Review
Unless you're in the market for an uncomplaining minicab it's hard to make much of a case for the increasingly old-looking Citroen C5. Barely average when it was introduced in 2001, the intervening years have been unkind to it and it now feels almost embarassingly off the pace.
The design was never the most elegant, and a mid-term facelift (which grafted on Citroen's latest corporate front end) makes the styling look even more clumsy. The interior is spacious and constructed from reasonably tough-feeling materials, but the design feels very dated. On the plus side, the hatchback has a decent sized boot and the estate is cavernous.
Hydraulic suspension gives the C5 a nice, pliant ride quality over broken road surfaces - and cornering grip levels are impressively high, too. It's certainly better in the bends than any of its likely group of owners will expect or demand, although the overall dynamic experience is let down by springy-feeling steering.
The petrol engines lack refinement and much in the way of performance. The modern, punchy diesels are far better, especially the brawny 2.0 litre HDI.
Massive depreciation makes buying a new C5 look like a very brave decision, although sizable discounts are (in traditional Citroen fashion) available for those who do.