Citroen XM Forum

ragger wrote:I was fairly set on a C4, until I sat in one; I think I just don't like more modern cars in general. It all seemed very cramped because of the acres of plastic and I got little sense of where the corners of the car were. I didn't even bother taking it for a drive, more because it turned out to be a diesel with no service history for over 50k miles than for anything else. The only thing I sat in today that I really did like (apart from the XM obviously) was a brand new Multispace; now that did seem spacious and practical.

I'm quite surprised at that, Rob. I'm on my second C4 now and the words cramped have never come to mind. In fact, anyone that goes in the car for the first time normally either comment on the fixed centre-hub steering wheel or just how spacious it is. I suppose we all like different things however the interior is a fantastic part of the C4 in my opinion. Was it a 3 Door Coupe or 5 Door Hatchback that you tried?

I've said it before but I will say it again that IMO the C4 is a very underrated car and personally I cannot think of anything that I would replace it with.

I think I may just have been feeling a bit "growly" today, Franklin, hence the general moan. Perhaps it is a mistake to go in the XM to try any other sort of car

Rob

No Rob, I agree. I suffer light claustrophobia and I find all modern cars hellish places to be as you feel almost cocooned and trapped in them and I hate it with a passion. I note that later Pugs seem to have a wall rather than a dashboard and you end up looking out over it like peeking over a fence and then most cars now seem to have gun slits for windows and pillars wider than the Doric columns in the entrance to the old Euston Station.

And then you have an XM, the interior of which is almost as roomy as the Australian outback! I like that. People are more likely to find it agoraphobic rather than claustrophobic!

The Xantia is much the same. Loads of airy space but not as much as the XM...

lol

I actually find my XM interior to be quite cosy inside. Must be all the black!
But it isn't claustrophobic and certianly isnt small.
I had the sunroof open today it really opens it out. I think with modern cars, lighter the interior the better. It helps a lot.
I think it is the A pillars that really encroach into the cars space and make it feel small. The big bummed Renault Megane was dreadful for it. I hated that.

You're absolutely right Russ, the XM is indeed cosy in a nice spacious way. It is indeed all that black and oddly it doesn't make the car feel sombre either..

Some cars with dark interiors feel like a funeral.

How did Citroen pull off such a trick? They really did and then some...

Interesting. Thankfully my C4 isn't the usual sea of black as the red highlights certainly give it a bit of individuality however I do like the large dashboard.

Couple of pics for comparison, first with S1 XM, then S2... All taken with same wide angle lens, around 10mm angle...

Wow, aren't the mk1 and C4 similar. Very net resting. I don't and have never found the C4 to be claustrophobic. Infact it is maybe quite an airy interior by modern standards.

Mk2 leather is much darker too.

russ92xmsed wrote:Wow, aren't the mk1 and C4 similar.

I thought the same.

The main difference on modern cars is the long dashboard due to the steeply raked windscreen.

That's the bit I don't care for in modern cars. It feels as though the dashboard is encroaching into the cabin and taking up too much space.