Again, I had more or less forgotten the Saxo. They were all over the place until they were just gone. The scrappage scheme has a lot to answer for. Good job Ed. Thanks again.

I've got a early Saxo 1.4 Furio that you're more than welcome to have a drive of and review if you fancy if your drive was short lived. The interior is far more jazzy with multi coloured seat belts and bright interior, complete with VTR styling and wheel trims! I also have a early phase 2 106 special edition that can be used as a comparison and a very very beige volvo 850, Enjoyed your video!

So my 1st car was a 2001 Poseidon blue Saxo with 19,000 miles. it had the 100 bhp facelift engine. I felt like the engine had a nice punch of torque in the mid band and there was something special about a cable throttle pedal and how the steering talked to you. The paint on the 14 inch wheels was stunning also. Brakes were shocking however! I'm also 6ft 2 so it was a bit of a squeeze.

I had my saxo 4 years, and did 85,000 miles in it. I loved it, especially the glass sunroof.

Cracking Video As always Ed, hard to beleive I am nearly 40 now and these were the cars of my childhood/youth, never owned a saxo but a car I always wanted to modify the hell out of it. In my previous job I used to sell car insurance for a big dealer chain and we used to offer insurance on VTR's for £195 a year for 18 year olds, imaginen the delight the following year when the premium at renewal was £1195.... Most had to sell the cars or ask mummy or daddy to cover the next year's insurance..... One day I would love to add a VTR or VTS to my fleet.

I love the contradiction of Citroën doing something really surprising and out of the ordinary by making a car that is absolutely _not_ surprising or out of the ordinary 😂 It reminds me of the scene in Ab Fab where Eddie is angry that Saffie doesn't smoke, doesn't drink, doesn't have a boyfriend and does her homework every night, and yells at her "For god's sake, why won't you rebel!", to which Saffie calmly replies "I am rebelling, I'm doing exactly the opposite of what you want me to do".

i still use a saxo vtr in posi blue as my daily driver and im a contractor, i take it everywhere, still only on 71k, i dont think i could ever sell it its so good on fuel and a right hoot just like the 205 gtis i used to buy for £250 a pop

Despite what people may think the French could build some great, reliable and long lasting engines! - if not the most refined! BX engines can last forever!

Good video, you got a lot of the facts right that many do not! Worth pointing out that the 'Desire' model you had there was the most plain-Jane offering there was, in terms of funkiness. They were one of the last models available and semi-upmarket.

Youre a really great car reviewer Twin Cam. Definitely a future for you in that business if you decide to go that route 💯

That's my Sunday made and it's not even 10 o Clock

I got a Saxo VTR brand new with the free insurance. Going from a Corsa B 1.2 merit it was a rocket. Wish I still had it now. It was a great b road blaster and surprisingly good on fuel.

I used to have an AX GT with a Saxo VTR engine fitted, now that was a fun car

Had a Saxo VTR & VTS back in the day..great cars..

I owned an AX 1.0i Debut poverty spec for 6 years then a Saxo 1.4 Furio spec until 2020. The big day-to-day improvements are the power steering, which is a god send when parking, power brakes so you don't have to stamp on the brakes and smoother gearbox. The pedal box you mentioned, is well to the left in an AX so it was nice to have it in the centre on the Saxo. My 3 door still had the odd AX like flappy door handles on the edge of the doors. The interior is a bit more lively on higher spec models, my dash had silver and black contrast, blue carpets, seat panels and seatbelts, and white dials for the speedo/rev counter. I can't speak for the 1.1 you drove, but my 1.4 was always very nippy and could be chucked into corners. Never noticed the high-ish driving position like you did, always felt low to the ground for me, and i'm about the same height as you. It was a mostly comfortable car, but i never did like the seats, not enough lumbar support became obvious on long journeys.

Small French cars are fantastic. I had 2 Peugeot 205 1.6 GTI's back in the day and currently own a Renault Twingo RS 166 (KTec Tuned) which reminds me so much of the 205. The French just know how to put together a great handling car which is no real surprise taking into account the excellent and rough road network they have. They got the steering absolutely spot on with the 205 but sadly power steering in the Twingo has taken away much of that amazing feedback I got in the 205. Thankfully I was in my early 20s in the late 80s when I had my first 205 so insurance wasn't too bad. I think from memory it was £800. I was quoted £2000 for a VW Scirocco GT just after I binned my 205 on a French mountain side. The mad and inexplicable world of insurance.

I'm watching this video as I'm about to buy a saxo 1.1, I'm looking to have a bit of fun but fix it up a little and sell it on, nice to know I'm not the only one who sees the up and coming value to this car!

Intersection review and very well done, Ed. Neat little car that I could never drive. At almost half a foot taller than you, I would never fit! Then again, cars like that would never do well with our roads and distances. Keep in mind that Ontario Highway 401 across the bottom of the province is roughly the same as John O'Groats to Lands End! That is the width of Southern Ontario. Canada as a whole is roughly 80% of all of the European Continent! Little engines just can't cut it.

A sensible review. I learnt to drive in my sisters 1.1 Saxo in 2004 and then bought an AX as my first car. I now own a Saxo as a nostalgia item and its brilliant! The one I have is a 1.1 5 door also but has a whaky interior - blue speedo dials, yellow gearknob and door lock pins, seats with blue, yellow and red patterns and piped in yellow trim and each seat belt is a different colour. And, the exterior is 'Mango'. I'd never have chosen this spec or colour new, but now, as an older car, it looks brilliant and unlike anything else. It's also a basic spec without power steering, and the steering is soooo much better for it!

I grew up in the back of my dad's 1990 AX GT and later 1997 Saxo VTS so I've got a bit of a soft spot for these cars. My first car was a 1994 Peugeot 106 Mardi gras Diesel with Saxo VTS alloys. I'm not sure I agree about the pedal placement though, I found them very awkward.

Absolutely loved my AXGT I was 21 in 95 When I bought it what a car what a time

That and the 106 were the cars many of my friends wanted . The AX was my choice as at the time I preferred the more angular look of it..

In 2001 I had a complete change of career which meant a huge pay drop. I bought a saxo 1.1 it was cheap economical motoring and served me well. In 2005 I bought another saxo this time a 1.6 vtr with 11000 miles on it. I loved it but the pedal placement was always annoying. Great review Ed as always.

I've loved having mine for the last 5 years, 1.1 too

You have a new subscriber…..wish i caught on to you sooner, keep up the great work……detailed and entertaining content

It is a practical and cheap to run fun little car. In blue metallic trés chique!

As somebody from the US that never seen this cars before I do appreciate your knowledge and your details about this card that otherwise I would never hear of.

Had the joy of commuting to work in a 1.4 Saxo Furio for 3 years....what fun! I hit 'buy it now' on eBay, without viewing it. At £260, it proved a very cheap fun car. Ok, it was a pretend Vts/Vtr with the same 3 doors and body kit. But mine had the 185 alloys too, making cornering so much fun whilst leaving those too keen 5 year newer Fiestas struggling to catch up! Wished I had a place to keep it, but 2 years ago, gave it to someone who desperately needed wheels and somehow wrecked it enough on 3 mile commutes over 6 weeks, to make it scrap yard material. The guy , who is laid back, just wrecks every car he drives within a couple months! He had an £900 estimate for repairs for a new Mot....they saw him coming, so being always nearly skint he scrapped it for £70. He even scrapped the car, leaving an almost new £130 radio still in it! Idiot! The car had another 3+ years in it!

Me and my younger brother shared a second hand 1996 Saxo in metallic green in our mid 20's (I think I was 26 when we got it!) We loved it. It handled so well. So much so we preferred it to our sister new Toyota Yaris MK1 (even tho it didn't have power steering unlike the Yaris)... It was just so much more fun to drive... Here's a funny story tho... The day after I bought it (it was actually paid for by my older brother), I drove it into central London and parked up to go into Fabric nightclub and the key fell down the drain at the roadside... Unable to find a way to retrieve it, My 25 year old mind reasoned what the heck! And went into the club anyway!I then came out on the Sunday morning around 6am, phoned the previous owner (she couldn't find the spare key when I bought the car but said that there was one somewhere in the house) to ask her if she could look to see if she could find it.. she said she would have a look but didn't know where it was. I called her back after half an hour and she said she'd found it! Result! I then caught a train back to my house in North West London, took my sisters Yaris to drive up to the previous owners house in the home counties (about an hour away). Then collected the spare key and drove back home to drop off my sisters Yaris, caught a train back into London to collect the stricken Saxo! Nobody knew what happened... And I got away with it... That car always has a special place in my heart... It was later confiscated by my older brother... I now longer drive... I'm 48!

Many year's ago I had a silver Citroën Saxo as a courtesy car when my Peugeot 405 1.6 GR was being fixed.

I have a 106 diesel and the first thing I tried to do was find out how to lower my seat, felt so strange at first. Even with the seat fully back I still feel a bit too close

I used to scoff at 106s, Saxos and AXs and regarded these as penalty misery shitboxes, until I recently got behind the wheel of a 1.4 106 that eventually becomes my 1st car, besides couples niggles it's indeed an endearing little nugget, and quite lively with this engine. Good review despite the limited time for the drive, you did justice to Saxos.

My stepmom is a citronista. Of course she had a Saxo a long the way. I cleaned it from time to time. It was very reliable and a low cost ownership. I liked it.

I had an AX and loved it. We had a 106 ( same as a Saxo ) hmmm not so much My Saxo GT was easy to insure and was a flying machine - everything was loose from day one but it was so much fun that was easy to ignore - oh and also I came to it from an Uno - they were grins in rattle city

So good to see that red ZX 16v appear on the screen - a car (red too) I owned in the very early 2000s and was a fantastic car and massively under rated. One of those cars I wish I hadn't sold.

I always liked the Saxo, but having rather large feet, I found the small pedals and lack of room in the footwell a little bit dangerous.

Here is a interesting Citroen Saxo fact the early non sporty versions had the three stud wheel nut arrangement, this was changed to the four stud wheel nut arrangement. I agree with you on the engine speed in this car as I had the same engine in my first car which was a Peugeot 206 which was heavier and had air conditioning fitted which you dreaded turning on due to the power it drained from the engine.

Quality, Ed ... Another Top presentation 👌 👏

I had a lowered 1998 VTS 16v Mark 1, it was like driving a turbocharged go-kart. Absolutely phenomenal handling.

Great review Ed, loving the new format with you going for a drive, I remember my Saxo which was my first car, sadly I couldn’t afford a hot version so had to make do with a shopping trolley with some chavvy bling😊

I had one of the later production run as a company car and it was a super stylish little car for the period. The only problem was the inner rear wheel arches which were razor sharp, if they didn't rip your washing sponge to pieces they were very effective at deeply slashing your fingers!

As an 80s/Early 90s base model PSA enthusiast I must say I never really liked the Saxo, the Phase 1 106 just looks so much better and the Citroens of that era just felt a bit more... bland, I guess. The TU engines are pretty much a godsend, one of the best engines ever made, especially the slightly hot TU3s of the 205 XS and GT, fitted with a proper carb they will happily stay at the redline for days. The fuel injected models never had the same torque and force the carburetted versions had. The Achille's heel of all PSA cars with the TU family is the gearbox, it's just not a good box at all. It's sloshy and notchy no matter how old the car is or how many miles it's done, and not to mention they're very temperamental when cold, in my experience takes about a good 20 minutes of driving on average to get it to shift "smoothly", and when it's really cold outside? Forget you have synchros, you'll be much faster double clutching every gear. And not to mention, especially the earlier ones just had synchros made of glass it seems, just put a new box in my 309 out of a 205 GT with really low miles, and 1st and 2nd gear are basically impossible to shift into without double clutching.

Ed’s videos are always good. He was near spot on with this one. The Saxo was a legend. The mark 1 looked way better IMHO. The other great thing Citroen did was special editions that looked like the VTR/VTS but had the 1.0/1.1 engines. I had a mark 1 Dolphin Grey car. Yokohama A032R soft compound tyres and it was untouchable on handling for a stock car.

A have a Saxo vts that a have owned for 12yrs and will be keeping her for a few more☺️

My director mate had a sporty sx I think and would literally give it me for a weekend every now and then. Bloody loved it.

I had the 1st privately owned Saxo in the North of England, 1.1 SX in Calypso Green. My dealer had it pre ordered and I collected it on the day they had their launch event. Mine was an N plate

Wow the Saxo there’s a blast from the past! ❤ I never had a Saxo but I did have a 106, it was a 98 1.5 XRD and my word it was slow 😂 mind it was super economical - we filled it up in Carlisle and drove to Belgium on one tank of diesel (probably about £30 then too!!) Three of us took that car all the way to Venice and I still remember being overtaken by HGVs going uphill on European motorways lol. My experience would be similar to what you’d find Ed in that I sold my 94 M Metro Rio for the 106. The metro 1.1 K series was like a rocket ship next to the Diesel 106, although the 106 felt the more substantial car at the time, also having luxuries such as a sunroof and alloy wheels was nice upgrade too. Plus as much as I adored my Metro I couldn’t imagine driving it to Venice - although having said that we might have got there quicker!! Excellent review as always Ed 😊

Thank you for this review.. the Saxo more or less went under my Radar. In many countries all new cars are sold with a year of free insurance. I bought 3 new cars in my years living in Thailand and all three came with a years free insurance included. Selling cars in the UK with free insurance was pure genius. Also, whilst I’m generally against the idea of buying new car on finance when a used car for the price of the deposit will often suffice, I do appreciate that it’s different if you are young and have no idea about maintaining or repairing your own car. Getting back to the free insurance in Thailand, like many countries they insure the car not the driver, so any driver is insured and age makes no difference to the price. Also in the event of an accident it’s normal for the insurance agent to attend the scene and will often write a cheque to the damaged party there and then, also there is no such thing as a write off.

Ed, many times you feature cars that I never heard of, "Like this one." Just goes to show that we can learn something new every day. Is there a Jag E-Type vid in your future ????

Really well researched and delivered.

Ed, well done on a brilliant review again I never had a Saxo and I admit I didn’t rate them at the time I instead had a Corsa B which I felt was better built and driving and had free insurance as you said which I was glad of being 22 with 3 years no claims on a new car My favourite was the clio 2 which was brilliant car and in my view did ride handling and comfort perfectly but due to demand I couldn’t get one The 106 and saxo were lovely cars and I remember the aggressive marketing and insurance deals I drove my then girlfriends 1.1 and compared to my Corsa it went well but didn’t like the driving position or gear change I did go on to buy a c3 new in 2004 which had almost identical engineering underneath which was a brilliant car They were everywhere and were cheap to buy and run many were modded and thrashed and it’s good to see a survivor look forward to next video

I had Saxo 1.1 X earlier, now driving C2 1.4 VTR. Obviously I'm very happy being a Citroënist. Actually the C2 is my third little French car in a row, first being Mk 1 Renault Clio.

Ed has activated Matty's Cars mode 🤣

This sounds very similar to my Clio 2! Also has a 60bhp engine, chuck-able handling and the weird quirks like driving position. The difference is, I see so many Clio 2s about and hardly any Saxos... Maybe it's the modified scene getting their hands on them or possibly the scrappage scheme? Either way, if you haven't driven a Clio 2, I think it will put a smile on your face 🤙

My dad had a late 2003 1.1. He did 114k miles before the cam belt snapped and sold it for £50 😂

I looked at saxo and pug 106 before I bought my 96 starlet earlier this year. Try a Suzuki swift from late 90,s to 2002 , I owned 2, great cars

I have a mk1 west coast and love it

I wouldn't be surprised, that in some, time this guy will have its car programme in TV.

Thanks for another great in depth video on a little Saxo. Would love to see you do one & test ride a Nissan Micra K11.

I Own a black VTR and a 1990 cadilliac sadan deville, i love the 106 too

I love the Saxo and for the driving position take the saxo seat out and the 106 seat in it's the same fittings, but for me I liked the higher seat.

Cracking review as ever. I had one when I was 18, car was 3 yrs old at the time. A 1.1. Wasn't a good car, Headgasket blew, wipers rattled, and was incredibly cheaply built. Also I found it uncomfortable to drive due to the offset driving position. I disagree that the pedals were in front of you, to me I felt like I was twisted slightly to one side. Renault were offering the free insurance too, after the awful Saxo, I bought a slightly better brand new Clio.

I remember being put off the Saxo when I test drove one due to the very high seating position. You sit quite a bit lower in a 106

Ed Yet another well researched and presented video, even within a very limited timescale and road test. To be frank I do not know how you do it! Do you have a team of researchers and compilers, a willing, patient and undemanding partner who obviously allows you the time and space to provide we keen viewers with such unique, informative and entertaining tests? Whatever, we are 'bleep, bleep' lucky as each one is fresh, engaging and totally enjoyable. As one who once both enjoyed my driving, as well as horse riding, all I can say is "Many Thanks and Trot on"! Robert

Actually, i think the Citroën AX GT can claim that crown, sub 900kg of carb fed lunacy. I had two, and somehow survived!

Very entertaining video with great insights.

They where good cars in it’s time, I used to have the 1500cc Diesel version as a company car, I used to drive to Bradford and back in one, I found them fun to drive, but no good in a accident tho, i wrote 2 off as a company car… then they switched from the Saxo to the Citroen C3. Which felt like luxury compared to the saxo . However I did buy a diesel saxo of my old company for £1200 and sold it for £1800.. lol..

It's my first car and I love her

The East Coast / West Coast special editions were the polar opposites of the interior you’ve got there. Perhaps better suited the Saxo’s character. I remember the electric window switches being one of the most frustrating design faults - being hidden down by the handbrake.

saw you at the nec but never got a chance to say anything haha

I guess you can go back as far as Pug 104/Citroen LN(A) for the first 'conventional' Citroen.

Time to try my first car a Polo 6n (mark 3) which was regarded as class leading back in 1995 in until 4th generation fiesta came out and competed well with your saxos and rover metros. It was very grown up and solid. But now I suspect the gulf in plastic quality between them will be much less than you'd think when you're used to modern cars (all 90s interiors are pretty cheap let's be honest) and I suspect the heavy feel will make the others actually feel better to drive. It was not a B road car, nice in town though and similar engine (all low and mid range, little too end). The GTi polo was not particularly impressive when compared to saxo vts either. Be interesting to see how the polo 3 holds up in today's world. Like any first car I miss it. Bright green pistachio colour (was originally my mum's) and all.

For some of us who are a bit older, it’s very hard to imagine these cars especially the poverty spec models as being worth any substantial money as a classic. Basic versions years ago were about as throw away as a car could get.

As you described this car hinting at the feminine lines and in the internal design of the small pedal box and high seat actually perfect for the smaller frame in other words perfect for the female driver as I can vouch when I get in to my car after my wife has driven it, I can’t without moving the seat back then my head is implanted in the roof while I frantically lower the seat 😂. Back in the 80’s/90’s the manufacturers were brilliant at targeting their models at the customers where they could get the most sales it would probably be described as discrimination in todays world. Nice review though.

You was somebody if you had the VTS with its 16v engine and rear brake discs LOL

I have a 2002 "Exclusive", different level yet and very rare. I have a rarer "weekender"... When will we get Your take on X-Type? Love your Channel. Cheers

I'd love a vtr/vts if it was In mint nic. They made a couple of limited editions with slightly wackier interiors

Is it just my imagination, or do Citroën and Peugeot have a gift for pushing the rear wheels on their hatches WAAAY back to the corners that is unmatched? Seems like it would give impressive rear seat room and longer wheelbase for better ride.

A friend had one a few years back, admittedly hers was an old example but it felt so incredibly flimsy I don't think it would have survived well even in a small crash. Shame really because as you say it's dynamics and design were good but just incredibly cheaply made. Good review Ed

Okay, how was this posted 40 minutes ago but the first comment was 3 days ago?🤔

those seats are very mild for a saxo! they have their "quirks", like chocolate gearboxes that feel like stirring porrige, lackluster brakes, awful, even woeful pedal position and blocked drainage ducts, but find a non PAS car and you've got a fantastic budget drivers car. I think the mk1 106 is the best looker, followed closely by the pre facelift saxo, then facelift saxo then the facelifted 106. great cars though. plenty of these 1.1's get well over 150-200k miles with basic maintence.. if the sunroof drains get cleared anyway 😂 106 1.4 xsi would be the one to have for me, the rallye's lesser known brother. or option 2: an incredibly rare open scandal (shown at 16:04), with a huge sunroof, ideally with a motor from a gti and some mods :D

Very instable at high speed over 80kmph

I love you

ramblers rest

I have a mk1 saxo vtr it was modified about 16 odd years ago is got a body kit and big speakers is got there vts engine everyone tells me is ruined but my answer to that is is already been butchered doing more to it won't hurt it and it was a car that asked to be modified from day one just there rear torsion bar is annoying to lower it I got mine lowered now when I got it was still on standard hight is funny there amount of people now making like the 1.1 saxo's vtr reps or putting the vtr engine in them as more get to far gone with rot more engines and parts come available my vtr had to have alot of welding properly more than it was worth but I want to cruise about in my vtr and show the financed fiesta boys that don't dare cut up there new fiesta no pop bang remap needed just natural pops from the 16v engine

Jump-started the UK hot hatch market? Yeah, right! I must have imagined all those Golfs, Sciroccos, XR2s and 205 GTIs back in the 80s. I usually enjoy your videos, but this is just plain wrong.

Stop putting the value up I'm trying to buy a cheap vtr