Faults:

A couple of hydraulic leaks - nothing serious enough to cause a failure.

The starter motor packed in at 130,000 followed about 5,000 miles later my the alternator. It once decided to run on only two cylinders, but still managed to get to a garage without stranding me. Still any car shows problems past 100k.

General Comments:

This is not the easiest car in the world to drive. Like most Citroens, it has its quirks, but you soon learn how to appreciate them. With a heavy clutch, it can be a little tiring around town, but on the twisty stuff and on motorways you soon forget about that with it's good grip and supple ride.

If you're looking for something a little different and fun to drive, this could well be just what you're after.

Faults:

Hydraulic leak caused by broken engine mounting resulting in pipe rubbing - breakdown recovery No 1.

Hydraulic leak at rear cylinder - lost brakes, suspension, steering. Breakdown recovery No 2.

Crunching noise when changing down from 5th into 4th gear - I can live with this.

Central locking actuator in driver's door failed - found replacement at scrap yard.

Air blower resistor failed - found replacement at scrap yard.

Driver's side electric window slow to lower - the felt stuff is wearing off the rubber strip and needs replacing.

Some instrument bulbs failed - tricky to replace!

Presently two very small hydraulic leaks which will need attention sometime.

General Comments:

Very practical, comfortable and economical car.

Big enough (with rear seats folded flat) to sleep in the back - I made black felt and Velcro blackouts for all the windows - great fun and saves a fortune on hotels! And you can park where camper vans would look suspicious.

Faults:

New front hydraulic struts at 88,000.

Replaced radius rear arms at 88,000.

All 5 spheres replaced at 85,000.

Normal maintenance procedures have studiously replaced cam belt at 60,000 and 90,000.

General Comments:

Comfortable, wonderful to drive.

Seriously economical 50mpg plus.

Cheap spares from Non Citroen dealers and scrap yards.

Can be picked up for very low prices as people are put off by hydraulic complexity scare stories.

Shape you either love or hate - the estate is very roomy indeed.

Very rarely see a rusty BX unless its collision damage.

Faults:

New brake pads and discs (front and rear) at 43000 miles.

New exhaust (front section) at 43000 miles.

The suspension went hard at 68,000 miles.

The automatic transmission - its second gearbox (the original was replaced with a reconditioned unit at 36000 miles) - would only move the car once it had warmed up by 68000 miles.

The engine, which has always drunk oil, began to smoke excessively by 68000 miles.

General Comments:

This was a comfortable car with excellent handling, but expired in a big way at 68000 miles despite being well cared for and regularly serviced throughout its life.

Beware - insurance is very high due to the GTi badge.

Faults:

Bearing in mind the car is ten years old, the following things have gone wrong since I got it.

1. Alternator belt broke

2. Ignition lock broke

3. Water pump failed.

All repaired at a reasonable cost by a local Citroen specialist.

General Comments:

I got this bx after a long line of Citroen's and am very impressed with it. Bearing in mind that this was a very cheap car to buy, it is very comfortable, reliable and enjoyable to own. I gave it a low rating for running costs because the insurance grouping is, in my opinion, too high. Fuel economy is, however, brilliant (50+ mpg).

To summerise, I would recommend a BX to anyone wanting a cheap car with high levels of equipment and an unbeatable ride quality.