Citroen XM Forum

andmcit wrote:I can't honestly believe you lot getting so excited about Xm gizmo's! My first car was a Gs and
I still think it's the best car I've ever bought and that had the 'sophisticated' addition of a round
clock to go with the superb rev/speedo and battery charge in it's gorgeous dash. The dash was
flimsy and plastikky yes though looked out of this world and has far superior ergonomics to the
mess that is found in an Xm especially with it's slim light stalks a little finger's flex away.

I learnt to drive in a GS and GSA, they were great cars for what they were and for the day. I think we might find them a bit lacking now though.

You don't need AC/ABS/hydractive to get a tremendous buzz from driving one of these.
They're the only car I've ever driven where I've felt this buzz and it's no accident one was
my first car and led to my many subsequent Citroen purchases. I love them so much I do
still have several!!


Andrew

The GS is too small for my liking. I drove one round a field this summer, and wished it was the same size as the CX, or a more in between size.

They're fine and perfectly formed just the way they are! Should've driven it on a twisty country road - who needs ARCS!!
The Bx is no different in size to a G and feels flimsier / half as solid and this is why I never took to them although I do
own a phase 2 16v.

Andrew

Ahhhh but my view: The XM is an Executive car - executive means toys!! Just like the SE/SED spec!

The base spec should not exsist... I agree, a G or GS is a base car, they were made with no EW, or A/c etc, so Id expect that... but when a car has a spec that offers it, I like to have it..

Paul

So honestly answer this, how often do you adjust the lekky mirrors, lekky seats and that damned lekky armrest?

The first time you drove the car home and have never touched the switches since I'd bet. It's all BS. The
rear inner glass screen only get's touched when the damned thing is removed because it's in the way when
you're trying to ship big things into the car to take them somewhere and the dot matrix displays spend their
lives being neurotic beeping merrily about a whole raft of impending calamities that have nothing to do with
the actaul act of moving the car...

it's all in the mind. Robert has even admitted he never winds the rear windows so who cares if they're operated
via a manual winder - they stay shut!! And don't get me started about leather seats. I will just say, in a rare Xm
like my 24v, I'd be happier with the matte finish on them than some which seem totally bin liner black shiny
and cheap.

Andrew

Honestly!!??

All the bloody time when Im reversing... thats when LOL , oh, and when puuling out of my gate, because its a blind corner...

Seats - not as often admittedly..

So I know Andrew, your not a fan of toys.. But, me, I am..

Paul

In honest truth, I don't really mind all the 'toy's' on or off the car tbh and can live
happily in my boggo spec 2.0i Xm on a H plate with moulded into the backrest
headrests and hard plastic centre cubby box lid etc; but I certainly wouldn't use
the lack of gizmo's as a big stick to wield and deride such a car as this ebay one
in this thread as being a "non Xm".

I like the toys when they work, some of them are pointless. But some are good.

The ultimate Xm for me would be a 2.0 Carb, with no toys what soever. However, I do like my exclusified VSX. If it had aircon, then I would be happy. My 2000 VSX has had manual winders fitted to the back windows, I'll probably not touch them unless I get leather for it, and change the rear door cards.

The electric seats are a bit of a nonsense, memoery seats would be handy if more than one person ever uses the car regularily. The electric operation of the armrest is pointless, but some sort of armrest instead of nothing would have been better to begin with, but the electric armest is a useful solution to a problem that shouldn't exist.

I do find electric seats very useful, as I often adjust the back/forth depending on what I'm dressing -e.g. just a shirt or a coat on top-, or the shoes I have on the day -thicker/thinner soles-.

Not rarely I adjust the back for the same reason, but also because some days I feel like adopting a more "laid back" driving position than other days.

In doing all that, I remember how much I wished I had electric seats in most other cars I've owned -especially the ones where adjustment was in steps and not continuous -you can never hit the exact position you want grrrrrrrr -.

With the armrest it's the opposite -I rarely touch it. However: I need it to be mobile in order to find the position I like -in the beggining I spent a few months trying different heights till I settled to the best compromise between left upper body comfort (motorway driving), and effective gear changing... So wouldn't like one that's fixed in one position!

The other extra I find very useful is the bucket lateral support adjustment -my V6 doesn't have it, my SED has. Both on leather, on the V6 you float all over the place in spirited driving, on the other one you don't move a mm. This should be standard in, at least, leather-dressed XMs.

cheers
George