1996 Citroen ZX Allure 1.4
Summary:
The ideal 2nd hand car
Faults:
Water pump replaced at 55000 km.
Nothing else apart from the normal maintenance.
General Comments:
Very practical for a 4.08m hatchback. Spacious inside considering its length and width. Four doors is a big plus.
Uses on average about 6.7 l of petrol per 100km, which is very good compared to a thirsty BX 1.6 I drove in the past.
Performance is o.k. for a 1.4l 75bhp petrol engine.
My "ZX Allure" is a special edition. It has an airbag, electric mirror (only the right one), power assisted steering, electric windows, tinted glass, radio/cassette player, metallic paint (also on bumpers and mirrors), fog lights, etc.
In silver metallic with dark interior, it looks incredibly good for its age.
Build quality is good, but of course not as good as on a German car.
Handles very well. Fun to drive.
Rather noisy on the motorway.
Seats are a tad too small for tall people. They become uncomfortable, especially on long journeys.
A pampered, preferably special edition, low mileage Citroën is well worth a look and test drive if you consider buying another car. Very cheap to buy 2nd hand and remarkably reliable.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 1st May, 2004
16th May 2006, 09:53
Well, I have just sold my ZX 1.4i Allure after three and a half years motoring without trouble. And I thank it for the pleasure it's given me. Although the ZX was already 10 years old and had more than 100.000 km on the clock, I got an excellent price for the car, which was the main reason to sell it. During my ownership I just did regular maintenance, installed a new water pump and replaced all 4 tires around 100.000km. Because of their age. Even Michelin tires don't last longer than 10 years it seems. So, as long as you treat them properly even French cars can be very reliable, whatever some people may say... I'm now looking for another very low mileage pampered car, either a Citroën or a Toyota. Would prefer a Citroën though... :-)