Faults:

Door lock

Exhaust (middle box)

General Comments:

Good compromise between practical family comfort & performance.

Pleasing torque & acceleration for a larger car:- track tested: 0-60 in 9.45 seconds.

Brilliant handling, but payback is harsh ride & a feeling of driver remoteness (due to loads of electronic management systems etc).

Fragile interior & electrics.

Faults:

First year of ownership (12k miles) passed uneventfully except for needing a new battery, but car has now developed an appetite for clutch cables (2)

Also had a plastic thingy on the pedal as the old one kept on popping off usualy in traffic, I am told it is a sign that a new clutch is needed (£300) New spheres this week

New rear section exhaust.

General Comments:

Generally a very comfortable car and equals my SAAB 9000 for room

Purchased becuase of good fuel economy and have not been disappointed with over 40mpg (compared to 20mpg from SAAB)

Tows my 15 foot caravan very well, but could do with more power (perhaps the Hdi would be ideal, also get 35mpg+ while towing.

Faults:

Leak into front footwell, caused electrics to play up. Replaced plastic trim at base of the front window. Now fixed.

Electric window switch on centre console failed. Replaced.

General Comments:

Excellent ride and fuel consumption of 33.3 m.p.g, and that's not always crawling, is really impressive.

Will cruise at 120 m.p.h easily, although not that quick to get there.

Aircon is superb.

Faults:

Tyres are very expensive.

The battery failed at 50,00 miles, and caused chaos with the computers.

The hydraulic pump and radiator failed at 85000 miles causing a bill of 1000ukp.

To replace the spark plugs you have to remove the engine!!!

General Comments:

This is a superb car, but the running costs are very high.

Suspension and handling are superb, and long distance touring becomes a real pleasure.

Seats are comfortable and can be used for hours without discomfort.

Faults:

Auto-Gearbox error message when engine cold. Solenoid slow to operate locking gearbox in 3rd and error message shown as 'Sport' and 'Snow' warning lights flash simultaneously. Need to stop, turn off and restart to reset. Seemingly difficult to diagnose precise fault... so best to ignore and put up with.

Rain Sensor cover becomes detached too easily when adjusting windscreen mirror, seems fiddly to adjust.

General Comments:

This is an R-Reg Mark II Xantia SX 2.0 Auto. Looks great colour-coded in black with front/rear spoilers and standard front fogs.

The auto-box is versatile and suits all driving styles. Fuel economy not bad if driven carefully, better if you accelerate slowly letting the gears change in their own time and capping the top speed at 56 mph.

In sport mode however, this car rockets to seventy faster than most equivalent manual models.

All electric windows, air-conditioning, six-speaker Clarion 6-CD Auto-changer system, six-way internal lighting, sumptuous velor seating with front/rear arm-rests. The provision of extra 12v power sockets increase versatility.

The cabin has an austere feel, darker than most which serves to add to the quality feel, reducing otherwise annoying glare from internal surfaces. The seating is supportive and very much appreciated by rear-seated passengers not least for the legroom afforded.

For the taller driver the Mark II auto version is a must. The brake pedal of this electronic box is significantly smaller than that of the earlier mechanical derivative, providing much appreciated legroom and better driving position.

This car comes into its own when load-lugging and towing. An outstanding buy if you can find a good one.