The COMFIEST affordable family SUV? 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross PHEV review

[@pigeonpoo1823]

Spot on. A family bus with decent ride quality. Not much to ask, is it? Unfortunately, the Audi S-Line Pandemic killed off sensible consumer behaviour.

[@alechopkins6545]

As much as i like sporty suspension, it is nice jumping in the missus car with its soft comfy suspension when i feel like driving in a comfort lazy mannor

[@TimRodieDrivesStuff]

That sums up how I drive these days. Must be getting old

[@Ambienfinity]

The thing that puts me off a lot of otherwise worthy cars is their hard ride. I'm fed up of hearing 'sporty' -- so it's always nice to find with Citroen they design their suspension for comfort.

[@TimRodieDrivesStuff]

Totally agree. Why does everything have to be sporty… have manufacturers not seen the state of our roads?!

[@paulgraves7949]

Had the old one with the same petrol engine in the same colour as the one in your pic..loved it! Now got a Formentor love that too....une pantoufle malodorante Bonsoir

[@TimRodieDrivesStuff]

Bonsoir et merci

[@paulwardzynski3265]

Decent family car. I have a pair of blue trainers to which I have added bright yellow laces. I have also taped two small holsters to the trainers; the right holster contains a Leatherman multi-tool, the left one has a tiny little can of WD40. That type of profiling points toward a Skoda Karoq. Mon Dieu, votre pantoufles sont malodorant, whereas my trainers smell lovely!

[@NigelWooler]

I’ve had this car for 3 months now and am really pleased with it. Great around town on electric and comfortable for longer journeys which I often do. Excellent connectivity which didn’t get a mention in the review. I keep discovering new features such as pre-heating or cooling which I can do via my phone, making a comfy start to journeys. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a paper copy of a handbook which I prefer to digital.

[@mohamedsamy-xe8cc]

I have this car now for 10 month the petrol version with the 1.6 THP the most reliable engine made associated with BMW after upgrade and the brilliant Aisin gear box 6 speed the most powerful transmission in the world And finally The advanced comfort concept of Citroen is shining her !with the advanced suspension system , isolation ، chairs material It’s a car for everyday and everyone use with premium components 👍

[@KLiNoTweet]

Such a comfy car! The 10 litres doesn't matter, because mostly it's driven electric.

[@robc5955]

Met a 4 yr old the other day who said hello with a French accent, I said ooo isn’t your English good. Her mum said, actually she’s fluent in both French and English. Loved your comment re over inflated cow. 🙄

[@bojansalmic9811]

130 HP in simple petrol version is enough for such a big car ??

[@PeterbFree]

yes

[@Murlock2000]

Why not ? do you need to drag race or something ?

[@Malc180s]

I like these, and I like the plug-in hybrid thing, but why give it a crappy turbo 4? And why is it 300kg heavier? Wrong engine really. The diesel would be the one to get if our wonderful government hadn't declared all diesel cars child killers.

[@mattlyons2802]

Comment for no purpose except to support the channel.... 😮

[@TimRodieDrivesStuff]

Appreciated!

[@stefanders7462]

Not sure how reliable is the 1.2 Puretech engine having the belt in oil causing a clogged oil system. Even if you change the oil more often than on regular cars you still have to inspect that belt every single time and pay close attention to any sign of wear. Bad design.

[@oojimmyflip]

staying away from anything named puretech or eco-tech or boost is always a good choice when buying a car, they seem to be plagued with egr and catalytic converter issues from the offset. although Citroen were one of the first companies to develop the most reliable exhaust emission systems their 1.6 diesel engines did seem to be particularly problematic. I havent had any issues with the 1.5 diesel engine but im servicing it every 3k just to be sure. Ive also owned a mk2 C5 facelift 2ltr hdi and never had any problems with the egr or cat system.

[@diorocks5858]

Had a v8 in 🇧🇭 bahrain! Petrol is cheaper then water

[@DontPanicDear]

Wow, with your props Monsieur, you truly pousser le bateau!

[@spsmith45]

Nice comfy, practical car. The only downer for me when I drove it was the interior quality. Not keen on materials and design.

[@oojimmyflip]

my Grey half leather is brilliant, easy to clean and doesnt make you sweaty in the summer months. They are less than half the price for a very low milage flair diesel around 3k with almost all the gadgets except a glass roof and an electric tailgate. Insurance for me with 14 years ncb is around £450 a year fully comp.

[@shaunm9928]

Great review Tim - just not doing it for me.

[@TimRodieDrivesStuff]

Not even the garlic slipper could tempt you?!

[@philhoultby]

Yeah yeah yeah, car, whatevs. Where did you get the cat t-shirt?

[@TimRodieDrivesStuff]

Dad, Christmas, probably Amazon. It glows in the dark.

[@TravelMaster69]

Had a 1.6 diesel flair plus, Love it. armchair on wheels, diesel best of the lot.

[@oojimmyflip]

I have a mk1 2019 Flair 1.5 diesel turbo C5 Aircross with only 6k on the clock, it doesnt have any airbags on the suspension as such, looking underneath the shocks look like any ordinary shocks but they are supposed to be redesigned inside with rubber bump stops at the top and bottom of the shockabsorbers internally, I think it is akin to the suspension on a Citroen Visa very soft and springy but not as wallowy as the hydraulic citroens. I bought it for comfort as I have a medical condition that means I cannot have a hernia repaired so I need to limit the pain driving causes me. the C5 Aircross does the job perfectly. Mine returns about 65 to the gallon on a run and 45mpg around town, the 1.6 litre petrol engines were always crap from citroen very underpowered. Ive been doing a single journey once a month in my adblue 1.5 diesel six speed auto of about 120 miles motorway driving and the rest around town locally and Ive had no issues with the engine in the last 12 months, its be 100% reliable , I like the autonomous braking if you get to close to the vechicle in front when some idiot in front doesnt know how to use their indicators and suddenly stops before turning left in front of you the car will automatically brake for you, its a little scarey when it happens but it does avoid any collisions. The reviewer failed to mention that this is the only car in the EU that comes with a dashcam mounted behind the rear view mirror and a very good one at that which doesnt really need a memory card inserted to record on but you can add one if you wish. you can take stills with it to. the auto also has a flappy paddle gearbox which keeps you occupied when towing something heavy and its a lot of fun. I dont really have anything bad to say about it to be honest its full of gadgets which make life a lot easier except maybe for the lane guidance which tries to take over the steering by trying to nudge you back into a lane when your leaving it but this can be switched off everytime you start the engine and the only other gripe is that Citroen didnt splash out on any underseal of any kind, unlike Renault or Dacia who seem to apply about 20 coats of the stuff to all their vechicles no matter the price. I dont have an electric tailgate on my Flair model and you have to go for the top spec for that but why would you want to keep taking the skin off your shins if you have a towbar like mine does? mst people who can hold a steering wheel wont find the tailgate door heavy to open as it has hydraulic rams on both sides and its very easy to open as long as you remember the electric switch is just above the letter "o" in the logo on the tailgate otherwise you may be fumbling at the boot for days trying to find the electric switch to open the boot. The air-con and climate filters are very hard to get at and its a bit of a job pulling out the lower half of the drivers side dash to get to the two large filters, so if your buying a used one probably a job for a garage to be honest. These get overlooked because they are such a pickle to get at in comparison to older model citroens. Chainging headlamp bulbs on the mk1 is easy peasy no more going to halfraurds to get someone to dismantle your front bumper to get at the back of the headlamps like their Milenial cars of old. the X7 C5 for instance or the Mk2 C5 hatch and estate. No led bulbs in the front on a mk1 but they are easily upgradeable with a pair of ring automotive 200% brighter bulbs which are just as bright as a set of leds and cost very little to replace if needed in the future and they take about ten minutes to change if that. The brake disks at the front and rear goe rusty on their faces as do the brake calipers and tend to show through the rather nicely powder coated alloys after a few years and could have had a coat of lacquer or could have been painted with some high temp paint in black before they were installed, I shall be painting mine with black high temp paint as soon as they are replaced, but not on the brake surfaces. Tyres 19 inch are about £85.00 each midd range so be ready for the shock if you have something smaller that you have tried to find cheaper tyres for in the past but they last a couple of years at least. off roading is possible even if it is not available as a 4 x 4 it is very good at climbing a 1 in 4 slope on wet grass or on mud to take me fishing as long as you hit the slope diagonally. dont be afraid of the soft suspension I have literally taken the troubke to see if the car would tip over and to be honest I cant get the wheels off the ground its so well planted and it feels reasuringly heavy whenh you first drive it and that sensation always seems to be there every time you drive it. it is a big car and feels big and I drove it quiet slowley for a while just cruising around getting used to the feel of its weight. if driving in terentual rain at 70 to 75 mph it will just hug the road while the distance sensors/radar/ adaptive cruise control will keep you at a safe distance from the vechicles in front of you. The earlier reviews likened it to a landrover inside for materials and comfort and they are not far from the truth. I still miss the old hydraulic suspension though for extra comfort but as there is nothing made like the old citroens these days this will fit the bill for the time being. oh and you can get a reasonably priced space saving spare wheel off of flea-bay with a jack for around 80 quid. youll never get your suit trousers dirty again as the doors cover the sills and keep them nice and clean. Im six foot 3 with a 33 inch inside leg and its still quite a climb up and down getting in and out of the car and my seat is set as low as it will go, you may need some steps.😂

[@Glassey12]

Any chance of a Renault Austral review sometime soon?

[@TimRodieDrivesStuff]

I shall ask!

[@PeterbFree]

Ride quality is king in a family car. Look at the shape of a mid-size SUV. What does anyone want a sports-cow? If you want 'sport' buy a horse.

[@diorocks5858]

Hilarious only for the rich. Most people don't have a house let alone a parking space.

[@PDbingo122]

You’re dressed like you’ve just renovated a flat..

[@TimRodieDrivesStuff]

What's wrong with my glow-in-the-dark cat t-shirt, anonymous KZbin commenter?

[@diorocks5858]

I really dont understand Europeans at all. Spend one hour plugged in to charge for 30 miles of range. When you could have spent 2 pounds on an extra gallon of fuel and saved an hour. Is that right or am I losing my mind?

[@DontPanicDear]

Charge at home in the evening, off peak. The next day drive to work and back on electric only / local shopping etc. That removes around 2/3 of your daily travel costs. The engine is there if you need to go faster, or for longer drives. They are the perfect compromise for many families as daily cars and private driveways. These are not generally charged on the public charge network on long drives 🤓 Edit. An extra gallon of fuel will cost £7 ($9USD) If you just count 260work days per year, it would save about £1200 ($1550)

[@diorocks5858]

@@DontPanicDear thanks man, now it makes perfect sense save over a tenner a week

[@diorocks5858]

@Romeo_Alfa. lol

[@DontPanicDear]

@@diorocks5858 👍🏻👍🏻 Based on a 15mile commute, it’s a saving of £100 per month 🤓

[@mcihs2]

Hybrid version costs a lot more than either the petrol or diesel to own, and your driving requirements decide if a hybrid is worth any additional costs, and running expenses.