Faults:

The manual rear view mirror did not work on delivery.

The central locking keeps on unlocking whilst the car is in motion.

Fuel consumption appears heavy.

The automatic air control does not really select the ideal airflow.

General Comments:

The performance is pretty good so far.

The interior is comfortable and overall performance is good.

Faults:

Electrically adjustable passenger door mirror wasn't functioning on delivery. Fixed under warranty after a 2 week delay.

Manual drivers side door mirror would not adjust at all on delivery. Fixed under warranty after a 4 week wait for the part to arrive.

Air conditioning doesn't run very cold, dealer has has one go at fixing it and its not much better. Will have them fix it properly when it goes in to be serviced.

Plastic clip has broken on the wheel arch liner, currently awaiting a replacement.

General Comments:

This car was bought as a replacement for a 2001 Xsara 1.4 LX.

The 1.6i 16V engine is much better than the 1.4. With 110BHP it's well powered above 1500RPM.

The engine is quiet and refined even at high speed. It is a pleasure to drive on the motorway.

I've never had economy under 36MPG from a tank of petrol; I usually average 40 - 42MPG which is excellent for a petrol.

The car will hit 60MPH in under 10 seconds and will run on to 125MPH.

Handling is very good - rear wheel steering reduces understeer remarkably.

Brakes with ABS and Emergency Brake Assistance are powerful and stop the car quickly when needed. This version has disc brakes all round.

Interior is a bit dark and is only available in one colour. Seats are very comfortable.

The problems with the mirrors should have been spotted by the supplying dealer in the PDI. They were not particularly sympathetic when I took the car back to them. I now use another local Citroen dealer who seem to offer a better service, hopefully they'll fix the aircon next time I pay them a visit. Parts availability also seems to be poor from the dealers.

Despite the minor problems I've had I still like the car and don't hesitate to recommend it to people. They drive well, are quick for the engine size, spacious, large boot and most of all are very cheap compared to rivals when brand new.

Faults:

From new the car kept cutting out in traffic, and when driving at speeds below 30mph. Reported to Citroen dealer. Fault found to be with some sensors on the engine management system, a fault that Citroen are aware of with the Xsara VTS 2. It took 4 weeks and several phone call to dealer and Citroen UK to get the parts required. I was told that the parts we so new that they didn't even exist on the dealer computer system!

Oil level gauge faulty. Displayed erratic readings. One minute the oil level was at full, then it was empty. Sensor replaces at Citroen dealer and to go wrong again for weeks later. The car was returned to dealer again and where they said they couldn't find a problem. The gauge now works for 90% of the time.

At 7500 miles the speedo decided to show incorrect readings. Taken to Citroen dealer who funnily enough knew of the problem. The car required a software download.

General Comments:

Quiet fast when pushed, handles well with virtually no under steer in and weather conditions. Back end bites once the limit of the tyres has been reached.

Bags of equipment, very comfortable although back seats rattle annoyingly.

Mauritius Blue looks fantastic when clean.

Only the wheels, ride height, boot spoiler and discrete VTS badges distinguish the car from lesser models which is disappointing.