Citroen XM Forum

Proud of myself today Managed to remove the de-cat pipe on the XM and get the replacement cat nearly fitted. Luckily the de-cat pipe was not fitted properly, having no proper spring mount at the manifold end, and this made it easier as it was just held on with two 13mm bolts, nuts and several million washers

Work was interrupted when Chris570 called me and after my confession of what I'd been up to he told me i was a very naughty boy, was to stop immediately and he'd be along in the morning to finish up Good old Chris!

So, on successful completion of that job the XM can go for an MOT next week [-o<

Nearly there Jim, well done.

Very good work Jim, I bet you feel the effects tomorrow though! It'll be worth it, just picture that MOT test certificate in your hand

Heres a picture

I've done 600+ miles in my XM over the last couple of days and testify to their usefulness and comfort, neither of which I think is in doubt. Coming back from Glos today my daughter and I brought our luggage, an octagonal coffee table and two chairs. I did fold the seats down but still kept the rear window and parcel shelf in place.

I did set off at a relatively gentle pace, but having been held up on the M42 we seemed to get quicker and quicker as we approached the far north.

Rob

citroenmad wrote: Heres a picture

I recognise that car You’re right Chris, an MOT pass will be a proud and sweet moment.. And worth all the hard works too. Hopefully, having been saved by Chris570's lecture today and his order to stop work immediately I'm hoping I'm going to be OK tomorrow. Had he not I know I'd have kept going and thus would have wrecked myself. I've not quite got this pacing lark and the need to stop and rest at regular intervals quite worked out yet

Tell you want Rob, because my XM is currently up on ramps half-way through a cat change I took the Xantia V6 to Tesco this evening. It rides fine and is a gorgeous car to drive but you know, I just can't get as comfy in that as the XM however I fiddle with the seats. Oddly, in my Activa I can, nearly, but the V6 has different seats and they're nowhere as good...

I have a task to take two futons to Robyn's Uni digs in Aberystwyth in a couple of weeks. Definitely a job for the XM

Overall comfort int he XM is very good, much better than most other cars. It's not just seat comfort, it's about steering wheel position, pedal position and pedal height.
The ergonomics are bang on.

Dieselman wrote: The ergonomics are bang on.

Yes, absolutely. Even to how the switches fall perfectly to hand on a S1 with a single-spoker...

Ergonomically they are good. We should consider ourselves lucky, as usually RHD cars get the raw deal when it comes to good ergonomics.
However, Jim you are so right, the buttons behind the steering wheel do fall to hand nicely...on single spoke cars. Can't see a ruddy thing on mine!

My first car was a Ford Ka, (was a luxury one.. Metallic black and cream leather) and that thing used to give me dreadful back ache and ankle ache if driven long distances. And i'm not tall.. about 5'7".... XM, nothing... Totally comfortable and relaxing.

russ92xmsed wrote:Ergonomically they are good. We should consider ourselves lucky, as usually RHD cars get the raw deal when it comes to good ergonomics.
However, Jim you are so right, the buttons behind the steering wheel do fall to hand nicely...on single spoke cars. Can't see a ruddy thing on mine!

My first car was a Ford Ka, (was a luxury one.. Metallic black and cream leather) and that thing used to give me dreadful back ache and ankle ache if driven long distances. And i'm not tall.. about 5'7".... XM, nothing... Totally comfortable and relaxing.

Im 6ft2 and find the XM very comfortable. Very spacious, a very roomy footwell and well spaced pedals. I agree that the driving position is about spot on.

I would bet good money that your Ford KA (is still going) has much more rust than your XM

The one thing the XM misses for me is the ability to tilt the seat base up at the front to give better leg support. I find this very comfortable in the Xantia. I have started to dislike my C5s seats now and have been looking for a nice set of leathers (electrically adjustable and so tilt in the correct way). They are fine normally but on longs runs I get uncomfortable in it. Not so in a Xantia.

The wheel on my XM is the two spoke affair and it does obscure the switches somewhat, but I have found that dropping the height of the wheel a little has ameliorated that a little without affecting comfort. What I do like however, is the "feel" of the wheel, I briefly owned a C5 V6 and I think the reason I got rid of it so quickly was the disgusting wheel which made my hands dirty every time I touched it - or it might have been the XM I was desperate to buy...
Rob