Citroen C5 Aircross review | It must be on your shortlist!

[@Muushondje]

Superb review Nobby ! The C5 Aircross is a superb car and gives you a souvereign ride and comfort which is unique in this segment. I have owned two of them and drove more than 100.000 kilometers with it without any problems.

[@NobbyOnCars]

Thanks for sharing the info.

[@KLiNoTweet]

It is soo comfy 😊

[@oojimmyflip]

A Mk1 1.5 diesel Automatic 8-speed Add-Blue with 30k on the clock comes in at around 18 grand, our used model has been completely reliable except to say for a slightly noisey cabin fan, sounds like a brush is sticking on the fan motor, its a come and go thing. mileage around town is about 37mpg and on a run 55mpg but i guess thats because its bulky. the ride is smooth but not buttery smooth like the old hydraulic citroens used to be the big 19 inch wheels dont help at all. tyre pressures are 30psi all round, replacing a 19inch alloy will cost you 2k and a new parcel shelf is £300.00 for a sheet of carpet covered cardboard. Kickdown on the diesel automatic is suprisingly good and will launch you sufficiently in overtaking and pulling out quickly on roundabouts but there can be a bit of wheelspin when doing so if you dont ease of the throttle after the initial kickdown. The Flappy paddles are good for snow and ice on hills however the rev limiter on the diesel does monitor the engine speed whilst using the flappy paddels and the auto gear change will take over if it thinks your reving the engine to high which can be annoying at times. Medium grade tyres are around £85 each. servicing is relatively cheap at a vat registered independant. I upgraded the sat nav by downloading the files from the Citroen website but you have to plug the downloaded upgrade converted file on a usb pen into the usb under the touch screen and go through the upgrading process with the engine running and this took us 12 hours of engine idling not a great experience, if we had loaded all the world maps it could have taken 24 hours to upgrade the files on the cars 2 gig ssd memory with the engine idling. this really need some attention in speeding up the process by Citroen. Add-blue seems to be used up very slowley and in 6 months we have used about 12 litres for average motoring you do get a warning on the dash when you have 1,500 miles of add-blue left. make sure you wipe down everything if you spill add-blue as it crystalises on just about every surface if split. I chose a Citroen because ive had them for the last 40 years of driving a 2cv an AX, BX, Xantia SX, C5 Exclusive and now the C5 Aircross MK1 Flair spec which has all the bells and whistles minus the galss roof (more headroom) and No wave your foot under the bumper to open the boot gismo, incidentially dont get that if your getting a towbar you will skin your shins eventually kicking the towball or bracket waving your foot underneath to open the boot. The boot door is very light on its struts and the electric boot is just an unecessary add on, i can close the boot door with just a light pull on the boot door handle at the base of the boot door, it is very well balenced. will be fitting a towbar in 2023 there are ltd options for a fixed flange towbar at the moment and im not keen on having a removeable tow ball fitted but will get around to it when more options become available. the height of the boot door lip is brilliant as you can pretty much park bumper to bumper and still get the boot door open, however the rise and fall boot floor panel needed securing with velcro close to the boot lip as when you put heavy items on this panel heavy braking makes the panel drop on its trailing edge making the boot floor slope rearwards. I shall be lowering the boot floor in future to carry heavier loads. it has its quirks like all relatively new cars do and its not a bad addition to the Citroen range. The big armchair seats are bound to impress most people making the ride quality much better in comparison to other makes and models. No underseal on the underbody isnt very impressive when Most Dacias come with a layer so thick it will last 10 years or more, someone has pointed us to a product called Lanoguard which takes about an hour to apply and doesnt harm rubbers or plastics.

[@siraff4461]

On that cabin fan - take out the pollen filter and give it a good vaccuum cleaning inside where it was. Sometimes debris/leaves get through or get dropped in there when servicing and as they rest on the fan blades you get that noise.

[@user-wd8vh4ob8s]

No spare wheel supplied with my same model in April 2023

[@paulgraves7949]

Excellent review...subscribed and 👍! I have just returned my first Gen C5 aircross it was a 1.6 petrol eat8 (auto)180 bhp flair plus ( top spec) in my opinion the pick of the range! Incredibly comfortable incredibly practical a very nice place to spend some time! Drive it like Citroen design it to be driven and you won't be disappointed ( like a Range Rover rather than a golf gti) it was a lease car and my 3 year term was up I will miss it immensely! Got a cupra formentor coming first week April would of considered another C5 but Citroen got a bit greedy £££ in my opinion! The car I had was 33k on the road...

[@colxdark]

Nice review as always not a bad looking model. I also like the previous model as well.

[@volt8684]

Have a 2007 petrol berlingo multispace. No electrics, no luxury, frugal and very comfortable and reliable. The ride in the car is incredible something on uk roads is one of the most endearing qualities. Would love one of these but £40k short😁. I am a French car fan on ownership expereince alone. Had renault/peugeot and citroens

[@andrewbrearley8374]

Thats a great honest review from Sir Nobert, Thank you !

[@brendanbalfe9742]

Nice car,I drove phev version in malaga last year and couldn't fault it,still keeping my ioniq 5 though.

[@mooncrownn]

Perfect car , I have been driving more than 9 months.

[@joesoy9185]

I don´t need the roof bars - they increase wind resistance and complicate hand washing.

[@orange-paris]

Why make the doors open wider, I can't see you having any problems getting in?

[@NobbyOnCars]

Baby seats

[@siddharthayashwanth2904]

I've got this car in the PHEV variant. I strongly recommend anyone considering this to not go for the PHEV. My car does 1.5-2 miles per kWh on a hot summer day, which is pathetic. It's dearer to run on electric than on petrol. Even their claimed range of 34miles from a 13.2kWh battery is pretty bad. You're going to spend more money on electricity given the current energy prices and you're not doing the environment any favours. I love everything else about this car but for this reason alone, I wouldn't buy the plug-in again.

[@bojansalmic9811]

very good car, congratulations Citroen. But why there is no petrol version with ca 180 HP ?

[@Rapscallion2009]

That's the 1.6 4 banger.

[@gib321]

Simple exterior design sets it apart. Its Pug 3008 cousin appears to capture more buyers however.

[@NobbyOnCars]

Huge growth for Peugeot here over the last few years alright

[@Justyburger]

Yes and that happened to me. Drove the C5 and bought the 3008. Peugeot really did make a big jump in their designs. I'm waiting for the next version, as to whether I decide on Citroen or Peugeot for my next car.

[@Chukwu1967]

I read a lot of bad stuff about Citroen (and general French car) quality. Has this changed?

[@NobbyOnCars]

Ownership of a lot of these vehicles is now under control of larger groups who use the same underpinnings across several brands so reliability is less of an issue.

[@paulmackintosh9964]

Hi, my Son is on his 2nd Aircross and has had no issues whatsoever. Like you, I have always steered clear from Citroën and French cars in general. That said and after driving both of his cars I am smitten, The ride is so comfortable, quiet and just a nice place to be in. Quality of the car inside and out is very good, as with millions of other drivers across all car brands, the obsession with heater controls within the screen is a total pain and a dangerous one. However, my sons new car (Feb ‘23) thankfully the heater controls are operated by good old fashioned knobs. My advice would be go and check them out, take one for a drive, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.👍 Ps I do not work for Citroën ( I am a well retired petrol head who still loves cars)😁😁👍 Paul 🇬🇧

[@gibb253]

Just traded in a C3 Picasso diesel with 130000 on the clock- only fault a relay in the rear passenger door. Before that I had a Xsara estate that ran up to 230,000. In the same period my partner had a VW Polo that seized at 70000.

[@Justyburger]

@@paulmackintosh9964 I totally agree about the heater controls and the screens. That's one issue I have with the Peugeot 3008. I'm always fiddling with the screen for heating controls. It's not too awkward, but would be better if it was a manual dial. Friends of mine just change their previous C5 for this newer model and they are really happy. I might shift from Peugeot to Citroen when I'm ready? Not totally sure yet.

[@oojimmyflip]

the old Citroens had issues with wiring faults after about 6 years of use, subframes rotted after about 10 years and the suspension systems needed servicing regularly but having left the suspension woes behind Im hoping that sharing a similar platform to a lot of other makes the wiring and frame issues wont be so much of an issue this time around. on our used mk1 flair we had a noisey front wheel bearing at 32k but I think the previous owner must have struck a kerb or something, it was a mobility vechicle and only covered 10k a year. it was £30 to buy and replace under warrenty.

[@stevencampbell1150]

Great review as ever Nobby, it's your attention to detail on your reviews that I particularly enjoy. Refreshing also to see the diesel instead of the 1.2 petrol or the hybrid I just wish it came with a manual gearbox is all because whilst it has the same as hp as my Kadjar it's down 20nm in torque at 300 Vs the 320 on my own car and unlike my car it uses adblue and that's before you get to the price which even in the North will be mental. I've heard the PSA group auto is a bit Father Dougal Maguire ie a bit slow and that's why it'd be a no from me.

[@evehosgood]

What’s the visibility like out the back? I’m stuck between this, the 3008 and the kuga

[@oojimmyflip]

its dark in there with all the smoked glass but its not to bad overall you wont find a rear wiperblade anywhere we had to buy a universal blade to replace the old one, its so small. the blind spot monitoring, reverse alarms, rearview camera and big side mirrors help a lot with reversing the car and the auto park mode is a lot of fun once you learn to trust it to park the car or get you out of a tight space.

[@user-wd8vh4ob8s]

Great review but no wireless Apple CarPlay

[@ic2433]

Just not sure I’d spend my own money on a Citroen, I’m probably way out of touch with their quality these days. Review spot on as usual.

[@Muushondje]

Quality wise Citroën C5 Aircross is very good. I have owned two of them and drove more than 100.000 kilometers with them. Never had any issues with em.

[@Justyburger]

The last Citroen I owned was an XM and that car was amazing. It had the hydraulic suspension and was like a magic carpet going down the motorway. Right now I drive the Peugeot 3008, but it was a close decision between that and the C5. In the end, although the C5 is a more comfy ride, I liked the agility of the Peugeot. I also really love the small steering wheel and the overall design of the Peugeot. In my view, the French have always made good cars and they got even better. Even way back when I owned my XM in the mid 90's, Citroen had a good reputation for reliability and fuel economy.

[@manuelrusu7052]

This or C5X? Which one rides more comfortably? :)

[@NobbyOnCars]

C5X

[@tms1972]

I've drive tested both models at the same day. Aircross was much more pleasant to drive because it has more space for driver and passenger, better overview and driving position. Also superior noise insulation. The only big drawback is really poor space for rear passangers. I didn't notice any difference in road comfort. C5X has newer and more eletronic features, seat massage etc if that's important for you. Noise insulation is very good too, but you can hear your tires. What kills C5X for me is very unpleasant side contact of both knees. I'm 6'4 tall. By the way I found Aircross to be most road comfy, least road/engine noisy and pleasant to drive from all SUV hybrids I've tested (toyota, lexus, honda)

[@manuelrusu7052]

@@tms1972 Thanks! 😀

[@tms1972]

@@manuelrusu7052 to be precise my comment was about aircross plugin with 1.6 engine. Smaller engines are joke. I did the second extensive testrive and decide to pass at the end. Audio quality is mediocre and no premium is offered, also rear seat space and that car made in china. That's rather principal question. The best suv driving experience so far is VW Tiguan Allspace, but again reliability under question.

[@manuelrusu7052]

@@tms1972 thanks! Yes, I would never buy a car with a 1.2 engine. I've decided to stick to my current car, an Opel Insignia B with a 2.0 diesel engine. Very pleased with it. We'll see in the future...😄 In the mean time, I have bought a Cupra Formentor for my wife, so, for now not enough minerals, if you know what I mean. 😎🤣

[@mymiphone1841]

Very good and pretty car!!!

[@Catandthespoon]

Great review! Concentrated on exactly the most important points without being bogged down with over the top technical info. Only thing missing was a review of the sat nav and how that measures up

[@KFC-zo9wd]

top of my list

[@doirinniseanlaoich9347]

Great to see a diesel review. Has it got the 365 camera ?

[@NobbyOnCars]

It does

[@oojimmyflip]

They all have as standard, I think its the first car to have it.

[@Rapscallion2009]

Nice. But I can't help feeling that at 40 grand, Citroen are asking a lot. You can buy some legitimately premium cars for that. Who's firmer residual values might make them cheaper overall. When they launched they weren't that much more than half that.

[@NobbyOnCars]

Hear ya 👍🏻

[@alextaxi2593]

Great the child locks are fantastic

[@nealy2815]

Nice looking machine.

[@Justyburger]

Good review. I test drove the previous C5 Aircross, but chose the Peugeot 3008 in the end. I am a big fan of French cars. The 3008 felt sharper and more agile, plus I really liked the interior. I'm quite fussy with interior layouts. This newer C5 is very nice but I don't think Citroen went far enough with the changes. It's too much like the older version. I might change my mind about that if I sat in the car. It's actually the same with the facelift Peugeot 3008 too. Much as I do like the newer version, it's too similar to my current version. Not much changed inside, except a larger display unit. With the C5, the exterior has definitely improved, but I think I liked the previous screen in the middle of the airvents, than this angled screen. I tend to also like screens that are lower down, such as the Peugeot 508. That car has an amazing interior.

[@altalystbusinesstech3417]

Superb

[@PeterbFree]

If this car has one thing that would place it above all else and really is its stand-out feature that would be the defining reason to choose it: Ride quality. No mention at all?

[@NobbyOnCars]

Have you watched the full video?

[@marcelstanford430]

Too bad about those carbuncles at the bottom of the doors. Otherwise a nice vehicle.

[@NobbyOnCars]

🤣

[@oojimmyflip]

They are supposed to be bump stops for other vechicles car doors in car parks.

[@Octocoupler]

50k for a Citroën, has the world gone mad, or is it just the usual rip off ireland.

[@colxdark]

Yeah, rip off Ireland that’s about right.

[@Arturo124]

It's exclusively for Ireland (you suppose to be high on whiskey to buy it)

[@NobbyOnCars]

Less of the casual racism there now…!

[@oojimmyflip]

get a low mileage used one we did.

[@ttham2]

its very weird coz in Ukraine we have top version with all options and 180hp diesel for 39000 bucks, new

[@oaesan]

I used C4 since 2019 and I was sorry to let it go in January 2023. I got the Aircross C5 and I am totally disappointed with the car. Please, don't buy it. It sounds like a diesel (I have petrol), very sluggish on the accelleration and rolls back on a hill when trying to come out of power save mode. In all, I am beginning to consider returning it becuase it is very unpleasant to drive.

[@Justyburger]

Mmmm did you not give the car a good test drive before you bought it? Did you try the Peugeot 3008? It has a different feel to the Citroen. More agile and the smaller steering wheel makes it feel more like a racing car. You should also test drive the brand new C4. Choosing a car is a tricky thing and you must give them good test drives. Often two test drives.

[@ronflynn5043]

with respect, I have never known anybody talk so much irrelevant crap, in all my years on this earth.

[@NobbyOnCars]

🛎️ end.

[@krackerman3628]

"Trio of little marks in the headlights" as he looks and points to the rear brake light assembly... Ok...

[@NobbyOnCars]

Imagine filming a few hundred cars a year and making a simple mistake eh about a light. I’d love to nitpick at your job and we’ll see how good you are!