Sorry to hear this. Opron designed the facelifted DS (the one with the turning headlights), the SM, the CX, the GS - in short, the interesting Citroens!
Fun fact, the UK television companies used to mount their TV cameras on top of Citroens when filming close up moving scenes such as horse racing, due to the vibration absorption of Hydropneumatic suspension.
@@trabucusmaximus5846 - No, in those days you could see it on the road. I'm not from UK and that was a common sight. Example bicycle races, etc. There was always Citroen's with cameras. Understanding the level of comfort goes beyond words. For people not used to a decent Citroen. But let me put it this way. Rolls Royce used Citroen type suspension made under license! That should put things into perspective. ;-)
@@Toro_Da_Corsa My father had it on his CX and later on his BX Sport (a Citroen car almost as cool as the SM which had the Maserati engine) . Heavy suspension but really comfy.
"Why they didn't put cup holders in, nobody knows." Imagine thinking the French would ever degenerate to the point of consuming their _cuisine_ in the car...
No, this is a specific citroen problem. I had 2 citroens ( year 1999 and year 2011), no cupholder in the first. In the second the cupholder was under the armrest. I had to buy a chinese aftermarket cupholder...
We take coffee during the breakfast, before taking the car to go to work. And when we travel we never take coffee inside the car. Coffee means little quantity/ high quality product, social moment around a table or in a bar, should not be like a soda in a huge mug. Cultural difference.
As a french I got to admit, really strange era for our cars back then. But one thing is true, especially about Citroen: they dared to try new things. What sadly no manufacturer does anymore today.
The Citroën DS built from 1955 - 1975 was a very unique, different car , but it was genious, very ahead of its time and very practical and reasonable at the same time. Nothing is really quirky on it at all, since all makes perfect sense. This does not apply to the Citroën CX as presented here. I am pretty sure that the designers and ingenieers were not quite the same on both cars. The innovations here act more deliberate and not well elaborate from a practical and stylistical standpoint.
My father has a old DS and my mom used to have this exact car, I learn to drive on that car. I wish I have one here in Canada, but I don't think they would do nice in the winter. We lived in France when I was younger, after we got out of DDR. These cars feel like they were glued on the road no matter how fast you may drive. The handling was spectacular even by today standards. I got her older SM model as a "almost" hand me down car, as my parents were very strict about money so I had to bought it at the same price they would have sold it. It was blue green.
@@edwinstuiver653 exactly my point. My neighbour who was a doctor had a white one in the early 80s and his was a MK1 70’s model with chrome bumpers he really cherished it! He also had a Triumph Herald in the garage which was also white and in minty condition that only came out on sunny days though.
the BBC had a whole fleet of DS safaris ( estates) for filming horse races they kept them running for decades because nothing could come close to their ride
Finally, It's about dam time. If you want "quirky" it doesn't get much more quirky than old Citroen's. These cars are all over Europe, especially in Paris. I love the unique French and Swedish cars. This looks so beautiful. Im so glad the owners took great care of it over the years. Thank you.
Hi Doug, Prestige is in this model because it is a petrol long wheel base, other facts are the diesel long wheel base models were called "limousine". Both prestige and limousine came with upholstery in the trunk, the rest of the models were less luxurious even in the trunk. This is a phase 2. The short wheel base turbo's came also with that "T" in the wheels. Phase one is more sought after because of the bumpers were chrome and the lens gauges. It was a rotating gage that tells you the speed with a lens. It's really cool. Another fact in these citroën is anything you see that looks chrome is actually stainless steel. Not even Mercedes had that quality back in the day. The rear window doesn't need wiper due to its concavity and the drag cx is improved with that. There's also a Infrarred remote so you can open the car with a button (not so common in that era at least in europe). I hope you review a DS23 with the semi-automatic gearbox (no clutch but you select gears with a lever behind the wheel) or a phase one. Rolls royce and Mercedes bought the patent for the suspension but couldn't match the ride quality they had. The moose test record is for the 90's Xantia V6 activa with an evolution of this suspension. Citroën is so underrated in the states and also in europe.
I'm a woodworker so I can't let this oversight by Doug go away. Was that really a Citroen, or did someone just tape the name Citroen onto a Chevy Citation?
@@jerrycomo2736 No, Chevy Citations had split-shaft stereos, which were mounted sideways in the dashboard between the gauges and the heater controls. Funny joke, though. lol
Actually not.In the original car,it was there that you put your cassette tapes because the cassette tape reader was there,the aftermaket radio is in the right place of the original Citroen radio,plus the 4 blank switches were actually where it was the media controls for the cassettes(Play/Pause,Previous/Forward Track,Insert Cassette and Eject Cassette)
Fun fact: my grand-uncle was a diplomat in Paris in the eighties. He owned one of these that he bought new. When I went for a visit as a kid, he drive us around in it. Coming from the US, it was totally wild. That suspension: it absolutely glides over the cobblestone streets. Incredible.
Curved rear window uses aerodynamics to clear the window of rain and dirt. Travelling fast in the rain is amazing as both front and rear windows shed the rain and the single wiper throws the rain off the screen instead of over to the other wiper blade. The CX PRESTIGE is true French Excellence. Performance was remarkably good both acceleration and top speed of 130 mph with rock solid stability.
I had a 1978 CX Prestige 2400 EFI 5 speed with leather for 4 years in UK, Europe and back to Australia. Fabulous fun and formidable high speed tourer. After 7 ID/DSs and 3GSs... The best of all of those except no turning headlights..
When I was a teenager, my father had such a CX. Friends and I used to simply spend time in it, in the garage, listening to 80s synth music. We pretended we were in a spaceship. Good old times...
@@TheJnkh If you want an idea of what we listened to in the 80s and 90s in a Citroen in France, on a Sunday, on the way to visit grandma, I invite you to listen to "Tomber du ciel" by Jacques Higelin or "Vertine de l'amour" or "Madame rêve" by Alain Bashung.
That was the idea. Maybe it worked in France. Like the front wipers, which had two speeds: 1 for rain, 2 for truly miserable weather. That means, of course, truly miserable *French* weather. Which, in every other country, would be considered "mild rain".
I had 3 of these cars over the years, very nice and easy to drive, loved it. Fun facts: the suspension is connected with the breakes and the power steering, the cars weight hold up the system pressure if an engine failure accrued. So if you drive down a hill and the engine shuts of, you have full functionality for your safety for at least a mile, enough to stop on a save place. And if you have a flat tire, pump it up to high, set the extended jack under the frame, lower the car and change the wheel. The car is wider on the front axle and the engine makes it nose heavy. So if you don't have a spare tire, take a wheel from the rear, the car recognizes the missing wheel and pull up the axle wing and you can drive home on 3 wheels at a slower speed. Later after the CX came the XM, it was still a little bit quirky but they choose to go more normal for the market.
Hi, I am a Frenchman, and mostly a Peugeot fan :) I love the CX though, but let me say one thing: this is not a weird or quirky car, this is a CITROEN! And the name says it all I think! Citroëns have always stood apart, and maybe that's a reason why they are so loveable and desirable! This particular model is a Prestige and has a longer wheelbase, hence all the space at the rear seats. Not all CXs had so much space for your legs. I really loved your review and discovering a few unique details I was not aware of! Cheers!
Agree your comment has mmore research than dougs video! He seems more interested in promoting his website than research the car his making a video from. bad work Doug. We want more from your videos... you just sounded like a texas dealer wich is trying to sell something he doesnt know.
@@CabezaCM dude. A car can be quirky and good at the same time. Weird but memorable. It all stems from opinion. Each car is an art piece from different artists. And just like any art piece, it can and should be criticized. Otherwise where’s the diversity?
After an epic introduction into how strange and quirky this car is, he starts explaining the dashboard and controls and I'm, like, "wait a minute, that's not strange, it's quite logical". BTW I thought that trigger-door-handle would have been a major selling point in the US.
@Hayden Royer There ain't any sarcasm, these leather seats are really more comfortable than any seat of today's cars. Of course they aren't enveloping at all nor suited for curvy little roads. But in their natural environment (highways and autobahn), there's nothing like this, especially with the hydropneumatic suspension. I've practiced these seats many times and even my sofa isn't as comfortable.
I had two of these in the 80's and they were fantastic! Not only the suspension was wonderful, but also the view you had as a driver. Yes, there was only one windshield wiper, but it was in rest position on the passenger side, so not in view... Steering could be done with one finger and the fact that the steering wheel automatically returned to straight ahead meant that you got tired much less quickly after hours of driving. All the passengers I took with me also loved it…. None of them ever said it was a weird car.
@@Samy-bu1ze Just watch the video.Then you know for yourself. Just ONE example: If the indicator is activated by a simple button that is more difficult to reach than the ergonomic indicator levers known in all other cars, this looks just plain stupid. Even more so if you consider that the indicator always has to be deactivated manually. All this is as unergonomic as could be. There are many other examples, just watch the video objectively without the filter of confirmation bias.
We had the estate version. When the Berlin wall fell I was a small child but my father was very excited and we loaded up the car with all sorts of capitalist trappings and drove from the Ireland to East Germany to see our family. Seeing this brings back happy memories of that time! 🙂
Man thats awesome and i fully agree ! This is probably the best french car ever made and its shockingly reliable. What model does your uncle have ? Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪
@@aaronw.332 It's CX 25 GTi Turbo, 1985. with 122 kW or 164 horse powers. It's so fast, it can't reach a top speed of 220 km/h and that's like ( 137 mph ). It has 2.5 L fuel - injected I4 with turbocharger and intercooler. Trust me, so so good ! 👍
@@Vm94-p7u thats great man, i've never been in a Turbo. My dad has one it was our daily driver back when i was in highschool. But that was in the late 2000s so a CX as a daily driver was lets just say unusual. But it's not a Turbo and not the prestige. It's the Standard 2.5 litre petrol with 89 Kw, not much power but its a delight to drive. Oh and probably best of all, it's the break. It's rediculous, it's literally a giant empty stylish brick and you just have to love it.
Oh man this review brought tears to my eyes. My now deceased grandfather in Sweden had one of these in the late 1980s and I have been in love with it ever since.
“The aftermarket cup holders where designed for this particular car” _...shows eBay cup holder with wood glued to the bottom wrapped in electrical tape_
Well technically that statement is true, the design went through several phases; "Grab a regular cupholder, glue a piece of wood to the bottom, make it fit with tape".
So true 😂😂 i'm french, and i know a lot of things about this car.. it was really popular at the time.. but it's the first time i see this cup holder.. he make me smiling when he said this 😂 no hesitation, it's from ebay 😂 By the way, Fun fact, in the 80's, french cars didn't have cup holders.. because it was not allowed to drink or eat in a car for security.. and fast food like Mc donald's was not really popular in france at the time.. so we didn't use it ;)
The rear windshield is concave so as to let rainwater go off of it faster when the car is moving and the air flows over it and, as a result, rearward visibility is not impeded by any raindrops that could stain it otherwise. That's why the CX (edit: and the C6 and the 2nd generation of the C5) has no rear windshield wiper.
You're welcome! :-D Yeah, it really got me thinking! How come Doug forgot about such a detail? It's one of the details that defined the overall design of the CX!
@@alekvassinskiy1286 Hate to say it but he usually doesnt. I like him, but he doesnt do all that much research into the cars he reviews. There are tons of similar quirks he has missed over the years. Still one of the best for showing unusual stuff though.
Other benefits of the self levelling adjustable hydropneumatic suspension includes.... Nothing compares to it in floods, snow, mud. Raise up to help elderly get in or out. Car has load proportioning brakes to suspension.. squats under heavy braking according to weight of passengers and luggage... No nose diving. Actually increases weight to both front and rear wheels under heavy braking. Superb high speed tourer. Fast 135 mph. Front or rear flat tire, no loss of control. No jack needed for changing tyres. Best tow car ever... With long wheel base and self levelling suspension for towing a boat or caravan.. very stable. Also don't need to wind jockey wheel to disconnect or connect... Raise or lower suspension. If given basic suspension service of changing the LHM fluid and filter every few years is very reliable. Screw off spheres once every ten years to keep ride standard.
The thing is, early Citroens had lots of innovations that were copied by others. But I guess at some point they ran out of popular ideas, so to keep up the reputation the new innovations became more far-fetched and weird.
Legally, this is not a Citroën, since they left the U.S. market in 1974. It was sold here by one of several companies which bought CXes in Europe, converted them to U.S. specifications, and sold and serviced them here through their own dealerships. Many people who bought these cars in the U.S. then converted them back to European-spec headlights and reapplied the Citroën badges that had been removed by the importer. Despite lack of advertising, high prices (about $40k to $50k), and legal pressure from Citroën to stop doing so, about 1000 CXes were sold in the U.S. by these importers in the 1980s.
As a French I am quite proud that you reviewed this amazing car. I personally own a Citroën CX, BX, ZX and a Xantia and I am about to buy a XM. They are really good pieces of engineering.
My dad bought a car like this from the first owner in Italy back in 1987, it was just 3 years old. What a great car it was. By the way, the "Prestige" means it has a longer wheelbase than the standard version.
Probably as much as American V8 barges had at the time. The Mercedes 450 SEL had only 225hp. That's top of the range S-class (not counting the very rare 6.9)!
So beautiful... I always thought of the CX as a spaceship. Citroen lost its magic with or after XM. And look at SM, it's so cool. Long live the avantgarde corkiness of Citroen.
Yeah i agree, c6 was a good try to come back to this era but people just want ordinary, cheap, boring and expendable small cars or SUVs. C5 mk1 was kind of a cool car to me but not nearly as cool as cx or xm.
So this beauty rolled off the line in 1974.... Just look at the competition back then. This thing looked like it came from space. These cars were extremely comfortable for long distances and, the suspension was actually not complicated at all. Citroen were true innovators and pushed the boundaries of design and development decades ahead of the competition. Try and get a Citroen XM V6 3.0 24 valve out for testing.... They were incredible cars.
Doug, Citroëns designed in the 70s didn't require large engines due to their extremely low drag, heavily streamlined shape & design, the spats over the rear wheels also help reduce drag! Dashboard fingertip controls were called "satellite pods" oh and pretty much every Citroën car/model made between 1955 & 1990 had a single spoke steering wheel!
Precisely, the drag coefficient of this car and even older Citroen's were decades ahead of their times (see the DS for example). Worth noting is not the acceleration, but rather the top speed which is ample from a relatively small engine. No one said it was a sports car.
Citroëns have small engines by American standards due to the heavy displacement (CV) tax, high fuel prices and high fuel taxes. The older 2CVs have two-spoke steering wheels. CV = Cheval Vapeur, Horse Steam, steam horsepower. A curious measurement of horsepower based upon the stroke and bore × number of cylinders. The 2CV = 2 steam horsepower, 375 cm³, 7½ BHP.
Having been a passenger when we had a front wheel blow out at 85mph in a CX Safari, I am extremely grateful for the automatic self centering as the car was able to be bought safely to a halt with the front tyre actually on fire by the time we stopped! An amazing technology tour de force, one of the most comfortable cars my family ever owned.
Not quite sure I under stand this. Would any driver let go of the wheel during a blowout? I have had a blowout in a 'normal' car at motorway speed and I just kept steering straight as you should. Self-centering wouldn't change that.
@@AndrewVanDay having seen someone with a blowout on the motorway flip then its not always the case. Also if your doing >80 when you have the blowout then as the amount of assistance given in the CX is inverseley speed dependent it works extremely well and is much safer than normal power assistance etc.
@@AndrewVanDay yeah having a "self centering" steering wheel would not help you in any way if you had a tire blow out. You're hands would never leave the wheel regardless of whether its a "self centering" or regular wheel lol
@@Ladd_BMW I'm wondering if the poster meant the self levelling of the suspension, rather than self centering of the wheel. Perhaps it would stop the blown out side suddenly dropping and making the car harder to keep under control? Just a thought
The one thing you probably had no time to try is the CX over 500 miles with 4 people and luggage…The level of comfort is unique. Although tons of Turbo badges the car was designed for comfort. But yes quite a few odd things like the spare wheel placement (next to electric cables) the radio, the trunk instead of a hatch and the steering which was hard to get used to. Great video!
Doug, this shelf over glovebox was to accomodate ladies' handbags or purses. It's French car, after all ;) EDIT: Also, the concave rear glass is to help get the dirt and rain off, hence no rear wiper.
and why do Americans always complain about small glove compartments? The cubby is designed to hold the papers, the operators manual, and theoretically, gloves... not a gallon of milk.
Yeah,but he said many times he won't travel to another place just to review a car,there are some exceptions:if it's exceedingly rare like the ferrari enzo,or if he's in that place for other reasons
I love how Doug made fun of all the TURBO! badges and the fact that it made 170 HP from 2.5L I4 (it was 70' after all) , while America had 7L V8's putting out similar power with like 3 times the fuel consumption. I guess they thought small displacement can only be replaced by bigger displacement. :D
@@lukasrojko5455 but the push rod engine isn't really eager to rev, it takes time to make it move. those giant pistons and their weight. pretty sure you would die to ride a "Ford Escort Cossworth" or "Lancia Delta HF integrale" 2.0 turbo with 220 HP+ ( and very easily to power up over 350 HP, just tinkering with the turbo) and still leave most standard cars behind with a V8 or without, you would probably would get scared aswel. the Citroen AX 1.1 (1100cc) was faster from 0 to 60km/h than a BWM 750i v12. you would bite the dust in a city even though having a huge engine.
American cars are ridiculous, gasconsuming monsters, made by people with out the slightest idea of motorbuilding, first now 20 years after they start to copy european motor builders forced by environmental catastrophic causes/ forrest fires / storms/ poisoned groundwaters ect. They destroyed there country sorry to say
@@bergatube60 having watched a lot of Doug, plenty of hoovy tec. im increasingly of the opinion that as a general rule no american has a clue about cars, especially when it comes to design.
I used to work on Citroens in the early 1980's in the UK. Here's a bit of technical information regarding the suspension and steering of the CX. The floor of the CX was slightly concaved. This reduced air pressure under the car as the speed increased and would try to pull the car down, but the suspension would keep the car at a constant ride height by stiffening the suspension, which you never noticed. The steering was "powered" by the high pressure hydraulics that provided the power to the brakes and suspension. That's why when stationery with the engine running you could turn the steering wheel with one finger, let it go and it would self centre. But as the road speed increased, the steering would get progressively heavier, due to a mechanical governor that runs off the speedo drive. I know it works, because I've tested it, and at 100mph you can barely turn the steering wheel.
It’s like somebody told the people at Citroen that cars have headlight switches and door handles, but they had never been in another car before. I love it.
They probably are better function wise than most others, since you can use them without letting go of the steering wheel, and have a firm grip of the door even when opening it. Shame it didnt catch on. Sometimes people are just a bit to conservative.
Weird, yes, but so so cool. This car does things differently and with fearless inventiveness. I bet this drive stays in Doug's memory way more than most cars.
Citroën's hydropneumatic suspension really is something else. In fact, it keeps the car level in corners so much that the Citroen Xantia (which was equipped with a newer version of the system) still holds the speed record for the moose test- an evasive manoeuvring test for cars.
It's called Xantia Activa. I have Xantia hydroactive - it's a little bit better than normal version in corners. Xantia and all hydropneumatic cars have so different feelings than normal suspension system. You can even drive it on 3 wheels :D
@@maciejdonczyk1146 I remember my dad driving on 3 wheels home in a DS after a puncture. The old Citroens could do something others could not. Fantastic cars back then.
Had to avoid a wild animal while driving my father's Xantia, LEFTRIGHT just like that in a blink of an eye. Hadn't I drove this particular car at that moment I probably would've totaled the car and injured myself, or even others.
I had the turbo diesel version about 25 years ago. It was super comfortable on long journeys, did 39.4 mpg no matter what way you drove it, Very quirky until you got well used to it especially the steering. The steering got heavier the faster you drove but if you braked hard to turn at a junction you suddenly had super light steering. It almost felt as if the steering wheel had come loose. With the suspension fully raised (use the lever between the seats) you actually had more ground clearance than a range rover but the car was rock solid ie no suspension so if you were off road you had to go very slow BUT you could go where no man had ever gone before in a car, any other non quirky car would have been stuck. When taking the kids to school in the morning we used to get tailgaters on our little narrow country road. All you had to do was step on the gas till the turbo kicked in . The boys used to watch out of the rear window as the tailgaters disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Apparently the aluminum blocks were sometimes prone to be a bit porous and eventually I let my cx go. Memories, memories!!
I had a CX Pallas in 77’. It was one of the most satisfyingly beautiful cars I’ve owned. It was a motorway car with no drag and no wind noise. No Sports Car just a luxurious ride with controls at your finger tips. Great car in its time. If Honda built a car like this today - I’d buy it in a heart beat
I never went beyond the C5 as a company car, because my allowance was limited, before that came three 2CV's , a GS 1220 Convertisseur, a GSA, a BX16TRI and both a Xantia 1.8 and a 2.0. We just said goodbye to our Saxo 1.4i after 21 years of impeccable service and now drive the C3 with a Turbo inside: quite standard car actually. All Citroens have a certain comforty feeling in them and especially the later Hydractive II suspension of the C5 when switched to sports had supple, still somewhat firmed-up feel about it. A pity Citroen stopped this system.
I believe the rear window glass was shaped that way to create a low pressure area so rain water would evaporate more quickly and they didn't need to use a rear wiper.
As a European (actually as a German) I love to see Doug mentioning little things about European cars, that are not common on American cars, so that they are strange for him but normal for me
Yeah, I feel kinda proud watching these videos and I'm not even French (I'm Dutch). If Doug would spend a year in Europe reviewing weird European cars I'm sure it would be a blast.
Here in the UK, they looked great but the seats all fell to pieces. I remember lots of these cars going to auction when they were still a current model. LOVELY seats, but sunlight made the cloth decay. All the fake velvet turned to dust. The trim fell off because it was badly glued.
We can talk about reliability of any make of car. Ive seen different makes of cars to break down. As for the citroen being different, its okay being different.
@@raypurchase801 The seats on Prestige versions aren't fake velvet but real leather, as good as the Renault 25 Baccara Connolly leather seats. TBF, even on BMW series 3 or 5 of the same era you can also find shitty fabric seats that aren't even comfortable. From a 1982 316 e21 owner.
I had a cx in Australia ( mid 80's ) sedan ; a lovely car indeed , The SM was the flagship luxury model . Citroen's have always been designed with safety as a priority .
it's the only car I've slept while riding in excluding my dads Audi when I was a child, but it turns more into a Titanic when you get on an onramp lmao.
I had one of these when I lived in Germany ~ VERY COOL car! In the eighties this looked very new-age and beautiful. So comfy! It made Autobahn driving feel much safer.. once we were driving about 95 MPH and there was a BRICK in the road which, at 100mph would be a serious issue, husband barely turned the steering wheel and the car glided around it, no problem at all (hydropneumatic suspension) which I’m really surprised you didn’t mention. - I mean, how many cars lower themselves when not in use and raise up again when you’re ready to cruise Europe? It was a great car however there was ALWAYS something that needed to be repaired, but I LOVED it and wish I still had it.
This car was very popular in Europe, I myself have often travelled in one of these first series cars back in the 70's and it was a really innovative vehicle at that time and even today. I am not French but I was very proud to have seen this CX in America, a real discovery as I am passionate about French cars, not in vain in my house we have three vehicles and all three are Made in France. Thanks for the video and best regards from Madrid, Spain.
It was only popular in France since it were french. And among some cult members in other countries. PSA only survived through the years due to heavy contributions from the french state.
They are popular because we are their neighbours, plus there are French factories located in Spain and Spanish automotive history is very much linked to French cars, of course the Seat, which are "Spanish" (actually they are German) are very abundant but the market share of French cars is very high here. We currently have two Renaults and a Peugeot and they are very reliable and tough cars.
It is true that PSA is a French national product because the state has a huge stake in it, but the CX was very popular here in Spain as well, it was the luxurious and high performance evolution of the Citroën GS, which in turn was the logical (and economical) evolution of the DS. I have had the opportunity to travel in both CX and GS as well as Visa and other models and I have to say that they are very comfortable cars and well suited to the winding European roads, at least those of my country, full of potholes in those years.
After having a CX for some years I discovered traffic calming speed bumps dissappear completely when you go over them at high speed. The trick I learned was when seeing one in distance was to pre-plan to accelerate hard just before it and then slow down after cleared it. If you have a CX try it, you'll be amazed!!
It works on xantia and C5 as well. I do it all the time on my old c5 but i find it to be dangerous as fk, not for me but for the pedestrians who always assume I’m gonna slow down so they carelessly cross the road until they see me going like madman on those speedbumps, had a few situations where i scared the fk of some people. Although i have to admit i love to do it when some gay BMW driver gets on my back, i get over the bump full throttle and watch him in mirror smash his suspension trying to keep up with me lol.
@@SKANK_HUNT49 Average american cars of the era were not able to follow the CX on the highway or/and mountain roads... Some of them should find it difficult today...
Some old BMW models, like the E12 and the E21, also had door latches which were operated with a lever inside the handle. Only that you inserted your hand downward, and you could pull the lever with all four fingers. Very comfortable. Texans: "Got it. Lever-action carbine."
@@deepfriedpotatoes9888 it still matters when u do 100kmh maybe not as much but citroen to this day still often have a better drag coefficient than modern cars, take the ds, cx and sm. All the little bits combined help, maybe not for speed but for fuel efficiency.
Car companies conduct focus groups to help them design cars that end up being all the same. The French companies conduct focus groups, shrug at the results and do whatever the hell they intended to do in the first place. You've got to love that.
"Prestige" does not mean only that this is especially luxurious model, it gives the hint that this model has a one feet longer wheelbase than the "conventional" CX limousine for self-driver. Meaning this model was prepared for chauffeur- service the boss sits in the back.
That's how, some of them were used, prestige actually added about 25cm in length to the standard wheelbase... However citroen had already been producing the chauffer variant of the car, it was designated pallas...
Indeed, for the normal versions they used Pallas for the more luxurious interiors. As an example the DS were fitted with chrome handle bars instead of gray plastic on the inside.
It has always been a joy to drive these cars and I actually miss them. The suspension mechanics are quite simple to understand, one just would need a special tool to fix it even at home. They were not delicate, just different.
My childhood family hauler was an '86 Peugeot 505 Turbo Station Wagon. My parents bought it new and we kept it for close to 15 years. It had a cool turbo noise, heated leather and plenty of room even for our family of 5. If you get a chance to test drive one of these, I would be the happiest viewer ever. Thanks for the cool video, Doug!
Citroen with their DS, and CX were just bringing spaceships to the market, these cars were nothing like the cars from the same period, it was a revolution
This car was a spaceship in eastern europe in the '90. My favorite car ever. Black paint and brown interior was epic. Best looking seats and dash by far. Thank you Doug for this, brings back some memories....i highly apreciate
You forgot a great quark of that CX: the doors mirrors. Lotus used the CX wing mirrors on the esprit, TVR on Griffith and Chimera, Aston Martin used them on a number of cars, including vantage and DB7 and more surprisingly, the Jaguar XJ220 uses the CX wing mirrors!
The suspension on these was so smooth, they used them for filming horse racing in the UK. It could travel alongside the course and the camera would stay perfectly straight - like a large french gimbal
Fun fact: The Citroën Xantia Activa, a special edition Xantia with an upgraded suspension, is the best ranking car at the moose test. That means it is one of the most stable cars ever manufactured. A real shame they stopped producing those hydropneumatic suspensions.
I believe he's selling this car a bit short on the handling too. Yes, it's unapologetically front wheel drive and build for comfort, but it's got a much better comfort/body roll ratio than any conventionally sprung car till very long after. The engine so far in front helps in the snow, it sits like a rock at high speed on the Autobahn helped by the onconventional steering and it can be thrown about without drama or surprise. It will understeer and roll, but keep going in the right direction, the rear will follow the front.
My father has one and I've driven it around Greece. It felt like it was all over the place but it does what you ask it to do. It takes a bit of time to understand how the suspension works and feel but it is truly amazing.
@@panpan-vz3om He is right. Its suspension was the best so that Rolls-Royce and Mercedes purchased the rights to fit it to their best models. Even the Audi A8 had a version of Citroen suspension. In fact, despite the roll and the smoothness of the suspension, you could push it and it would handle the curves very well, much better then most luxury cars of its days. It was also so ahead of its time with all its engineering advances. It also had the first gradual steering assist meaning that full assist when parking but no assist at 100 km/h allowing direct feel of the road.
@@pap_chr5063 Todays Citroens are besed on their Peugot sister models, they are sharing platforms, motors etc. Citroen, Peugot and DS belong to PSA which itself is part of Stellantis. DS startet as a premium division of Citroen. So, if todays Citroens are rubbish, so are Peugot and DS.
Citroen cars aren't weird, they're just different, many would say innovative. I loved the way the company were never afraid to do things their own way, not the way everyone else did it. If any other manufacturers, came out with designs and ideas anything like Citroen they would have been known as concept cars, but with Citroen they were known as production cars.
A fantastic car. I bought one like this 16 years ago and as I engaged with the car I realised it wasn’t weird at all but that Citroen had found different answers. The ride and comfort is superb. I don’t agree with Doug re performance - it has to be judged contextually. It is a fast car. I still own the same car today and it shares garage space with an Aston and a Lotus. If i want a real story, entertainment, or just unrivalled comfort I take the CX. It is superb and when out on the road it draws positive attention. Citroens of this era are very special cars. And Robert Opron the designer was very gifted. An amazing legacy.
Totally agree. It’s not weird, it’s original. Cars these days are too alike. Amazing design. This ‘review’ is simply annoying. Do some research please before presenting. There are specific reasons why things work the way they do... like self-centering steering and no-cancel indicators. This guy clearly has no clue about Citroëns! *facepalm*
BTW, Mr. De Muro, Citroën is pronounced like “seetroenn”, not “citron”, which is lemon in French (the fruit, not lemon as in bad car like we say here in the States. In France, that would be “une voiture pourie”-a rotten car- or sometimes “un four”- pronounced “foor”- literally an oven, which is about as immobile as you can imagine). This car was all of it in French luxury back in the day, along with the now largely forgotten Peugeot 604 and the Renault 20 and 30 models. I had the chance to rent a brand new Xantia in ‘95 when I was over there, and that was a blast.
Great tribute to the designer of the CX; Robert Opron. He passed away last week aged 89.
That's so sad. The Citroen SM, also his design, is very high on my "if I win the lottery"-list.
Sorry to hear this. Opron designed the facelifted DS (the one with the turning headlights), the SM, the CX, the GS - in short, the interesting Citroens!
It’s pronounced “cit-rin”
thank you for the info
RIP, a true visionary with amazing design taste
Fun fact, the UK television companies used to mount their TV cameras on top of Citroens when filming close up moving scenes such as horse racing, due to the vibration absorption of Hydropneumatic suspension.
you saw that in Top Gear
@@trabucusmaximus5846 I'm in my mid-sixty's, I used to go to the horse racing meets decades ago.
@@trabucusmaximus5846 - No, in those days you could see it on the road. I'm not from UK and that was a common sight.
Example bicycle races, etc. There was always Citroen's with cameras.
Understanding the level of comfort goes beyond words. For people not used to a decent Citroen.
But let me put it this way. Rolls Royce used Citroen type suspension made under license! That should put things into perspective. ;-)
I consider myself a pretty well rounded car guy. and i never heard of this suspension. mind blown
@@Toro_Da_Corsa My father had it on his CX and later on his BX Sport (a Citroen car almost as cool as the SM which had the Maserati engine) .
Heavy suspension but really comfy.
"Why they didn't put cup holders in, nobody knows."
Imagine thinking the French would ever degenerate to the point of consuming their _cuisine_ in the car...
Cars are for smoking.
@@kanalnamn This one certainly is.
No, this is a specific citroen problem. I had 2 citroens ( year 1999 and year 2011), no cupholder in the first. In the second the cupholder was under the armrest. I had to buy a chinese aftermarket cupholder...
We take coffee during the breakfast, before taking the car to go to work. And when we travel we never take coffee inside the car. Coffee means little quantity/ high quality product, social moment around a table or in a bar, should not be like a soda in a huge mug. Cultural difference.
Water is cuisine?
As a french I got to admit, really strange era for our cars back then. But one thing is true, especially about Citroen: they dared to try new things. What sadly no manufacturer does anymore today.
Citroen and Renault were very adventurous. The R5 was genius. I wish cars were a little more French. They're all the same now.
Most of these designs are genius. It's more intuitive.
The Citroën DS built from 1955 - 1975 was a very unique, different car , but it was genious, very ahead of its time and very practical and reasonable at the same time. Nothing is really quirky on it at all, since all makes perfect sense. This does not apply to the Citroën CX as presented here. I am pretty sure that the designers and ingenieers were not quite the same on both cars. The innovations here act more deliberate and not well elaborate from a practical and stylistical standpoint.
My father has a old DS and my mom used to have this exact car, I learn to drive on that car. I wish I have one here in Canada, but I don't think they would do nice in the winter. We lived in France when I was younger, after we got out of DDR. These cars feel like they were glued on the road no matter how fast you may drive. The handling was spectacular even by today standards. I got her older SM model as a "almost" hand me down car, as my parents were very strict about money so I had to bought it at the same price they would have sold it. It was blue green.
@@verocimilEven the 2CV suspension was kinda genius. It was surprisingly comftable to ride in. It was impossible to roll over.
Man the cushion pattern in the back seats is so cool. The styling of 80s “futuristic” cars is unmatched.
Good
citroen was rad about their styling in the 80s tbh, to be the karin was still a concept
It’s actually more 70’s styling, look at the seats they look just like a 70’s chic leather sofa and armchairs. So cool and very very comfortable!
@@channex8179 well, it was launched in 1974
@@edwinstuiver653 exactly my point. My neighbour who was a doctor had a white one in the early 80s and his was a MK1 70’s model with chrome bumpers he really cherished it! He also had a Triumph Herald in the garage which was also white and in minty condition that only came out on sunny days though.
Film makers in the 70's and 80's use to LOVE to use these as camera cars because of the ultra smooth ride.
the BBC had a whole fleet of DS safaris ( estates) for filming horse races they kept them running for decades because nothing could come close to their ride
Finally, It's about dam time. If you want "quirky" it doesn't get much more quirky than old Citroen's. These cars are all over Europe, especially in Paris. I love the unique French and Swedish cars. This looks so beautiful. Im so glad the owners took great care of it over the years. Thank you.
He really should review a citroen ds too
Actually,you won't find many old citroens in Paris..But out in the countryside it's a different story.
@@kajbyman3006 Don't you love an old C15 in the woods
How’s the reliability on these things?
@@arthemis1039 Well, C15 is one of the citroens i have never had..So i don't know 😁But i have had 2 Cx,3 XM,15 BX,1 AX,2 C5......
Hi Doug, Prestige is in this model because it is a petrol long wheel base, other facts are the diesel long wheel base models were called "limousine". Both prestige and limousine came with upholstery in the trunk, the rest of the models were less luxurious even in the trunk. This is a phase 2. The short wheel base turbo's came also with that "T" in the wheels. Phase one is more sought after because of the bumpers were chrome and the lens gauges. It was a rotating gage that tells you the speed with a lens. It's really cool. Another fact in these citroën is anything you see that looks chrome is actually stainless steel. Not even Mercedes had that quality back in the day. The rear window doesn't need wiper due to its concavity and the drag cx is improved with that. There's also a Infrarred remote so you can open the car with a button (not so common in that era at least in europe). I hope you review a DS23 with the semi-automatic gearbox (no clutch but you select gears with a lever behind the wheel) or a phase one. Rolls royce and Mercedes bought the patent for the suspension but couldn't match the ride quality they had. The moose test record is for the 90's Xantia V6 activa with an evolution of this suspension. Citroën is so underrated in the states and also in europe.
"the cupholders are designed for this car" and when he pulls them out there's a block of wood and some duct tape holding them in place. i love it.
That's what I was thinking. "Fitted" by the owner of the car by using a bandsaw and cutting a block of wood to size :-)!
but his statement remains true. he never said how many of those cupholders were made and it they were tooling for injection molding involved :-).
Yea I thought the same looks like someone "jerry rigged" it. And driver's got to remember not to use it as an armrest when drinks are in it. Lol
I'm a woodworker so I can't let this oversight by Doug go away. Was that really a Citroen, or did someone just tape the name Citroen onto a Chevy Citation?
@@jerrycomo2736 No, Chevy Citations had split-shaft stereos, which were mounted sideways in the dashboard between the gauges and the heater controls. Funny joke, though. lol
"Designed to fit in this slot" as he shows a piece of plastic glued to a block of wood with tape to seal the gap LOL
Was looking for this comment
Same here. That looks like a home made aftermarket addition.
Actually not.In the original car,it was there that you put your cassette tapes because the cassette tape reader was there,the aftermaket radio is in the right place of the original Citroen radio,plus the 4 blank switches were actually where it was the media controls for the cassettes(Play/Pause,Previous/Forward Track,Insert Cassette and Eject Cassette)
very well spotted, being an after market part, it was not made to the exact dimensions. So you plonked on tape and other handy materials!!!LOL.
Hahahahahaha
Fun fact: my grand-uncle was a diplomat in Paris in the eighties. He owned one of these that he bought new. When I went for a visit as a kid, he drive us around in it. Coming from the US, it was totally wild. That suspension: it absolutely glides over the cobblestone streets. Incredible.
Message me on Instagram @do2gg7
@Fiqih Wanita spam link don’t click
@@dragospahontu spam post
Don't you
@@awtenter what are you on about?
Curved rear window uses aerodynamics to clear the window of rain and dirt. Travelling fast in the rain is amazing as both front and rear windows shed the rain and the single wiper throws the rain off the screen instead of over to the other wiper blade.
The CX PRESTIGE is true French Excellence.
Performance was remarkably good both acceleration and top speed of 130 mph with rock solid stability.
I had a 1978 CX Prestige 2400 EFI 5 speed with leather for 4 years in UK, Europe and back to Australia.
Fabulous fun and formidable high speed tourer. After 7 ID/DSs and 3GSs...
The best of all of those except no turning headlights..
i have a nice picture of the AMI-8
When I was a teenager, my father had such a CX. Friends and I used to simply spend time in it, in the garage, listening to 80s synth music. We pretended we were in a spaceship. Good old times...
curious which song. leme listen to the best one back then
My dad had one too . A white CX Special no less 😀
@@TheJnkh If you want an idea of what we listened to in the 80s and 90s in a Citroen in France, on a Sunday, on the way to visit grandma, I invite you to listen to "Tomber du ciel" by Jacques Higelin or "Vertine de l'amour" or "Madame rêve" by Alain Bashung.
@@TheJnkh I Ran by flock of seagulls
Hi! We had a CX when I was a kid.. 80's.. trust me, it IS a spaceship!! :)))
The rear window is concave so the airflow keeps the window clean, even in the rain. No need for a rear wiper.
Yeah nah it doesnt work. Take that from a c6 driver
@@WinWindowS.K.Julian c6 what? Corvette or Citroën?
@@krokodilsnoppen 2007 citroen c6, Idk how many Liters v6 petrol
That was the idea. Maybe it worked in France. Like the front wipers, which had two speeds: 1 for rain, 2 for truly miserable weather. That means, of course, truly miserable *French* weather. Which, in every other country, would be considered "mild rain".
@@klausstock8020 Yes, the CX wiper was never really adequate for proper torrential rain.
This car has to win the quirk award for 2021 at the end of the year.
What about the Blackwood
@@siddharthsrinivas6271 that too
This will take the cake
I still got the gemera
Having ceased production in 1989, that honour would be post mortem...
I had 3 of these cars over the years, very nice and easy to drive, loved it. Fun facts: the suspension is connected with the breakes and the power steering, the cars weight hold up the system pressure if an engine failure accrued. So if you drive down a hill and the engine shuts of, you have full functionality for your safety for at least a mile, enough to stop on a save place. And if you have a flat tire, pump it up to high, set the extended jack under the frame, lower the car and change the wheel. The car is wider on the front axle and the engine makes it nose heavy. So if you don't have a spare tire, take a wheel from the rear, the car recognizes the missing wheel and pull up the axle wing and you can drive home on 3 wheels at a slower speed. Later after the CX came the XM, it was still a little bit quirky but they choose to go more normal for the market.
Hi, I am a Frenchman, and mostly a Peugeot fan :) I love the CX though, but let me say one thing: this is not a weird or quirky car, this is a CITROEN! And the name says it all I think! Citroëns have always stood apart, and maybe that's a reason why they are so loveable and desirable! This particular model is a Prestige and has a longer wheelbase, hence all the space at the rear seats. Not all CXs had so much space for your legs. I really loved your review and discovering a few unique details I was not aware of! Cheers!
Cc
As a French person you qualify as lgbtq
Agree your comment has mmore research than dougs video!
He seems more interested in promoting his website than research the car his making a video from. bad work Doug. We want more from your videos... you just sounded like a texas dealer wich is trying to sell something he doesnt know.
@@CabezaCM dude. A car can be quirky and good at the same time. Weird but memorable. It all stems from opinion. Each car is an art piece from different artists. And just like any art piece, it can and should be criticized. Otherwise where’s the diversity?
After an epic introduction into how strange and quirky this car is, he starts explaining the dashboard and controls and I'm, like, "wait a minute, that's not strange, it's quite logical". BTW I thought that trigger-door-handle would have been a major selling point in the US.
Citroen: "Oh let´s make the inside door handles feel like triggers from a gun."
American Carmakers seeing this: "WRITE THAT DOWN, WRITE THAT DOWN!!!"
Looking for this 👌
Gun trigger door handles could look very natural on say a Ford F150 special edition :-)
Also American Carmakers: "Oh, and make the lock operate like an AR-15 safety."
American carmakers are not able build a car a realizzare car. They are able to ctrl-c , ctrl-v europeans
Didn’t know American car makers made guns.
Those seats are a piece of art. Seriously.
Really though. Gorgeous and look comfy AF.
And exceptional comfortable !
Reading that hurt my head lol........
I find them offensively ugly, and an eyesore in e gorgeous car like this. But who cares if they are as comfortable as Doug says?
@Hayden Royer There ain't any sarcasm, these leather seats are really more comfortable than any seat of today's cars. Of course they aren't enveloping at all nor suited for curvy little roads. But in their natural environment (highways and autobahn), there's nothing like this, especially with the hydropneumatic suspension. I've practiced these seats many times and even my sofa isn't as comfortable.
I had two of these in the 80's and they were fantastic!
Not only the suspension was wonderful, but also the view you had as a driver.
Yes, there was only one windshield wiper, but it was in rest position on the passenger side, so not in view... Steering could be done with one finger and the fact that the steering wheel automatically returned to straight ahead meant that you got tired much less quickly after hours of driving. All the passengers I took with me also loved it…. None of them ever said it was a weird car.
Fun fact, Citroens were used as camera cars at the horse races because of how smooth and stable the ride was.
Also they where very popular bases for ambulances for the exact same reason.
Someone's been watching Top Gear
Some say, the egg basket is still in one of those 2Cv 🤓
how...STABLE the ride was? STABLE you say?
hmmmm that’s some top gear stuff
Cars like this are why I watch Doug in the first place. Not high end supercars
This is how they thought 2021 would look in 1986.
lets make 2021 look more 80s-early2000s Retro and less 2010s Windows 10 Dentist waiting room
1986 > 2021
This is the first time I've seen a famous person reply to a youtube vid!
That said, I really love the 80's ideas about how the future would look
lol
Chocolate Rain!
It’s not weird…..it’s technical ingenuity and brilliance, way ahead of it’s time and in some cases even ahead of modern day cars.
Absolutely! Loved mine.
Das beste und gemütlichste Auto, das ich jemals hatte und ich hatte 23 Stück.
Und du hast mit allen vollkommen recht.💪
Not really lol
@@MiccaPhone so explain "lol"
@@Samy-bu1ze Just watch the video.Then you know for yourself. Just ONE example: If the indicator is activated by a simple button that is more difficult to reach than the ergonomic indicator levers known in all other cars, this looks just plain stupid. Even more so if you consider that the indicator always has to be deactivated manually. All this is as unergonomic as could be. There are many other examples, just watch the video objectively without the filter of confirmation bias.
Back in the day Honda looked at this said you know what we should make a hybrid
You could say they had some insight
I can't unsee the similarly now.
Then chevy made a volt that looked like a civic
I can't say I have seen a better pun about the Honda Insight
haHAA
I had a Cx and a insight at the same time they looked very family
We had the estate version. When the Berlin wall fell I was a small child but my father was very excited and we loaded up the car with all sorts of capitalist trappings and drove from the Ireland to East Germany to see our family. Seeing this brings back happy memories of that time! 🙂
@thomas really nice story :D
What happened to it tho?
from Ireland?? wtf
Erich Honnecker had one :)
@@ultimathule3834 well, there is a ferry....
It's not weird, it's AWESOME !!! My uncle has one and it's one of the best cars ever made! Greets from Serbia 🇷🇸, Jokić's country !
No worries, to Doug weird=awesome.
@@manlymantis101 right 😂
Man thats awesome and i fully agree ! This is probably the best french car ever made and its shockingly reliable.
What model does your uncle have ?
Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪
@@aaronw.332 It's CX 25 GTi Turbo, 1985. with 122 kW or 164 horse powers. It's so fast, it can't reach a top speed of 220 km/h and that's like ( 137 mph ). It has 2.5 L fuel - injected I4 with turbocharger and intercooler. Trust me, so so good ! 👍
@@Vm94-p7u thats great man, i've never been in a Turbo. My dad has one it was our daily driver back when i was in highschool. But that was in the late 2000s so a CX as a daily driver was lets just say unusual.
But it's not a Turbo and not the prestige.
It's the Standard 2.5 litre petrol with 89 Kw, not much power but its a delight to drive.
Oh and probably best of all, it's the break. It's rediculous, it's literally a giant empty stylish brick and you just have to love it.
Oh man this review brought tears to my eyes. My now deceased grandfather in Sweden had one of these in the late 1980s and I have been in love with it ever since.
خدا پدربزرگ تون رو رحمت کنه.
“The aftermarket cup holders where designed for this particular car”
_...shows eBay cup holder with wood glued to the bottom wrapped in electrical tape_
Came here for this comment. 🤣
Well technically that statement is true, the design went through several phases; "Grab a regular cupholder, glue a piece of wood to the bottom, make it fit with tape".
like the person designed it specifically for this car with the wood piece that fits in that weird slot
So true 😂😂 i'm french, and i know a lot of things about this car.. it was really popular at the time.. but it's the first time i see this cup holder.. he make me smiling when he said this 😂 no hesitation, it's from ebay 😂
By the way, Fun fact, in the 80's, french cars didn't have cup holders.. because it was not allowed to drink or eat in a car for security.. and fast food like Mc donald's was not really popular in france at the time.. so we didn't use it ;)
...and not a comment of it at all .
The rear windshield is concave so as to let rainwater go off of it faster when the car is moving and the air flows over it and, as a result, rearward visibility is not impeded by any raindrops that could stain it otherwise. That's why the CX (edit: and the C6 and the 2nd generation of the C5) has no rear windshield wiper.
bro how did doug miss that he usually knows these things
Wow that is really cool thanks
You're welcome! :-D
Yeah, it really got me thinking! How come Doug forgot about such a detail? It's one of the details that defined the overall design of the CX!
@@alekvassinskiy1286 Hate to say it but he usually doesnt. I like him, but he doesnt do all that much research into the cars he reviews. There are tons of similar quirks he has missed over the years. Still one of the best for showing unusual stuff though.
@@alekvassinskiy1286 he's ignorant about those things !
this is why I'm subscribed to this channel
I am for so many reasons and this is one lmao
Other benefits of the self levelling adjustable hydropneumatic suspension includes.... Nothing compares to it in floods, snow, mud. Raise up to help elderly get in or out.
Car has load proportioning brakes to suspension.. squats under heavy braking according to weight of passengers and luggage... No nose diving. Actually increases weight to both front and rear wheels under heavy braking. Superb high speed tourer. Fast 135 mph.
Front or rear flat tire, no loss of control.
No jack needed for changing tyres.
Best tow car ever... With long wheel base and self levelling suspension for towing a boat or caravan.. very stable. Also don't need to wind jockey wheel to disconnect or connect... Raise or lower suspension.
If given basic suspension service of changing the LHM fluid and filter every few years is very reliable. Screw off spheres once every ten years to keep ride standard.
"Citron"
"Poogeau"
You can tell these brands aren't very well known in the US
How are they actually pronounced?
@@BabyJesus66 americans cant pronounce them
@@BabyJesus66 Sitroén(emphasis on the e) and Pujò
@@BabyJesus66 [sitʁɔɛn] [pøʒo]
CitroÈn
Pyzho
It's like Citroën said "Oh, we see how everyone else is building cars, and we understand the reasons. And we reject it all." Very French. I like it.
Apparently Rolls Royce licenced the design of the suspension.
At the other end of the scale check out a 2CV.
The suspension is great, they stoped using though, :/
The thing is, early Citroens had lots of innovations that were copied by others. But I guess at some point they ran out of popular ideas, so to keep up the reputation the new innovations became more far-fetched and weird.
I hate it
very citroen
The drag coefficient symbol (as in math formulas) is actually Cx (at least in French). Citroen didn’t name it the Cx for no reason ;)
Not just in France, it's international.
@@kaisersoymilk6912 we learned Cw in switzerland. but were weird af too
Can’t wait to hear the story about the SM
@@SheepRacing oulalaaa... :-D
the rear window is also a part of that cx ;)
Legally, this is not a Citroën, since they left the U.S. market in 1974. It was sold here by one of several companies which bought CXes in Europe, converted them to U.S. specifications, and sold and serviced them here through their own dealerships. Many people who bought these cars in the U.S. then converted them back to European-spec headlights and reapplied the Citroën badges that had been removed by the importer. Despite lack of advertising, high prices (about $40k to $50k), and legal pressure from Citroën to stop doing so, about 1000 CXes were sold in the U.S. by these importers in the 1980s.
As a French I am quite proud that you reviewed this amazing car. I personally own a Citroën CX, BX, ZX and a Xantia and I am about to buy a XM. They are really good pieces of engineering.
Good pieces of engineering? Nope. I disagree.
@@DoctorSkillz hater
Please tell me you have Instagram or something
Please tell me you have Instagram or something
@@DoctorSkillz When Citroen was independent, It was probably the most avant-garde company in the automotive world.
My dad bought a car like this from the first owner in Italy back in 1987, it was just 3 years old. What a great car it was. By the way, the "Prestige" means it has a longer wheelbase than the standard version.
Oh i knew something wasnt „right“ with the dimensions
170 HP from a 4 cylinder back in 70s and 80s? That's actually wild!
Its on par with the best 4 cylinders of the time, if we exclude high end sportscars or rally specials. So pretty good, yeah.
Probably as much as American V8 barges had at the time. The Mercedes 450 SEL had only 225hp. That's top of the range S-class (not counting the very rare 6.9)!
A rather large 4 cylinder though.
2.5 litre turbo charged, so not really
True. 1984 Mustang 5.0l V8 had 165 bhp - and probably did half the mpg as this 2.5l 4 cylinder.
So beautiful... I always thought of the CX as a spaceship. Citroen lost its magic with or after XM. And look at SM, it's so cool. Long live the avantgarde corkiness of Citroen.
Yeah i agree, c6 was a good try to come back to this era but people just want ordinary, cheap, boring and expendable small cars or SUVs. C5 mk1 was kind of a cool car to me but not nearly as cool as cx or xm.
Everyone: Citroën
Doug: Sitrone
I winced every time he said it.
Everyone: Peugeot.
Doug: Poogeau
Doug is the type of guy who refuses to research the pronunciation of foreign car brands.
@@icantrideslow Remember when he was calling the Cadillac Brougham the "BROM".
Americans: always getting pronunciations correctly.
Don't forget the Lamborghini Jalpa, which he kept pronouncing "Yalpa" even though that name is in no way German.
My Auntie had one of these. These were popular here in the UK as Horse Racing Camera cars because of the suspension and smooth ride
Yes, always Citröens from the beautiful DS before this. The original steadycam...
American: This car is too weird.
Citroën sales dude: It has gun trigger door handles.
American: Take my money.
Rather underrated comment lol
You won the comment section.
This car must be a sale hit in Texas : )
@@kieskop4684 or chicago
And if American buy that car iam sure he add real gun to that door handle:)
So this beauty rolled off the line in 1974.... Just look at the competition back then. This thing looked like it came from space.
These cars were extremely comfortable for long distances and, the suspension was actually not complicated at all.
Citroen were true innovators and pushed the boundaries of design and development decades ahead of the competition. Try and get a Citroen XM V6 3.0 24 valve out for testing.... They were incredible cars.
Doug, Citroëns designed in the 70s didn't require large engines due to their extremely low drag, heavily streamlined shape & design, the spats over the rear wheels also help reduce drag! Dashboard fingertip controls were called "satellite pods" oh and pretty much every Citroën car/model made between 1955 & 1990 had a single spoke steering wheel!
The XM doesn’t
Precisely, the drag coefficient of this car and even older Citroen's were decades ahead of their times (see the DS for example). Worth noting is not the acceleration, but rather the top speed which is ample from a relatively small engine. No one said it was a sports car.
And single wiper
I wish he would STOP calling them WEIRD ,these cars are way better and more sophisticated than any crap from Detroit .
Citroëns have small engines by American standards due to the heavy displacement (CV) tax, high fuel prices and high fuel taxes.
The older 2CVs have two-spoke steering wheels.
CV = Cheval Vapeur, Horse Steam, steam horsepower. A curious measurement of horsepower based upon the stroke and bore × number of cylinders. The 2CV = 2 steam horsepower, 375 cm³, 7½ BHP.
Having been a passenger when we had a front wheel blow out at 85mph in a CX Safari, I am extremely grateful for the automatic self centering as the car was able to be bought safely to a halt with the front tyre actually on fire by the time we stopped! An amazing technology tour de force, one of the most comfortable cars my family ever owned.
If it weren’t for the automatic self-centering steering, that blowout probably would have resulted in a car crash in a worst case scenario...
Not quite sure I under stand this. Would any driver let go of the wheel during a blowout? I have had a blowout in a 'normal' car at motorway speed and I just kept steering straight as you should. Self-centering wouldn't change that.
@@AndrewVanDay having seen someone with a blowout on the motorway flip then its not always the case. Also if your doing >80 when you have the blowout then as the amount of assistance given in the CX is inverseley speed dependent it works extremely well and is much safer than normal power assistance etc.
@@AndrewVanDay yeah having a "self centering" steering wheel would not help you in any way if you had a tire blow out. You're hands would never leave the wheel regardless of whether its a "self centering" or regular wheel lol
@@Ladd_BMW I'm wondering if the poster meant the self levelling of the suspension, rather than self centering of the wheel. Perhaps it would stop the blown out side suddenly dropping and making the car harder to keep under control? Just a thought
Doug's wife: "I'm going to the grocery store. Do you need anything?"
Doug: "Before you go, be sure to check out CARS AND BIDS"
Haha nice
Thx 4 the smile 😃
I’m pretty sure I saw this comment on the last video ,
At least repost funny stuff
Hilarious!
Lol
ROFLLL
The one thing you probably had no time to try is the CX over 500 miles with 4 people and luggage…The level of comfort is unique. Although tons of Turbo badges the car was designed for comfort. But yes quite a few odd things like the spare wheel placement (next to electric cables) the radio, the trunk instead of a hatch and the steering which was hard to get used to. Great video!
Doug, this shelf over glovebox was to accomodate ladies' handbags or purses. It's French car, after all ;)
EDIT: Also, the concave rear glass is to help get the dirt and rain off, hence no rear wiper.
and why do Americans always complain about small glove compartments? The cubby is designed to hold the papers, the operators manual, and theoretically, gloves... not a gallon of milk.
I don’t think I’ve ever clicked on a video this quickly
🇫🇷 !
It feels illegal to click on it the second I get the notification
Same
See Hubnut for many more cars like this.
Literally yes
I bought a Green V6 Avantime if you ever come to France ! :D
Le gratin du YT Français se retrouve chez daddy doug !
Yeah,but he said many times he won't travel to another place just to review a car,there are some exceptions:if it's exceedingly rare like the ferrari enzo,or if he's in that place for other reasons
@@Invaders757 en même temps Doug c’est le gratin du Ytb mondial 😍
I bought Vel Satis 3.0 d ! Greetings from Montenegro!
@@Uilliam56 i know, but if he ever goes to Europe to test a rare car, that’s worth the trip, I’d be glad to bring the Avantime for him to review 👌👌
Not forgetting that 'weird' in American English means "I've not seen this before".
Probably never clicked a Doug's video faster than this, Citroens are made for this channel.
This is a match made in heaven. xD
Fun fact: The Citroen CX gave its door mirrors, as donor parts, to: McLaren F1, Jaguar XJ220, Lotus Esprit V8 and Aston Martin Virage.
Imagine 15 million car that uses bus taillights and a door mirrors that was from a shit box😂
@@ramovx7726 wouldn’t call citroen cx ”shitbox”
Also gave it`s front wheel bearing to Ferrari 328 and some 308 models.
@Ken Norcott just like my 2001 S500 uses the same keyfob as a 2020 Ram transit van
@@ramovx7726 this is not a shitbox
I love how Doug made fun of all the TURBO! badges and the fact that it made 170 HP from 2.5L I4 (it was 70' after all) , while America had 7L V8's putting out similar power with like 3 times the fuel consumption. I guess they thought small displacement can only be replaced by bigger displacement. :D
V8 engine has still better performance than small turbo engines
@@lukasrojko5455 but the push rod engine isn't really eager to rev, it takes time to make it move. those giant pistons and their weight.
pretty sure you would die to ride a "Ford Escort Cossworth" or "Lancia Delta HF integrale" 2.0 turbo with 220 HP+ ( and very easily to power up over 350 HP, just tinkering with the turbo) and still leave most standard cars behind with a V8 or without, you would probably would get scared aswel.
the Citroen AX 1.1 (1100cc) was faster from 0 to 60km/h than a BWM 750i v12. you would bite the dust in a city even though having a huge engine.
American cars are ridiculous, gasconsuming monsters, made by people with out the slightest idea of motorbuilding, first now 20 years after they start to copy european motor builders forced by environmental catastrophic causes/ forrest fires / storms/ poisoned groundwaters ect. They destroyed there country sorry to say
@@bergatube60 Americans don't copy, they buy and rebadge
@@bergatube60 having watched a lot of Doug, plenty of hoovy tec. im increasingly of the opinion that as a general rule no american has a clue about cars, especially when it comes to design.
I used to work on Citroens in the early 1980's in the UK. Here's a bit of technical information regarding the suspension and steering of the CX.
The floor of the CX was slightly concaved. This reduced air pressure under the car as the speed increased and would try to pull the car down, but the suspension would keep the car at a constant ride height by stiffening the suspension, which you never noticed.
The steering was "powered" by the high pressure hydraulics that provided the power to the brakes and suspension. That's why when stationery with the engine running you could turn the steering wheel with one finger, let it go and it would self centre. But as the road speed increased, the steering would get progressively heavier, due to a mechanical governor that runs off the speedo drive. I know it works, because I've tested it, and at 100mph you can barely turn the steering wheel.
The only company in the world which understood what a "suspension" meant
bruhhhhhhhhhh
@@aakashbalajis9411 The Citroen system was so advanced and effective that Mercedes and Rolls Royce used it under licence...
Even the humble Citroen 2CV had an unique suspension.
Suspension so good that Rolls Royce and Mercedes Benz used it.
@@gabekamphuis is it gonna lift the wheel tho?
Fun fact : Rolls-Royce bought the patent for Citroën suspension and they're still using the same patent
AFAIK they didn't buy the patent, only licenced it from Citroën.
@@simonh But Rolls-Royce weren't allowed to use the variable height function though.
I used to work on Citroens over 40 years ago.
Joe is right.
Not only RR/Bentley, but Mercedes Benz also used it in their S-Class (without the variable ride height though).
Range Rovers use hydroactive suspension too.
It’s like somebody told the people at Citroen that cars have headlight switches and door handles, but they had never been in another car before. I love it.
Yes! This!
They probably are better function wise than most others, since you can use them without letting go of the steering wheel, and have a firm grip of the door even when opening it. Shame it didnt catch on. Sometimes people are just a bit to conservative.
Weird, yes, but so so cool. This car does things differently and with fearless inventiveness. I bet this drive stays in Doug's memory way more than most cars.
Citroën's hydropneumatic suspension really is something else. In fact, it keeps the car level in corners so much that the Citroen Xantia (which was equipped with a newer version of the system) still holds the speed record for the moose test- an evasive manoeuvring test for cars.
I owned 2 Xantias. Loved them.
It's called Xantia Activa. I have Xantia hydroactive - it's a little bit better than normal version in corners. Xantia and all hydropneumatic cars have so different feelings than normal suspension system. You can even drive it on 3 wheels :D
@@maciejdonczyk1146 I remember my dad driving on 3 wheels home in a DS after a puncture.
The old Citroens could do something others could not.
Fantastic cars back then.
@@glengraham7080 so did I. Great cars
Had to avoid a wild animal while driving my father's Xantia, LEFTRIGHT just like that in a blink of an eye. Hadn't I drove this particular car at that moment I probably would've totaled the car and injured myself, or even others.
The "quirks" that keep being highlighted are really incredible strokes of genius.
He didn't even mention that the wheels can be replaced without using a jack.
Sometimes I wish they would remake old cars more or less as is, just with modern safety features
@@kami0000 Really??? That's intriguing!
@@Frejborg you put the suspension in high and then fit a prop. I think they will even drive on 3 Wheels. Check out videos of DS
@@AndyK.1 is right. You raise it, put a stand underneath the car, and then lower it onto the stand. Done
The Citroen DS which preceded this car was probably the most incredible leap forwards in car design in the history of cars.
Probably, it certainly is in the running.
The DS is unrated AF
@@GoldenCroc agree
Someone needs to lend Doug a DS, or an SM. Just so long as it's an example with swivelling headlights.
Actually ds was elected as the most original car in the history of cars.
I had the turbo diesel version about 25 years ago. It was super comfortable on long journeys, did 39.4 mpg no matter what way you drove it, Very quirky until you got well used to it especially the steering. The steering got heavier the faster you drove but if you braked hard to turn at a junction you suddenly had super light steering. It almost felt as if the steering wheel had come loose.
With the suspension fully raised (use the lever between the seats) you actually had more ground clearance than a range rover but the car was rock solid ie no suspension so if you were off road you had to go very slow BUT you could go where no man had ever gone before in a car, any other non quirky car would have been stuck. When taking the kids to school in the morning we used to get tailgaters on our little narrow country road. All you had to do was step on the gas till the turbo kicked in . The boys used to watch out of the rear window as the tailgaters disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Apparently the aluminum blocks were sometimes prone to be a bit porous and eventually I let my cx go. Memories, memories!!
I had a CX Pallas in 77’. It was one of the most satisfyingly beautiful cars I’ve owned. It was a motorway car with no drag and no wind noise. No Sports Car just a luxurious ride with controls at your finger tips. Great car in its time. If Honda built a car like this today - I’d buy it in a heart beat
The year I was born. I hope to own one, one day.
I never went beyond the C5 as a company car, because my allowance was limited, before that came three 2CV's , a GS 1220 Convertisseur, a GSA, a BX16TRI and both a Xantia 1.8 and a 2.0. We just said goodbye to our Saxo 1.4i after 21 years of impeccable service and now drive the C3 with a Turbo inside: quite standard car actually. All Citroens have a certain comforty feeling in them and especially the later Hydractive II suspension of the C5 when switched to sports had supple, still somewhat firmed-up feel about it. A pity Citroen stopped this system.
Driving a CX Pallas from 77 right now. Great cars!
Had one for several years in the early 1980s ,a truly great car.
The aftermarket cup holders that were “made for the citron” is legit just a set of cup holders with a piece of wood and electrical tape lmao
Lmfao
Citroen
He's not wrong, those cupholders were made for the CX. They were just made by one of the previous owners in their garage.
Lmfao 2007-2013 Silverado/Tahoe cup holders just strapped into a Citroen 😂
I believe the rear window glass was shaped that way to create a low pressure area so rain water would evaporate more quickly and they didn't need to use a rear wiper.
True : less pollution and dirt on the rear window.
Confirmed
There is absolutely nothing weird with this car. 😇🇫🇷
Vivement la Xantia
Activa de préférence
Faudrait mobiliser des loulous américains ...
En tout cas ça fait plaisir de vous voir ici
On l'attends on l'attends hein
Ce serait le feu! Salut Vilebrequin
Je m'attendais pas du tout à vous voir ici mdrr
As a European (actually as a German) I love to see Doug mentioning little things about European cars, that are not common on American cars, so that they are strange for him but normal for me
Yeah, I feel kinda proud watching these videos and I'm not even French (I'm Dutch). If Doug would spend a year in Europe reviewing weird European cars I'm sure it would be a blast.
@@martijnp4313 Greetings neighbor, I also have this thought every time watching some quirks and features by Doug.
@@Warumfragstdu Same as a Brit - Brexit or no Brexit we are definitely united by our taste in cars.
I’m British, no use Doug reviewing British cars. They’re crap.
Like when he makes fun of a lower spec European car for not having electric windows in the back. Welcome to my childhood 😂
Can we just appreciate those magnificent seats for a second ?
Agreed
Here in the UK, they looked great but the seats all fell to pieces.
I remember lots of these cars going to auction when they were still a current model.
LOVELY seats, but sunlight made the cloth decay. All the fake velvet turned to dust.
The trim fell off because it was badly glued.
We can talk about reliability of any make of car. Ive seen different makes of cars to break down.
As for the citroen being different, its okay being different.
@@raypurchase801 The seats on Prestige versions aren't fake velvet but real leather, as good as the Renault 25 Baccara Connolly leather seats.
TBF, even on BMW series 3 or 5 of the same era you can also find shitty fabric seats that aren't even comfortable. From a 1982 316 e21 owner.
@@chucku00 I accept your comment. Liked.
I had a cx in Australia ( mid 80's ) sedan ; a lovely car indeed , The SM was the flagship luxury model . Citroen's have always been designed with safety as a priority .
If You've never rode one, You can't even comprehend the smoothness. It's like driving a cloud.
it's the only car I've slept while riding in excluding my dads Audi when I was a child, but it turns more into a Titanic when you get on an onramp lmao.
Cloud, or a flying carpet from the fairy tales... wonderfully smooth for sure.
@@Eden-NoEye yep, works incredible for my kid too. AND my wife. (... on our XM)
@@michalniebyl3404 ohh nice, didn't the XM even get the electronic anti roll control?
@@Eden-NoEye i thought only the xantia activa had that?
Robert Opron designed this vehicle 🚗 and passed away not to long ago. Good tribute to the car and the man himself who designed it
i really dont think its a good tribute... doug did no reseash about it.
He also designed IL MOSTRO !! The Alfa Romeo SZ Coupe of the late 80's and early 90's !!!
And also the Citroen SM.
This is actually the more luxurious and long version, that’s why the rear door is so long
Thats why it has 2 diferent switches at the rear doors. The "normal" one only had the two in the middle
I had one of these when I lived in Germany ~ VERY COOL car! In the eighties this looked very new-age and beautiful. So comfy! It made Autobahn driving feel much safer.. once we were driving about 95 MPH and there was a BRICK in the road which, at 100mph would be a serious issue, husband barely turned the steering wheel and the car glided around it, no problem at all (hydropneumatic suspension) which I’m really surprised you didn’t mention. - I mean, how many cars lower themselves when not in use and raise up again when you’re ready to cruise Europe? It was a great car however there was ALWAYS something that needed to be repaired, but I LOVED it and wish I still had it.
I never thought I'd see Doug make a video of a Citroen, this is amazing.
This car was very popular in Europe, I myself have often travelled in one of these first series cars back in the 70's and it was a really innovative vehicle at that time and even today. I am not French but I was very proud to have seen this CX in America, a real discovery as I am passionate about French cars, not in vain in my house we have three vehicles and all three are Made in France. Thanks for the video and best regards from Madrid, Spain.
It was only popular in France since it were french. And among some cult members in other countries.
PSA only survived through the years due to heavy contributions from the french state.
Why french cars are so popular in Spain? It's easier to find there Peugeot/Citroën/Renault than Seat.
They are popular because we are their neighbours, plus there are French factories located in Spain and Spanish automotive history is very much linked to French cars, of course the Seat, which are "Spanish" (actually they are German) are very abundant but the market share of French cars is very high here. We currently have two Renaults and a Peugeot and they are very reliable and tough cars.
It is true that PSA is a French national product because the state has a huge stake in it, but the CX was very popular here in Spain as well, it was the luxurious and high performance evolution of the Citroën GS, which in turn was the logical (and economical) evolution of the DS. I have had the opportunity to travel in both CX and GS as well as Visa and other models and I have to say that they are very comfortable cars and well suited to the winding European roads, at least those of my country, full of potholes in those years.
everone else: uploading videos of the Mercedes EQS
Doug: let me upload a video of an old, weird, french luxury car
@Fiqih Wanita delete that spam
After having a CX for some years I discovered traffic calming speed bumps dissappear completely when you go over them at high speed. The trick I learned was when seeing one in distance was to pre-plan to accelerate hard just before it and then slow down after cleared it. If you have a CX try it, you'll be amazed!!
It works on xantia and C5 as well. I do it all the time on my old c5 but i find it to be dangerous as fk, not for me but for the pedestrians who always assume I’m gonna slow down so they carelessly cross the road until they see me going like madman on those speedbumps, had a few situations where i scared the fk of some people. Although i have to admit i love to do it when some gay BMW driver gets on my back, i get over the bump full throttle and watch him in mirror smash his suspension trying to keep up with me lol.
The whole US car industry couldn't reach at any time the height of Citroen's mythical creativity.
Lmao. That car is a fucking turd
totally agree, !
no car can match the smooth ride and confort of the CX
@@SKANK_HUNT49 , ever ride one? You'd never ride an american again if you had...
@@SKANK_HUNT49 Average american cars of the era were not able to follow the CX on the highway or/and mountain roads... Some of them should find it difficult today...
The gear pattern actually was printed on a plaque. You can actually see the place it used to be at the rear right corner of the gear lever.
I thought I remembered my dad's cx having a plaque with the shift pattern on it next to the lever.
@@vladvulcan “place it used to be” please use your brain
_And opening the door is like using a trigger on a gun..._
Texans: 😲
Texan: “Cool, I’ll take it!”
Some old BMW models, like the E12 and the E21, also had door latches which were operated with a lever inside the handle. Only that you inserted your hand downward, and you could pull the lever with all four fingers. Very comfortable.
Texans: "Got it. Lever-action carbine."
Americans*
You actually "trigger" off the ride lol
Smells like The Second Amendment.
A covered wheel on an 80’s Citroen is weird but a covered wheel on a mclaren speedtail is amazing and innovative ok doug
Yeah, sometimes it’s the badge that makes the difference...
A McLaren speedtail goes fast enough where it matters
@@deepfriedpotatoes9888 it still matters when u do 100kmh maybe not as much but citroen to this day still often have a better drag coefficient than modern cars, take the ds, cx and sm. All the little bits combined help, maybe not for speed but for fuel efficiency.
Car companies conduct focus groups to help them design cars that end up being all the same. The French companies conduct focus groups, shrug at the results and do whatever the hell they intended to do in the first place. You've got to love that.
"Prestige" does not mean only that this is especially luxurious model, it gives the hint that this model has a one feet longer wheelbase than the "conventional" CX limousine for self-driver. Meaning this model was prepared for chauffeur- service the boss sits in the back.
That's how, some of them were used, prestige actually added about 25cm in length to the standard wheelbase... However citroen had already been producing the chauffer variant of the car, it was designated pallas...
I see you're a man of culture as well
@@milosstepanovic336......thanks, interesting....
Indeed, for the normal versions they used Pallas for the more luxurious interiors. As an example the DS were fitted with chrome handle bars instead of gray plastic on the inside.
The most comfortable car I ever owned. You forgot to mention that you do not need a jack to change the wheels either.
How does that work?
@@trehacksync lift the car up place a support by the wheel, drop the suspension and the wheel will lift up.
@@martineyre5350 yeah that's pretty cool
@@trehacksync You can drive them on 3 wheels too. ruclips.net/video/O7AijogHtRc/видео.html
My dad had a bx19 gti when I was younger. Ace car. Rapid and stylish at the time. Would love one now...
It has always been a joy to drive these cars and I actually miss them. The suspension mechanics are quite simple to understand, one just would need a special tool to fix it even at home. They were not delicate, just different.
My childhood family hauler was an '86 Peugeot 505 Turbo Station Wagon. My parents bought it new and we kept it for close to 15 years. It had a cool turbo noise, heated leather and plenty of room even for our family of 5. If you get a chance to test drive one of these, I would be the happiest viewer ever. Thanks for the cool video, Doug!
The Peugeot 505 and 504 series were very popular in Africa. My family had a 504. They were extremely reliable.
*_THIS_* is my comment.
How was the zoo?
Bruh 🗿
Woah...
I feel older just seeing this channel
Bro what??
Citroen with their DS, and CX were just bringing spaceships to the market, these cars were nothing like the cars from the same period, it was a revolution
This car was a spaceship in eastern europe in the '90. My favorite car ever. Black paint and brown interior was epic. Best looking seats and dash by far. Thank you Doug for this, brings back some memories....i highly apreciate
LOLOL Yeah back then in places like Hungary/Romania it must have been exotic.
Gotta say though, Eastern European cars were built to be bullet proof. They accomplished that.
You forgot a great quark of that CX: the doors mirrors. Lotus used the CX wing mirrors on the esprit, TVR on Griffith and Chimera, Aston Martin used them on a number of cars, including vantage and DB7 and more surprisingly, the Jaguar XJ220 uses the CX wing mirrors!
The suspension on these was so smooth, they used them for filming horse racing in the UK. It could travel alongside the course and the camera would stay perfectly straight - like a large french gimbal
We used one for filming movies in germany up until about 5 years ago. It was heavily customized, with a rear hydraulic platform, though
Also they were able to run with only 3 wheels
Top comment for English horse racing.
Fun fact: The Citroën Xantia Activa, a special edition Xantia with an upgraded suspension, is the best ranking car at the moose test. That means it is one of the most stable cars ever manufactured.
A real shame they stopped producing those hydropneumatic suspensions.
I believe he's selling this car a bit short on the handling too. Yes, it's unapologetically front wheel drive and build for comfort, but it's got a much better comfort/body roll ratio than any conventionally sprung car till very long after. The engine so far in front helps in the snow, it sits like a rock at high speed on the Autobahn helped by the onconventional steering and it can be thrown about without drama or surprise. It will understeer and roll, but keep going in the right direction, the rear will follow the front.
I actually remember the Top Gear test of the Activa, driven by Tiff Needell!
My father has one and I've driven it around Greece. It felt like it was all over the place but it does what you ask it to do. It takes a bit of time to understand how the suspension works and feel but it is truly amazing.
...especially since 20th C Citroen Hydropneumatoc suspension would be perfect for the UK's roads of 2021...
I had a 1993 Xantia although not the Activa version, it was super comfortable.
The way he’s crushing the driver seat with his arm is bothering the shit out of me.
A Citroen of this era is not weird. It has character, something today's clone cars do not have anymore.
rubbish
@@panpan-vz3om He is right. Its suspension was the best so that Rolls-Royce and Mercedes purchased the rights to fit it to their best models. Even the Audi A8 had a version of Citroen suspension. In fact, despite the roll and the smoothness of the suspension, you could push it and it would handle the curves very well, much better then most luxury cars of its days. It was also so ahead of its time with all its engineering advances. It also had the first gradual steering assist meaning that full assist when parking but no assist at 100 km/h allowing direct feel of the road.
Today's Citroen cars are rabbish.The only good French brands are Peugeot and ds
Rubbish*
@@pap_chr5063 Todays Citroens are besed on their Peugot sister models, they are sharing platforms, motors etc. Citroen, Peugot and DS belong to PSA which itself is part of Stellantis. DS startet as a premium division of Citroen.
So, if todays Citroens are rubbish, so are Peugot and DS.
Citroen cars aren't weird, they're just different, many would say innovative. I loved the way the company were never afraid to do things their own way, not the way everyone else did it. If any other manufacturers, came out with designs and ideas anything like Citroen they would have been known as concept cars, but with Citroen they were known as production cars.
A fantastic car. I bought one like this 16 years ago and as I engaged with the car I realised it wasn’t weird at all but that Citroen had found different answers. The ride and comfort is superb. I don’t agree with Doug re performance - it has to be judged contextually. It is a fast car. I still own the same car today and it shares garage space with an Aston and a Lotus. If i want a real story, entertainment, or just unrivalled comfort I take the CX. It is superb and when out on the road it draws positive attention. Citroens of this era are very special cars. And Robert Opron the designer was very gifted. An amazing legacy.
Totally agree. It’s not weird, it’s original. Cars these days are too alike. Amazing design. This ‘review’ is simply annoying. Do some research please before presenting. There are specific reasons why things work the way they do... like self-centering steering and no-cancel indicators. This guy clearly has no clue about Citroëns! *facepalm*
11:20
Doug: "They were designed for this particular car..."
Cupholder: piece of wood, electric tape
LMFAO
I’m half sure it’s out of a Tahoe or something haha
Cupholders are relatively new in french cars. I saw them apeared in late 90's early 2k's.
(With Renault at least)
@@stefanb5266 Agreed. Looks out of a 2000's American car, block of wood screwed to it with electrical tape.
BTW, Mr. De Muro, Citroën is pronounced like “seetroenn”, not “citron”, which is lemon in French (the fruit, not lemon as in bad car like we say here in the States. In France, that would be “une voiture pourie”-a rotten car- or sometimes “un four”- pronounced “foor”- literally an oven, which is about as immobile as you can imagine). This car was all of it in French luxury back in the day, along with the now largely forgotten Peugeot 604 and the Renault 20 and 30 models. I had the chance to rent a brand new Xantia in ‘95 when I was over there, and that was a blast.