Citroen DS5 Diesel

I took ownership of this french beauty in August 2015. I was never a big fan of french cars with their rather poor reputation for reliability and ergonomic quirkiness. However, when I saw it in the flesh at the showroom, it was love at 1st sight. The avantgarde exterior and interior is a cut above class rivals which makes the rest seem bland and uninteresting. The curvaceous bodywork and use of chrome trim on the exterior provides a classy and distinctive appearance. It is definitely a breath of fresh air compared to your average non-descript executive express. The cockpit style dashboard also makes you feel like a net pilot rather than at the wheel of a car. The vast array of buttons definitely appeals to the gadget freak in me but might not appeal to folks who place simplicity above all else. It is chockful with features; Sat Nav, triple sun roofs, LCD gauges, auto everything, powered front seats with massage function for driver's seat etc. The high quality materials used makes it a nice place to be in as well. The fit and finish is much better than the french of old but still not really upto German or Japanese standards with some minor creaks and groan in thw cabin travelling over undulating surfaces. In terms of engine and mechanical performance, the fuel efficient diesel engine easily achieves almost 900km per tank of fuel in real world driving conditions. Off the line performance is not going to win any traffic light sprints but strong mid range torque makes for effortless overtaking. It could do with a little more power though. The semi automatic gearbox takes alittle getting used to with it's slightly jerky gear changes when left in auro mode. To achieve smooth gear shifts, it is best to change gears manually via the steering mounting paddle shifters. You will need to lift off the throttle during upshifts like a regualr manual. Ride and handling falls behind other class rivals where steering feels heavy and lacking feel. Damping needs improvement with the slightly crashy ride over poorly paved roads which is uncharacteristic of a french car with their normally magic carpet ride. Reliability so far has been good without any major issues but a fair assessment can only be made with longer term ownership. CnC service has also been top notch versus other makes. A positive ownership experience thus far.... Read More

Just became a proud owner of a DS5 SO CHIC 1.6 E-HDI 115 ETG last month. Incredibly, it's now laid up in the workshop due to a gearbox problem, something about the actuator failing - couldn't engage any gears in Auto or Manual mode. It's disappointing as I was just beginning to enjoy my new ride and this has to happen. Even more frustrating is the spare parts have to be shipped from France and won't arrive anytime soon because of the World Cup!... Read More