CITROEN XSARA 1.4 HDi Forte 5dr (2003)

Citroen Xsara 1.4 HDi Review - Smooth to drive & easy on the petrol

We bought our Citroen Xsara HDi about three years ago, second hand with about 30k on the clock. We got a good deal I reckon, compared to similar other cars, so check this one out if you want to make a saving. I was a little concerned about a sort of mixed reputation for Citroens, but it's worked out ok. It's had some work needing, like a gasket here and a coil there, not much though. I mean, brake pads and exhaust and things, like you'd expect, but nothing else big.

Big selling point for the Citroen Xsara 1.4 HDi: petrol. It doesn't take much, which is more important than ever these days. You still get a fair bit of power for that. The injection gives plenty of that. It's getting slightly old these days, only slightly though, complains a little bit when it's cold and takes a little while before it want to get up hills, but really not that bad.

The suspension is something really to mention, so very soft. I know a lot of Citroens have this, the Xsara is one of them. Having said that, the seats themselves aren't actually all that comfy, I mean I've sat in better. Also my wife has a bit of a dodgy knee and she says it's a bit of a problem being so low down. We might be looking for a people carrier next time so she can sit upright more.

It's got quite good space inside, although I suppose the leg room in the back is getting to be a little inadequate for our eldest, he complains about it sometimes. It's clever with space though, like you can fold the seats completely flat for a double size boot. I know that's pretty standard these days but for the price and for its age I reckon it's a pretty good feature.