Citroen CX

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Citroen CX

WHY SHOULD I BUY ONE?

Because they are like nothing on Earth! The ride is phenomenally good, as is the handling if you’re brave enough. Even standard length cars have enough space for four six footers, and they’re so smooth. CXs were used to film horse racing for years due to their ride, and with the state of roads in 2015 this smoothness is vitally important on tarmac too!

WHAT CAN I GET?

Pretty metal-bumpered Series 1s and colour coded Series 2s with an even madder looking dash. Most engines were derived from the DS, with 2.0, 2.4 and later 2.5 variants of the four-cylinder engine. Diesels were also available, as was a 2.2-litre PSA engine from the 505 car toward the end. CXs were available in two lengths, standard and Prestige; the latter spun from the warehouse on wheels Safari estate as a luxury limousine for heads of state. Many had DIRAVI steering, which self-centres, though early base spec cars had no assistance at all. It’s worth noting that GTi, unless a turbo, is simply a 2.5-litre saloon to TRI spec and not a car with genuine sporting pretensions.

WHAT ARE THEY LIKE TO DRIVE?

Spooky. It’s cliché-ridden to say it floats like it’s on a magic carpet, but that’s exactly how a CX feels. The steering is fingertip-sensitive, and the brakes are far sharper than anything else in period. The thing which lets the CX range down is its range of Traction Avant-derived engines, with the exception of the later CX22. While they are a bit thirstier, the CX makes the most sense as an automatic either in petrol or diesel guises – after all, why shift your own gears in a spaceship? But the thrift of the diesel might appeal, and remember that when new, the clatter from the bonnet was just as alien as the rest of the car!

WHAT ARE THEY LIKE TO LIVE WITH?

Citroën has a policy of stocking spares for cars up to 15 years old, but anything older leaves you in the hands of the specialists. Fortunately, there are many, who understand these DS replacements well and love them dearly. But that doesn’t mean spares are necessarily easy to find. It’s worth cultivating the friendship of fellow fans and building your own spares stash, too. Provided you can keep it going – which isn’t as hard as it might sound – they’re huge fun and so serene, you’ll want to use it daily – and indeed you can.

VERDICT

Citroëns are properly cool, and right now we think the CX may be the coolest (what about the GS SM?-ed) of the post DS classics. It’s a shame that DIRAVI never caught on as it should, which is a real loss to the majority of UK motorists who drive regularly in town. Buy the best you can and look after it, and you’ll not look back owning a CX.