Citroën C5 Owner Reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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If you are a Citroen fan you will love the C5. The car is as big as a 5 series but has a far more elegant shape. The concave rear windscreen and almost pillar less rear doors are a great touch. When you see it every day you learn to appreciate how elegant the design is. Many motoring magazines point out the dash, lack of cup holders and fixed hub steering wheel as a weakness. Once you get used to the buttons it all makes sense and the dash looks great, it has a soft orange glow at night which is very calming. The seats in the exclusive are the best I have ever sat in. They even tilt electrically at the top to support your shoulders. They are like bucket seats and hold you in. Sorry people but you should be feeding the wheel as you turn it though your hands not steer with your palms. So my advice is learn to drive properly. Also, you should not be driving and drinking coffee so stop complaining Matt (Carbuyer). Since I have owned the car I simply waft around and do not get angry at other motorists. Are there any downsides. Not really. I would like 50 mpg rather than 48 mpg. Even with the seats down your trips to IKEA need additional thought. Having come from a Grand Picasso this is to be expected. It's a mystery to me why it did not become a sales success in the UK with our potholed roads. The C5 glides gracefully over roads and is surprising willing when pressed. So it looks like a German compact saloon and drivers like a french car should. A perfect combination.

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I've had a Citroen for many years. People don't rate them, but I have had 4 Citroens and have never had a problem with any - only 1. I had to take it in because it was recalled for a faulty windscreen wiper motor, but I didn't have a problem with old motor.

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At first i was very impressed by the C5 - then came the costs! Front shocks are linked into the suspension and can only be fitted by Citroen dealers. Wakefield Citroen charges at £89.99 per hour! And the shocks themselves were in excess of £800.00! If you think that's bad, try £98.00 plus VAT each time they plug the car into the diagnostics laptop - frightening! The car itself has a lovely ride, the very good diesel is for the most part very quiet, apart from a bizarre tyre noise from the front wheels - this sounds not unlike two bowling balls hurtling down the wooden lane of a ten-pin bowling alley, especially on rough road surfaces. Recently the centre display has shut down, requesting a CD update disc. To this end i have lost the sat nav, parking sensors, radio, cd, HDD drive and Bluetooth. Again, Citroen want £191.00 to update the software. Guess what - I've decided not to bother! Very soon it's goodbye Citroen and hello Lexus!

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No Red thumbs down

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Bought 2 years old with 10k on clock. Flywheel came loose after one week - sorted under warranty. Drivers window regulator failed after 6 months - replaced under warranty. One week before end of warranty other side went - replaced under warranty. 6 months later car kept cutting out due to anti-pollution fault. Found to be EGR valve - replaced at £400. No other problems and now 5 years old.

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first diesel amd wont go back to petrol now.also first citroen and cant praise high enough.c5 not prettiest but in nearly 3 years has cost me less than Ł200 - that includes mot test fee 's !

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HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN

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All been fine except for new clutch at 40k miles.

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has faults with both front windows electric motor bust on both, both fixed under warrenty

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This is my 3rd c5 they have all got better to make a wonderful car.

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Im not disapointed with the car but i feel it needs to give more back to the driver in feel, for motorways its fine but get on an a/b road and it to soft.

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A bit fragile on the electrics front - not sure what it will be like after three years!

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Overall a comfortable car but the outside space is not reflected in the passenger space. Good running costs and the dealer service is excellent. Shame that this still suffers from some citroen niggles with a flywheel, fusebox and a/c condenser replaced under warranty.

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As someone who owned three ford mondeos from 2002 to 2009 i believe the citroen c5 is a far better car. It is severely underrated and feels like it comes from a much higher class than the default choice ford. It is supremely comfortable, beautifully-styled, well-equipped and has a well thought-out interior which provides a calming environment in which to spend time. It impresses and often surprises people who travel in it, shattering their stereotypical anti-citroen pre-conceptions. It is the best car i have owned, and unlike my previous best car which was a 1999 ford focus, it feels truly special as the citroen c5 is not exactly an everyday sight on british roads and i actually haven't seen one identical to mine in either britain or france. Vive la revolution!

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Does whats required

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Very pleased - apart from vague dteering! Cheap to run and built to a good standard - loaded with electronics and they all work perfectly still.

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I was a pleasantly surprised with the c5 as i heard horror stories about citroen. At this time my dealings with citroen have been very good and the car is excellent and i would recommend the c5 without hesitation

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Suprisingly good. Had discredited citroen previously as a 'cheap' brand having owned bmw and audi. This model looks good, drives well and is very cost effective to run.

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Comfortable, cheap, reliable, quiet transport. low running cost, pleanty of space for passengers and luggage, perfect cruiser, ok does not melt any tarmac, but has helped to reduce speeding tickets. Perfect car for hardly any money, love it

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Generally good but frquent ad-hoc faults appear and disappear

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A great car, I've had almost no issues with this car

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Pile of junk - squeaks, rattles, can't find comfortable driving position, blind spots all around, poor quality fabric trim, electrical problems. Can't wait for the lease to expire. Excellent service from main dealer in loughborough.

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Lovely to drive. Powerful economical engine. No storage space in cabin. Niggly problems.

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Stunning performance from 3.0hdi 240hp diesel engine, whislt still returning 40mpg. Great family tourer, massively superior to my financees bmw 3 series tourer, which we both dislike due to poor reliability and heavy fuel consumption.

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Comfortable, practical and stylish. Good reliability and very cheap to run with 20000 mile service intervals. Pleasantly surprised overall having only really got it because it was such a cheap deal.

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Bought used at one year old, the car is a revelation for value-for-money and comfort. Bearing in mind its nippy performance, economy isn't bad either. It regularly delivers 43-45 mpg at a steady 80mph on the motorway. Obviously the build quality isn't quite up there with the luxury brands but at the price i paid i could hardly expect it. In exclusive level trim it has all the gadgets i could ever need. The only thing missing that i'd have liked is a heated windscreen...the existing one is already acoustic so the extra cost can't have been that prohibitive.

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Am absolutely delighted with it,in almost all respects.It Definitely competes with german marques for build quality,and is light years ahead of the model it replaced.

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No problems

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Minor faults took time to recitfy. Poor service from Citroen

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Comfortable, reliable, reasonably economical but lacking in dynamic appeal

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The car itself is ok as cars go, i've always been a volvo driver and that’s a hard act to follow, my main gripe with my citroen is the paintwork, in short it’s terrible, the slightest little touch and it’s scratched. The car is not yet 2 years old but in that short space of time the stone chips on the front are inexcusable. My other complaint revolves around a whistling which comes from the passenger’s side door when the car is at speed, but no one can seemingly track down and repair this irritating fault, however, i only need to keep the car until october 2012 before it’s gone. The 1.6 turbo diesel engine in my opinion just isn't a strong enough unit; a car of this size should have at least a 1.8 or better still 2.0 litre as standard. This becomes evident when you are driving, especially on twisty roads with lots of hills when you just can’t get enough speed up to clear the hill, the car labours and you are forced to continually change down gears just to climb, but when you are on the flat and drive the car sensibly on a motorway you will get a modest 42 - 45 to the gallon – this however is a far cry from the official 53.3 combined given on the citroen website. When i ordered my car i opted for the vtr+ nav but to be honest, i need not have bothered as the satnav is awful – who ever heard of a satnav giving you the option of entering a postcode in the form of ab12 3_ _ and you are left with nowhere to enter the remaining digits, to be honest, i usually end up using my 5 year old garmin nuvi on most journeys as the on-board satnav only gives you the general area you are going to. So in closing, would i buy another citroen, probably not, the car has not lived up to my expectations, there are too many little things that’s not been addressed, like no warning light to let you know the washer bottle is empty, or the bonnet release being on the passenger’s side, not the drivers, or no cup holders; the engine is too small and underpowered and that paintwork is atrocious and at only 25000 miles the car squeaks and rattles like something that 10 years old. Sorry citroen, give me back my volvos any day

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Ery comfortable and easy to handle. Petrol economy on present short runs is only disappointing aspect but is is an automatic and all runs are short.

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Generally speaking very reliable as one would expect for a 2 year old. Deaqler unable to sort hand brake failure & engine management light after regular use of speed control - seems to carbonate up for couple of days then clears

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Generally good but the 2 faults were not what i would have expected to occur (flywheel sand clutch at 20k and a/c condenser at 45k.

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Superb blend of comfort, refinement and practicality in a smart package with excellent solid build quality. Also surprisingly low running costs for a vehicle of this size and performance.

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Very pleased

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My car is stylish, economical, and very comfortable on short or .long journeys

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Excellent all round practical car with great kit, and a good blend of performance and economy.

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Reliability in question.

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This car is by far one of the most comfortable and luxurious cruisers affordable money can buy.

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After an initial glitch nothing's gone wrong.

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whilst still under warranty, had to be returned for airbag light x 5, front window motor x1 , trim coming away x1, and suspension link arm x1 ,said wear and tear, had to go through citreon uk, who eventually agreed to pay half.

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Only problem in 21 months has been a blown daytime bulb. Brilliant reliability!

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Generally good - engine misfiring occasionally of late

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I have owned the car for a little over 6 months and todate nothing has gone wrong

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nothing major has gone, touch wood, only the brakes

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This car is an excelent tourer, one of the most refined and comfortable long journey vehicles, unfortunately now i only really need a smaller car, having a new clench after 3k miles and taking 3 weeks to repair has put me off citroens now, i have had 7. The servic from mani dealer was unacceptable and i should have demanded a new one. The same problems had already been experienced in my previous car a volvo v70, including a new engine.

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Brilliant car for long distance. Really comfortable and quiet, and economical on fuel (50 mpg+). I would definitely recommend the c5 to anyone.

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The new c5 has been a joy to drive, and to llok at! However, for such a large car, internal space is very por, especially rear legroom. Also, not enough cubbyholes or cupholders. Minor quibbles perhaps, but they have taken the edge off an overall great driving experience.

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For th mileage i do, easily the most comfortable car i have driven

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This car has provided comfortable, relable and flexible transport for the past 2 years. As i lease my vehicles privately to a budget it is unlikely that i will lease this model again. It is the firt time i have owned a citroen and i have been pleasantly suprises by the build quality and overall finish. The dealer has been exceptionally helpful when dealing with recalls of which there has been one woith this model and two with the other citroen i lease.

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I have been very impressed with my citoen c5 estate as it is very comfortable and pretty economic on fuel especially on long motorway journeys. It is not a make i have owned before but it has been very reliable so far and a joy to own. I also think it is the best looking estate on the market!

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This is the most comfortable car i have ever driven.

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Its great best car i have ever owned

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Excellent large family car, german looks and performance without the price tag!

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A good car overall, would buy another no dobut. The wife thinks so too.

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I was looking for a large and comfortable car, with a good level of equipment, modern engine and electronics, efficient and sophisticated suspension, and the best choice if not the only one is the Citroen C5. This car has no competitor with regards to comfort, silence, ride and handling. The Hydractive III+ oleo-pneumatic suspension is as good as it gets, which means way better than any spring-damper suspension. The front suspension has got a double wishbone design, unknown to any competitors. The C5 is also more agreeable and refined than other saloon car like the Vauxhall Insignia, Ford Mondeo, VW Passat, which are, in terms of style, bland and terrible. It's very economical too, with on average 48-50 mpg. Quite good for such a large car. As concerns reliability, I've reached 70k miles and had no issue whatsoever, only minor things which Citroen have taken 100% at their charge. The level of service from Citroen dealers is miles away up from other car dealers I'd experienced, namely BMW and VW. Comparing my service bills with colleagues who drive Audis, I spend on average less than 50% of what they spend. All in all, better value for money, no discussion.

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What a car, I'm really inpressed with it a lot of car for the money I put in in the same league as the BMW & the Audi, without the cost. I'll have this for a few years then get another that's how impressed I am, to be honest the best car ive ever bought. Well done Citroen.

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Touch wood I've been very pleased with the reliability of the vehicle intherethe time I have owned it.

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No faults

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The only disappointing point of the car is that the fuel consumption is not quite as good as i would have expected from a diesel. I am a first time citroen owner, and i am amazed at how good the car is. The performance is fantastic with twin turbochargers and it is as near silent as possible, and very comfortable. No doubt it will be worthless when i come to trade it in, but very enjoyable in the meantime!

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Underrated mass market product

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Whilst looks are ok, build quality does not match manufacturers claims with numerous creaks and rattles. Interior is cramped with not enough finite adjustment for drivers seat. Not a pleasant place to spend a long journey.

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Far better than anticipated because of previous pigs (a long time ago).

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Comfortable to drive in every day use. A fast cruiser with all the mod cons. Great value for money.

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It is very quiet with a very good ride and is very stable and does not "wander" . The only problem is that the economy is not very good with the very short journeys which we perform and, in consequence, our one problem has been with a "dead" battery. But we would still buy another citroen making it our fifth in a row if one excludes a peugeot (same stable)!

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Very comfortable , except for niggly faults which you would not expect on a new car.ie. clutch failure, electrical problems and recalls. The suspension is good except on occassions when you turn a corner and hit a bump in the road because the back end tends to jump out. I also find the metallic paint is too soft as it scratches so to easily.Lastly There is only one cup holder in the front and that is sited in the arm rest which is of no use to anyone.

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Nice car to look at and drive in straight lines. Going round corners not so good, but i dont drive on a race track and our roads are bad so the c5 is a great car for a smooth ride.

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Very reliable - good luggage capacity

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I'm sick of it, even though it's not overused. Mechanically it is still in excellent condition, but it has been plagued by electrical faults. First, there were the two front windows; costing £1,000. there. Now it is the wiper system. I can't use it until it is fixed, but no one wants to touch it. I've never had such misery with a car. I'll be getting rid as soon as possible.

What's the one thing you like most about your car?

It's good to drive

If you could improve one thing, what would it be?

The entire electrical system

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No Red thumbs down