Citroen C4

[Hutan]

hi Bro,

 

i consider C4, test drive and founs it's good

but, what are the consideration abt this brand here at sg?

[Clement]

For one, the local agent Advance may have the dealership taken away from them! Heard that C&C are taking over the Citroen dealership. Advance is taking on the SEAT dealership. Please note that all these info are "hear-say" only.

 

I am not sure how much Citroen has improved over the years. I am a former Citroen owner. Had lots of problems: electrical glitches, engine overheating and never ending leaks. The car is good to drive, but a nightmare to maintain. Basically the car is not tropicalised for our local climate. Rubber hoses are hopeless and leak/warp under heat in the engine compartment.

 

And don't think about resale in S'pore. Hard to find buyers for your used car.

[Icekhoo]

Citroen is the reigning world rally champion and C4 will be the next car chosen to take over the Xsara. It is certainly a good car in my opinion. Power is adequate in traffic for Singapore. Interior is top class coupled with advanced features(Digital Speedo, Cruise Control, ESP, Speed Limiter, Sports mode, Tiptronic, etc) not found in any 1.6l class.

 

The car requires an acquired taste and i believe you will grow to love it. The only complain is the gearbox which I personally feel requires more refinement. Service interval of 25k would mean that the car is somewhat more hassle-free to maintain and is free for 2 years. Fuel Consumption is pretty decent as well.

 

If the 2.0l coupe version is available in Singapore, I think it will be popular. It is capable of 180bhp, 202nm torque which I think makes it the fastest N.A car in its range.

 

Though the agent isn't the best but issues are usually taken care of without much of a problem.

Do consider it.

[Icekhoo]

And not forgetting that it has high OMV of 21+K, higher than megane, astra and the likes.

[Turbogoo]

I think the prices quoted are without coe

 

[Icekhoo]

should be around 71k

[Beavc]

I think you shouldnt consider a car because it wins rallies but rather considered the PARF at current mkt situation since cars these days do not resell well.

 

Citroens are nice to look at and drive but don't think it has climatised. It took cars like Opel, Peugeot, BMW, etc a long time to do it. I personally like the C4 but because of the poor agent support i give it a miss. I have a feeling it might fold like the old SEAT dealership.

 

Furthermore, if you look at websites on citroen overseas most classify the car as a lemon and "hands off" warning are mostly issued.

 

Bottom line, Don't buy if you can't lose money or on a budget.

[Miketow]

I Agree - If you look at the C4 promo materials - Citroen highlights that the C4 has won like 1000 car awards or something like that - if you look carefully, most of them are all "design" awards, which I must admit, they deserve, b/c the C4 is a very well balanced design car

 

However, all the design awards in the world does not assure potential buyers of one key thing - Reliability.

[Dumb]

I owned a citroen BX 16V before. I like it but I won't get another citroen anymore.

[Icekhoo]

Peugeot and Citroen are sister companies, the 307 is based on the same platform as the C4. However, if you have test driven the Peugeot, it is a decent ride but can't beat the C4.

 

Rally cars are being driven across countries over severe terrains. If she races rallies, there is a certain level of reliability.

 

Not many will be able to accept a car like citroen, probably it tastes wierd. Most prefer Jap cars, at least for for the piece of mind they are buying, even the new IS250 IMHO is inferior to the C4 comparing driving capabilities and ride comfort.

 

I guess you pay for what you are get, what is the OMV/PARF for other cars in the 1.6l class? I'm sure the lost is not going to be any lesser.

 

Anyway, not many are gonna drive the same car for 10 years. Lifespan for cars in SG on the average nowadays are as short as 3 years.

[Beavc]

but the cars that you have here like 307CC, WRX, C4, old Xsara, etc are no where near the capabilities of their rally version. Go and read through WRC's requirement on the cars used you will realised that they are not close to the stock version readily available to consumer..so this cannot be a correct gauge. ie if can use for rally must be a good car, in that case, (die sure offend Accent owners) then Accents will be in the same class.

 

IS250 cannot compare to a C4? cannot be, if me being a conti fan can only perharps compared, quite bearly due to the suspension system in citroen, that the C5's comfort level may be on par with a lexus but definitely not a C4. A suitable comparison would be a Astra, Focus.

[Clement]

Yes, 100% agree with you. I am a former Citroen owner myself. Never ever will I buy another Citroen again. It was a problematic car even when new! The type of parts that they use are not suitable for use in tropical weather.

 

And Advance was one of the worst car service agents in Singapore. I never sent my Citroen there for service. Maybe C&C can perform a miracle when they take over the Citroen brand in Singapore?

Edited August 1, 2006 by Clement

[Clement]

Yeah, agree with you.

 

How can a Citoren C4 be compared to a Lexus IS250? Performance wise, 1.6L vs. 2.5L, size-wise one is a hatchback and the other a sedan, 4 speed auto vs. 6 speed auto trans etc etc. There is no way the C4 can be compared to the Lexus IS250. The Lexus IS250 is often compared to a BMW 3 series.

 

The C4 should be compared to something similar like a 1.5L Nissan Latio Sport (hatch back) or maybe a Suzuki Swift 1.5L.

[Hutan]

bro, most of the Citroen owner this brand, what exactly the problems is...can share?

[Icekhoo]

go test drive the is250 and take the route with the sharp bends near lower delta, drive it real hard and fly through the humps, u'll know what i meant. I'm not comparing the two cars since they are totally different in class but the comfort and handling capabilities of the is250 did not impress me. However the looks are aggressive and sporty. Anyway, the Ls are way out beemers' league. Maybe we compare the VWs.

 

For the cits, they do have their annoying problems, but i think it also happens to toyotas and other makes. Not major enough to dampen my spirits whenever I drive it. The french are really bold in their attempt on making the car an exciting ride. Give it a test drive, it requires an acquired taste.

[Clement]

Wow, asking me to share the problems I had with my Citroen? Its a tall order, can write a short novel on it!

 

Here is a small selection of the problems I had: bonnet release cable burst: shorted on battery terminals - luckily my car did not catch fire, hydraulic fluid cables leaking, ignition cables failed, starter motor failed, front brake pads squealing, window winders failed, speedometer needle jerky, gear shift dust cover torn, front dust covers for CV ball joints torn, various hoses in engine compartment leaking, vaccuum cable burst, engine oil constantly leaking, air-con water leaking inside passenger compartment, manual gear clutch pedal cable rough like sandpaper, fuel injection system failed etc etc etc etc.....

 

It is embarassing to continue writing on....

[Clement]

Ok, I get what you mean.

 

I have no doubts that the handling of the Citroen C4 is first class. The suspension and road handling capability is unmatched. But unfortunately, the Achilles heel of Citroen is its poor reliabilty. See my post above for more details.

 

At the end of the day, one should buy a car that one is happy with. If you are happy with your car, then it is a good buy. Unfortunately, Citroen was not a good buy for me. From what I gather, it was a good buy for you. So let it be.

[Toeknee_33]

My love-hate relationship with Citroen ended last year, after 2 BXs in the 90s and 2 Xantias. My last was a Xantia 3.0V6 with Hydrative II.

 

I loved Citroens to bits when they are working fine, and hate it when they give up on me. My best was the Xantia 2.0 16V which performed faultessly for 140000km. I needed more power and refinement, and picked up a good condition 2-year old 3.0 V6 for a song, thinking that it would be as good the 2.0. I was foolhardy, and very wrong. I had much of the problems you had, spent tonnes of money maintaining it, the gearbox even broke. It also broke my love for the brand.

 

Nothing moves me like a Citroen, even today. I still feel a flutter when I see one on the road. Its an acquired taste for sure, but once you love it, its for life. My dream car is a restored DS or CX. I would love to have another hydropneumatically sprung Cit (any Cit without the oil/air suspension is not a real Cit but a Pug clone, including the C4, no offence). But I need time to gather my courage...

Edited August 2, 2006 by Toeknee_33