is they never got a premium status so you would always compare them with likes of golf, passat, fiesta, mondeo rather than Audi or BMW so with all their extra equipment people still expected them to be reasonably cheap and that's why it never really worked out. French struggle a lot building any premium brands, peugeot used to be premium but they f..d it up in early 2000s.

[@toddpacker7058]

Go to Europe and drive one.

[@CRS8392]

that's what i can't get over: how tf is possible that after decades of experience they still had to do something "flawed". totally unacceptable. (every brand is involved not only citroen )

[@xxz1434]

You're not missing much, never touching anything PSA again. The interesting designs and comfy ride isn't worth the garbage engines, electronics and gearboxes. The more boring Germans and Japanese are much better to daily drive. Renaults are also pretty solid but they aren't as luxurious as Peugeot/Citroen

[@xxz1434]

@@give_me_my_nick_back The market is different now as the world has changed, there is no room to compete with German luxury brands because they now offer lower end models like the CLA. Alfa Romeo, Volvo and Lexus are the only alternatives and even they struggle to compete

[@matthewgodwin3050]

To this day I've never ever seen one of these on the road. Had I have been in the market for a big comfortable luxury barge back in the day, I'd have found it very difficult to dismiss such a stunning piece of design. Even if it is flawed genius. Compared to offerings from Merc & BMW etc, the C6 is so much more interesting.

[@stewartmcnaughton3395]

I own two. One as a donor car for the other. The grubby back up/donor car set me back a grand and has been unflinchingly reliable for two years. The star of the show has been roadworthy for one of the eight years I've owned it and it owes me about £16k now. It just burst a water hose on it's first outing in 4 years, with a new engine fitted. Am I mad? Yes. Why would I keep going at it after 8 years? Drive it and see. Once driven, forever forgiven. Nurse! Bring me my meds.

[@waynetetley584]

The automotive equivalent to Concorde which only Citroën could produce! Great test of a technically interesting car 😊👍

[@RWBHere]

A tad slower, too. 😉

[@Treviscoe]

@@RWBHere And quieter! I've been lucky enough though to be underneath Concorde when it was ascending soon after taking off from Heathrow, and it's an amazing sight.

[@byronmills5952]

Drove a few C6s when they came out as I worked for my local dealership. The impression I got is that it really deserved a bespoke platform -- the size and weight of the C6 really pushed the 407/C5 base chassis to its limits and as a result the driving dynamics were compromised. Ride quality was never classically Citroen Hydropneumatic and I found it to be rather crashy in comparison to my Xantia and Bx. I found the 2.7 V6 Mk2 C5 to be a more comfortable and engaging drive.

[@dafister]

Your comment is spot on. PSA probably knew they had low chance against ze Germans so they didn't bother developing a larger platform. Even the Peugeot 607 was largely based on the 605 as far as I know.

[@bentullett6068]

Ever since I saw one of these cars being tested on Top Gear all those years ago, I have always fancied buying one as a wafty barge. I love the Citroen quirks on this car like the side door pockets, rear window blind, frameless doors, suspension and the nods back to the Citroen DS. Its the modern French electrics that worry me as we had a 2004 Renault Megane Advantage spec estate that was a fantastic family car, was quick, had a fairly posh and interesting interior, but about 5-6 years of ownership we found that the electrics did there typical French thing and stopped working properly. It started with one of the keyless door buttons failing then just like that they all failed and then the boot unlock decided to stop working as well. Also I think my dad was glad to get rid of it due to the mission of changing a headlight bulb task.

[@matty6848]

Yes electrics on Renaults are renowned for going faulty.

[@khalidacosta7133]

After 2007, electrics on a Peugeot / Citroen is fine. Between 2001 and 2005... you best avoid and between 2005 and 2007, you might have a couple of issues but generally fine.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@khalidacosta7133 Hear hear. Exactly right. Second gen c5 is supposedly one of the most reliable cars in its class, believe it or not.

[@tdu_505]

@@GoldenCroc I’ve owned my second gen C5 for 2 years and It’s 100% true

[@StratoArticA]

I Have 05 607 only thing not working is right front seat heater 😀

[@FuzzWoof]

The C6 is always one of those cars that I know would be an incredibly dumb idea to buy, and would be nothing but a constant journey of financial regret. But I know I'm going to do it one day, it's just inevitable.

[@Matu007]

I have owned a C6 as a daily driver for 4 years now. No regrets, not even going strong on my wallet(probably cost me ~4k EUR for all the maintenance and repairs in those years). Just find someone who knows what he is doing, if not doing the maintenance yourself

[@dedskin1]

No , Citroens are not financial regrets they are real cheap , and maintenance is cheap , i have Citroen C5 , 1.8 petrol manual , never did a damn thing to that car and its 2004 , did 300 000 miles , i left it a year on the drive way , charged the batery up and it started at once . Amazing engines , tho slow as hell , i guess that is why they dont brake . So im sure C6 is just like that as well . Suspension does not brake , mine didnt .

[@dennisvogelius8602]

I have a C6 as a daily driver. 300000 km and minimal problems. As long as service is being done, there is less problems with it than any of all the other cars that I have had. Generally it is not correct that Citroen is more problematic than any other cars. It was true LONG LONG time ago.

[@manfredschmalbach9023]

@@dennisvogelius8602 The problem a long time ago was rust and ignorant mechanics with no clue about the systems but still bodging around. Had a couple DS, GS, CX and XMs, and every time I got another one was only forced to rebuild what these ignorant iron-spring morons of mechanics might have ruined. Everything only touched by proper Citroen mechanics did work flawlessly for hundreds of thousands of kilometers. I might add I never bought anything over 2000 € (or 4000 of the old German Mark currency), so what I got was usually well used already.

[@mantabond]

'Same here.

[@waldevv]

Always loved the PSA V6s, shame they will never make them again. I think I'm going to hold onto my petrol V6 407 coupe for as long as I can

[@lewlewis6511]

I was still delivering cars when these where new, we'd deliver a new C6 to dealers, they'd generally remain unsold and we'd swap them for another one every 6 or 12 months, the dealers didn't want them, 9 times out of 10 the car wouldn't start on collection day because it had stood in the showroom doing nothing and no one even bothered to keep the battery charged, so another pick day would be sheduled.

[@xqqqme]

"It's beeping 'cause I've left the key and my Berlingo does that as well. It's just as irritating in that." Says the man who has been known to forget to bring the keys he needs for the car he intends to work on that day.😂

[@shire_boy1]

Up n down has genuinely changed my opinion on thees kind of cars he's a top bloke! 👍

[@dr.plutonus1496]

I had my beloved 2007 C6 2.2 manual for five years - kept it for 12 months beyond its contract & was bereft when it finally went. Did 160,000 miles flawlessly & had tons more cachet than its contemporary twatsignal alternatives. Then again, I'd never wanted to be a Beemer bore or an Audi ar*e. And I'm pretty sure I'll have to have another - although the manual box cars are vanishingly rare. The C6 is without doubt a magic machine 🤩

[@malc.s.5373]

Brilliant car (I had a C5)...the thinking man's BMW.

[@Angry-Lynx]

C6 in manual thats insanity 😂 that should never be manufactured love my C5 despite failing suspension pump motor ; ive been torturing this car hard for 2 years, very reliable

[@legambaz]

I absolutely love the styling of the C6. It's EPIC !!!

[@cnat_sepll]

I bought one with 150,000 miles to drive to le mans classic for 2,200. After having no major issues I dont think a better car could be bought for that money.

[@MitchZero9]

It is an intriguing car....enjoyed this one! Dealing with turbo lag, especially in diesels, I left foot brake and stall up the engine a little at roundabouts and some intersections to get it going. The 3.0L TD 1KD in my Prado requires patience between throttle response and turbo lag, but it will launch hard if stalled!

[@dafister]

It works for your Prado, but this C6 has a very fragile Aisin Warner TF80 gearbox which doesn't appreciate this kind of usage.

[@drummondscar3264]

I had a 2.2 Exclusive at two years old, which I kept for five years. I had two weeks in a friend's 2.7, before this. The 2.7 had a huge lag coming away from rest, which I found was the Aisin gearbox being unable to deal with the torque. 2.2 had no problem, but was rather slower. The box needed a flush out every 10000 miles, not from a Citroen dealer(!), and after 80000 miles seemed like new. Sealed for life, I think not....My 2.2 came from a Citroen dealer, with 18000 miles, and cost me £16000. The only failure was in the wiring, which cost- £25. A really very good car, but I got rid of it because the spares rocketed in price. Oh, and I also have a 1968 DS semi auto, and a 53 Traction Normale.

[@TheTalentThief]

I had a C6 2.7 V6 in Storm Grey back in 2008 and it didn’t cost much to buy back then! A beautiful big boat to drive but I had to keep the suspension in sport mode otherwise I’d get ‘seasick’. I’m surprised it always remained pretty much unknown despite Top Gear raving about it. I sometimes see one here in Cardiff and it always makes me smile. Maybe a future automotive icon

[@grayfool]

Seems to be very much a case of "just because you can doesn't mean you should". I love the weird looks, particularly the rear. I still want one but I'm still not brave enough to buy one, most emphatically not a cheap one without a very extensive service history. Great video Ian, mini, and Kitch. Thanks to all of you.

[@tedarcher9120]

Buy a gen 2 c5, it rides almost the same and has the same engines

[@richardmclaughlin5298]

Love your reviews Ian. You put the normal person behind the wheel and give the real perspective. Keep up the fantastic work 👏

[@HainjeDAF]

HubNut and UpNdown.... Let me get my beer and crisps. This is comedy in the making. Great video. Love the two of you. Nice car. Did not know it flopped that bad

[@Metarac]

I once had a Jaguar S-Type with the same engine. Really liked it, good performance and still quite economical.

[@jacksonsystemslimited]

Same, it had had a remap and went like absolute poo off a stick!

[@stiggyness1976]

My old boss still has a S-Type Jag with the same 2.7 twin turbo diesel and it has no lag, its very impressive. Perhaps the turbo vanes are stuck on this C6, something clearly isn't right with it.

[@jdtseventyfour]

It could be something between the engine and greabox as you say this engine isnt laggy at all in an S Type.

[@stiggyness1976]

@@jdtseventyfour The thing is, this gearbox is fitted to quite a few cars including Vauxhall Signums/Vectras with the 2.8 V6 turbo engine. The gearbox is rated for 450nm which is about 330lb of torque, my Vectra is fairly quick off the line considering it's an estate and just takes off after 2k rpm. I reckon the engine isn't producing much low down torque for some reason, Citroen might of mapped it that way, but it's been proven they can take more than 450nm. The big killer of theses gearboxes is heat and coolant, kill both birds with one stone by fitting an external cooler. Even with the temp today 38c I'm having no problems at all with the gear box.

[@markonmotoring]

I'd love a C6 or an XM but I'm not brave enough to actually buy one. It's great that there are people out there preserving these cars as seeing one out on the road makes me smile in a way that a modern supercar or German prestige car never will.

[@johnlladron735]

Great video, thanks a lot, Ian. The C6 had pretty much passed me by until it appeared on Richard's channel. Complex car but a sorted one would be fantastic, if tricky to keep that way.

[@martinneumann7783]

I didn't expect such a long HubNut road test on Sunday. Thanks for this half an hour after I escaped from my garden because mosquito time...

[@ChopsGarage]

I can't believe you drove it down my way without popping in for a brew!

[@HubNut]

Sorry! Flying visit as ever.

[@brianiswrong]

Probably worried you would have sold it, in the time it takes Ian to drink a brew😀

[@nickc4518]

I’m with you on this one Ian, the looks of the C6 have really grown on me too. I barely gave it a 2nd glance when it was new.

[@gerardnieborg]

It's one of the cars I still really really want to own. I love the design 😍

[@fasthracing]

I had an 18 month old one back in 2009. Great car truly shocking reliability.

[@mariosadamou9632]

I have a C6. It has a fantastic ride. I had seven series BMW, S Class Merc, and Jaguar XJ; only the latter was coming close in comfort. The engine lag is a problem, though, from start.

[@liambrown1216]

Is it better sound insulated as its German rivals?

[@kimmohietala5359]

ABS/traction control failure is exactly the same I used to have in my C5 X7, and that was amazingly triggered when turning steering fully left. All was fine if I remembered not to turn full lock when reversing from the parking space 😂

[@nigelh4617]

I bet that Autoglass look forward to getting one of these in for a replacement rear window.

[@dennisvogelius8602]

As I remember it is about 2500 Euroes for a new rear window

[@random007nadir]

All music left in a glovebox turns into Queen's Greatest Hits - Douglas Adams.

[@2760ade]

Love the styling! I think it's a very attractive car especially around the rear.

[@mark1968]

I ended up in one of these when I hired a car in France many years back. No idea how I got one of these because I paid for a small hatchback. But anyway. The positives were the comfort. It just wafted along The stereo and the air con was epic (during a French heatwave) The only negative was no reverse camera. Why such a huge car doesn't have a back up camera is beyond me. Great video. Brought back many memories.

[@huwdavies6650]

I used to drive a Jaguar XJL with the 3.0 engine for work. It was a pretty gutsy engine and capable of 50 MPG plus if driven with care. Combined with the supple but agile chassis of the Jag it was an excellent wafting machine.

[@jorgefernandez-mv8hu]

Thanks for the ride along on that beautiful car. So sleek and so French. I'm in the US so this is as close as I am going to get to that car. Thanks again it was enjoyable.

[@blingking501]

I remember meeting our lass for first time in Leeds and her neighbour had one of these and I was in love. Looked like a spaceship, and the used prices even I could have afforded.

[@johnscarsandstuff]

The only C6 I've driven was the petrol V6 when the model was new. It is a car that I remember fondly, being one of those cars that could waft effortlessly and yet cover the ground quite quickly. Not in a sporting sense but a feeling of competence that inspired confidence. Yes, I missed the old-school Citroen brakes, but I think it was a fitting final hurrah for the big, oleo-pneumatic Citroen. I can understand why it was unpopular with Citroen dealers, who would rather be knocking out Saxos and the dreadful Xsara Picaasso to people who wanted cheap transport. The comment about laggy pick-up from standstil reminded me of the V6 diesel Volkswagen Phaeton. That was a generally fine car but definitely didn't inspire confidence that you could pull out smartly into fast moving traffic.

[@organiccold]

Welcome to Hampshire, glad you liked it haha. Such a cool car the C6. I drove a lot a Xantia Activia and the suspension was a dream

[@simonh317]

Gearbox is an Aisin Warner unit not ZF - its the TF80SC (known as AM6 in PSA names) . Strongest auto gearbox at the time for front wheel drive, however the engine had to be detuned for it. The rear drive Range Rovers and Jaguars all had more torque. Ironically, the replacement, the 3 litre had better fuel economy and was quieter.

[@knutarneaakra6013]

Had one for two years. Great car but i never could find out if i was the driver or if the car drove me. Too comfy or too isolated from the road. Prefer my peugeot rcz r . Also got a lotus elise jubileum number 56. Great car for playing around when using earplugs. Iam 62 years old but that small red white and gold elise still makes me feel 20. Great vlog all the best

[@70053morayfirth]

So my brother-in-law bought one of these a few years ago. He absolutely adored it and said that was just such a wonderful car for the ultimate in comfortable travel. Eventually it caused a few (actually, more than a few) financial headaches and he sold it for a BMW. Two years later he saw it for sale and bought the same car back. This time it only took him three months so recall its blissful ride and painful bills. After eight months it was gone, never to return! A magnificent white elephant indeed.

[@dennisvogelius8602]

The most important thing when having such a car. A SPECIAL luxury car, is to have a good mech who knows his shit. The expenses I have on mine is/year about 800 Pound and it is a 300000 km car

[@martinwhitaker5332]

As a previous owner of two BX's 19 RD's which we loved, enjoyed your C6 thoughts, not seen one on the road for ages.

[@thomash2806]

I love the full compliment of 4 orange side-marker lights in those striped parts of the clusters you pointed out.

[@palandi]

"I much prefer plush velour" this classy thought reminded me of upvoting the video

[@BigAntVideo]

Ours was super laggy until we replaced the EGR's - now it's great - no lag, Sport mode is definitely the way to go :))

[@StewyB68]

Lovely thing! Did rear brake pads on one and was a nightmare but… I’d have one in a nanosecond, so comfy

[@alecbrown66]

I have a similar age C4 airdream diesel (one of those where centre of the steering wheel doesn't move, and what we call the UFO dasboard), and it's incredibly reliable, economical at 60+ mpg, and comfy. I bought mine cheap, gave it to my specialist mechanic, and for £1700 have had one of the best, adaptable, economical cars, and this experience led me to buy and do the same with a mk2 C4. If they are given some TLC, and regular servicing, old citroens are absolute bargains that rarely go wrong

[@carstenweiland7896]

Oh wow, my kind of car congrats, if the 3rd gear jerks you have to put a new hydraulic block into it, the Aisin AM6 gearbox (NOT ZF!) was used by several carmakers and is readily available. Had the floating issue too, changed all the spheres no significant change, then the hydraulic pump went out and with the new one all was sorted. About the lag during acceleration, perhaps the airflow sensor is clogged and needs cleaning - sorry got a petrol do not know much about these tractor engines. Got it since early 2017 and it still baffles me all the time, never gets old. Traction control, ABS, sounds like an ABS sensor issue to me.

[@carstenweiland7896]

@@dizzy2020 Did what? Change the pump? Exciting.

[@paultaylor9652]

The tip tronic gearbox gives you far greater fuel economy, in my Peugeot 308 over 800 mile trip on holiday in Yorkshire it averaged 54.8 mpg. Beautiful car in its day. If it was a very clean low mileage example, I'm sure it wouldn't have so many unforgiving faults.

[@BlueXonar]

Its quite amazing that you can see the difference in ride when you push the sport button, on a video!

[@UPnDOWN]

Thanks for the review of my car, Mr Nut. I'll be sending you the bill for an ABS sensor in due course...

[@rileybenstead3574]

I did have a 3 litre C5 some years ago and loved it, wish I had kept it. I have only ever seen three C6 cars on the road. At one point I was tempted to buy one till I checked the price of road tax and coupled to how complicated they are, thought better of it. I do love the look of them.

[@peterriggall8409]

If you are in the UK can you explain to me why the C6 is so expensive to tax compared with Hubnuts Fairmont. Is it the fact it is a diesel?

[@HubNut]

Vehicle Excuse Duty rates changed from 2001, to start punishing 'dirty' engines. Larger engines mostly.

[@dennisvogelius8602]

@@HubNut The funny thing is that it is really not a dirty engine. Again pencil pushers playing to make life a pain for the rest of us

[@CaptHollister]

Completely agree with you, plush velour is more comfy than leather. I've also never found a use for the shift paddles on my GLK250 Bluetec.

[@peterriggall8409]

I agree too. Most new cars seem to have leather these days……or fake vegan leather, (that may be the new term for vinyl) not much good in hot Australia.

[@chunkymonkey55555]

Nice looking cars! Did you know they always use Citroen cars to film live horse races? It is because the suspension is so smooth. Well tht was my best attempt to try say something interesting!

[@tallblokesam]

The Discovery and Range-Rover Sport fitted with this engine are extremely laggy in standard tune but respond really well to a well sorted MAP. Nothing mental with mega boost or smoke, just a decent mix of economy with a bit of performance. You actually get a better MPG with the MAP as you're not burying the throttle into the carpet to get it to move. I imagine the C6 would respond very differently with a decent tune. Cool looking thing though, I'm not brave enough to consider owning one..

[@PJ-om2wq]

My Jag X350 with the 2.7 is an absolute flying machine, but then it does have an aluminium body. The Disco and RR Sport had one big turbo whilst the C6 and XJ had twin turbos.

[@ghfdt368]

I remember seeing one of these back in 2008-2009 when i just started college. It got a lot of looks in the car park where people would look at it and couldnt decide if they liked the look of it or not especially when there were C3's and C4's and picasso's about. At the time the C6 sticked out like a sore thumb, But I think time has been really kind to the C6, it looks pretty modern by today's standards and the interior aswell on the most part looks like a car made in the 2010's.

[@cameronwood1994]

The crankshaft issue is well known on Discovery 3 and, more commonly, Discovery 4 as they have the larger 3.0 engine. JPSK Motors seem to have identified the problem being poor lubrication to the crankshaft main bearings, with Ford's solution being to use sputter bearings for the top half of the mains. JPSK modify the oilways to 2018-onwards specification and also specify 5W-40 oil (JLR, unlike PSA, specified 5W-30 oil. Ford North America specify 5W-40 when using biodiesel 5-20% - the UK is 7%). 2010-2012 3.0 engines have an incorrectly hardened crankshaft which means they're a ticking time bomb anyway. It doesn't help that the oil change intervals are 15,000 miles on Discovery 3, 16,000 miles on Discovery 4, and 18,000 miles on the Citroen C6 - it is wise on these to change the oil at one quarter of this interval, because these have quite a small oil sump and they also only have four, very narrow main bearings.

[@philhealey449]

Look at the amazing work of LR Time doing a home crank regrind of the Discovery 3 version of this engine and their research on alternative oil pumps and oil grades. Not a meaty looking crankshaft and not an engine to risk owning IMHO.

[@cameronwood1994]

@@philhealey449 I find their videos rather entertaining to say the least! I still remember the guy at JPSK saying on Facebook "this is not an engine designed for reliability". Let's not talk about plastic inlet manifolds and dodgy oil pumps!

[@philhealey449]

@@cameronwood1994 Embrittled plastication I feel is a poor substitute for cast iron or aluminium especially out of warranty....

[@dennisvogelius8602]

On my Disco 4 and C6 I change oil within 10000 Km using 5W 40 on both.

[@andysalter4473]

Back in 2005 I bought a brand new Citroen C8( Wife was starting a child minding business) and there was a C6 demonstrator on the forecourt. As I only worked over the road I asked for a test drive, the salesman was very keen to make a first sale said I could have it over the weekend. I duly said yes excited at the prospect of this beautiful car at my disposal. Picked it up Friday eve, tank full of fuel and drove the 20 miles home up the A30 on a blanket of waft. Next morning went out to a flat battery, recovery came couldn't start it, plugged in diagnostics and a list of faults as long as your arm. 4 hours later it was towed back to the dealer. I didn't buy one, but the C8 was an excellent car.

[@Paddy3443]

Dream car ever since my early teenage years ❤️ Looks absolutely amazing if you see it in the wild which was not a common thing even when they were new. Paquebot! Would still love to own one.

[@carlmarkwyatt]

I fancied one of these but I had a C5 of a similar vintage with a THP and the build quality and reliability wasn't brilliant which put me off. I now have a 2015 Peugeot 208 also with a THP and it's been brilliantly reliable and the build quality feels great. I think the late 00s was a bit of a low point for PSA.

[@mrb6094]

I really fancied one of these after my 407s, but they were well over 10k and they gave me the willies.

[@Shane-zx4ps]

Wow those thick leather seats look really comfortable, I thinks it’s a beautiful car.

[@HubNut]

Not as comfy as they look sadly...

[@jo05dk]

I've never really jelled with the C6, looking at it as an outsider. I'd have a (petrol) V6 XM over a C6 every second of every day. ..i would however suspect that the suspension issues with this one is a matter of spheres that need attention, as mentioned by Kitch himself. I remember the TopGear episode where they tested the C6 as a camera car for a horse race. Suspension seemed pretty competent. ..but who knows. Unlike the CX and the XM, i've never actually been in a C6..sadly. I've been looking forward to this video since we were made clear that you were borrowing it. For the love of Citroens i'm slightly sad it wasn't an undivided succes, but i enjoyed watching anyways.

[@tonywilliamson2435]

I do like the C6 but wouldn't want to own one. Thanks Ian for the content.

[@chriscarberry9721]

Alexei Sayle had a C6 if memory serves...

[@mtozzy11]

I drove one when I worked at keune & Nagel in Sydney, it had from memory only 10,000km on it, it was really nice to drive very soft on the road, but not as nice as the Volvo S80 V8 that was there or the VW Bora V6 4motion that I ended up buying at the end of it's lease.

[@grahamariss2111]

I had a similar issue with a Alfa 159 2.4 diesel which was superb other than in 1st an 2nd they had lheavily imited the available torque I guess to protect the gearbox and if you clung onto third too long you were likely to be off boost for what felt like weeks, so you needed to bear this in mind when entering a busy roundabout.

[@tomlobos2871]

my boss at a company i worked at a while ago bought one of the last model year. it drove excellent, but felt a bit heavier on the road than it was. 2.7l diesel as well. nice torque, very comfy but there isn't much that attracts one to it. you could have everything in this car, except excitement.

[@euhm]

I always liked this car. When I bought my AX GT, there was a C6 for about the same money. I didn't go for the C6 because of fear for electrical and hydraulic problems. My parents drive a previous gen 508 and that has quite a few problems. So I went for the idiot proof AX GT and have been very happy!

[@cme2cau]

I have a C5 X7 2.0 HDI. It has Hydractive 3+ suspension and the same (or similar) transmission. I understand there are detail differences in the suspension but it doesn't do the bouncy thing that C6 does. Supremely smooth and comfortable on the feeways. (That's freeways with a toll, quite common in Sydney.) I was concerned about the lag, so hooked up my OBD2 wireless dongle, and I could see on the Ipad that boost came on straight away . On the 4 cylinder at least, the lag is all in the transmission programming and goes away entirely when I put the transmission in sport. I'm sitting on 6.2 l/100km (45mpg Imperial). That triangle is the auto handbrake, probably triggering the ABS and traction control lights as they are all connected. Because French.

[@callumhardy5098]

I’ve got a jag XJ with that engine, it’s an absolute gem what a brilliant engine. Despite being an old diesel it still beats the fiestas and the polos off the line🤣🤣👍🏻👍🏻.

[@edgarbeat275]

I saw Rich in This months Classic & Sports Car magazine Bx Buyers guide. The perfect wiper is on the 1978 Lancia Sibilo concept car.

[@ricolasroc5890]

The most noticeable lag I ever experienced was in an XM. Given you know those, and you reckon this is awful, that is truly terrifying. I'd like a petrol one to see how it is, but perhaps not one I want to own. LOVE the review though. You are a diamond.

[@gssf.gr29]

I've got a soft spot for Citroen and always wanted a C5 from the same era but never got around to it. Although I like the quirks of many of their cars I could never quite make my mind up about the C6 and fully understand how you could love it and hate it at the same time. Love those door bins and the reclining rear seat, it's just those little styling touches that nobody else ever seems to think of. Always seem to have really nice alloys that are a little bit different than most others too.

[@briankay4713]

Love these Ian ....Still a proper Citroën I feel .. Had a Pug 407 Hdi 2.7 Coupe ... with the same engine ..awesome unit ..torque monster ...really shifted...twin turbo as opposed to the Discos single ... But insanely complicated and no garage would touch it ...lovely lovely car though 👌 😍

[@MrFlazz99]

I think you're half right about the laggy response from a standing start. I used to have a 2007 Renault Clio DCI106 which had the trick variable-vane turbo and could really shift within a certain rev range (the expected narrow diesel band), but it was annoyingly laggy from a standing start UNLESS I booted the revs off tickover before dropping the clutch...so that's what I did. The lower-power versions of the diesel Clio would pick up completely smoothly from tickover, but had rather vanilla acceleration overall. Undoubtedly it was some emissions thing to stop drivers from making terrible smoke under gentle acceleration, but it really COULD make smoke under full-bore acceleration. (I might add that it never failed an MoT emissions test in 13 years of ownership). I loved the engine and the ride comfort (which I took for granted until after I acquired my current 2014 Fiesta which is F*****G AWFUL by comparison, as well as being very cramped in overall cabin space and ergonomically unsuited to drivers taller than 5ft3in), but so many other aspects of that Clio were frustrating in such a Gallic way - the pathetic handbrake mechanism and the stupidly short gearing (caused by attaching a very short final drive to Nissan's brilliant 6-speed gearbox, as also used with larger Renault/Nissan diesels) to name but two. First gear used to be pointless and I'd be into third within two seconds usually. They could easily have lengthened the final drive by 20%.

[@robinosborne266]

Not very HubNut I know (,and I mean that it the nicest possible way) but my wife and I had a new Jaguar XJ back in 2008 and it had (the same?) a ZF six speed gearbox and it was a nightmare from the minute we picked the car up. I you were coming to a gentle stop or were just in slow moving traffic the car would “lurch” forward as it dropped into first gear. Our car had 3 gearboxes in the first 1500 miles!!! Jaguar customer care was brilliant and they eventually changed the car because it had several other problems. Love the channel

[@HubNut]

Cheers. This one's actually an Aisin Warner...

[@Chillmax]

Re the driving experience you had, I'd bet you pretty much any money, the suspension's faulty from how you describe it, my experience, after changing all the spheres etc, was heavenly, it's nothing like your ride and I would've thought that you'd have said that!

[@HubNut]

I've driven two, the other being the simpler 2.2HDi and neither overly impressed.

[@Chillmax]

@@HubNut They could've all been bad spheres unfortunately, for 2 reasons. The Citroen guff suggests they last the life of the car, rubbish of course & if your do look into changing them, the official cost is horrendous, so it puts people off doing it. It wouldn't at all surprise me that a high proportion of C6's are not running at their best in many departments, so very sad.

[@Chillmax]

@@HubNut kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmPUYWaOj9qarck

[@banpowel9784]

3.0hdi is more powerful of the start and even more silent, reliability improved vastly after 2009, fabulous long distance cruiser.......

[@micheltebraake7915]

Nice such a maxi test. I have yet to watch a few more episodes of UpnDown on the C6, I'm lagging behind.

[@patrickw6934]

I've been seeing internet ads for the new C6, so they obviously think it worth trying again. However, in pictures they make the new one look even more enormous! I always thought this C6 was giving the inspirational types at Citroen (if there were any left) one last hurrah, but is it just a tribute act!?

[@556johny556]

Would you mind elaborating on those ads you're talking about? Cause I'm curious and can't find anything. Other than the Chinese C6 launched in 2016 which is just a 508 in disguise

[@MrOvershoot]

My late Step-Father had one with the 2.7TTD when he & my mother lived in France, I drove it a few times and you are right in normal mode I found it a strange sensation, almost artificial? Though I didn't notice any lack of get up and go from a standing start. Maybe it was because at that time I was driving a 1985 Citroen BX 1.9D that it felt odd on the suspension but fine on the engine.

[@2Wheels4Wheels.]

My 2015 Focus ST3 diesel with DTUK tuning box- £20 road tax, 220 bhp and 50 mpg. At one time I was a 'who the hell wants an ST diesel' bloke but I am now that person.

[@ebutuoyYT]

The C6 needs to be seen in the metal to appreciate its styling, it’s more impressive looking than it seems in pictures / videos. But I would rather have a mk1 XM 3.0 v6.

[@h.s.5995]

Mk1 Xm for the looks, MK2 Xm for more reliability and better engines

[@torresalex]

As I said on Rich's channel, I'd LOVE to have one of these. Always have, even before it came out. But alas, I would probably have to choose between living with a roof over my head or in a skip but with a dream ride

[@benfearnhead9851]

God I love the C6. It's basically the DS of the 00s. I've daydreamed about buying one several times but living in Brum with it's clean air zone I'd want it to be petrol and they're like hens teeth. I actually have a brochure in pretty good nick. Such a sublime piece of car design.

[@dennisvogelius8602]

The petrol model is a bit of a lackluster

[@williamgreer4087]

These are one of the most beautiful cars of the 2000s, a real love letter to the big Citroens of previous generations. That interior is absolutely gorgeous too!

[@arrangrant6037]

Have always hankered after one of these last true Citroens have seen a few on local dealers forecourts over the years and have been sorely tempted. From your review and from what I have seen about these cars though it looks like one of those that could easily turn into a big money pit 👍👍

[@R-Tap]

If reliability is a tedious thing for you, then this is very, very cool. Love a quirky Citroen. Edit: The seats, last seen in first class on Emirates.

[@stephenberry1205]

In Australia these were $110-$120k or Pounds 55-60. Now a good one is $30-$35 or Pounds 15-17.5K The 3.0 litre turbo diesel is the pick. It well service they are fairly reliable. I love it a lot - cross between the Citroen CX & SM. Style and substance. That car with acceleration lag must have problems. I would love on if I had a second garage. 2CV6 Charleston is not going on the street.

[@steveboatronics]

Ian, Fb Messenger me; you *really* need to compare the lacklustre 2.7HDi performance with my 3.0HDi. The difference is quite staggering: no off-the-line lag and much better economy. Plus, the 2009> built cars have a higher degree of reliability and quality.

[@HubNut]

Cheers. Please email [e-mail]

[@sebastianfernandez3974]

Thanks, we will all profit! And Ian could test another C6 and see they are not bouncy. This one is.

[@hamsterclamper]

11:54 Being burned off by an old dear in a Corsa😂

[@redsorgum]

Very interesting. I’ve never heard of this Citroen model. I definitely couldn’t afford to own one.

[@ianbrawn9764]

I have been looking for a 3litre v6 hdi for ages without success, but I have got a 11 plate c5 with this engine. It really is a lovely engine with very little lag, and the hydractive3+ is very good too. No problems with it in the 22k I have done in it, and is now on 70k. Also have a 61 plate c5 with 2litre engine and hydractive 3+, which is really pretty lively and is now on 100k. Cannot part with either of them even tho have also got 3 Xantia s and a Morris Minor. enginr

[@jonathanmaybury5698]

I have a Citroen C5 VTR hatchback. I found that it is normally the flappy paddles that go on these cars and to fix it, all the dashboard has to come out, apparently, all the early 2000 Peugeots used the same component with the same outcome. It cost me a lot to have fixed and that was about 5 -7 years ago.