1996 Citroen Synergie LX 1.9 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Most practical MPV on the market

Faults:

Crack in the tailgate appeared within the first year, very common problem.

No problems with engine at all until 90,000, clutch cable snapped, but the clutch never felt right, from new it used to snatch in traffic, very embarrassing! Replacement cable is fine.

At 110,000 the throttle cable snapped.

At 120,000 the cylinder head cracked, this

I have on good authority is a design fault & is a common problem!

General Comments:

The 'Cindy' has now covered 168,000 miles, heavily loaded & has just retired as my company has just supplied me with a Picasso. So I've purchased the Cindy for the family car! It's not a pretty MPV, there are far more attractive ones on the road, but if you are looking for a practical robust family all purpose vehicle look no further. I would hasten to add that the company I work for have some 60 'Cindy's' at present. During the trial period before purchasing various MPV were tested from differing manufacturers & the 'Cindy' was found as being the most practical.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th April, 2001

14th Aug 2003, 02:06

Nice review well written - thanks.

The Synergie has the same engine as many PSA and other vehicles. I have two Xantias (I'm going to buy a Synergie) which have covered nearly 350k miles between them.

The problem with cylinder head cracks isn't one I've heard of before - you can get oil leaks due to head gasket problems, easy to fix.

We stripped the head at 150k and found no wear whatsoever anywhere in the engine (including crank bearings). That car is approaching 200k, does 55 mpg and pulls like a train.

Seems a shame to chop it in, but I need a van for work - hence the switch to Synergie. Nice to hear they too are happy to go for 200k miles!

Dealers being what they are I expect I'll get offered nothing for my car in exchange - maybe I should break it and store the bits (all the electrics & suspension work A1).

In reply to 14th Aug 2003, 02:06

30th Jan 2016, 11:40

55 MPG, really?

1999 Citroen Synergie SX 2.0i 16v from UK and Ireland

Summary:

This is a good all round value for money MPV

Faults:

No major faults, just general wear and tear, brakes etc.

General Comments:

This car is very comfortable and the SX version has all the equipment you require. Compared to the Peugeot version the Citroen is much better value for money with lots more extras.

The pulling power of the 2.0i is more than adequate, although not as quick as I would have preferred, but the comfort more than makes up for it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th March, 2001

1996 Citroen Synergie LX 2.2 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A big disappointment

Faults:

Anything that could have gone wrong, mostly engine trouble.

General Comments:

Most comfortable car we ever had, but as for performance and reliability I certainly could not recommend the Citroen Synergie.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 4th February, 2001

14th Dec 2002, 17:46

A 2.2 TD? Surely the only TD options available from Citroen at that time were the 1.9 and 2.1 (the 2.1 was never used in the PSA MPV range)

1999 Citroen Synergie Sax 2.0 injection from UK and Ireland

Faults:

None

General Comments:

This is a well equipped people carrier. Ideal for carrying both families and large loads. It is comfortable to drive and provides good allround visibility when parking etc. It does have a lot of electrics which is quite worrying, but fingers crossed..

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 29th February, 2000

14th May 2003, 07:27

I have owned a Synergie for a couple of years and agree that it is a nice vehicle.

It is however a bit plasticy which means things break fairly easily (such as the immobiliser pad)

It also has a blind spot for the unwary... they have a wide front support strut which can obstruct your view to the side angle.

Spares are not cheap...