Test drive Citroen C5 Estate 2001 - 2004 station wagon

All photos of Citroen C5 Estate 2001 - 2004

Comfortable little thing

The goods are face

Citroen-s5 debuts with a body hatchback (pseudoedan) took place in the fall of 2000. Six months later, the station wagon appeared. Together with Ts-Pyat, a new generation of a thinking active hydropneumatic suspension of Hydractiv-3 was also presented, which can maintain a constant road clearance when changing the load and automatically adapt to the current movement mode. The suspension can also be controlled and manually, setting the different height of the body above the road.
It is possible that this particular feature of C5 explains the high level of cars in Russia in the last year and a half. Low planted, by our standards, a comfortable car is able to stand on tiptoe and carefully drive along a broken country. The drive, of course, remains only the front, but the road clearance at the same time as in an ordinary all -around. And even more so attractive for lovers of outdoor activities of the station wagon with a carrying capacity of 600 kg, with 563 liters of indefinable trunk or 1658 liters of transformed when loading under the roof. Even the hatchback minimum includes 456 liters. Expanse and only!
In Russia, they offer cars with a body of hatchback and a 2-liter row four, 100 kW/136 liters. With. For a price of 21,900* euros or with a 3-liter V-shaped six, 152 kW/207 l. With. - from 31,990 euros. The station wagon can only be purchased with a 2-liter engine and a mechanical gearbox from 24,390 euros.

There is one standard equipment - SX, although there are additional options that are not designated by a separate abbreviation. The minimum set includes climate control (!), ABS, six airbags, a radio with CD and six speakers, an immobilizer with a central lock, electric windows of four doors, heating the front seats and external mirrors, fog lights, velor upholstery of the salon, athermal glasses . You will find many pleasant little things in the car. These are headlight washing and cooled gloves (it is better to keep sandwiches in the cold), this is a rain sensor, on the signal of which windows are covered and wipers are turned on, it is a rear window curtain and a grid in the trunk. Decent equipment in the basic configuration is generally one of the attractive sides of the Citroen proposed in Russia.

If the machine, in addition, has alloy wheels, and is also equipped with parking sensors and emerging outer mirrors, its price will increase by about 950 euros (from 22,860). With the finish by a more expensive velor - another 500 (from 23,360), and with Alcantara - at 1100 (from 23,960).
A four -speed hatchback machine instead of a mechanical box will make a basic version of 1300 euros (from 23,200). When buying a station wagon, you will have to pay extra 1000 euros for an automatic box - it will turn out at least 25,390.
A few words about the car that came to our test. She can say an unusual equipment. Such dealers are extremely rare. There is no radio, washer washer, heating seats and rear wiper, but there are separate options from an additional list - parking sensors, folding mirrors, alloy wheels and velor more expensive. This option will cost 23,360 euros.
WHAT IS INSIDE

The volume of the cabin is quite consistent with the expected car of this class. Sitting here is convenient everywhere, although three are a little crowded in the shoulders. Let us pay attention to curious features.
In a rather chubby steering wheel, a soft layer under the sheathing (it is easily poured with fingers) creates a sensation of a very tenacious grip. The diameter of the wheel is slightly larger than average. The river adjustments in height and angle of inclination are moderate, but along with the changing height of the chair this is more than enough. The height of the passenger is also regulated in height - this is not common.
The upholstery of the velor chairs creates a good clutch of the fifth point with the car, although the shape of the pillow and back is not very zealous about this. The chairs are generally neutral in relation to the driver - they do not grab it with an iron grip, do not envelop all sorts of supports, probably do not even try to repeat the shape of the back. So I would limit the overall assessment to them by four.
In French, there are many drawers, pockets, cup holders, but the place to put a glass half-liter bottle with a soft drink was not immediately found. Blinking, they were able to attach it to the large ashtray for the rear passengers between the front seats. It turned out to be very convenient.

The on-board computer display, which has already become familiar to many cars, is often placed in the center of the front panel, performs another important function in the chain. It displays one of the four current states of the suspension, showing, however, not a road clearance, but the maximum speed with which it is allowed to go in a particular position. However, everything ends as soon as the car completed your command up or down. So guessing on the go, whether you are highly raised above the road is very difficult. Unless approaching the limit of the speed permissible in this position. Then you will be politely pulled.
A few words about the trunk. In addition to the fact that it is large, it has a grid and four loops for its attachment (or cargo fastening). From the dealer you can still buy a very useful thing - a sliding shelf for small items (see photo).
Of course, the rear seats transform into parts, and the headrests located on them in the lower position are drowned in the back so as not to interfere with the review.
More about trifles. There are additional outlets in the cabin - today they often use them to recharge mobile phones. The gas tank cover is closed with the key from the ignition lock. And the distance that you have left to drive to the next one hundred, immediately after starting the engine is displayed on the odometer instead of the kilometer passed.
How to go

The two-liter 136-horsepower engine is enough to go faster than the flow. The car responds to pressing the right pedal not explosive, but confident traction. The first hundred C5 with a manual gearbox and partial loading overcomes in 10.8 seconds, with a machine gun - for 12.3 s. Transigns - not long, say, at the second at 6,000 rpm, the car gains only 90 km/h. At the same time, due to an impressive maximum speed and moderate, in relation to the mass of the machine, the engine of the engine is turned on the fifth already at a solid speed, so you practically do not use it in the city.
We will evaluate the mechanical box at good. There are no complaints about it, but we met modern units with easier inclusion of gears.
On the road, a sophisticated suspension behaves elastously and tightly. In more familiar definitions, it can be called moderately stiff. The almost exemplary behavior of the machine on the waves of different lengths with a quite tangible driver of the absorption of small pardon is a suspension, and after that and the body.
The rolls of the car are very small even in the usual mode of operation of the suspension. When pressing the Sports button, the controllability characteristic at first glance almost does not change.

The difference becomes noticeable when you try to shake the steering wheel in different directions at high speed, imitating the detour of an obstacle that suddenly appeared. In sports mode, the rolls will be noticeably less on the second, reverse Maha (when returning to the previously occupied lane).
Finally, we turn to the four positions of the suspension in height. The lowest, parking, in principle, can not be used - the car is ready to stand at the rack quietly with any body height above the asphalt. You can go down, unless the yard dogs do not climb under the car.
The second position corresponds to the main traffic mode and 130 mm road clearance. But when you gain more than 110 km/h on a good road, the car itself will sit slightly - 15 mm in front and 11 mm behind. If, on the contrary, you go to the bumps no faster than 70 km/h, it will rise 13 mm up.
The third position of the suspension is 170 mm above the road - for lancheck and speeds on it no more than 40 km/h. It is this speed that is reflected on the display, while the hydractive-3 performs the command to rise.

Finally, the fourth position - lifted up to 210 mm - for large pardon. Here the speed is generally limited by only ten kilometers per hour. You can slowly drive a dangerous place or park at a high border.
With the location of the pedal node and the ease of dosing of the driver's desires, everything is normal. The sightseeing is generally good, but back is the average. External mirrors could be larger, especially taking into account the fact that there is a station wagon. Although ... behind us are parking sensors from behind. Comfortable little thing. However, like the car itself.

*Hereinafter, the prices of the official distributor of Satari LLC, who provided the car for a test are given.

Three buttons control the suspension: up, down and sport. And the result is on the display.

The devices are concise and informative.

A comfortable shelf costs 62 euros.

Citroen C5 without a standard radio is very rare.

Standard equipment
Abs
Side airbags
Climate control
Adjustable steering column
Fog lights
Audio system with CD and six speakers
Front and rear electric windows
Rain sensor
Cooling glove box
Heating the front seats and mirrors