Activa a realistic daily car?

[Mark Graham]

Opinions please!

Due to moving house the fleet is going (most gone but still got to advertise my Peugeot 605 and my Xantia 1.9td auto, saved them for last!)

I can keep one car and of course it’s going to be my Activa. This means it needs to be forced into daily duty..

My question(s)

Is an Activa really suitable to do 20k miles a year?

Is there any precautions I should be doing before it gets that kind of mileage forced upon it?

Since recommissioning the car last year it’s had all belts fluids and filters changed. Several hydraulic pipes replaced and a ram rebuilt. As far as I can tell it’s all in perfect working order at the moment.

[davoxx]

Is an Activa really suitable to do 20k miles a year?

Yes!! (other than petrol usage)

Is there any precautions I should be doing before it gets that kind of mileage forced upon it?

Since recommissioning the car last year it’s had all belts fluids and filters changed. Several hydraulic pipes replaced and a ram rebuilt. As far as I can tell it’s all in perfect working order at the moment.

Did you change the pulley when changing the belts?

[Mark Graham]

I’m pretty sure the pulley was done at the same time as the belts but I’ll ask my mechanic…

[white exec]

A good 605 coming up for sale is a rarity, as so few left now.
Will be interesting to know how it goes, Mark!

[Michel]

Opinions please!

My question(s)

Is an Activa really suitable to do 20k miles a year?

No.

Firstly -Fuel economy is ghastly. I ran one for a year as a daily driver in 2009/10. You will be lucky to better 28mpg, and even Citrojim only managed 35 I just did a comparison on Which’s website fuel cost calculator between mpg from my Xantia TD (45) and my Activa (27). Pic attached of that - over 20k miles at today’s prices, you’d spend £1700 more on fuel with the Activa.

Secondly - However well you maintain it, and it will need a reasonable amount, it will break. If anything other than a bog-standard common part breaks, you’re stranded without a car while you track down and buy the part, and then find the time to fit it.

Activas are a lovable oddity, but definitely no longer suitable as a daily driver, that’s if they ever were.

[GiveMeABreak]

Given the problem of parts availability and the added complexity of the Activa, I would not consider it a daily driver if it was me. The lack of experience with these cars by breakdown 'technicians' and the lack of parts could mean getting stranded - so unless you have unlimited breakdown and recovery to home cover, I would stick to something more economical and easier to repair and keep the Activa for special occasions - or if not possible as you have said, maybe consider it as being time to part company

[Michel]

It’s not just breakdown technicians who have little experience with them Marc, it’s pretty much every mechanic you’ll find, unless it’s one of a very select few Citroen Independent specialists..

[GiveMeABreak]

Indeed Mike.

[Mark Graham]

Thanks for the replies!

I am a very lucky man, I have convinced my wife to let me use her Skoda estate for the big miles and she will use the Activa for the few miles she does a week. This is a major result as she has refused to even get in the car so far!

[Mark Graham]

A good 605 coming up for sale is a rarity, as so few left now.
Will be interesting to know how it goes, Mark!

Thanks! My 605 is a cracker, I’ll put a link here when I advertise it.

[Armidillo]

A good 605 coming up for sale is a rarity, as so few left now.
Will be interesting to know how it goes, Mark!

Thanks! My 605 is a cracker, I’ll put a link here when I advertise it.

I'd grab it in a heartbeat, but the freight charge (to Australia) might be prohibitive...

[daviemck2006]

I have owned an activa and a 1.9td xantia. I preferred the 1.9td if I'm honest, and found it difficult to get parts for the activa. That was a few years ago now I would only imagine it would be worse now. Theres no way I would consider an activa as an everyday car.

[admiral51]

OK it is not an Activa but i have used my Xantia 2.0 HDi for the last 3 years or so as a daily driver, close to 75 miles a day circa 14.5k a year and its 21 years old now.
Engine wise and electrical issues no real problems, however little issues with the hydraulic system replacement part supply have made me decide to put it up for sale .
It is horses for courses i guess but yes it is a cracking car full stop, but parts are getting hard to find, not the common bits like spheres/seals etc but the odd thing that requires a little bit searching and if like me you do not have the access to ramps/pits/4 post lift etc it suddenly starts to cost if you cannot get to work.
I am lucky in that we have 3 cars in the family and my son works locally and is able to get a lift to work so we can juggle car usage between us.
If i worked closer to home then i could keep the old girl, but no work no pay etc

Colin

[Mark Graham]

Thanks for the replies, I finally have the Activa back home from Scotland, a journey of around 450 miles. The car performed faultlessly and I’m really impressed by the old girl.

I do think it would be a crime to force the kind of miles I do a year upon her so I am going to make sure she gets treated as the very special thing she is. I’ll just have to find a storage solution…

The wife can keep her Skoda and I’ll keep my Xantia 1.9td as a daily.

[white exec]

That's my stragegy with our XM and BX, the latter now being the daily — yes, really.
The XM would cope standing on its head with local stuff, but I'd rather let her do the longer journeys (as well as the inter-galactic trips) which she's eminently suited for, so she gets used every couple of weeks or so.