Citroen C5 Exclusive HDi Estate 2009 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before dealer and statutory charges): $60,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Metallic paint $750
Crash rating: Five star rating by Australian NCAP
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 7.2
CO2 emissions (g/km): 191
Also consider: Audi A4 2.0 TDI Avant, Renault Laguna wagon

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engines and Drivetrain: 3.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 4.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 2.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.0/5.0

About our ratings

The Citroen C5 is a European luxury car. Some would argue that it's not in the same league as some German marques, but after spending a week behind the wheel I'm confident Citroen has a far-reaching strategy to at least encroach on its archrivals' closely guarded market shares.

Boasting a range of extravagant features, some of which are unique to this vehicle (such as the 'floating' steering wheel and driver massage function), the Citroen C5 wagon has few drawbacks. Friends and colleagues have argued that it's ugly and stupid but for mine this vehicle is a winner. Allow me to explain...

French cars are safe and well appointed, but for too long they have been styled with intentionally quirky themes -- particularly Citroens. Indeed, recent generations of the Citroen C5 were not particularly attractive (to put it kindly) -- looking like bowl full of hastily poached eggs from some angles -- but this latest generation is a vast improvement, showing off a look that invites the driver to step closer and investigate.

It's got a decidedly sporty look this time -- the pumped wheelarches, a strapping shoulder line, the big 18-inch wheels and sleek silhouette -- and it made me feel confident when behind the wheel, something Citroen hasn't always succeeded in achieving.

The appealing exterior design is matched by an excellent interior that makes your entry-level Audi A4/A6 look and feel underdone. The latest C5 is a luxurious vehicle, but for the price -- $60,990 -- you’d be 95 per cent of the way towards a German vehicle of similar specification. That's not to say the Citroen is poor value for money, but prospective buyers should also consider criteria such as relative resale values.

Open the driver's door and you'll be met with pleasant interior design that begins with ultra-plush, high quality leather seats with 10-way electric adjustment. The lumbar massage for the driver is a standard feature and is a very nice technique, believe you me.

I'm a bit of a stickler for seat comfort and while the seating position isn't perfect (merely good), comfort levels are excellent. The seats not only look good, imploring you to try them out, but proved very comfortable. The front pews even feature an upper-back adjustment which is unique to the segment.

Once you've settled into the pilot's seat you are greeted with a pleasant two-tone interior motif. The dashboard itself and various other design elements have an almost organic style with very few square edges, which adds greatly to the luxurious ambience.

Motion sensitive lights illuminate the door pockets; a very clever feature that came in handy during a late night drive when I was scrabbling around for my notepad.

All the switchgear and plastics in Citroen's svelte estate have a high quality feel and when you combine this level of smooth tactility with the high resolution trip computer and the classy instrument cluster with trendy 'floating' needles, the premium feel is absolute.

There are a lot of buttons and dials to consider, scattered across the unique steering wheel, centre console and transmission tunnel, but anyone with half a brain will be able to figure out what most of the controls do after a few drives. I had a little trouble with the cruise control at first because it has a curiously labelled 'pause’ button that needs to be toggled. Another issue that may upset motorist who frequent the drive-throughs at fast food outlets is the lack of cupholders (just a single foldway secreted away in the central bin).

Another complaint is the horn. Granted, it has a powerful blast but its operation is annoying. Comprising two individual buttons on the steering wheel, it is difficult to hit them in the heat of the moment.

The C5's controversial wheel has polarised motorists. The outside rim revolves separately from the stationary inner hub, which contains all the audio, trip computer and cruise control buttons. So even if the wheel is turned (perhaps you're waiting in a carpark for someone to move), the controls are still the right way up. Personally I like this execution, however, everyone I showed it to (and I mean everyone) including a couple of work colleagues baulked. Some even laughed derisively.

Convenience features make living with the C5 a pleasure. An automatic closing tailgate, auto headlights, rain sensing wipers, auto dipping side mirrors, a tyre pressure monitor, air suspension, adjustable dampers, auto dimming central mirror, stability control, front and rear parking sensors plus tinting and blinds on rear side and back windows are all standard. There's even a rechargeable torch in the boot.

But if you really want the coolest car in your street you can option things like the lane departure warning system plus regular add-ons like satnav, 19-inch wheels, an upgraded audio system and Bluetooth connectivity.

While the model on test had a compliant ride in most conditions, we have from time to time experienced less than magic carpet ride quality in C5s when larger and sharp edged bumps seem to overwhelm the Hydractive suspension. The car on test didn't exhibit the crash-through we've experienced previously. Whether that was a function of different wheel and tyre package or just better road, is hard to nail down.

Certainly the ride and handling balance is markedly different from its German competitors. And with the super supple ride quality comes average handling that offers nondescript communication and precious little involvement for the driver. The steering feels very light, good for everyday use and commuting, but remote on winding roads.

There is a sport suspension button near the gear shifter that stiffens up the ride somewhat. This function helps reduce body roll and makes the car far feel less soggy, but this doesn't remedy the average handling.

Overall I didn't find the C5's lack of poise detracted too much from the experience, however. The C5 is not marketed as a sportscar, and you know exactly what you're getting into with this particular Francophile. It's a luxury car designed to please, not excite.

As well as the button-operated sports suspension mode, the Citroen C5 Exclusive on test was fitted with an air suspension system that allows ride height adjustment, which is an excellent feature. You can also set ride height to 'auto' which will drop the car lower at highway speeds to improve aerodynamics (which can reduce fuel consumption slightly) and raise it higher at slower speeds to get a better view of traffic and to approach acute angles.

My driveway is rather steep and fronts onto the road at a harsh angle, meaning approach and departures need to be treated very carefully in everything except high riding SUVs. With the Citroen C5 just hit the button and the ride height raises up.

There is a 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel engine on offer, but you probably won't need the extra herbs because the 2.0-litre oiler has plenty of torque to maintain momentum -- 320Nm at 1750rpm to be exact. Peak power of 100kW at 4000rpm doesn't sound like much, but this direct injection turbodiesel is all about torque, with a strong bottom end that provides the Citroen C5 wagon with enough urge. With excellent sound damping you wouldn't even know it was a diesel either.

The four-cylinder diesel C5 can dispatch the zero to 100km/h sprint in 13.3 seconds, which isn't rapid but the smooth power delivery matches the car's persona. Perhaps of more interest to potential buyers will be the combined city/highway fuel consumption figures of 7.2L/100km. On the freeway, the French luxury car will sip diesel at the miserly rate of around 5.6L/100km.

With a 71-litre fuel tank that gives you a cruising range of almost 1300km at freeway speeds.

Only the one gearbox is offered across the C5 range, a six-speed automatic. It generally finds the right gear for the situation and delivers smooth shifts. There's a tiptronic mode to override gear selections but it cannot compare to more advanced dual clutch systems like Audi's S Tronic system. The sports mode offered raises the shift points, which actually hampers performance as most of the engine's urge is at lower engine revolutions.

Safety systems are well taken care of in the luxurious Euro wagon, with a total of nine airbags and a plethora of acronyms, such as ABS, EBD, ESP, ASR, that ensure the car will always grip the road, come rain or shine.

The C5 has a few quirks and doesn't do everything perfectly, but it does a lot of things well. Think of it as an individual in what is becoming an increasingly "me too" luxury car market.

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