Citroen C5
The Citroen C5 is a large hatchback. It was designed with families as the target market. Strangely enough, families aren’t the biggest buyers of the C5. Its uncanny ability to make long trips comfortable has made it appealing to anyone who spends much of their time traveling long distances or driving around town.
The cabin is extremely spacious with enough room to move around and change positions. Head and legroom are sufficient and help to prevent driver and passenger fatigue.
The steering wheel adjusts to conform to the driver’s personal preference, adjusting to allow for the greatest amount of comfort while still revealing the gauges behind it. The gauges are all placed within the driver’s line of sight, so there is no need to take your eyes off of the road.
Designed to accommodate families; the car is well endowed with in-car entertainment. The speakers provide good sound quality and the stereo unit itself is easy to operate. The C5 can also be fitted with options such as Sat-nav to help the driver navigate unfamiliar roadways.
Practicality
The overall costs of the C5 are low. Along with being an inexpensive car to purchase, you won’t pay much in insurance or gas, seeing as the petrol engine gets upwards of 39 miles per gallon. Though there is a downfall to the C5, it is likely to loose much of its resale value within the first five years.
The rear seats fold down to make a large space for hauling almost anything you need. Also located around the cabin is designed with an array of features that are geared toward buyers who are business oriented. These features include pockets and storage spaces, 12-volt plugs for charging mobile phones and lap-top computers, and a generous glove compartment.
The gauges are large and easy to read. Aside from functionality, the instrument panel is very visually pleasing. Surrounding the two-tone buttons is a chrome-effect. The stereo is not as visually pleasing due to the cluttered feel. In an area less than that of a sheet of paper, is a set of nearly 65 buttons. The basic functions are duplicated on the steering wheel for driver convenience.
When entering the vehicle, the large, front floor space illuminates. Once you are in the vehicle, the seats are large and supportive but soft and comfortable. Aside form being spacious, the cabin has a quality feel to it. In the rear, three adults will fit in the bench seat, though it may be uncomfortable. Three children will fit and will have wiggle room. With large door apertures, and unrestricted access to the seats, entering the C5 is a pleasant experience. The seats do sit low though, which won’t make it uneasy, but this will make it more difficult for tall passengers to enter and exit.
Parking is generally easy with light, tight steering and a good frontal view. Although the rear half of the car is hard to judge, there are parking packages with sensors that will make parking a cinch. These packages aren’t available for the estate cars, but the estates are much easier to park, so this will not pose a problem.
Life Style
The C5 has a strange ability to take motorways with ease. But this is where the Hydractive 3 suspension system fails. By putting it on a curvy, winding mountain pass, the C5 becomes unresponsive and offers the driver no feedback. Even though the steering remains just as strict and swift as it is on the highway.
Being a family car, there is a generous 471 litres in the boot. This is enough for most, but should you desire more, the estates offer an additional 100 litres. The back seat is smaller than it seems it should be, as the front passengers enjoy much of the cabin space. In the rear, small children will have no problem with fitting, but adults will be limited on legroom space.
As a first car, the C5 would be both practical and economic. It is easy to drive and cruise around town, though, it isn’t likely that first-car buyers will be attracted to the C5. The vast majority of buyers will be employers, as the car is capable of long distance trips.
The car is very classy and is made of quality materials. It was indeed built to endure even the harshest driving. The C5 won’t be likely to leave you stranded on the side of the road, as Citroen has proven itself in many reliability tests. The C5 isn’t the most prestigious of cars, but it offers Citroen’s quality build and reliability, making it a worth while investment.
Security and Safety
The C5 comes with all the security features that would not only deter thieves, but make it nearly impossible to be stolen. Features like an alarm, immobilizer, high security locks, remote central locking, and child safety locks that are activated automatically when the car reaches five miles per hour.
As far as safety is concerned, if Citroen has it, so does the C5. Features such as ABS; EBA; ESP; front, lateral and side window airbags; a front passenger airbag cut-off device; five, three-point seatbelts; seatbelt pretensioners; ISOFIX child seat anchors; and automatic hazard lights are all included in the C5’s arsenal of safety devices.
The Finishing Touches
The six-speaker CD/radio stereo system plays well, making long treks more comfortable. The addition of buttons on the steering wheel makes operation of the clustered stereo unit much easier. The C5 also comes with speed sensitive volume control. An MP3 player and six disc, CD changer are optional additives. As is the sat-nav system, but with the cost being nearly ten per cent of the total cost of the car, a prospective buyer has to determine whether or not opting for the system is worth the extra cost.
Summary
The C5 is loaded with goodies, all of which add to its overall appeal. It’s reliable and capable of long trips but doesn’t offer a fun or even pleasant ride when driven enthusiastically.