Faults:

Disc's worn out at 105000.

Drive-shafts worn out at 123000.

Rear engine stabilizer at 123000.

Exhaust at 120000.

Rear shockers at 111000.

General Comments:

Car is reasonably fast and handles very well.

No problems other than the alarm/central locking having a mind of its own at times.

No wear to interior other than carpets.

Car has been 100 % reliable.

Returns 40mpg at 85mph.

Body flimsy and dents easily.

Engine superb, still as powerful as when bought, requires regular oil and filter changes only to keep in tune.

Apart from a cam-belt at 75000, the engine has not had a spanner laid on it!

Would buy another - fast, reliable, economical and comfortable.

Faults:

Radiator needed replacing at 110,000 miles. The radiator came in about £75 plus fitting.

Power steering pump needed replacing at 120,000 miles. Ouch! I think the final bill for this was about £350 all in. I had the option of a 2nd hand pump from a scrap-yard, but that seemed a potentially false economy.

Gear change push-rod came off in 2001 at rush-hour roundabout. I limped in 2nd gear to the nearby supermarket where the recovery man informed me it was a common issue with the ZX.

Offside rear window mechanism (cable) corroded and snapped in 2002. It had been stiff for a while, it had never been used that much. I "fixed" it to be permanently closed.

General Comments:

I have owned it nearly 5 years. It was a high mileage when I bought it although being a diesel, it was not an issue to me.

The performance for this little car is great. It will accelerate excellently to 80mph on any hill with any load. Always great for the overtaking lane going up hills.

The economy has been great too. I use it primarily as a commuter car in "stop start" traffic. It averages about 45mpg. That, plus its nippiness, makes it a great car. Some of the great economy has been offset by the purchase of the power steering pump though, but I can live with that OK.

Seats are a bit soft for me. Not very comfortable.

Bodywork has no corrosion at all. It does seem easy to dent though with plenty of marks from car parks on the doors. The panels are very flimsy.

I bought it because I wanted a Turbo Diesel hatch, but couldn't afford some of the other popular models, like the Peugeot 306. This is the same chassis as a 306, but without the nice looks.

Faults:

The radiator started leaking at 82,000. Citroen said they didn't make the specified radiator anymore, that it was a big job to fix and would cost £320. A radiator specialist sold me a brand new radiator for £60 and the fitting was only £30 and took around 30 minutes, so be warned about some dealers!. Rear bulbs have a tendency to go. Heater dash lights have all gone, and one or two dash light behind the speedometer have blown. I suspect there is a small crack in the passenger side CV Boot.

General Comments:

A bargain buy. The car always starts first time and offers a comfortable drive. The 1.4i lacks a little power when fully loaded on the motorway, but is ideal for commuting around town. The car is spacious in the back and front and the boot has ample room. Handling is pleasurable, and excels around corners. The car could certainly do with power steering as parking in those small spaces can be tiresome.

Faults:

Very Few.

Head & Gasket failure at 160000 miles which was expensive, but the performance, handling & comfort of this car justified the cost.

Other than that, just routine servicing plus a few bits that one would expect on any car approaching 200000 miles.

General Comments:

This diesel returns at least 450 miles to each tank, whilst regularly embarrassing many similar sizes petrol cars from the lights. I can drive this car all day & get out feeling as fresh as when I got in, yet it out handles just about anything I've driven before.