1995 Citroen ZX Aura Hatchback 1.9 diesel from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Comfy and practical
Faults:
Rear brakes rubbing (two attempts by main agent to fix) and front washer problem (would start squirting water at windscreen, then at tailgate, fixed by new pump).
All the above fixed under warranty by the dealer.
General Comments:
I bought this car with one primary goal in mind, better fuel economy than my previous petrol Sierra. In this respect it has exceeded my expectations by never returning less than 50MPG (11 Mi/L) irrespective of how it is driven. This equates to some £50+ in my pocket each month.
It has the best ride quality of any car I've driven in it's class, is superbly comfortable and not tiring to drive.
Despite a soft suspension, handling is excellent, meaning that one can conserve momentum on cross-country roads/roundabouts, which is important as the normally aspirated diesel engine is not exactly quick.
It has some good design features, the sliding rear seat being one of the most unusual - the seat can slide forward to allow children to still be seated in the rear, whilst increasing luggage space hugely.
Main agent labour and parts prices are wallet-crippling - find a good independent specialist that buys parts from a good french parts specialist (Comark in the UK). You will get the same parts the main agent uses, with the same (or sometimes better) warranty at a fraction of the price:- e.g. Main agent headlamp price £110, same part from an independant specialist half that price.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 19th June, 2000
20th Sep 2002, 08:03
I have had a 96-Aura for three years and 70.000 km, as the second owner. I had to replace the rear brake-disks when I bought it, but the dealer did it without charging me. After that, I've only replaced the front brake-pads, some lighting in the instrument panel, and the rear exhaust parts. I guess my total yearly costs come to about 300 pounds besides normal maintenance. I'm very satisfied with the car! My ex-girlfriend got pissed because she couldn't get the car to skid and perform roundabouts outside her house. I guess you can blame that on the self-steering rear wheels. They provide excellent ride though!
16th Jan 2001, 16:48
I can only concur with all of the points made. I have a run a 1992 model exactly the same with now 120,000 miles on the clock, except for 1 battery, 1 exhaust and 1/2 way 6 individual tyres, 1 set new pads/discs. 1 rear re-line, absolutely everything original and going strong. Never fails to start, never lets me down. More than can be said for my '96 Xantia TDLX Estate. Leave them alone.
Why the ZX was deemed a dull car on that well known BBC motoring programme I'll never know. Perhaps it's because it doesn't do 4 wheel sideways skids at 160 mph on a deserted runway. Get real for goodness sake.