The new Citroen DS5 Irish launch First drive

A couple of weeks ago we were invited to the French Embassy in Dublin to test drive the brand new Citroen DS5, this is the first Irish drive on video but Bob will be doing a full test on the car shortly.
Until then, this is what he thinks of it.

[@justjacqueline2004]

I just love.love these new Citroen DS5s.I have a few of them to run around London in and the automatics are a life saver.I can pull up at any of the fancy hotels,offices or embassies to deliver and no one smirks-cool.If you love French design well Citroen is so cool and innovative,just like French clothes.

[@banpowel9784]

Love mine, and much prefer it over my previous BMWs, the looks? And so comfortable over long journeys. We have a BMW 5 series in the family as well, but everyone wants to drive the ds5.

[@duffysathome]

Steve, go and drive one... I too was looking at the DS5 vs BMW/Audi but it wins hands down on all counts. Citroen are doing 24-hour test drives so you can really try it out. It drives FINE (and believe me, I do enough miles to know)... has every bell, toy and whistle you could ever want.. and looks fantastic!

[@froggywoogie]

Not all new Citroen cars are named DS. They created a special range of higher standard vehicles using the mythic acronym which now stands for "Different Spirit". I read somewhere in the past that the letter "D" could also stand for "Design"... Originally, DS was the phonetic sound name for "déesse" which means "goddess" :)

[@rogerajato]

The best review i see about this car! Congratulations man, you talk about everithyng and you have fun my friend!! Greets from Portugal!

[@lipstodieformanfred9072]

Sensational car that looks and drives superbly. I was dubious at first but now after 1 year of ownership I absolutely adore it.

[@JandeHaan-yb7vt]

At This moment I find this car the most beautiful car in and outside. Jan de Haan (Netherlands).

[@mypeakxv]

Have one and it is like your own personal spaceship. The interior is super comfortable but sitting behind the wheel and that dash is like something from the future. Even months on, I still catch myself gazing on the car..

[@davidlynch3]

have owned one for two years, Great Car!!

[@MaroonBugUK]

Anyone read Citreon's DS5 website interior section? Says it's based on the Aviation world! Now I can follow my dreams of sitting in a cockpit! :P

[@harolds789]

What Italian car competes with it. At least you won't miss it in the car park. I read that lots of UK dealers buy these for their own car as its a secondhand steal as the depreciation is massive but they are great smooth comfortable cars with lots of room, good diesels and lots of toys. If you want boring well there is always the Passat/mondeo/Insignia.

[@malonefan]

This review, again bob, is just absolutely first class!!

[@hannahmitchell6262]

I purchased one and I'm 💯 percent happy with it! Wherever I go I get a compliment. Definitely not your average car! Really dont see them on the road and I LOVE THAT LOL 😁🥰 The exclusivity it brings- SUPERB! Very happy customer! This review really helped me make up my mind... I knew this was the car for me. Great review 😉

[@BobFlavinVideo]

You are the first person to ever say that, I'll take it as a complement thanks very much!

[@RobKillen]

Great review Bob - a breath of fresh air.

[@BobFlavinVideo]

Generally the suspension set up is the last thing a car company set and is usually set for each country. The chances are that the way the car rides here will be a different set up to the way it rides in Egypt. If it's anything like it is here it'll be too firm for your roads, I would say the suspension has to be set to counteract the body roll so that's why it's on the firm side.

[@BobFlavinVideo]

Sorry, I missed the ground clearance bit. It's tall but not in a full off road sense. Even looking through my notes there's no mention of the actual clearance, just that the car is 1.5m high. The Peugeot 3008 has more clearance underneath, the DS 5 is not really an off road car

[@lucrolland7489]

A good replacement to the XM. Nice to see the C5 estate in the background that was a great car in its own time.

[@BobFlavinVideo]

It depends on how popular these new cars make Citroen, it also depends on the dealer network. A car is only worth what someone will pay for it second hand.

[@BobFlavinVideo]

Yea, I have a problem with the DS name being slapped on all the new cars. I suppose marketing had something to do with it, it does make it easy for naming the cars though; DS5, DS3, DS3 Racing...

[@BobFlavinVideo]

If I was to start reviewing cars based on what they'll be worth in two years just about every car would be bad..It's always about the car as it currently stands, not really about the future of the car

[@BobFlavinVideo]

Thanks very much

[@duffysathome]

Yep, it does... well, the Sport Spec does anyway.. all the interior lights, and door mirror puddle lights are LED

[@BobFlavinVideo]

Cheers Rob!

[@malonefan]

YOU DA MAN BOB!!

[@ThePetrolhead94]

I agree 100% its a gorgeous car but lets be honest 35k iz a lot of money for a citroen and also bein a citroen it will loose big money but still it doesnt stop me wanting one and being different to everybody

[@BobFlavinVideo]

Very different cars, the 508 is an executive saloon and the DS5 is a family hatchback. From the looks I'd have the DS5 but for my needs (and comfort) I'd have the 508.

[@johnnywires3]

the dealer fixed the fault but after 2-3 weeks the problem came back.she got tiered of this and got rid of the pug.she now has bought a vw polo.the car is just over a year old and is going great.this car will not have the above problems.she still loves the french cars more,but she has had enough of their reliability problems.like her many others.i have been around cars all my life.the french have improved but they are not there yet.

[@BobFlavinVideo]

I don't remember lighting in the foot well but I'd be very surprised if it wasn't an option as you can have it in almost every car. I'll ask Citroen Ireland for you and let you know.

[@foxdmulder]

A new dawning era for Citroen with this, With a DS sport version price tag to match (almost Merc E class price bracket) I just wonder if if the market will rewrite Citroens residual prices to match, €34,500 is a fair whack to pay for an exclusive hatch. But will it stand up to the likes of the golf when it comes to trade in time

[@BobFlavinVideo]

I'll find out soon, I have one on a full test next week

[@jackd166]

I love these DS's Citroen are coming out with. Great review, the car looks amazing! Have you reviewed the DS4? Seriously considering getting one. Cheers

[@filthyearthworm]

actually, car depreciation can be looked at from two perspectives. In my case I'm a nearly graduated student. I should be buying my first proper car in about two years. Meaning I'll find second-hand cars that have done between 0-50 000 km and are therefore nearly new in most aspects. I like it when cars depreciate fast in the second hand market (lancia delta's: new high-spec for around 30 000€, second hand for 13 000 € with 48 000 km's. That's interesting :) Same goes for Alfa's 159's :D

[@altern8ive]

I like the view from the rear quarter but not from the front. The interior is where you'll be spending your time so it does look excellent .. but how long before those little eye candy trinkets start falling off or breaking in typical citroen fashion :)

[@Rapscallion2009]

The DS5 is a great car. Funny thing, I drove one with 17" wheels and it's fine. With the 19" wheels it probably is too firm for most people. But - you know what? - the 17" wheels are a no-cost option (and standard on the basic trim level) and save you a bunch in BIK tax if it's a company car. The 17" wheels transform the ride quality. REALLY transform is and the car still handles fine. So give them a go before rejecting what is a great car for a silly styling option.

[@BobFlavinVideo]

I'd love to come back and make some videos over there, it would be something very different just money and time tend to get in the way :D

[@Dreadpirateflappy]

very seriously contemplating getting this car, interior and exterior both look amazing, Would you recommend getting it or would you say the ride is too harsh?

[@BobFlavinVideo]

It would be a nice company car!

[@BobFlavinVideo]

It's the suspension, I think they had to firm it up to kill the body roll which made the car jarring over bumps. I expect a French car to be really comfy and the 508 that you mention is. While the BMW badge is good the 316i is nothing to write home about, get a bigger engine.

[@846524162]

I have to say I was dissapointed by the DS5, when I saw it in person just few days ago. I usually get excited, when I see new car for the first time on the roads, but this one just passed by me. Only after few seconds I realized that was the new DS5. I love the concept and the teaser pics that came out, but in person looks too much like C4 Picasso. I don't know, maybe the next time will be more interesting.

[@Sauws]

Im hoping I can get myself one of these as a company car

[@BobFlavinVideo]

From your list it would be the Peugeot 508 for me please. I'd be happy looking at the DS5 because it's a stunning looking car inside and out but the 508 is a better allround car. A 2.0ltr HDI SW version would be all the car I'd need.

[@Kookanoodles]

Depends, although I agree the 508 saloon is quite bland, the estate looks striking in my opinion. Not DS5-striking of course, but I think it looks much better than all its rivals. I think it has those perfect proportions and simple, almost minimalist elegance old Peugeot estates (like the 404 or 405, and 504) had.

[@tyraela115]

Speaking of comfort. You should really test the C5 which you know has the legendary hydropneumatic suspension. The C5 may not be as roomy as 508 but then again there`s also C6 so. If you had to choose which one would you choose C5 or 508?

[@macbitz]

Car looks gorgeous and for the price seems like good value, especially with all the gadgets. Why buy any other car? Well unfortunately I've owned four French cars in the past and all have been disastrously unreliable (as is borne out by reliability surveys) and have had dreadful residuals. But for that I'd love one of these!

[@thomaspowell3739]

Amazing the way people carry on about the hydropneumatic suspensions? The amount of complaints Citroen had about the cost as regards repairing and replacing them was overwhelming, ( omg there so complicated and expensive to maintain ) so Citroen decided to offload and cut down on costs of maintainence for there customers by making the suspension system less complexe and cheaper to maintain. I drove the ds5 and it’s superb, yes nice firm and sporty ride, but not floaty like a boat. The build quality of the ds5 surpasses German cars within that segment and it’s drive is up there with the best. Most of the people I spoke to who owned a ds5, said that the longer you own the ds5 is the more you realise how really good they are.

[@NapoleonDynamites]

I was looking to buy one the last week. I loved the look of the car but it's badly let down for practicality. I was sitting in it then I asked the salesman where are the cup holders? We both searched but couldn't find any. Unfortunately that was a really big deal breaker for me as I do an awful lot of motorway miles and the least thing you would expect in a car is somewhere to put a drink!

[@GeneHunt406]

@@NapoleonDynamites i have a DS5 and the cup holders are on the doors.

[@BobFlavinVideo]

Bad boy

[@Ccleanerable]

3:58 : Citroen Enthusiasts in the blue C5 watching DS5.

[@cluelessjoe]

its not "that hard".....I find it rather good, and on the motorway i find it great. Also a stiff suspension usually means it will be more reliable in time especially if u have bad roads in your country. Although i would still get the Hydractive suspension if citroen would put it as an option on the DS5. But for realiabiliy i don't think that will be the case. The DS range designed to be a sporty premium class, not a comfort family class.

[@Dreadpirateflappy]

Bob was there ambient lighting and footwell lighting in the mid spec model? the dealer I went to did not have a clue about any of the features inside and they had none in the dealership to show me.

[@774duke]

I think i saw Matt Le Blanc on the side profile :)

[@johnnywires3]

i do not speak like so without a reason.a very close friend of mine bought the 3008.a fantastic car.its less than a year old and already a cup holder and a electric window motor broke.this was fixed by the garrantee,but it should not have happened to such a young car.my cousin bought a pug 207 at 5 years old a world of problems.she sold it but she loved pugs so much she went a bought the 2008.at 2 and a half years a big problem with the auto gearbox.it was taken to teh dealer 3 times.

[@ansaryjr]

Hey Bob, where i live, the DS5 is almost in the price range of the new BMW 3-series (316i), which one is a better choice, easy to live with and more enjoyable to drive?

[@srdjanko87]

after almost all ur reviews i realized one thing - u look like a Joze Mourinho :)

[@BobFlavinVideo]

While it is a Citroen in the other lane, it's actually a C5 Tourer

[@uhugvjkbkjh]

just to say the dealer I went to didnt really know how to sell the car, I think the design is way over the head of the average car salesman.

[@thomasclarke304]

question for you! have a 508 and love it! can get a ds5 for super money, wife will take the 508, would you recommend the ds5 and which engine 1.6 or2?? Cheers!!!

[@uhugvjkbkjh]

I'm not sure Citroen can shift these easily.. I was offered a cracking deal on a Hybrid DS5 demonstrator yesterday. The way I see it is the pick of the range may be the manual diesel 160, fast/ great economy. The auto box compromises economy and acceleration far more than it shd.

[@9256steven]

Bob, great review, you have as much flair as the car, and that is saying something, I thought the MAN ALIVE expression was the best bit, you have great passion, Clarkson, just retire! I've just bought a late 12 plate Dsport for just over half price. One little gripe though, you forgot to mention the heads up display?

[@BobFlavinVideo]

If they are the same price I'd take the BMW but the 316i isn't all that exciting due to the lack of horsepower still a better car to drive though

[@Dreadpirateflappy]

Would you not recommend getting this car? You seemed like you loved it in the video but don't seem to recommend it in the comments. I looking at bmw 316i ds5 or 508 but ds5 seems to blow them out of the water with equipment. And blows every car out the water with looks. Is it really bad to drive compared to other two?

[@maybery2009]

Kookanoodles, thanks for your reply. I was wrongly using my daughter's account but the comments were mine.

[@BobFlavinVideo]

If I lived in Italy I think I might just fall over trying to decide what car to buy...too much choice!

[@NPJGlobal]

French and German cars rule!

[@BobFlavinVideo]

THANK YOU!!! lol

[@eecak1973]

Your getting a little too excited there Bob. What will the car be worth in 2 years?

[@00kirbyd]

The first Citroen to look forward thinking in years, in the past; DS, CX, XM... such a world away from the dreary Xantia, Xsara and all the bloody Picasso's which in 10 years time will all be forgotten. However, am I the only one that doesn't get why they are using the DS name? None of the new DS cars are really like the original of the 50's. It's just a marketing exercise I suppose but I still don't get the name concept. Today's generation of buyers will have no clue about the old DS.

[@BobFlavinVideo]

Correct, the ride is hard

[@BobFlavinVideo]

Yes, there's plenty of room in the back seat for kids.

[@tyraela115]

Well that may`ve been true in the past but hasn`t been true for quite some time for Citroen Peugeot and Renault. Italians improved aswell. + French and Italian manufacturers have soul that rare if any Germans let alone Japanese ever had. They are slowly but steadily coming back. As far as depreciation goes well why is it so hm? People still seem to think that French and Italian cars are still unreliable not so anymore. Unrealistic and outdated perception is what`s causing such depreciation now.

[@johnnywires3]

now it does look a nice car.here is the problem though.with all french and italian cars its all about reliability.yea they make some nice looking cars but none of them are reliable.it is true.you are better off waiting for 2 years and picking them up for peanuts.personaly,i would take the new subaru xv over this any time.also just look at the new series 3 bmw.take the 320d more or less the same money and what a car bob.the french will have to get their reliability first,before i will risk it.

[@BobFlavinVideo]

You need to stand and study it, when you sit and look at a car for long enough you'll see the details and that's where Citroen are kings..details

[@mmgironi]

The interior is BEAUTIFUL, but the exterior in my opinion is horrid, the lines are not smooth and the designer overworked some of the pannels, plus the tail lights are just a uglier copy of the Giulletta's lights. BUT, the interior and especially the seats look AMAZING! I am biased as I am Italian, and will never buy a citroen (or any french car :P), but I have to admit Citroen are starting to make some good cars, I wonder whether the engine and stability of the car are also good though.

[@XavAlmighty]

GM never bought Citroën... PSA Peugeot-Citroën and GM will only partner to reduce the cost of making parts of some of their vehicles in Europe (Opel/Vauxhall). Exactly the same way Peugeot and BMW/Mini share the same 1.6 THP petrol engines.

[@BobFlavinVideo]

If you bought a car because of how it deprecates you would never buy a car!

[@patacas4080]

*JoSé Mourinho :P

[@iOSrelatedStuff]

Can twitch i

[@mikeward9312]

Go for the BMW. A Poverty spec BMW beats a Citroen any day. You will be rewarded come part exchange.In 1998 The Journalists of Ireland awarded the Citroen Xsara 'Irish Car of the Year'. My God. I'll leave it at that.Enough said.

[@NatashaEvansblogs]

Surely the DS5. The 508 is every-bit as unattractive as the DS5 is attractive. The latter looks superb and whilst the 508 may be a better drive (?), it's a plain Jane compared with the DS5. The 508 is an ordinary repmobile. I considered one as a company car but didn't bother test driving one; it's looks were simply too disappointing and the interior is awful. I see loads on the M40, but very few DS5s. Just proves that most people are wrong most of the time...

[@thomaspowell3739]

Had BMW...... and more trouble than it's worth, driving a Citroen c4 cactus now with loads of miles put in it, due to lots of European touring......zero problems and brilliant economy (bye BMW)

[@mericdrives]

This car is Europe's Toyota Venza =) it is pointless while it is more beautiful than Venza.. and it is just overpriced C5 hatch

[@mikeward9312]

Resale Resale Resale. It may be a good car new but I reckon it will last as well as an Alfa 156. Enough Said. Come part exchange you'll get rid of AIDS quicker.

[@Phlupke]

Can you image that they decided to drop the hydraulic system! No more Citroëns with hydraulic system.. and you speak about a new Citroën? A new PSA, or maybe a new Peugeot... Citroën died with this decision.

[@JWnFlorida]

Now that GM has bought Citroen.. GM will SCREW UP A GREAT COMPANY!! ALL of the Art! and Beauty will be flushed for some idiotic bean counters wet dream of a box with no balls let alone soul! Buy them Now! becuase SOON! they will be GONE FOREVER!! I am an American (for the record) and I have seen what happens! I am sorry for the destruction of Art that is about to happen! Please forgive the rest of us for what GM does!

[@XavAlmighty]

Toyota Venza ? How can you compare the DS5 to this utter P.O.S ???