Manual Turbo Petrol

[robert_e_smart]

Chaps,

I might end up rescuing a 2.0 Turbo Petrol XM from a chap that lives beside the industrial estate where I work.

Any comments on fuel economy and performance, considering that these are normally autos in the XM, and the Xantia Activa, although manual will be a bit lighter.

It's a '96 VSX with 77k on the clock in white. It has been on SORN since December. It will join me if the price is right.

[andmcit]

The engine may be the same as the Activa but the gearing and in fact the clutch and gearbox are totally different meaning the significant fuel consumption of the Activa isn't so bad on the Xm. Everyday mid 30's with all kinds of use (OK, with brisk driving) and it doesn't feel a thirsty brute with the Oliver Reed drink problem an Activa does!

I like my 2.0i turbo manual a lot and it tows my car loaded transporter trailer easily with no complaints. Ok, it doesn't have mountains of TD or V6 torque as it is after all a 2.0i and I guess refinement levels are harsher as the engine works harder when pressing on but nothing unpleasant or thrashy. Performance wise the manual box can allow spirited driving where it feels good, yes if you're a boy racer you need to change the gears but I find the box quite positive and light. The car drives with no turbo lag and in fact rarely if ever emits any whistles and of course being constant torque is just THERE when you want it with no histrionics.

And before anyone starts banging on about refinement or character or whatever with an autobox being suited better for the car, that's where your use/expectations with the car will come in; I use it as a big sportscar and useful carry and towall which it does easily and with me it's not an ooze lazily about or commute car but a fantastic friend and helper and at the moment I'm a bit lost without it after smashing up its suspension on a wet roundabout the other day - it does say something (though I don't know what exactly) that I was carrying loads of heavy kit in the back yet still hustling it along with ease...

If I want to potch around and try for a personal mpg record I'll drive the 2.1 or 2.5TD's but am too much of a petrolhead to be at ease with diesel and find I'm far happier in a v6 or turbo! And should I want to go silly fast, the CX GTi T2/Activae/V6 24V Xant or V6 24v Xm all do that job well!

What's actually wrong with this White one? In the past I'd have said the colour but recent purchases in white such as the Xantia estate and my Cx GTi Turbo2 have won me over as well as citroenmad Chris and his mint 16v.

Hope you get the car as I'm sure it'll fare significantly better than where it sounds like it currently rests!

Andrew

[citroenxm]

What's actually wrong with this White one? In the past, I'd have said the colour but recent purchases in white such as the Xantia estate and my Cx GTi Turbo2 have won me over as well as citroenmad Chris and his 16v.

Hope you get the car as I'm sure it'll fare significantly better than where it sounds like it currently is!

Andrew

My first V6 was white, and I actually liked it! White REALLY does suit the XM!

As for the Turbo engine .......................... No comment

Paul

[minijet]

.
Hi Robert,

my first XM was a manual turbo, it was really fast, much faster than the auto I have now (although I do prefer auto's).
Looking at your signature Robert, your other XM's are a 2.0 and a 2.1td, so I think you'll be impressed by the extra boost of the petrol turbo.

As for fuel consumption, I'd say low twenties around town, high twenties in rural areas, and well into the thirties on a clear motorway (if you can find one).

77k is a low mileage (to most of us, maybe not to you with your 30k XM ), it's also in white (my favourite XM colour) .

Unless he want's silly money for it, I'd snatch his hand off

Paul.

.

[andmcit]

I realise you don't like the 2.0i TCT Paul; what's your main issue with it, the refinement?
A four pot 2.0 is NEVER going to be a 3litre v6! You'll have to get used to a fourpot with any CX!!

Robert's main query is the gearbox and it's mating with the TCT turbo here, not necessarily the
engine.

Andrew

[robert_e_smart]

Thanks for the comments folks,

I think my seeing it was fate, I was day dreaming at lunch time yesterday and went out of the estate the wrong way, and caught a glimpse of the car on the guys drive. He normally had the car at the back of his house, but had it round the front as he had a guy in cleaning his rear paving.

The car is in good nick from what I saw, the thing just needs a wash and polish and its ready to roll. White isn't ideal when you live on a farm, kinda clashes with cow shite green, but that didn't stop me buying a white BX once.

Anyway, as you can also see form my signature I have a hell of a lot of stuff. And I would ideally like to reduce numbers, but I don't want this chap to do anything un-toward with the car. I am going back at lunch time to have a drive in it, as the battery was flat yesterday, and hopefully strike a deal with him.

Unfortunatley this isn't the best time for me to buy another car, I brought home my CX 20 on monday last week and there is a risk that I may be made redundant as well. However, stuff like this hasn't stopped me before, and My BX Estate is for sale, so hopefully that will go, and I can use the proceeds to buy this XM. If I could only convince my sister to drive it, there would be less yapping from the old pair. However according to her, driving a big, comfy, cheap, fast car is a really crap idea. Apparently we should all be driving small, "reliable", uncomfortable & expensive C4s in her book!

If anyone wants to buy a BX estate let me know!!

[citroenxm]

I realise you don't like the 2.0i TCT Paul; what's your main issue with it, the refinement?
A four pot 2.0 is NEVER going to be a 3litre v6! You'll have to get used to a fourpot with any CX!!

Robert's main query is the gearbox and it's mating with the TCT turbo here, not necessarily the
engine.

Andrew

Four pots ARE NOT a problem for me! DERV's are all four pots, the CX's 2.5's are OHV units and have a different character..but I realise the CX 2.2 is a OHC, however, IVe driven one in a Renault 25 - albeit with Injection.

I just think the 4 pot in the XM thats the Torbo Petrol and N/a Petrol's are not a very refined unit.. I dont think theres enough bonnet sound insulation between the car and engine, which the S1 suffered with untill the S2 came along..

So my issue is not the fact its Four pot, but just a slightly nosy unit by nature - its performance - is thought damm right Awesome certainly in manual form!! I have had the pleasure of driving a manual Turbo and by god it DID shift - it actually kicked me in the back when the turbo spun up!

The auto box takes a little out of the engine.. but I find it still goes fairly well enough indeed...

Paul

[robert_e_smart]

Well Chaps,

I have just returned from the test drive, my it is a quick car, well, quick compared to the 2.1 TD auto and BX non turbo D I have been driving this past while.

I found it quite refined, but I always drive with the window open, and Dieselitis would also make me think it was quiet.

The car is a goodun, the strut tops are good, recent discs, exhaust also looks good, slight blow from the manifold. Needs 2 new rear tyres, the factory fitted Michelin's have passed it now. Suspension is excellent, it needs a new accumulator, hisses like hell when you rev it. No corossion. Heater blower not working, hopefully just a fuse.

The seller is an ex-motor trader, and was continually going on about speaking to his friends in the trade, that if they ever had someone come in to buy a new car and had no scrappage deal car, that they could do a 50/50 deal with him, he would MOT the XM, and buy their car in his name, he gets his grand, and the others save a grand of list price. Crazy.

So I haven't bought it yet, I am hesitiating for the reasons mentioned in my previous post. Cash flow is a bandit!

[citroenxm]

Robert,
As mentioned in my post, the S2 cars ARE more refined - and a Turbo Petrol will be a damm sight quicker then a 2.1 TD and any BX D....

Im impressed, he'd save it rather then loose it with the method you described..

Paul

[Dieselman]

And just how many people does he think would be happy to pay £5000 to buy a car and it be in someone elses name. As well as the insurance implications the thought of getting caught for fraud would put most people off I would think.

Make him a timed offer and leave him your phone number.