Sadly I must leave the Citroen brotherhood.

[frenchcarnut]

I don't think I'll be too far behind you. My next new car will probably be Japanese (or German): far less stylish IMHO and generally more boring but after years (25) of French car ownership, I've finally had enough of the unreliability and cost of spares. My mobile skip (C15 van) I use to move crap to the tip is a case in point; £50+ for a clutch cable that isn't readily available from motor factors and other alternatives is just too much. To be fair, the C5 hasn't been that bad, but it's starting to do some weird things: tx has had to be reset once in recent months, anti-pollution fault has never been resolved, breaking interior door handles (simply unacceptable for a car of this initial cost), quirky wiper operation and window winding operation leaves me all a bit uncertain of what is still a fairly young car having completed less than 45k miles.

[messerschmitt owner]

I don't think I'll be too far behind you. My next new car will probably be Japanese (or German): far less stylish IMHO and generally more boring but after years (25) of French car ownership, I've finally had enough of the unreliability and cost of spares. My mobile skip (C15 van) I use to move crap to the tip is a case in point; £50+ for a clutch cable that isn't readily available from motor factors and other alternatives is just too much. To be fair, the C5 hasn't been that bad, but it's starting to do some weird things: tx has had to be reset once in recent months, anti-pollution fault has never been resolved, breaking interior door handles (simply unacceptable for a car of this initial cost), quirky wiper operation and window winding operation leaves me all a bit uncertain of what is still a fairly young car having completed less than 45k miles.

you should buy a smart roadster

alternator - only available from smart - £180
clutch disintegrates at 42k, despite being electronic operation under control of a computer not the driver
springs fail regularly (first at 15k, the next at 70k)
dodgy electronics and electrics
leaks onto main fuse box due to lack of sealing and bad design - cost £500+ each time - some people on four now
keys going out sync
leaks from roof
etc.

Oh, they were made in France though ...

[frenchcarnut]

I don't think I'll be too far behind you. My next new car will probably be Japanese (or German): far less stylish IMHO and generally more boring but after years (25) of French car ownership, I've finally had enough of the unreliability and cost of spares. My mobile skip (C15 van) I use to move crap to the tip is a case in point; £50+ for a clutch cable that isn't readily available from motor factors and other alternatives is just too much. To be fair, the C5 hasn't been that bad, but it's starting to do some weird things: tx has had to be reset once in recent months, anti-pollution fault has never been resolved, breaking interior door handles (simply unacceptable for a car of this initial cost), quirky wiper operation and window winding operation leaves me all a bit uncertain of what is still a fairly young car having completed less than 45k miles.

you should buy a smart roadster

alternator - only available from smart - £180
clutch disintegrates at 42k, despite being electronic operation under control of a computer not the driver
springs fail regularly (first at 15k, the next at 70k)
dodgy electronics and electrics
leaks onto main fuse box due to lack of sealing and bad design - cost £500+ each time - some people on four now
keys going out sync
leaks from roof
etc.

Oh, they were made in France though ...

Yes I agree it's all relative, but as I get older, my quirkiness tolerance ratio (reliability versus unique design) is moving in favour of reliability.

[KP]

IIRC is the 2.5 unit not the same as then one used in the relay vans??

[frenchcarnut]

It's difficult this Citroen thing