"Not a fan of acceleration" Quote gold, absolutely gold 👍

There’s something quite apt about a railway volunteer driving a Morris Minor Traveller. Great video, I like the Xantia.

I had a petrol Xantia for seven years and it was THE MOST comfortable and smooth ride EVER! I bought it for £200 & sold it over 200,000 miles later for £250! The Xantia is a superb car, with all the classic Citroën characteristics & is a modern classic. An excellent road test, Ian!

That camera-through-the-window pass at 5:36 was masterful.

Got the DW10 in my '03 C5, 279000 km, original turbo, original cp1 pump and injectors. Fantastic engine. Poor crash test results have always stopped me from getting an Xantia, with the way people drive in my country IMO it just isn't worth the risk. Always have admired the looks of the Xantia, and XM especially, such a futuristic and elegant design. Guy stationed near me has an XM and DS, as well as a collection of old american cars, he runs a classic and luxury car repair shop. One of my favorite places to walk by. Love your channel, your content is refreshingly honest and down to earth, really what a lot of people seek, just a regular bloke talking about regular cars. Cheers.

In Australia I purchased 1997 series 1 Xantia 1.9 turbo diesel top spec with Hollandia glass sunroof with 53,000 kms 10 years old. In 2013 with 110,000 kms on the clock we made the decision to take the Xantia to the far outback, instead of my new Skoka Yeti 4 x 4 TDI DSG. From Broken Hill and the Flinders Ranges we head out from Maree on the famous Oodnadatta Track from Marree via Lake Eyre, William Creek and Oodnadatta to Coober Pedy with its underground houses, motels and churches. We were the only 2 WD car we saw that day. Superb run on the dirt cruising at 100-110 kph and returned 5.8 litres/100 kms. We are so glad we did. Huge comfort, huge boot, great dust sealing and excellent air-conditioning. Nothing moves you like a Citroen.

Your road tests are now essential watching. Its good to see the modern cars occasionally as we can see how far backwards we have gone.😸

It's funny how time ticks away almost imperceptibly. I remember these were very popular, especially the estate versions which were better looking I think. The 406 estate was a beautiful car too.....look at Citroen and Peugeot now; makes me appreciate the 90s and early 2ks.

Used to walk past one every day to school, and was desperate for my dad to get one 🤣 Loved the look of it

"Bank robbers found it an absolute nightmare" not your average review comment , brilliant.

Yeah, there we go! :-) Have been driving Xantia since 2012. Love them! Actually tried a Xantia Activa yesterday for the first time. Really a peculiar feeling to sense the system work and cancel out bodyroll in the bends compared to my own standard non-hydractive Xantia :-)

What is it about Citroen’s? They’re just such a nice place to be.

I loved my dad's old Xantia. Lovely!

Colour can be everything...Nice full colour choice, it has aged majestically.

My parents had a 1999 Citroen Xantia LX Estate with the 2.0 HDI 90. I learnt to drive in it. I have fond memories of it. Many a trip to cornwall, dorset, Northumberland with a caravan behind was had.

I really miss my Xantia diesel. Living in the country, the ride quality was superb, especially when fully laden. Every other car I've had, I can feel every bump in the road.

I worked in a Citroen garage and I liked this car greetings from Scotland 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

The DW10 engine is one of the best PSA engines. I've driven a 2002 Peugeot 206 2.0 HDi in slightly detuned form (90 bhp) as a new car, it ran so smoothly and its pulling power was magnificent. At that time, other diesels were much less refined.

I had a Peugeot 307 Hdi here in Aust. Good car . Had it 10 yrs & did 330,000km in it. Same engine as the Xantia . But pretty reliable & easily got 1150km out of a tank which I think held about 54ltrs

Served my time on HDI engines love them.

Once owned one, my wife and I loved it 😀🇬🇧🤘

As an owner of an Activa v6, I can confirm they're pretty unique to drive. Stellar handling combined with a much better ride than even the 406. They're a bit more firm than a regular Xantia over some bumps (when you hit a bump with only one side of the car), but in my opinion it's really not that big of a difference. The handling more than makes up for it!

The brake pedal on these is linked to the brake valve via a spring dubbed “the silly spring”. Some people replace it with a piece of steel to restore the Citroën brake feel.

I had a face-lifted xantia with the 1.8 16v petrol. Silent engine made it quite extraordinary to drive in the luxury tradition. Superior to the C5 and the BX. This is the happy point. Great cars. Huge space, grace and your choice of pace. Perfect. I had soft spheres on mine, bushes nice and tight and it was super smooth. It was vandalised and I bought a new seat, sad face....

Preferred the pre face lift model and really wanted one, back in the day!

Thanks for the video, I inherited my fathers '00. Loved that car, video brought back a lot of fond memories.

I had two of these, a 2.0 litre petrol and the 3.0 V6, both great cars but I miss the V6

Lovely !!.... It's a shame the current range hasn't got 1% of the fun , passion and sheer lovely oddness of the Citroens of 30 years ago .

Moved to the Isle of Man, 6 weeks of rattling my teeth in a Jag XJR I noticed all the taxi drivers had Xantias, always wanted that suspension so the deal was done on a 1.9 TD for £600, previous owner had fitted a pair of Blaupoint Oval multi speaker units in the parcell shelve that were probably worth more than the car. It had the 1.9 no electronics diesel, the only electrical connection was a STOP soleniod, if that fails the thing wont stop, ace! After service and LHM flush it was a true revelation, unreal ride. Fitted a whopping stereo and a boost gauge. Boost gauge broke so we used the pipe to blow up ballons when taking the kids to school. What a good idea to keep them entertained on the 20 minutes run, plus the car was always full of 100s of balloons, other parents "just come from a party again? It had the electric sunroof but you had to remember never open at speed with a full balloons load on. Ran it on waste cooking oil from the local Chinese so solved their waste problem. Best advert for the Chinese, anyone following if we were out in 2 cars would say "just fancy a Chinese on the way back", subliminal sales tactics see smelt like pwarn kwackers, should have asked commission but the free 20L drums of used oil were payment enough. If you fit a tow hook and your mate stuffs his Lotus Elise in a wall ripping off a front wheel a swift tow home is required just drop the suspension snick the toe bar under the Lotus front spoiler, raise suspension, extract from the ditch/wall and tow home.....so its a tow truck too. Loved mine one of my top 3 cars, Tesla powered DS thats on the project list, the DS gets the motive force it always deserved or the Tesla drive train gets a proper futuristic set of clothes.

OMG... I had 75th anniversary 2 litre petrol Xantia auto exactly in this colour with greatest suspension!!! My fav car of all time... fully intend to bring a modernised version back (electric or hybrid)

I love the positive testimonials of this great car. None of those reviewers who undeservingly bashed Citroen for reliability can comment on anything after the wonderful memories by owners of these cars.

Really like these. They don’t look dated at all. I always preferred them to the vectra and mondeo.

Love your road tests, so informative in an informal way.

Something reassuring about looking at older cars from the past. Thank you

Dad had a succession of diesel Xantias, the smoothest cruisers he ever had. As a new driver coming from Minis and Metros, I always found myself going way faster than I expected because they were so quiet.

Thanks for delivering the amazing fact about the elk test! Phenomenal!

An very informative review! I'm beginning to like and appreciate the uniqueness of Citroën! I understand why you are a fan!

Such a strange coincidence that I've just started daily driving a really early 93 petrol 1.8 and hubnut releases a Xantia vid. Just weeks after buying a C5 thats nearly identical to one I used to own! At least I dont have to wonder why I subscribe 🤣

I still miss our 2000 Xantia SX HDi awesome car !!

I used to own a 1997 Xantia 2 litre petrol and it was an excellent towing car, also great for delivering phone books with that suspension ensuring the car remained level once it and the small trailer were loaded with 'a lot' of phone books, ah memories. Cheers Ian.

What a handsome and stylishly designed car.

I remember sitting in my first Citroen Xantia as a taxi coming back from a nightclub in the late 90s, and thought it was strangely ordinary for a Citroen; was an utter departure from the Citroen BX it replaced. However, it's dated well and still looks quite modern. Doesn't look like an almost 25 year old car.

Brilliant review, thanks Ian. I remember fondly my 2001 X plate burgundy 2.0 HDi Xantia SX that I owned for a few months in 2003. Comfy and cheap transport, a much under rated car. Sold it for a profit too which was nice.

It's nice to see your out and testing stuff again :)

I remember the hissing sound the suspension made on Xantia's. The 3.0 V6 models are the rarest ones.

I had a 1998 with 1.8 16V petrol engine and when the suspension spheres lost their pressure, I replaced all 6 spheres, but I tried some "sphere-tuning" and added CX-comfort spheres on the front and CX-Break spheres on the rear axle. The ride became even smoother than when the car was brandnew and the feeling was still save on the road. Good old comfy days...

Ah, a new Citroën road test video = the perfect start to the weekend!

Loved the XUD engines. They were capable of Star Ship mileages. Good economy too.

I was lucky enough to own a 1992 Citroen Xantia 1.9TDSX in 2000. I wanted a Peugeot 406 but wanted a more practical hatchback so tried the Citroen. It was my first Citroen and I absolutely loved it until it ate its Turbo at 196000miles and destroyed the engine. I always thought they were a great looking car. I was also shocked how good the brakes were. The boot was huge and it was a great family car for me my wife and our three young children. I always fancied one of the later ones with a HDi engine. The handling wasn’t quite as sharp as previous Peugeots id owned but still inspired confidence once I got used to it. I’ve had other PSA’s with the HDi engine such as a Xsara, a Xsara Picasso and a Pug 307. Another great review thanks for sharing Ian and reminding me on what a great car the Xantia were and are.

Definitely Jono's work car, he turned up with a big trolley jack in the boot when I got a puncture near his place and discovered my(then) jack wasn't tall enough to get the rear of the 2cv high enough to change the wheel!

I love the xantia! I had a 1.8 petrol that looked identical to this one and I loved it! The engine was never as nice as the diesel but it was blissfully quiet! (I also had a C5 estate with the 1.8 petrol which wasn’t quite as good...) You recent Citroen content is really starting to make me want another!!

The "secret" of the Xantia (and 406) nimbleness in corners compared to the C5 (and 407) is because of the "self induced steering" system on the rear axle, similar to the ones on the ZX, Xsara and 307, but way more solid and reliable than their lower models counterparts.

Always enjoy your road tests. I too love the suspension!

The really early "sinker" Xantias had 5 spheres, one for each wheel and the accumulator, soon they gained another one for anti-sink. Hydractive models had one more per axle so 8 spheres. The activa had again one more per axle so in total 10 spheres

I really enjoyed driving the Xantia I had occasion to use but I didn't like parking it as it frequently rolled away once the brakes cooled down. Nice to see one driven again, thank you.

I had a 406, a 1.8 petrol. Really liked it. Never put a foot wrong. What it lacked in go it more than made up in handling. You could wind it up and keep the momentum by just sailing around bends.

My dad had a 1.8 petrol one of these, that I borrowed many times. I always remember the time that the automatic climate control decided that I needed full-bore hot air in my face, with no way to turn it off, because French. And you didn't mention the joy of the TrafficMaster button! I'd usually catch it by accident while listening to something really interesting on the radio, then have to listen to a loud robotic voice telling me that the licence had expired for the next 30 seconds.

My mother had a 1993 Xantia exactly like the blue press release photo that popped up. Hers was a 1.9D (non-turbo) We used it to pull a 22’ caravan up and down the country when I was younger. It was ultra reliable, so comfortable and never actually let us down. Well, it did catastrophically once when it was relatively new, it went in for a service at a Citroen specialist and came out with a mysterious water leak, noting by the mechanic, we’ve had to put about a pint of water in so keep a check every few days. Cue the coolant being dumped out on the way home and my mother unknowingly cooking the engine. So full engine strip and rebuild with 12k on the clock. We were convinced that the garage had done something to the car whilst it was in there. We kept that car for another 7 years as my mother’s daily driver, I was actually sad to see it go. Got a huge soft spot for them as it was the first big car I drove once I passed my test, used to borrow it for a few weeks when my parents went on holiday, huge difference in ride comfort and handling to the classic Mini I was used to!

The series 1 Xantia had a different set up for the mounting of the front spheres with a rubber gusset and the sphere mounted vertically. Xantias were extremely reliable as well as comfortable. However if you did not replace the rubber gusset after years of heat and age you might go over a bad bump to have the spheres jettisoned into your bonnet - turning it into a 2 hump dromedary - down on its knees with a bulging bonnet. We replaced the gussets before our far outback trip in 2013. A couple of years later the rubber vulcanising on the Hollandia aftermarket glass sunroof let go on a freeway after 17 years ungaraged in the Aussie sun. The curved glass panel let go with a whoosh and spun off like a Frisbee towards the trees in a nearby golf course to be lost for all time. Believe it or not Hollandia in Sydney replaced the glass panel and vulcanised mounting UNDER WARRANTY after 17 years!!!! They said the mounting seal was guaranteed for the life of the car, whatever that turned out to be.... astounding product support.

I do love the lines on the Xant. I actually had an Activa. Incredible to drive cross country - Nothing could keep up in the dry... I had a near miss in the wet though, because the lack of roll doesn't alert you to how much (or little) grip you have until it lets go. That and the repair bills and the 25mpg meant it didn't stay long :-(

I had a xantia 1.9 diesel . N948 KGO in Emerald green. Done 130000 miles in it. Even ran on chip oil during the fuel strike. Only needed a clutch, servicing and tyres. Had the key pad immobilizer ( drove my wife mad ) . Best car ever.....sadly missed.

One of my absolute favourite cars, adore the Xantia!

Hi Ian, another great video and good road test,I remember having a L reg 1.6 petrol one that was a sx with 4x electric windows and a electronic till and slide sunroof,and rear spoiler, but the fule consumption was tearable,but it was a nice car, As it was the early one it had dark and red rear lights that had a common problem of going milky white... Looking forward to your next road test.

Had one of those for two weeks in 2000 absolutely loved it, then I got a xsara (company car) that was grim. Where have they all gone!

I am in the process of putting my old 2001 HDI back into road use .. its been parked up for a little while and I am doing some mechanical improvement works on it - love my old Xantia .. great motor

My Brother in law had a few of these back in the day, always diesels and although they were too big for my needs I was always keen on them, very smart and comfortable.

So many memories! Back in the late 90s I did about 30k miles in a year in a 1.9 TD SX Xantia. It had 130k miles when I got it and was mercilessly thrashed every day of its life. Very comfortable and in those pre-camera days it made “good progress” really easy. It ended its days at nearly 200k miles when the engine mounts sheared off and the sump met the road.

I very much like the Xantias' styling, thanks for sharing a review on one of these, very interesting!

Your reviewing some really great cars recently ian!

Very few Xantias about these days. They were a sharp looking car. I remember having one as a hire car via the place I was working in 1996 - it was brand new, the suspension had a fault which meant it rose to its fullest height and stayed there. It's replacement, another Xantia, actually worked, and made light work of a trip to Milton Keynes.

You drove past my house! Hope you enjoyed your trip through Crich. Great review.

Delicious week, great road tests! I always liked the Xantia design, I remember it caught my eye when I was a kid in a toy store. In beatiful maroon metallic. Still got it somewhere haha

Brilliant video Ian 👍

I remember these for the speed they disappeared off the roads. They seemed to be everywhere in the 90s, and by the mid 2000s they were a rare sight.

Good memories of my 1996 1.9XUDT engined Xantia. LX model with one electric mirror on the passenger side. A great car and very quick with smooth 5sp box

This is crazy! I owned this particular example in 2016. I bought it for £300 from local dealer in Leeds to replace my estate xantia which sadly had to be scrapped. The car you were testing was is very poor condition (hence £300 price i paid for it), I used some parts from my old silver estate to put it together. Apologies for the black trims haha, these were chrome and corroded and I only had black mat spray paint on hand LOL. Btw, very good and informative review mate. So glad to see my Xantia still running well!

Great to see a test of the Xantia. I had two - a Turbo 2 and then an HDi Exclusive. HDi engine notably more refined.

I best remember the Xantia from Rallycross. I was an awesome sight to behold!

A school mates Dad had several of these as company cars. Loved them. We were both mad about them and I thought it much more desirable than my Dad's Passat. Remember the facelift ones had air conditioning, which they announced with a big rear window sticker.

That's a very slick camera shot through the open drivers window at 5:36

That psa HDi is possibly the best real world engine ever. I had that 110 in a xsara and it certainly wasn't slow! The 16v 165hp in my current ds5 isn't bad either... Naughty speeds come up very quickly😁

I had a 98 . 1.9 turbo D. Pre facelift. What a lovely comfotable and pretty car.. I had the sx . Loved it. The only gripe was the narrow pedal box. A beautiful dark brown

Thank you Ian! Brought back fond memories of two Xantias I had - a dark metallic green 1994 SX TD manual which I kept for 5 years (longer than any of the 20 cars I've owned in 40 odd years) and a white 1995 VSX 2.0 automatic which I used as a club car for 2 years. I loved the TD for it's cruising ability, it's sweet handling, slick gearshift and looks. I didn't like the crappy plastic clip that held the clutch cable to the pedal... The VSX I loved for it's smoothness (the 2.0 8 valve petrol engine was lazy but seemed to suit the 4 speed ZF automatic), it looked very crisp in white and the Hydractive 2 suspension was just cool. I did learn that the car wasn't suited to Dunlop tyres - you CAN drift them on the limit in both wet and dry conditions. Unfortunately soon after I sold the car, I found out the ZF box packed up. It never gave any indication it was on the way out. My last Citroen was a 2006 C5 Exclusive V6 with a 6 speed Aisin-Warner auto box and Hydractive 3+ suspension. It was a space ship. I never felt any bumps at all in that car. Even the roughest potholes in Northern NZ failed to unsettle that car. Although I now run a Suzuki Swift, which I like very much, I will always remember these three very special dream cars.

Lovely location, I remember visiting many years ago whilst on holiday in Derbyshire and accidentally ended up on the local news!

I grew up in the back seat of the XM and pre-facelift Xantia. Really loved them over long journeys. Always been able to sleep very well in them because of their comfort. Never been able to drive either of them though. Perhaps after my lease is up, I’ll look for a tidy Xantia instead.

I love your road test videos! I am quickly becoming a hub nutter!

I just love you are reviewing a car I sold 10 yrs ago, it was the best car to tow I towed 2 cows about 750 kg each and the trailer weight no Prob to it loads or torque best car I ever had

These were minicabs where I lived and were absolutely hammered into the ground

Aww, haven’t seen one of these in ages. I had an earlier Xantia turbo diesel (replaced a BX petrol) and really loved it. Great looking cars that did the whole “hatch that looks like a saloon” thing decades before Polestar.

In 1994 my aunt in Farnham was given the opportunity to get a rather good company car, she had a boring Ford Sierra estate, the Xantia was new, I told her that would be the best thing but didn't want to be too pushy so I suggested she also look at Mercs, BMWs, and the Renault Safrane before going to Citroen. She drove the Xantia and fell in love, she got the highest spec one, the VSX, 1.9 TDI, even with heated electric seats and the extra sphered hydro suspension. It was a silver gold colour. It looked so modern compared to the German things. She had it for about 15 years and near 300,000 miles, she still misses it. It was super reliable and so roomy, the boot would fit nearly as much as a big estate. The top spec ones with alloy wheels were way above the Mondeo / Cavalier category, superb Bertone body, its form still looks really modern now. thanks HubNut

Nice to see you enjoying a Xantia! I've been driving Xantias since 2008 or so... I did have some other cars in between: An Alfa 156 and a Peugeot 406 Estate were the closest to Xantia. The Alfa was brilliant in terms of handling and comfort, but the 406 always felt a bit harsh to me. Maybe it's the beefed-up suspension on the estate versions, but whatever it was I found it very hard to bond with. I did eventually get used to the 406 ride, but then I got offered a Xantia for 200€ and after enjoying it for a few days I just didn't want to drive the 406 any more. So I've been back to Xantias ever since. By the way, the random relay clicking is probably the indicator stalk starting to fail. The grease in them gets to places it shouldn't and it starts shorting out or something. I've had this happen on one Xantia and the 406, a pretty common thing in higher mileage cars. I'm currently at 230000 mi with my 1.8 8V petrol and it doesn't really show.

I had two of these, both 90bhp 1.9 xud models. Very comfy and never missed a beat. Had a 94 vsx model with climate control and electric everything!! No passenger airbag on mine just a bar, which made a great place to store maps!!

The way the camera angles changed whilst inside on the guided tour reminded me of NYPD Blue. Expected to see Kim Delaney and Jimmy Schmitt in the rear seats!

Superb cars. I had 3. First a 1.9D, with acceleration exactly as you describe, then a 2.1TD Exclusive that was wonderful. I then got my Missus a gorgeous red facelift Activa, with full leather and electric everything. The Lucas EPIC fuel pump went in the 2.1TD. I believe they are named as they are epically expensive to repair. The Activa had to go when double buggies became necessary... Thanks for the video Ian, it brought back some very happy memories.

I had a 1993 Xantia 1.9td SX in white,horrible colour to keep clean,but it was one of the nicest cars I ever owned and very very comfortable,had it 6 years and did 100,000 miles,head gasket went in the end....

That shot at 5:37 must have taken some camera gymnastics! Thanks for the interesting video, Ian. The French can teach the world a thing or two about ride comfort and handling. 🙂👍

I had a similar age Xsara VTR Coupe and the build quality was actually really good! Definitely not the same as a Saxo and it felt really solid. My neighbour had an N-reg Xantia 1.8SX and it was a really appealing car. Great test Ian

My old work had two of these as pool cars. A silver one and a gold one, both 2.0 HDi cars. They were really nice compared to some modern offerings but we didn't realise it at the time.

Great review hub nut

I absolutely love the Xantia, always have, the pre-facelift in specific and in particular VSX trim. One day!