Citroen XM Forum

What's that 1.4 petrol engine like to drive?

Back in '89 I test drove a couple of brand new BXs - a 1.6 petrol manual, and a 1.9 petrol auto. The 1.9 certainly had the edge, but the buyer went for the 1.6, on lease. Fun, but plagued with a monumental flat-spot when the throttle was opened wide....which just had to be weak mixture.

Citroen failed to remedy this, and even denied there was a problem (very Peugeot-like behaviour), until the week the 1-year warranty was about to expire, when we laid down a bit of an ultimatum: change the carb (again...we were already on the third one), change the engine, or change the car!

Suddenly, following the renewed complaint, we were told the problem was 'known' (unofficially, of course) and 'sorted'. A test drive showed it damn well was sorted....front wheel spin and oodles of power. How? A set of carb jets from the equivalent Peugeot 1.6, which presumably lugged round a heavier body, and had been tuned for performance, as opposed to Citroen's preference for economy. A really impressive increase in performance, costing around 2mpg.

I wonder whether the 1.4 suffered the same handicap?

The 1.4 TU engine is a reasonable performer and doesn't suffer with flat-spots.

I think it goes pretty well, really. There certainly don't seem to be any flat spots, the power delivery is smooth and progressive and it keeps up well with modern traffic. The most significant thing I have noticed is the low gearing which gives it a nippiness at the "cost" of more frequent gear changes, but that is part of the fun along with a manual choke. Having said that, it is quite driveable at 70mph, however, motorway journeys will still be XM territory for me!

Good to hear they got that one right!
And no complaints about headlights, either . . . some of the best.

Very nice BX. What happened to the 'downsizing of the fleet' Rob? Has that been pushed into the long grass?

Love the BX Rob. Good for you. Have you let the Polo go?

No, the Polo is still here. I had a run out in it today, and it is superb at what it does best: that is relatively short , "run-about" journeys. The power is excellent, it is a sprightly motor, and the economy is superb as it delivers around 50mpg on these short journeys, but I really don't find it suits me for anything over an hours driving. I would be happy to part with it but there are forces beyond my control that will keep it here for the time being...

Next week, I am taking my youngest down to the Crawley/Redhill/Horsham area to look for rented accommodation for when she starts work down there in September. To save money I would go in the Polo but I couldn't face a round trip of about 600 miles or more in two days in a Teutonic boneshaker. I could go in the BX but that's not the kind of work I bought it for which leaves the XM and the Multipla. The XM is the comfiest (obviously!) and the nicest place to be, but I have spent a fortune on the wife's Multipla recently and really feel it owes me something. It is not unpleasant to drive, with reasonable performance (slightly enhanced) and decent economy with the added bonus of three seats across the front (the boyfriend who is enormous) is coming too.

Think it will have to be the XM...

ragger wrote:
Think it will have to be the XM...

A sound decision.

Just got home in the XM having done 625 miles since yesterday morning. All done on a single tank full of petrol. Very grateful for working air-con too.These cars are superb!

And the object of the journey, finding a flat for my daughter ready for when she starts work in September, was achieved Mind you, the cost of accommodation in the south east beggars belief...

Actually spotted a C6 in the wild today on the A67 Middleton St George Bypass. Black it was but didn't spot the reg.

Also, there was a white BX and a Xantia outside a house in the street my daughter is moving to in Horley (daan saarth) next month.

I was out in the XM yesterday in a terrific thunderstorm we had up here (actually had to turn back because of a fallen tree) and it got a bit of a misfire on. Presume the deep water we had been through had caused a problem or two as it was ok today.