Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon

Looking for an objective review of the Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon? OSV has got you covered, from engines to lease deals.

If you’re looking for limo-like composure but can’t afford a premium, executive German car, the new Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon represents an excellent, affordable alternative. It’s a calm, handsome cruiser that’s powerful and cheap to run.

Citroen build their saloons primarily to cope with the French motorways, but the suave D5 is every inch the accommodating English butler on the likes of our beleaguered M62. It absorbs lumps and bumps admirably, even if it can’t match the German cars for on-the-road-excitement.

OSV takes a closer look at what it’s all about with our 2017 Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon review.

Overview Of The Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon

On The Road

When it comes to sanding down our rough road surfaces, the C5 Diesel Saloon is an expert – it can make even the most scarred and battered road feel like a carpet. Absolute comfort is what Citroen were aiming for with this car, and it’s what they’ve managed to achieve. The standard springs are excellent, but if they aren’t enough for you, you can upgrade to the Hydractive 3+ suspension setup instead for extra cost.

Inevitably, there has to be a trade-off for all that comfort, and it comes in the form of unresponsive steering. Sometimes, you’ll find yourself trying to second guess what your front wheels are doing as you tackle bends. As a result, you don’t always feel in complete control.

This is a diesel model, but you don’t have to worry about typical diesel clatter. Citroen knew such a racket wouldn’t suit the sophisticated nature of this character, and they’ve managed to tone things down. There are two engines on offer, and they’re both quiet. There is a faint hum, but that’s it.

The fact that they derive most of their power from low speeds is also a bonus, as it ensures a relaxing driving experience. And when you need a bit of a shove, they’re on hand to deliver the goods.

The smaller 148bhp should be enough for most buyers, and can get you from a standstill to 62 in a respectable 9.4 seconds. The bigger 177bhp, meanwhile, covers the same distance in just 8.7 seconds.

Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon Interior, Design & Build

As mentioned a thousand times already, this is a car that majors in comfort. To really enhance its comfort levels, Citroen added a sound-deadening windscreen and triple door seals so that exterior noises generally won’t be creeping into the cabin when you’re on the move.

Four adults should have more than enough room to relax, even on longer journeys. Leg, shoulder and headroom is plentiful, and the soft, supportive seats further give you all a chance to relax. Add to the fact that the diesel engines are so quiet, and the Citroen C5 saloon’s interior is a very pleasant place to be.

The only issue we have in terms of the design is the somewhat cluttered dashboard. There are just too many buttons, which means it doesn’t enjoy the clean, minimal aesthetics of more premium rivals. Moreover, the switches for the air condoning and radio are tiny and not exactly designed for ease-of-use.

Practicality is a not a massive asset of this car. The boot measures only 439-litres, which puts it behind a lot of its closest rivals. Worse still, it comes with a boot lid that doesn’t open as wide as we’d like. Still, the 60:40 split-folding rear seats are highly welcome.

There are plenty of storage spaces dotted in and around the cabin, but they’re not always the most useful. The glove box and door bins are too small, while the fact that Citroen converted to right-hand drive from left means the fuse box takes up a fair bit of room that would otherwise have been used for storage.

Equipment & Safety Of The Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon

There are only two trim levels to choose from, and both come with a good amount of standard equipment. The entry level model gets a height-adjustable driver’s seat, power-folding door mirrors, LED daytime running lights, Bluetooth connectivity, rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control and sat nav.

The Exclusive model builds on this with power-adjustable part-leather front seats and even softer suspension.

The C5 is from a bit of a bygone era, so build quality is a bit questionable. Recalls are frequent, but the car did score 5/5 when it was crash-tested by Euro NCAP. Its standard safety kit includes airbags, the French brand’s eTouch emergency assistance system, and electronic stability control.

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Costs Of The Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon

Prices for the new car start out from and rise to . For more information on our leasing deals, you can check out our page here.

In terms of its running costs, fuel economy returned by its diesel engines don’t drop below the 60mpg mark. The 148bhp 2.0-litre engine is the cheapest to run, and is good for 67.3mpg while costing £30 a year in road tax. For such a big, ageing car, those numbers are impressive.

The 177bhp version of the same doesn’t fare significantly worse, and averages 64.2mpg while also costing £30 a year to tax.

Pros and Cons Of The Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon

Pros:

Cons:

It’s Different

Citroen are knowing for being a quirky brand, and the C5 is both old and quirky. It’s an unusual mix, and will definitely get you noticed.

Supremely Comfortable

Citroen were always known for their large, comfortable cars, and we’re glad to report that it feels like the brand is back on top form.

Good Ride Quality

It’ll be hard to find a similar-sized car at this price point that rides as well.

Depreciation

Age definitely counts against this car, and you shouldn’t expect to get much back in the used car market after 3 years.

Limited Practicality

It looks like a big car, but Citroen haven’t used the space well. A small boot (compared to rivals), limited storage and interior space are all negatives.

Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon vs Toyota Avensis Diesel Saloon vs Kia Optima Diesel Saloon

Let’s see how the car fares against its rivals in the comparison section of our Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon review.

Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon vs Toyota Avensis Diesel Saloon

The brand new Toyota Avensis Diesel Saloon is dependable, relaxing, safe and accommodating. It sounds like the perfect family car. But is it?

In a word, it pretty much is. It has all the welcoming traits we love to see in cars like this. The problem for some buyers might be that it doesn’t offer a whole lot else.

For example, while the engines are economical and reliable, they’re far from exciting. The car whiles away the hours on longer journey, with light steering and comfy suspension helping to that end. But driver enjoyment is sorely missing. Put it this way, if you get a kick out of driving, you’ll be looking forward to getting behind the wheel of this just as much as you look forward to getting behind your desk on a Monday morning.

That seems harsh to say for such a dependable car. But some of the engines don’t help matters. The entry-level 1.6-litre diesel takes a painful 11.4 seconds to complete the 0-62 “dash”, but the 2.0-litre diesel does improve matters by doing the dash in 9.5 seconds.

However, in a frustrating trade-off, it costs significantly more to buy and keep on the road.

If you do fancy a petrol engine, the 1.8-litre petrol engine will hold all the aces for those of you who are really keen on this cars family values but want to see its rebellious streak. It doesn’t really have one to speak of, but this 145bhp automatic can do 0-62 in 9.4 seconds and is fairly quiet on the move.

Most buyers will be drawn to the diesels for their stellar economy, however. The 1.6-litre diesel engine is the cheapest to run, and can return fuel economy of 67.3mpg while costing £140 in road tax each year.

The 2.0-litre diesel doesn’t fare too badly, but its bigger wheels means tax will be higher, while average fuel economy returns are at around 62.8mpg.

Inside, the car is pleasant enough. The seats are comfortable, with comfort levels further boosted by the relatively soft suspension setup. The dash furthers the impression that the Avensis is here to do a duty and not much else, with its conservative, traditional design reflecting the overall conservative nature of the car.

The ambience is hardly electrifying, something not helped by the presence of harder plastics.

However, this is an excellent choice for families. Its huge boot measures 509-litres, which makes it considerably bigger than the C5’s, although the saloon boot-lid hinders its usability somewhat. The 60:40 split-folding rear seats can be dropped to extend boot space to 1,320-litres, and they fold really easily.

The Avensis Saloon spots some pretty big windows, which, as well as brightening up the cabin, ensure good visibility. This is a good thing, because the Avensis is a long car, which can make parking tricky. A reversing camera comes as standard on most trims, though, and overall this is an astute car for anyone who needs a workhorse.

Price:

Citroen –

Toyota – £18,000 – £27,000

Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon vs Kia Optima Diesel Saloon

The new Kia Optima Diesel Saloon is another example of how far the Korean brand have come in recent years. It’s a purposeful-looking, spacious saloon that offers excellent value for money.

Like the Toyota Avensis above, the Optima is hardly going to get your heart pumping with excitement on the road. Its steering is numb, which hardly helps with drivability – or your confidence in where you’re placing the car exactly.

Thankfully, one area that has been improved for the 2017 model is the stiff suspension. It’s now softer, and can absorb lumps and bumps better so that you feel less aggro.

There is only diesel engine in the range, and it’s a 1.7-litre 139bhp unit that can get you from a standstill to 62mph in around 10.6 seconds. That’s not too bad, especially when you consider how big this car is. But it never really feels especially powerful, while its atypical diesel clatter further limits how much enjoyment you can get out of this car. A relaxing cruiser it isn’t.

This diesel engine was formerly the only engine available with the Optima, but Kia have added petrol and hybrid options to the line-up. You can check them out here.

In terms of running costs, the 1.7-litre diesel is competitive with its rivals, and can return fuel economy of 67.3mpg on an average drive while costing £20 a year in road tax. Add in Kia’a seven-year warranty, and the 2017 Optima Saloon makes a lot of financial sense.

If you stepped foot inside a Kia ten years ago, you might have exclaimed that you’ll never set foot inside one ever again. However, the new Optima is a different experience altogether, and you’d be forgiven for assuming it was a different brand.

As well as making the most of soft-touch plastics and a smart design, Kia also get top marks for build quality. The layout is good too, with everything easy to locate. Exterior noises are mostly kept out, thanks to sound-deadening material, and overall the interior is a very relaxing place to be – once the diesel engine has properly woken up and cleared its throat, that is.

When it comes to its boot, the Kia suffers the same fate as the Citroen and the Toyota in that it doesn’t open as wide as anyone would like. The parcel shelf is permanently fixed, too. Still, once you’ve got the boot open you’ve got 510-litres of space to play around with, which is more than you get in the C5 Diesel Saloon.

Interior space is good, with everyone getting enough head, knee and legroom to be comfortable. Storage spaces include a cooled glove box, a lidded central cubby, and door bins.

Price:

Kia – £21,500 – £29,000

Verdict Of Our 2017 Citroen C5 Diesel Saloon Review

If ever a car was hit and miss, it’s this one. If you’re prepared to fork out for the range-topping trim, you’ll enjoy executive-level comfort and luxury. And if you like cars that are a bit different, this has got enough quirks to stand out from the crowd.

But despite having lots of road presence due to its size, interior space is frustratingly limited. Resale values are poor, while the boot is small compared to rivals. Moreover, this is far from being a young pup. The Citroen C5 diesel saloon is an interesting choice at best.

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Want to learn more? Click below to view the review for the competitors in this article…

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Toyota Avensis Saloon Review

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Kia Optima Saloon Review

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