Is it miserable? 70bhp Citroen Xantia diesel surprises me

"Powered" by the legendary XUD diesel engine, this lowly-spec Citroen Xantia diesel is a 'sinker.' I explore what that means, and find I like this car much more than I expected. Car provided by ‪@alsodriven‬ - do go and check them out.
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[@grayfool]

I've said many times before, this era of car really was the best compromise of abilty and complication. Or actually lack of complication. No stupid, useless toys or ECUs to break.

[@alsodriven]

This one has been a bit temperamental but was sorted on drive way every time

[@alsodriven]

This one has been a bit temperamental but was sorted on drive way every time

[@alech8336]

"It has to be said, this is a very beautiful car" And this is why we love you Ian, and why we follow your channel: the passion for what others see as the ordinary.

[@alsodriven]

It's ignited our passion for the Xantia again after it's winter as a daily hack in Ireland

[@andyhill9955]

My experience of the Xantia was when a mate at work was a bit keen to get home, and instead of waiting for the STOP light to go out on the dash - set off and drove into the side of the building due to lack of hydrolulic brakes. Great days 😂

[@tenoirab]

Ah the good old Xantia! My Grandpa drove Citroëns ever since. CX, BX and then a Xantia. We were not always very happy with that decision, "because french" a lot especially in the CX-period broke on those cars. But my Grandparents became old and we could luckily convince them to stop driving. I was a university student at that time and I sad to my grandparents: "nobody is going to separate you from your Citroën. When ever you need a ride, give me a call!" So I chauffeured them around in thier Xantia. It was a bordeau red saloon, 2L injection, Driver-Airbag, Passenger "Rally-Grip" :-) (Like in this, HubNuts Video) and Automatic. To be honest, this was by far the best car I can remember to chauffeur other people around in it, period. A ride so smooth with the famous hydro-pneumatic suspension, and beeing an automatic you could smootly accelerate with almost no thrust interruption. Big Windows for the driver to see the traffic and the grandparents to see the world. In my oppinon, a hydro-pneumatic Citroën has to be an automatic. Sure, it was no racing car, but when you pushed down the accelerator it only shifted up just shy of the red line. It also hat factory built in curise control, which you could feel, pulling in and letting go the accelerator pedal. Sometimes it tended to oscillate but you could "dampen" it with your feed. Facinating times for me, as an aspiring electrical engineer! The car was then handed over to my cousin, she drove it till she had to sell it at some point, because it did not pass the rigorous Swiss MOT-Tests. I bought myself then a VW V6 4Motion Automatic Estate. Still have it and loved the trip down memory line while watching this fine video!

[@gryfandjane]

Watching from Missouri USA, where any Citroen seen - a rare occasion indeed - is probably part of a collection. I’ve always found them deeply fascinating, and would love to experience one firsthand. Maybe someday… Great episode, Ian! The Xantia’s a beauty, with enough of that wonderful Citroen quirkiness that’s so unorthodox but works so well. Thanks as always.

[@HunterShows]

I am jealous of all these great French cars.

[@ChishanFipz]

Best company car I had - Got through front tyres at quite a rate but was really comfy. Still one of the best looking cars of the time. Only issue I had was that a local cab firm had loads of them and a few times when stationary with the engine running, random people would jump in the back and tell me to take them somewhere!

[@clivet3252]

That happened to my dad once when he picked me up from the station in his Avensis haha. They are a great looking car. The ZX was pretty boring but the Xantia was a fitting replacement for the BX. And the early ones with the badge on the bonnet look the best. My dad had a BX and I always fancied a Xantia as a replacement but we went Japanese in the end and got a Mazda 626 which was fantastic.

[@In_memory_of_Dad]

One of the best diesel engines ever made right there!!! 👍🙂👍

[@adamwoodward2003]

I adore Citroen Xantia's. My dad had a 1996 1.9l Turbo Diesel when I was a kid and I can remember being amazed watching the whole car move up and down. He ran that car of veg oil he got from his mate at the chip shop for about 4 years. Unfortunately, it got scrapped in 2014 after covering 180,000 miles. I want to own a Xantia one day but I know they're becoming extremely rare. They're just so cool to me and make me feel very nostalgic.

[@RohanSanjith]

How the turbo pulled?

[@arkeys74]

My dad got a “sinker” in early 1994. A fairly low spec company car edition with the grey tweed interior and electric windows on the front doors as the only luxury. He decided to chip in a bit extra to get the proper radio/cassette player with steering wheel controls though. I got my license just before he got this car so spent many of my early miles behind the wheel of this. Many years later I decided to jump back on the Xantias, so since 2012 to this day I have had a Xantia Break as a daily runabout. My current one is my third one, had it for over 6 years and it is still doing a lovely job despite being 23 years old 😃💚

[@I-T-S-M-E]

Tonight I learnt what a 'Sinker' is - Nice looking car.

[@garyrobinson6247]

Great car. The most comfortable car I've ever owned and was also a great towcar. When it was first released, it was also one of the best looking cars on the road to my eye.

[@keithmartin1328]

I owned a 1995 1.8 petrol dimension way back in 2001-2. Comfy car, great on fuel. Just expensive when things went wrong, which it did, frequently. But its nice to see a review of this car. Brings back memories.

[@mcmcolm]

The recall fix for the handbrake was dremeling off the first 2 notches on the ratchet so that you’d have to apply the handbrake tightly whether you wanted to or not.

[@Grimwriggler]

a clever logical french solution

[@mercedes_and_more]

Don’t forget the handbrake acts on the front wheels on a Xantia!

[@OldCarsNewVan]

Because French 🤣🤣

[@newkidd9129]

@@mercedes_and_more Not much good for handbrake turns then! 🤣

[@mercedes_and_more]

@@newkidd9129 😳😳 only when driving backwards (maybe?)

[@bartmuytjens1014]

With the handbrake I’ve had an incident I now remembered. Parked on a slope in Belgium, coming back hours later, the car was gone 😂. It had rolled down the hill in reverse, and locals had pushed it to the side of the road. Not a scratch… I never forgot to put it in gear after that… 🤪

[@davidfoster1762]

I drove my Zantia into a basement car park in Bruges. With four bicycles on top. Tried to drive it into the basement car park I should say. Whoops

[@gillscorner794]

I remember having one as a courtesy car when our AX broke. It was a revelation, found myself arriving at junctions much faster than I should as I had built up more speed than I thought with it being so smooth. Lovely cars, shame there aren't more survivors

[@MeMe-qr3go]

You know, a decent non turbo diesel is always good. They go on for a lot longer than turbo diesels do. Obviously everyone likes a bit of power in reserve but not having it isn't the end of the world. My friend had a super slow 1.6 Ford Orion diesel back in the 90s and it was still a good motor. That is apart from it being a D reg that was self destructing with rust. Oh man, I'm getting all nostalgic again. Great video as always Ian.

[@p6picasso]

Brilliant memories! Had both (from new) a 1989 BX TZD and a 1993 Xantia SX TD. Both absolutely wonderful cars with zero reliability issues.

[@jfv65]

And with regard to the Xantia surprinsingly little rust.

[@130rapid]

@@jfv65 Zinc coated!

[@alansorbie4038]

A colleague of mine bought a new Xantia back in the day, he wanted a TD for towing but also an auto. He tried the non turbo auto out of interest but predictably said that it was very lethargic even without a caravan on the back and that it needed to be driven everywhere at full throttle just to keep up with traffic. He ended up with a TD manual which he absolutely loved and kept for about 15 years!

[@DrFod]

Another French car that rapidly disappeared from our roads. They were absolutely everywhere in the 90s, by the mid naughties most of them had gone.

[@callumhardy5098]

Like most French cars, rust and electrical problems.

[@WorivpuqloDMogh]

​@callumhardy5098 they dont have many electrical issues. Mine is 27 years old, only issue i had electrically was a corroded plug on the rear lights. Reverse would come on when turning the fogs on. Cleaned it and the issue waa fixed.

[@Bumper3D]

I own a BX, Xantia and a mk1 C5. Out of the three, the Xantia is definitely my favourite. Like you mentioned, it's way more refined than the BX and much more a Citroën than a C5. Xantia also feels like it's the best put together of the three: It's the only one with no noticeable interior rattles and it also feels like it's the quietest on the road, despite having the highest mileage of the three. The Xantia also has the softest suspension, even if the C5 has more recent spheres. Though I have to admit the C5 I have isn't the nicest example out there, so maybe some of them are better. Thanks for the review, it's nice to see someone enjoy and appreciate a good old Xantia. :)

[@Rapscallion2009]

Those things were virtually the default minicab for a quite a while around here. I never really understood why people chose them until I took a cab home from the pub one night and realized it was a very comfortable and quiet vehicle. In relative terms they were good value, too.

[@denharrison7704]

I had a 2.0 16v Xantia, it handle like a house fly. I once came down the long hill on the M62 at Huddersfield at a speed I'll not disclose... Bonnet came up, luckily the second catch held it but my guts made some very peculiar noises. It had a keypad immobiliser which loved to go wrong miles from home.

Dear Reader, Mr HubNut and Citroën's are always a joy to watch, because then everything comes together. Mr. Hubnut's knowledge and his energy start flowing. And the Xantia is of course a natural member of the HubNut family, not really loved when introduced and a typical ordinary, but nevertheless strange, car. Well done, Sir. Michel F. van den Brun still a pedestrial

[@TheAllyMor]

Very true.

[@alsodriven]

We actually leaned stuff about our own car lol

[@daveb1433]

Lovely to see a Xantia again. They were a fantastic looking car. I loved them and drove a few but I never owned one. In 1998 I tried to trade in my 1996 Laguna (which you forgot to mention) but was insulted by the trade in prices I was offered from several Citroen dealers.

[@MikeSmith-sh3ko]

The Citroen fix for the handbrake was to file a few notches off the handbrake so you end up just putting the handbrake on harder . Always thought that was just a bodge fix. 👍

[@crashbox7130]

My brother had a L-reg 1.9D LX in the same colour. This earliest version is definitely my favourite Xantia. The chevrons on the bonnet rather than on the grill makes it look much more sleek from the front. The one thing I can remember is the poor dip-beam function. Apparently caused by the Japanese market cars having to have reflectors that muted the amount of light they threw back. PSA didn't want to spend extra on developing a decent reflector for other RHD markets, so we had to make do with the same Japanese headlamps.

[@klutchcustoms2428]

The handbrake issue! 😂 I used to have an elderly neighbor who was convinced someone was pushing his shiny new Citroen 10 foot down his drive every night. He started leaving it in gear but his wife would jump in, turn the key and fire it into the front door or over a hump which should not be attempted before the spheres pumped up . Then one day it was part exed for an auto Honda accord.

[@mercedes_and_more]

Owned two. A red M reg SX and then swapped it 4 months later for a as green VSX (with climate!) [both TD’s]. 18 months and 36k later what a great car. So comfy and with no passenger airbag that rail made a great place to hold maps, especially when driving solo (remember pre sat nav days)😂

[@jmcompere]

It is ever a pleasure to drive about with you! Such beautiful countryside! Such witty /informed commentary! So many bleedin details!

[@paultaylor9652]

My favourite Citroën of the 1990's, myself I wasn't able to afford one at the time. Still a very good looking car even now, great review Mr HubNut. Bellcharm Motor in Mill Street Crewe was the nearest dealership at the time, sadly long gone now, just another retail park now. I don't know where all the Citroën dealerships have gone to, sales must have fallen.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Haven't seen one on the roads in years, really handsome design, and decent spec too.

[@redsidebiker]

There are 3 in Cheltenham!

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

A neighbour has a white one. I see the odd one or Teo around.

[@alsodriven]

We have this one!

[@colin13579]

Love my Xantia. Very hard to find one these days, so will keep mine for as long as I can.

[@andrewentwistle515]

Another great Citroen driving video. It is great to see such a rare Citroen still in such great condition and on the road.

[@alsodriven]

We love it

[@alancoomes2797]

The same XUD 1.9 was in my K reg Peugeot 309, MPG was always around 60+. it had covered just over 320K when it was px'd for a 306 estate which had the turbo version of the same 1.9 engine. According to the DVLA both vehicles are currently taxed.

[@chestnut01111]

I ended up with my 1997 Xantia because of the handbrake issue. It was a cat d write off and the damage was at the top of the rear quarter consitent with rolling away and hitting something very solid about that height, like the concrete structure in a multi storey car park for example. I repaired it in 2003, sold it and bought it back 2009. Still want to restore it.

[@darkwaterblue]

Old man had one of these, when he passed last year I found all the bills for it from Paris Autos in Stockport. Absolutely eye watering amount of money spent on it at the time. That said Id like one!

[@klauswassermann8054]

Love the looks and the light grey velour interior. This period's Xantia styling is just fantasitic. So well balanced and tasteful. Combined with the fully-blown hydropneumatics and perhaps a manual six cylinder engine - I'd even feel tempted to swap my 1st gen CLS for that :)

[@clivet3252]

I love how they took the front end of the XM, but created a swooping, muscular shape. It looked like a Citroen but different to the rest of the range and anything else at the time. They tried to copy it with the Xsara but it didn't work as well.

[@PedroConejo1939]

I only had one Xantia, an early one, but I absolutely loved it. As you say, a real step up from the BX. The seats were _much_ better. The auto box hadn't been cared for and that resulted in the demise of what had been my favourite car far before it ought to have gone. My C5s have never matched the ride comfort.

[@popepaul4438]

I have recently purchased a Citroen C4 Picasso with pneumatic suspension on the rear and I’ve got to say it’s absolutely fantastic. It’s an 2008 is only 53,000 miles on the clock, mechanically sound and Glides over, bumps in the road

[@bartmuytjens1014]

Flashback! I had a very early ‘sinker’ as well, my second car back in 2002. Still fond memories of the smooth ride and all round reliability of the xantia 👍

[@djlim4612]

After all these years, it's still a beautiful car to my eyes. Great video.

[@daveroberts2718]

I used to have (many years ago now) an early AX 1.4 non turbo diesel. Slow off the mark, but once you were up to speed it just went and went. Engine was never any bother and it easily munched through 100k on the clock. Always loved that engine.

[@jfv65]

There is this guy who visits the Nurburgring on occasion in his white AX Diesel. He is ALWAYS flatout everywhere. ALL the body roll LOL. Not slow either because of his track knowledge.

[@pierreghazarian6087]

@@jfv65 I thought he switched to a 1.0 petrol, many videos can be found in his diesel but they are quite old.

[@BobM925]

I’ve got an AX 1.4 diesel, and you’re absolutely right. Once up to speed there’s no issue with modern traffic, and the fact you can throw them about helps in the corners. Thrash the hell out of it and it still does 60 to the gallon too.

[@cornishhh]

The most economical car ever. One was driven from Calais to Barcelona with four occupants and averaged 100mpg. I think the record still stands.

[@davidmatthews3093]

My elderly aunt still has one for her everyday car. It’s her third in a row. I love driving it when I visit her it’s so different to my usual cars. It’s the most practical hatchback that I’ve ever seen.

[@MRSCAREY1962]

The suspension maintaining its height always reminded me of Ivor The Engine ! Good to see that short shifting technique in full effect. I had a BX non turbo diesel as a taxi and it would move along quite quickly if you rode the torque curve and avoided braking! Xantia was a good looking car and that engine will last half a million miles if the cam belt is regularly changed. My BX died from broken ancillaries causing MOT failure. Engine had over 500k on it!

[@simonwells5319]

Right with you there,love my 2,0 HDI.Resting after 200,000 trouble free miles.Can't wait to get her back on the road again. Great car,great channel.Keep her going!!

[@TheShinyShow]

My neighbour had a BX when I was little and it was so cool seeing it sit so low when parked

[@niallsommerville9813]

My brother in law had one almost identical to that. I fondly remember lying on my stomach to push it back into his garage with a length of wood, it had rolled against the up and over door preventing it opening more than 30mm. I still enjoyed driving it, once you got used to it, cross country driving could be done at a good pace and in an entertaining manner. Having fitted quite a few aftermarket cruise controls using that type of switchgear, they all used a vacumn powered actuator controlled by a very basic module that took it's speed sense from magnets clipped to the drive shaft. Getting them to work reliably with a diesel vacumn pump is tricky, I ended up having to fit a vacumn reservoir from a Rangie heater box. Thanks.

[@4WSPrelude]

I briefly owned an SDI 1.9 Fabia. Was an absolute hoot to drive. Challenged myself to maintain whatever speed I had as it took an age to get there in the first place. More fun driving a slow car fast than a fast car slowly (within speed limits ofc...). Love the videos

[@zaneclone]

I remember the first time I drove a Xantia "D"... I was blown away at how smooth and civilised it was... just a sublime ride.... Indeed nothing's quite matched it since ! Alas, the electrics weren't quite so impressive... to say the least...

[@KarlHamilton]

Always thought the Xantia was a really beautiful car, especially from the rear. You can tell it’s an early model from the badge on top of the bonnet. Lovely stuff.

[@dolomite_73]

This takes me back. My Mum had an N reg estate with the turbo diesel in a dark green colour. I seem to remember it had a keypad near the gear stick where a PIN was required to start the engine. It was a supremely comfortable car.

[@notsaying9305]

As it happens I've just got a January 1994 Xantia Turbo Diesel back on the road (new MOT last week!) after it had a few years retirement. It does now need to find a new home.... wink, wink, nudge, nudge. I used to drive a Xantia everyday and I'd forgotten just how nice the Xantia was to drive, and given the state of the roads around here (Somerset), just how much better the ride quality is thanks to the suspension. It is a shame that ride comfort is worse with a modern car than it was back in Citroen's magical suspension hey-day.

[@mikkelhave2735]

Had a 1993 poverty spec 1,8 petrol (also a "sinker") that I bought for 3500 danish kroner, incredibly cheap for a car with nine months MOT left atleast in Denmark. Had no prolems whatsoever for the nine months I owned it, but then just as I was about to get it take it to the next MOT, the hydraulic system shat itself, and sadly the car was srapped. Stil the most comfortable car I've ever driven. Loved going a bit too fast over speedbumps just because I could, suspension dealt with them effortlessly. Would love to get my hands on one again someday.

[@shieldaigbencher]

I love these. I had a SX TD the same age, it was like a spaceship at the time, I loved it. It was replaced with a ZX AURA 1.9D non turbo diesel which was great but SOOooo slow after the Xantia.

[@lukemallory7832]

I owned a '94 Xantia 1.8 back in 2001, my first car - this video brings back so many memories. Even the aerial..!

[@johnheaney414]

Love the XUD engine always have

[@shepshepherd]

I love a 'sinker', as in common with yourself, part of the appeal of the hyrdropnuematic Citroens for me is the fact that they rise to the occasion when they're first started :)

[@MattBrownbill]

My Maxi was a 'sinker', well once, when a hydrogas displacer exploded, green liquid all over the road.

[@cornishhh]

At first I thought he said Simca

[@elgato6053]

@@cornishhh Yes, me too! And I like SIMCAs a lot, because I grew up with them.

[@markpitts5194]

The anti sink sphere does not prevent the sink. It has electrovalves to lock out the suspension to prevent sink. The 'anti sink' sphere provides pressure to the rear brakes in case of hydraulic failure. In the 'sinker' version, it was the weight of the car on the rear suspension that provided pressure to the rear brakes. Yup , i'm a nerd, and have 4 xantias and a BX.

[@curiouscrandall1]

Brother-in-law had one of these. Funny thing is, the fuel system is really old-school, so this is a diesel that will run on anything. He got used fat from the deep-fat-fryers at work - which was a thick gloop. He filtered it, and mixed it 50-50 with diesel. Car ran a treat, just smelt of burnt chips all the time. You don't need to process vegetable oil for engines like this - just make sure that you've got no chunks of potato in it. Kids refused to have a lift to school in it, for some reason....

[@pisaric]

Anti sink sphere has actually nothing to do with sinking, it's called like that because it is located near rear anti sink valve and was introduced at the same time(which actually stops the car sinking, rear side, there is another one on the front which does the same for the front end) and it serves as a rear accumulator sphere for rear brakes reserve if the pump stops working for some reason, as you know these cars don't have brakes when the pump's not running.

[@DiamondHell]

First job out of Uni I had was as an agricultural dairy farm consultant. My first company car was a ZX 1.9D. After training, when I was given a patch to look after I was upgraded to a Xantia 1.9D. I found it incredibly slow and very dull..... until I lowered the rear tyre pressures to about 20PSI, at which point it was possible to generate lift-off oversteer in joyous quantities. Many years later I actually found the perfect application for an XUD non-turbo engine - when we were living in a off-grid static caravan, I hooked up the heater loop on one in a Pug 306 into radiators in the caravan, with a domestic central heating pump. Toasty hot radiators in about 10 minutes with it sitting there at idle, whilst charging our domestic batteries, too. The lack of a turbo - in this situation was an absolute boon as it meant nothing to coke up!

[@johnwootton4469]

Wow. Reminds me of my dad's burgundy red L reg 2.0 sx (sinker) that he had new in 1993. I was only 10 at the time, and, to me, it was the coolest thing on the road because of how it would rise up after starting the engine. I think I can still remember the new car smell of it. Memories.

[@GarryMcGovern]

I loved these cars back in the day, but I honestly never knew they made such a low powered version!!! In the late 90's when I was still in my 20's, I bought a 1990 Citroen XM 2.0Si - I absolutely ADORED that car! Even all these years and countless cars later, it is still one of the cars that has fondest memories for me. The party trick of raising and lowering the suspension never got old!

[@zzpaul01]

Went from a 250k BX to a diesel Xantia with aircon, what a brilliant car, I later had a Petrol one with the 1800 engine, I sold that with about 200k on, one of the very few cars I wish I still had, loved the suspension and the brakes.

[@Markknightexeter]

I remember my Mum getting a BX in about the mid 90s for 2k, I loved that car! Old Citroen's were brilliant

[@graham6771]

Great video Ian! You're back no mistake:)

[@SAM-zt2uy]

I had no idea Citroens still had up and down suspension like this, the side windows are so symmetrical it’s pleasing.

[@thastump]

They don't really anymore after the newer C5 where most buyers chose the conventional suspension option. It's a real crying shame, it was gloriously comfortable.

[@alsodriven]

Our Xantia in the video is 30 years old so I would debate 'Still has' lol

[@TheFlyingBusman]

Your comments on the brakes brought to mind one I picked up from a dealers on the outskirts of London which had a detached rear levelling valve linkage (a common Xantia ailment). Not only did it sit stupidly high at the rear but applied near full hydraulic pressure to the brakes. Coming to a halt without locking the thing up was incredibly difficult. Fortunately my 200 mile ride back north was mostly motorway. Despite that, I still feel the need to have a Xantia back in my life as I do miss my early TD.

[@skeelo69]

An ex BX-19 tzi driver here..the car had all the elecric luxuries...and it looked great slammed down....i miss that car.

[@peterlarkin762]

Its just one of those cars that owners seem to love dearly. I worked with a guy in IT for years. He wouldnt part with his Xantia even after lots of garage time. Finally had to get rid of it. What did he get? Another one. He accumulated so many speeding points in the Xantia that he had to work from home for a year.

[@Lemont321989]

I have a 1995 first series 1.8L 8valve with 101hp/74kW. Bought it more than 3 years ago with only 35000km, now has 89000km. Use it daily, and it works great. I replaced all spheres myself. Apart from that, nothing than regular servicing by a Citroen mechanic. It hasn't had any real issues. My radio even got a aux jack, so I can connect an MP3 player. The ride is incredible. Wouldn't want any other car. It's the same 5 speed, so like you mentioned, the car gets revvy on the highway. At 100kph I'm doing 2900 revs. Upside, it's quick from start. Also, I'd agree about the hand brake. It works, but it's a pain. Just keep it in 1st when parked.

[@jarthurs]

The XUD looks very familiar to the one in my ZX 1.9d. I can confirm the 3 speed auto was desperately pedestrian. But it had so much soundproofing the noise was immaterial, that and the Sony Minidisc head unit I had in mine masked the noise very well.

[@aukanmeister]

The maroon estate 2.0 16v we had 20 years ago,was fast comfortable and roomy. What I didn't like about it, was the stupid code you had to put into the centre console every time. Still miss it! I lost it one sad 23 December to a deer. I vividly remember the utter disappointment of driving home the emergency replacement car, a 10v Volvo 850. Great sound from the 5 pot and superb quality, but I didn't like driving it.

[@SamFrostDigitalMarketing]

I had a 97 2.0i SX for about 18 months. Bought it after my Mazda Sentia lunched itself following an incompetent cambelt replacement. Didn't have much money and the Xantia was the cheapest car in walking distance to my house. Walked down, test drove it, and had the owner drive me to the ATM to get out $1500 NZD cash. The Xantia was great, never let me down once and although it was a bit scruffy was all around a superb car. Good on fuel, decent handling and crazy comfortable.

[@mitchurchin2]

My dad ran a 2.1 TD, 3 years and 170,000 miles with his daily drive from London to Warwick. He loved it and thankfully, it loved him. He gave it to a pal of ours who ran it to 230,000 miles but through his neglect, it then died.

[@HubNut]

Aw.

[@harrylee833]

i have actually been in this car, my friend chris owned it once upon a time and i went along to collect it with him. the whole journey back surprised me massively, much more sprightly than you’d think being an N/A diesel

[@HubNut]

Yes, I was surprised to see Chris was a previous owner. I don't remember him having it!

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Excellent little road test review, remember these back in the day and having a brochure, think my uncle got me one when he bought his ZX Furio, the thing I remember is that two spoke steering wheel and those wheel trims. Does look a hoot to drive in the corners.

[@zubeystinzen540]

I had the estate xantia diesel & I loved its load carrying space & the suspension was brilliant,I remember going to a race meeting at donnington & we arrived late & they allocated me a parking space across a farmers field but even fully loaded on the top setting it ploughed through the mud left by heavy traffic, absolutely brilliant traction. One particular thing I couldn't get on with though was the head rests always seemed uncomfortable no matter where I positioned it. Great engineering though to follow on from the formidable BX 👍

[@mpersad]

I was the proud owner of a base 1.6 LX Citroen Xantia from 1995 - 98. It was a very comfortable car, if very under powered, but I loved it.

[@dungaman90]

i miss seeing cars like this on the road!

[@maxeluy]

I had a neighbor that had one, i was amazed by the fact that the car went to the ground everytime was turned off and went back up at starup, was like a space ship for me, the looks and black paint help to create that spaceship impression.

[@alsodriven]

It still looks like a space ship to us!

[@WorivpuqloDMogh]

i have a 1997 SD. Great car. smooth, even at top speed, and absolutely no rattle.

[@russellb1212]

Citroen and Hubnut, what a combination

[@andrewmalyon5699]

Love the Xantia video, what a good looking car,all but disappeared from our roads ,you need to do a cx video,another great car,citroen did build some fabulous cars.

[@ruudspark]

I owned a 1994 1.9TD SX Xantia, put 173000 miles on the clock and still had the original exhaust and clutch when I sold it. Only issues were the OSF ABS sensors went 3 times. I'd have another one tomorrow

[@daniellee9015]

Absolutely brilliant video Ian ❤️ 👍 what a beautiful car I hada 1.8 lx and loved it

[@fevriertheo1414]

Had a 1.9D for 2 years, a Vega Green 1995 SX. had great trouble moving out of it's own way, was full of rust, had a whole lot of electrical issues, but it was good on fuel and incredibly comfortable

[@pizzalover3]

Great review as always 👍 thank you

[@Stars_Falling_93]

I wanted to mail you about testing my 1993 Xantia VSX, but Also Driven best me to it, I see. Lovely example! And I absolutely agree about the drama of waiting for the car to rise, that's one of the things that makes it a proper Citroën!

[@alsodriven]

Well we did drive to Wales and give him another Citroen for free so he really couldn't say no 😂

[@Stars_Falling_93]

@@alsodriven Being based in NL and in possession of only one Citroën, I can't beat that.

[@alsodriven]

@@Stars_Falling_93 it was an offer he couldn't refuse lol

[@richardwheatcroft6065]

When I had a weeks work experience at school many years ago, I was driven around by a chap that loved his Xania. Particularly the fact it rose up. He also gave me a running commentary on the Little Chefs that we passed as we tootled around the M1 & M25 etc. And smoked like chimney, which he told me I should never do! Great advice....

[@echatz]

What I appreciate about this car is this (among many many things): a slight redesign of the interior door handles in form or another, allows them to be used till date in Stellantis cars

[@waynetetley584]

Best gearbox ever with that XUD engine. Remember the pin keypad on my 96 1.9TD LX. Great car

[@neildaniel8232]

My mum had one as a company car in 1994, was absolutely amazing compared to her previous Fiat 500! Even though it was the same 1.9 diesel you have there it wasn't an issue getting around. But then when your previous family cars had been 2 126's (one a Bis), a Panda, the aforementioned 500 and a 998 Metro the bar wasn't exactly set very high! It took the family until I was 13 to have a car with more than 100 bhp and that was a Hyundai Pony X2LS!!

[@PC3Pointless]

We had two Xantia's back to back when I was in my early teens. The first was sadly written off after a head on collision with an HGV but we loved it so much we bought another! Both were automatic 2L petrols and were the most comfortable cars I can ever remember being in.

[@georgehale3640]

A sinker. Nice word! I used to have a phase 2 2.1 td. I miss it so much😢

[@edgarbeat2851]

My next door neighbour owned a Xantia estate that was a very nice car. Dark metallic green. Miss hearing it idling before they set out. They are a good looking car. Also I miss hearing the ratty 1.6 s running around. Truly scary how time flies.

[@michaelgoode9555]

My friend had a petrol L plate sinker. We did a few long trips in that car and it was probably the most comfortable car that I have ever ridden in. Roomy too which was a bonus as we were cyclists and climbers.

[@johnthomas7038]

I had the 1.9 diesel with auto box in a Citroen ZX as a company car - absolutely no grunt whatsover. My boss tried it out and promptly concluded that the company would not be buying any more of them. It was pretty reliable though. The same could not be said for my senior colleagues who has Xantia diesel turbos - they broke down for fun and were quickly replaced by Peugeot 406s.

[@jonathanholmes6616]

I'm pleased to report that the boot of my Xantia is still just as untidy as when you drove it - it's a working car!

[@jonathanholmes6616]

Yes Ian, you really do need to own one.

[@stephenberry1205]

I agree that the Xantia is a great drive that does everything very well. I had the identical colour Xantia 1997 1.9 VSX turbo diesel. In 2013 we took it way Outback, through Broken Hill and the Flinders Ranges, before wafting up the Oodnadatta Track past Lake Eyre (salt lake that was full of water), and down to the underground Opal Mines and underground accommodation in Coober Pedy, before heading for the wonderful Kangaroo Island. On 400 kms of dirt on 'The Track' we were the only 2 wheel drive car we saw. Did a total of 600 kms that day. Averaged 5.8 litres / 100 kms with 900 km on a tank. Really great dust sealing & air-conditioning adding to our comfort of seats & suspension. Not a place for EVs - even today

[@CGAT147]

I loved my 2litre vsx .. it was the most comfortable car I have ever owned .. wish they still did hydroneumatic suspension