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Had a C5 estate, and I loved that car. Not the prettiest car, and some of the plastics felt very cheap, but it was cavernous, comfortable, a joy to drive daily, and the Hydractive system was fun.

I sold these from new - frightening really to think it's two decades ago now! If the styling of these had been more resolved they would have been held in far higher regard . Quite a bit larger than the Xantia it replaced - which put a lot of existing customers off and also not quite 'premium' in fit and finish to attract the junior executive market either in its higher spec versions - the original C5 fell in to a bit of a no man's land marketing wise. Hugely strong though for its time - Citroen never made enough of a fuss over its extremely high Ncap results - and whilst never hugely popular especially compared to its Bx and Xantia predecessors they did forge a very loyal customer base - especially the estates and high spec diesels. Early Y plate examples were a bit hit and miss for build quality - but by 2004 when this Mk1 run out spec Vtr came out they were properly sorted. One of my old customers still owns their 2.2 Diesel auto exclusive nearly 2 decades after I sold it to them - they won't part with it because they love it so much. In the UK they'll forever be regarded as a piece of old French tat - but underneath the less than sexy styling lay a very capable car. Great review. 👍👍

Bringing back lots of childhood memories with this one - my late grandparents had an IDENTICAL spec to this (minus the engine, theirs was diesel) and whilst, at the time, it seemed like a normal large comfy car then you look back now and realise how different these are to anything else on the road. Will always be a fan, lots of happy memories :)

It wasn't the last Citroen to have hydraulic suspension, the MK2 C5 was also fitted with HA3 on the mid spec cars and above and all autos. The C6 also came out after this MK1 C5 and was in production after this car was phased out.

Like the C5. This one a very good low mileage example but still looks beautifully prepared for sale. Whoever prepares the cars for Stone Cold Classics does a brilliant job.

Love how eccentric Citroëns used to be, definitely part of the charm. I feel like modern ones don't have their own identity anymore.

I still drive this car on the daily. Absolutely love it. I bought a beater for 300 euro and never wanted another car. My wife also drives one

My mother had a Xantia for about 9 years when I was growing up, bought it at 8 months old, absolutely loved how comfortable and wafty it was to drive, that was the first ‘big’ car I drove after passing my test, used to use it for a couple of weeks when they went on holiday. Always thought the C5 was a step back, looks wise anyway, especially against the arguably better looking Xantia. However, lately, they don’t look too bad. That one is in exceptional condition too.

Not sure how this in particular is the last “real” Citroen. It’s the first Citroen that introduced the Hydractive 3 and Hydractive 3+, which was quite different from the previous hydraulic systems. These H3 systems had lot of components replaced by electronic sensors, and spheres were changed for a new design as well. The accessibility to the hydraulic system (as you pointed out) has been made harder when compared to previous cars. Where as all the hydraulic Citroens before were fully mechanical systems. Apart from Hydractive 1 and Hydractive 2 (available on XM and high spec Xantias) which had two additional spheres and computer control to switch from soft to firm automatically. But the height control, height correction, maximum rear brake pressure, and ride level was still all maintained mechanically, unlike on this H3 system (which no longer provides power assistance to brakes or the steering, as those were now replaced by traditional power steering and servo brakes). The Hydractive 3+ system (which differs from Hydractive 3 by having two additional spheres allowing the system to have a soft and firm mode, just like Hydractive 1 and 2 differed from traditional mechanical hydraulic system) can be identified in the first C5 by the presence of the sport button in the middle of the ride height selector arrow switches that are located between the gear shift and cup holders. The Hydractive 3+ system was also standard on the Exclusive trim of the second generation of C5, making this car NOT the last hydraulic Citroen. That is not to mention the C6 that came out in 2005 offering H3+ with additional variable damping, offering not only automatic switching from soft to firm, but also adding 16 damper settings to each wheel that was computer controlled independently for each wheel many times a second. And it’s important to mention it’s been in development already in the 90’s and unveiled as a concept in 99, meaning the C6 was developed largely under the same leadership as this C5. Edit: I wrote this comment before I had the chance to finish the video. The brakes were separated from the suspension because of EU regulation that came to effect in 2000 requiring for brake systems on cars to not be shared with any other system. Which personally seems a bit silly to me given that old hydraulic systems automatically adjusted rear brake load based on the trunk load, and in case of loss of pressure the cars would light up the huge “STOP” light on the dash, and if you stop immediately the safety cut off and rear accumulator assure that the car is able to stop even during a very dramatic pressure loss. I’d like to see what mainstream car these days warns you about loosing your brakes and warning you in time to stop.

I absolutely ADORE these big Citroen's. They look as though you can get into it and just go, and go, and go until you end up in continental Europe, without stopping. Very plush indeed 👌🏻. On a side note, now I know it's not specific to this car, however I love the fact that Citroen sold their Hydro suspension to Rolls Royce for years. Whenever I hear the term "it's the Rolls Royce of..." I love to think "no, its the Citroën of..." 😆. Good Video as usual Matt, I'm off to acquire a C5 now.

I have this car in exclusive maxed out gear, leather seats, automatic windshield wipers, color navigation screen with an option to connect camera, electric mirror folding, middle mirror automatic darkening, commands for the screen near the handbrake, 2000’s mobile business phone with the charger, parking sensors, 6 airbags, extremely good sound system. Car is nearly 500k km on the meter but still goes so smooth and it’s comfortable beyond imagination for a car from that era. It costed me 1600 euro, absolute bargain, best car i ever bought and driven for the money.

My dad, who is a big fan of Citroens had owned a traction avant, ID, then DS. Finally in 2002 he got a C5 3.0 V6. When he first got it I initially thought it was really quite ugly, akin to a blob fish… but one day we took the car in a family trip and that’s where I realised this is quite a special car. The high speed stability was excellent and the V6 engine meant this thing could pull really well. We would be blasting past sporty bmw 3 series but it still felt so civilised inside!

My parents had one, three of my cousins had them, I've had one. Were I'm located, they were great value for money, the diesel engines were amazingly reliable, durable and efficient. The electrics, well, the more basic the car the less could go wrong. Tons of space, extremely comfortable. Between the six of us we must have driven more than 2 million kilometres (my parents doing 650k and me 400k), a car that we're all very nostalgic about.

Great review, nice to see one again! My best friend is a ''Citrofiel'' or in English: a Citroen freak. He had one of these new back in '02. A Mauritius Blue 2.0 HDi in Exclusive trim. Also drove it quite a lot, really good car. Super smooth ride, very comfortable seats and very reliable. Now has a C6 3.0 V6 HDi. He has no idea what he has to buy after this one, because no more hydroactive suspension. And no more saloons... Only ugly cross overs. Enjoyed it Matt, thanks!

I forgot these C5s existed, they're pretty cool actually.

Thank you. That was a nice trip down memory lane. I ran a 2006 phase 2 V6 Exlusive for a couple of years. It was big, enigmatic, and just outstanding in so many aspects - once you got to know it. A truly beautiful car.

These are great! I currently have a 2002 2.0L petrol. Mine is a SX spec,which was second top spec under "Exclusive". It has standard equipment as sat-nav, heated seats,on-board computer,folding side mirrors,self dimming rear view mirror,dual zone climate control,walnut details on dash and doors and cruise control🙂. Amazing comfort,though a bit thirsty on petrol. Mine also have the hy3+, with sport fuction. Makes the car incredible on cornering,and stiffer when strong side wind! This is the best car i,ve had and a have had more than 50 cars over the years😁

My wife had two of these, she loved them. They suffered NO body rot, and were very fuel efficient. Thanks for the video. Peace be unto you.

What a lovely modern classic Citroën! Not even broken in! I really like the styling, looking fresh and modern, although not as lovely as a C6. Whoever purchases this vehicle is extremely lucky, it seems to do everything very well, and will remain unique and exclusive! Thank you.

Always had a big, flubbery warm spot for these big old Hectors; they were the weapon of choice back in my caravan testing days and I can still remember the uncanny ride comfort. I prefer the looks of the estate - and the facelift ones in particular - but this is a rare old thing, now. One to put away, given the tiny mileage? Love it!

The C5's are pretty reliable too. I've had a 2.0 liter petrol break (estate) from 2003, bought it in 2014 with 416,000km. on it. Gave it to my son at the beginning of this year with over 520,000 km. (323,000 miles) In those 7-8 years never had real big issues with it. It uses some oil though. Great comfortable car and the estate version is very big indeed.

One think I have learned with Citroens, that lean does not really translate into a car that will overturn. The modern C5 Aircross actually does surprisingly well on the moose test. They are more stable than they seem

IMHO one of the best cars ever made. Just so competent all-round

The Diesels were frugal.... the V6 Petrols did the opposite and drank like George Bests!!! A totally contrast between the two!!! Also I'm thinking whether the "sunglasses" space by the handbrake wasn't a pair of cup holders or did the cut-outs look too small for a travel cup??

I owned a 2005 C5 Mk2 automatic with the 2.0 petrol engine. Boy could it guzzle fuel. The fuel gauge would start to go down as I was driving out of the petrol station. It just floated along. The electric window switches on the drivers door were all over the place, drivers switch opened the near side rear window, the front passenger switch opened the drivers window etc. The switch unit was replaced free of charge. But I loved it. It was so comfortable and so roomy. The were one of the most underestimated cars on the road, especially in diesel.

I worked on these when they were new, fantastic cars, always looked forward to the road test after doing a service on one. They were just so chilled yet still handled so well (especially the more expensive versions with upgraded suspension with SPORT! button) and that gearknob was almost sexual!

As a previous C5 owner, I will enjoy this review. I can say I used it to its ability no other car in its price segment got. "Terrain driving" sometimes, as well as towing a 6600 lbs trailer without problem. Wonderful car for the money I gave for it. I would still own it except for feeling the urge to try something outrageous instead. Mine was a facelift 2.0 with pretty good spec. If anyone got any general question, hopefully I can answer if you wish. Cheers.

we had a 2003 C5 Break in VSX trim; got a crash on the Autobahn as a from tire of a HGV blow, it instantly went from the right to the left lane. We hit the trailer 1/4 at the left and were squeezed between the trailer and the barrier. We (two adults and two toddlers) left the car on our own. First responders were wondering that it was possible. Even by todays standard I believe the C5 is a more than average save car. From what I have seen from the front there is a massive metal connection between the two deformation elements; unlike the VW Passat for example.

Great review. I was chauffeured half way across Turkey in a C5 for work, and most comfortable it was. Sorry to be the pedant here but the ZX Volcane (mine being the TD) handled well due to front McPherson struts and an anti-roll bar , with the rear being a torsion axle with an anti-roll bar and passive rear wheel steering. Also sub 1100kg kerb weight helped.

that sun glass hold (according to you) are cup holders. They are the same in as a Pug 307. IMHO this is not the last "real" Citroën. If you define one by the use of high pressure hydraulics for suspension then the C6 should take that title. However, there are a lot of Citroëns that do not have high pressure hydraulics suspension made before or after the C5. I would still class them as real Citroëns.

I have a 2003 C5 2.0 exclusive dark green with 300,000 miles. I used it as a taxi and a lot of my passengers commented on how comfortable it was, the seats are valour which is a risk in a taxi, but they still look good today. The hydroactive suspension was used all through the face lift models but the new C5 from 2009 to 2018 it was used in exclusive models only. It never gave problems only when things wore out. It now as has a easy life as my private drive. I replaced it as a taxi with a 2018 Citroen C5 X7 (estate) 2.0 exclusive. They were discontinued in 2018. Now there is the Citroen C5x.

I recall a boss taking me out for a spin in one of these around 2005. I myself drove a Passat at the time and this thing just left the VW for dead in comfort stakes. The VW wasn't bad in that regard itself, but the Citroen felt like a flying carpet by comparison. I'd say the seats were similar, but the suspension totally different. The only problem with them was the blandness of the package. They were not interesting to look at, and you expect a Citroen to be stylish - this was the vogue of the time, though. I just recall getting into it thinking "I don't totally hate this..." as I had expected to and after a few minutes thinking how relaxing and comfortable it was and what a generally pleasant place to be.

Fantastic.. My Aunt had two of these floating wonder barge's. A estate and hatchback. Great review Matt and great to see one again..

One of the most favourite cars I owned… drove from rural Hertfordshire to the tip of Cornwall and it was like riding a cloud. Fantastic Car

I just bought one very cheap for a few €. It's a nice drive, not very beautiful but comfy and well equipped for a 2003 car. It's my first french car and I've always wanted to own a hydropneumatic Citroen. The Mk1 C5 is so cheap here in Germany, you can't do much wrong with buying one, even if it fails you haven't lost much money.

I've owned 4 of these fantastic cars and really don't know how to replace my current one,a facelift 130bhp hdi. They are without doubt one of the most underrated cars on the planet. With a six speed box mine will sit on the Autobahn at 90_100 mph with no problems, cruising at legal speeds in the UK will return up to 60 mpg and the car is so comfortable you can drive all day and not feel any fatigue. They really don't make 'em like this anymore. Incidentally,the cup holder is that thing you thought was for glasses between the seats,press the button,it pops up😂

I don't think Carly has ever quite forgiven Ian for getting rid of Cecily the C5 estate. Not the best example but an immensely practical and comfortable family load lugger.

got a 2003 diesel auto estate, quite simply the best car i've ever owned, a truly wonderful machine

That's a lovely car. Just by looking at the view from inside as you drive I want one! Looks so comfortable. Citroen will always be my favourite car maker. Quirky, comfy and stylish 👍

I’ve had two C5 mk1. Maybe I need another one. All diesels here in Australia came with an automatic box and seem to have died because the boxes claim to be maintenance free but aren’t.

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They took the "carved out of a bar of soap" look too far.

I remember when this was announced as the replacement for the Xantia, mentioning to some people that it was called the C5. They immediately associated that name with the Sinclair C5 and were quite dismissive. Thank you for the review Matt. A very nice car indeed. I owned a 98 Laguna for seven years, I had forgotten how light and welcoming the interiors were from that era compared to the dreary dark interiors of today.

Interesting you talk about Taxi spec, back when these were new my Taxi drive who used to take me to school and back had one of these to replace his Xantia, was certainly a comfortable car for multi hour journeys.

Hmm - C6 came out in 2005 and surely was still a true Citroen?

I had a 2003 xsara Picasso and then an 09 c4 Picasso. The amount of bits in the cabin this shares with both of them is nuts!

Wonderful video! I had the 2.0 petrol version of this, in Exclusive estate form and it did have cupholderidge; where the traffic info button lives, one would pop out for the driver.

Looks brand new 👍👍👍 My dad had several of these, after his row of GS, BX and Xanthias. Super comfy cars.

You know those remote control windows well my dad's got a 2004 C5 with a sun roof and the roof is remote as well with to buttons on the key to open and close the roof my dad's is in lime green in mint condition had four 5 years we love the adjustable suspension witch is self leveling when you put a hevey load in the back

The designation of the "last real Citroen" seems to be a evolving paradigm.

It’s a lovely car I used to have a Renault Laguna from year 2000 and it has lots of similar styling and conform, really lovely

Worked on, drove and owned many hydropneumatic Citroën's over the past 30 year's, too many to mention, the Xantia Activa (Not ZX) was the model that had an advance system where it had virtually zero body roll by use of rams on opposite corners attached to the anti-roll bars, controlled by extra height correctors, and various sensors, quite a rare model nowadays ! Zx"s were basically based on a Peugeot 306 with conventional suspension be it with torsion bars at the rear, but Zx's did have a "Steering" rear axle with special mountings 😎👍🏻

Great review, thank you. FYI the next gen C5 also had hydroactive suspension on the higher spec variants as well as the C6. Also the ZX didn't have self leveling suspension.

I had a basic 90hp diesel hatch, which was probably the most sensible version to have - adequate performance and economy, and no DMF. The wheels were unusual. They looked like steels, had plastic wheel trims, but were actually alloys and properly light. I transferred them to the Berlingo after the C5 passed on, in which application they were considerably superior. I think the reason they took the brakes off the hydro was related to the hydro being driven by an electric pump rather than an engine-driven one. When I first had the car, I was a little concerned by the way the headlights would occasionally flicker, until I realised that it was down to the hydro pump kicking in.

Always loved those Citroens. At the time of it’s launching, I was living in Brazil and there were two engine options, the 2.0L and the 3.0-V6. I always liked the StationWagon more. It had a “spaceship feeling”, like the first Ford Taurus Wagon. *Thanks for sharing.* How many left in UK, of the 1stGEN-series1?

I have had many Citroens over the years. I have had the v6 model and the 2.2 exclusive which I loved I had a gsa a xm they are great cars

My 2005 series 2 C5 2.2 Diesel has a sports button between the up-down suspension buttons. That sunglass storage is actually a cup holder.

My folks had one of these when they were new. Same engine, but the base SX trim rather than VTR, so it had steel wheels and manual air conditioning. The 1.8 petrol engine was a bit short of low end torque for a car as big and heavy as the C5, but once up to speed it was a lovely, smooth, comfy thing to drive. Excellent ride and very comfy seats. That key was a bloody monstrosity though!

The rear wiper is an amazing feature! And this 1.8 liter engine was definitely the most popular in Greece, at a time where 2 to liters and above where taxes more heavily and diesels where not allowed (as private cars) in Athens and Thessaloniki

I’ve had my 2005 facelift since January with the same engine, very nice to drive and comfortable, although no sports car! Cup holders are where you said the sunglasses go, but they aren’t very good!

I like these, rather weird and most people hate them. Perfect! I had the same engine in my Xsara VTR and my neighbour had a Xantia with it too which is such a good, strong unit. Really appealing, unappreciated car! Great review Matt!

Thank you very much for another great review, the estate version is so big inside too. Great car from Stone Cold Classics’s at a good price .

Always liked those cars but for me in estate form that’s where that car really shines 😀

At the time this came out I was given a Vauxhall Vectra estate as a company car which I absolutely hated whereas my colleague had one of these and I was so envious. There was nothing quite like it on the market at the time in terms of gadgets you got as standard, the suspension, and looks. Always wanted one. A true motorway muncher.

Watched your vid this morning, saw an estate model on the road this afternoon!

Dad loved Citroens (GSAs and BXs) and I loved Citroens (BX and Xantia). What a beautiful example of the C5 this car is - "Stone Cold Classics" really do know how to source a belter! Top review as always Matt.

I drove one of these for 6 months for a job i had at the time, i will always remember the 'Rain sensitive windows' which would essentially roll up the windows when the smallest amount of water hit the windscreen - seemed like a good idea I'm sure when Citroen introduced it, in hindsight, not so much

Had a diesel automatic 02 plate as my company car for 4 years -My other half used it for a taxi for another 4 years and it ended up doing 220k..We both Loved it and it never missed a beat .

I have a year 2000 Xsara wagon last year of the pre-facelift, and im surprised that the C5 doesn't have the radio controls ON the steering wheel, my Xsara has them on the wheel itself, and its such a pleasant feature. Mine is also fairly well equipped, has the 2.0 DOHC engine making 134hp, nice interior bits you wouldnt expect in the similar sized VW Bora Wagon or Focus Wagon.

You mentioned no cup holders but where you said about putting your sunglasses, if I remember right that section is sprung loaded and you can push it down to take cups

Beautiful, i had one. it always went up and down when parked on a slight hill.

I had a 2003 mk1 C5…I still miss her to this day. What a lovely comfortable car she was

Oh, just a small thing: The cupholders you were looking for is the "hole" in the center console you thought were sunglasses holder :)

Great cars and I looked this one up on Stone Cold Classics and I’m very tempted! A friend of mine has a 2005 1.6 HDI Exclusive with… 600.000kms and still going strong.

I miss my C5, they are a fab car, it was mega reliable and soooooo comfortable. That’s a stunner and is probably already sold 👌it has two cup holders behind the up down buttons. The centre part is a fold down divider.

My dad had one as a courtesy car once and he seriously considered buying one afterwards, despite being an Alfa guy. Personally I loved seeing these soft suspensioned Gaelic saloons on the road!

The following generation C5 the Germanic looking one was available with Hydropneumatic suspension in the top spec models. The rest made do with coil springs.

9:30 - The BX had a bottom-hinged door handle like that. In the BX it was basically a plastic flap.

Thanks Matt for another interesting vid, these are nice motors and the last of the “real” Citroen’s. I find it a bit suprising that a 2004 C5 is regarded as a “Classic” though, I guess technically it’s a classic as it’s a mk1. 14000 miles is hardly anything, no wonder that one sounded sweet, not many in that condition and such low mileage, the suspension setup is probably one of the main reasons that there’s not many of these about, a lot of garages find the suspension too complicated.

The C6, which shared the same platform, was actually the last new model to be only available with a hydropneumatic suspension, and rather than the last Citroën under Calvet’s watch, it was the first developed under Jean-Martin Folz. However, Citroën was still in full identity crisis mode and the C5 is very much an illustration of the famous “a camel is a horse designed by a committee” quip attributed to Alec Issigonis. The strange style and architecture is the result of PSA marketing guru Luc Epron and Citroën brand boss Claude Satinet being at loggerheads about the philosophy the car was supposed to serve. Not all of that quirkinesses is intentional, some of it just happened. I worked at the German subsidiary at the time of the launch and can tell you everyone at Citroën had a bit of a hard time believing in this one at the launch. But it proved its qualities to those who bought and drove them, even more so in estate shape.

Great video. I think we need a new c5x road test to compare!

Great video! I forgot about the mk1 C5!

I just want to say I always appreciate the humour in these videos in addition to the content too :) 11:30 really caught me off guard and had me giggling for a while 😂

My old English teacher had one of these when they were new, he used it as a battering ram to push his way through the middle school playground to his special car parking space.

I've been in a diesel automatic and it was very smooth indeed.

Good review and probably the best horn performance yet.

had one 2011 - lovely ride. thanks

Never just disconnect the battery on Peugeots and Citroëns of this era. It can scramble the memory of the body computer, including the immobiliser codes. The correct procedure is to close the doors, open the bonnet and wait for five minutes for the computer to go to sleep. Do not open or close any doors during this time (as it will make it wake up again). Then disconnect the battery.

Never been in one, always thought they were dull. Now I'm older I can see the appeal. Is it just me or are the estates absurdly large?

As the owner of a 2005 2ltr estate.... I love it! Comfort COMFORT comfort... Did I say comfort! Beats any modern fakir bed. It superseded my Mondeo 2001 Ghia, and I'm glad I did. So is my wife and so is my daughter. And the car is reliable, does not rattle etc. The german build mondeo has the better reputation, I think, but the C5 greatly outperforms the Mondeo in quality, comfort and cost. Oh and the suspension is brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

Back when these were released, I had a friend who worked for Alamo car hire. He said that they had bought a fleet of these and they were constantly off the road due to fault after fault.

I had an N reg 1.8 Xantia Expression, it was a wonderful car to drive but eventually the hydraulics packed up and at the time I couldn't afford the repair bill so it toodled off to somewhere else, I always fancied a C5 but to date one hasn't come my way

My dad bought a C5 2.0-16V Exclusive new in 2002. A 3.0 V6 was a lot more money, so he settled with the 136 bhp from the 2 litre, which is a lot better than the 1.8 in this review. It was a very comfortable and luxury car and he had absolutely no technical problems. The happiness disappeared when he traded it in after 4 years and 38,000 miles: it was worth absolutely sh*t.

I have owned 2 of these - both estates - amazing work horses.

As a former Xantia owner putting myself in one of these was definitely on the agenda at one time - but ultimately I was put off because the styling is a tad too 'Mr Blobby' for my liking. Looking at this lovely example now I'm starting to think that was a mistake ...

I came across a C5 that had been driven over the concrete parking bay dividers in a motorway service area by its elderly owner. It was well and truly stuck and the driver was in the process of calling his breakdown recovery organisation. I asked if he had tried raising the suspension and he gave me a puzzled look, turned out he'd had the car five years and didn't know you could do this! I raised the car up to max ride height and drove it off the divider for him but told him not to drive it away until the recovery mechanic had checked the underside for damage.

I'm new to your videos so I'm not sure if this was some subtle sarcasm, but the 'sunglass holder' is a pair cupholders.

The central display was shared between the C5 and the Peugeot 307. In the 307 the display was orange and red, but the graphics were the same.

My dad had a 2006 (Mark 1 post-facelift) C5: 2 litre HDi automatic. It was a nice car to ride in (I never got to drive it) with typically smooth suspension that you'd expect from Citroen. My dad isn't the fastest driver in the world so I don't know how it cornered at higher speeds. Fuel consumption wasn't quite as good as my Peugeot 306 with the same 2 litre HDi engine - but then my car was a lot lighter and was manual transmission. Dad had several Citroens. First a GS or GSA (I forget which) with its absurdly high-revving engine and that disastrous C-Matic 3-speed transmission: it suffered badly from the imprecision you get with a torque converter, and the takeup of power was very notchy when you changed gear - far more so than an automatic, and I believe the C-Matic was effectively an automatic in all respects other than that the driver triggered the gearchanges. Horrible transmission to drive. Hated it even more than a normal automatic (and I usually end up fighting autos which want to change down ridiculously when accelerating out of a roundabout and won't stay put in third as I gradually press the accelerator). Then he had a diesel Xantia - unusually for him, he went for true manual. That was a lovely car with a fantastically torquey engine. I didn't get to drive it on my own very much, but when I did and could drive as I would drive (rather than in driving-my-parents mode!!!) it handled very nicely and had bags of torque to accelerate progressively out of bends.