Was talking recently to someone working in the motoring press and the topic got around to XMs -- naturally. He was telling me a couple of things about the launch year models. First -- some chemical used in processing the petrol engine blocks was inadequately flushed away, reacted with the anti freeze and then attacked the cylinder liner seals causing them to fail -- and the ensuing Citroen warranty repair was just a bodge.
Second, mistakenly, the launch brochures indicated all the first year models had leccy rear windows -- which they didn't. Rather than do an error sticker, numerous dealers fitted locally bought conversion kits to modify the base models with manual rears.
I have no idea if any of that is right or not -- but it's certainly what he thought. Oh --- and they have had just one C6 run past them.

Mike.

I've certainly seen an XM with manual rear windows - was a long tme ago and a base model 2.0i if I recall correctly.

Had wanted to test drive it, but when started, nose went right to max while the tail end stayed put at minimum. Guy at the car sales place called a mate, fiddled under the bonnet, no luck, so then took it up the road and back, hard over bumps and on the brakes. Made no difference, except to deter me from going anywhere near it after it'd been abused like that - you wonder what else was done to it before...

regards
Dave

My 16V SX has windy handles for the back windows.

Several of my Xm's are early vintage, including a pair of V6's which must have been among
the first SEi's around with them having low RP numbers. None of these early cars seem to
have suffered from engine issues from any of the history/paperwork that in some cases is
very comprehensive. I do have a few base spec 2.0i's that have wind up rear windows and
never really had any issues with them. As a matter of fact these base models have possibly
THE MOST COMFORTABLE SEATS having a very warm comfortable velour covering material
and no electric motors as per the Si & Sei seats and one of them has been the most reliable
Citroen I've EVER owned!!

I had one 2.0i base (now sadly long gone which I still badly miss) that had a new engine fitted
in it's early days but no record in it's massive paperwork file actually says why although I
believed it was from severe overheating.

I think we have to just face the fact that the press didn't take to the Xm and always looked
for an opportunity to knock them. It's a shame Citroen haven't tried to woo them with the C6
but then from their past treatment who can blame them. Hammond May and Clarkson have
all gone on telly saying they really like the C6 which will do more for Citroen than 100's of
fickle positive/negative road tests anyway.

AND the Xm was put on the Classic wall by May and Hammond before Clarkson interrupted
proceedings to let us actually hear the just reason why it should be there!!

Andrew

Nothing to do with the initial topic, but as it's been raised ---

I think the all time most comfortable XM seats are the half leather type on the S2. That said, all XM seats strike me as vastly more comfortable than pretty much anything else out there, particularly the offerings from certain German firms, who ought to go into park bench production.

Mike.

Had a ride in a C6 a couple of days ago, and was intrigued by the variable lumbar support adjustment in the front seats. Saves all those scruffy cushions we used to use!
While waitng for the driver to return I had a look at the booklet (about 18 pages of it) telling you how to operate the driver/passenger comfort and navigavtion systems. I had not got far beyond the second page before he came back ten minutes later!
I never did get to read the driver's manual, which is a separate booklet!

Want comfortable seats and no more back ache after a 30 minute journey ? try a newish Ford Focus - knocks spots off our xm planks I kid you not

Colin.P

A newish BORING F@@@ Focus!!

and how long has it taken F@@@ to catch up then!!

I suffer crippling back pain when ever I drive a Xantia any distance, sometimes even a short distance.. I find the seat squab way too flat, legs streched in front!

However, in the XM even with NO LUMBER support, I do not get an ounch of back pain were ever I go!!

If I was forced to need to drive a Xantia, then amazingly, I'd have to fit XM seats in it - AND they do fit, as I tried it with the last xantia I had to use in between XM's. I fitted a Si electric seat ONTO the Xantia runners, with NO MODS either, and it fitted well..

I did however, find my head IN the sunroof even with the seat in the lowest setting.. It was worth it though and made the Xantia twenty times more comfy..

Comfy in my book is not softness of the seats, but weither I get back pain or not.. and for me .. its the XM seats (Leather or cloth, no difference) every time..

Rgds
citroenxm

<<stirring with big spoon>>

it's all relative;

as in whatever definition/yardstick you're working to!! I wanted to point out earlier that the
base spec suede trim in the early 2.0i Xm's is far nicer to sit on all year round and is actually
nice and comfortable/supportive for me! Although, it must be said I'm lucky insofar as I don't
suffer back aches/pains yet although suicidal practices such as lugging engines and gearboxes
about and pushing dead cars around should be curtailed immediately.

Now I can't speak from any position of fact on any other vehicle that doesn't come with chevrons
on either end so as my only term of reference I can wholeheartedly state as fact (as far as I am
concerned anyhow) that the best seats are the sawtooth covered suede Cx s2 seats or marginally
the GTi seats found in the S1 Cx's - they are totally superb!! The S1 Cx seat is almost a big bubble
into which you sink about 4 inches but are then supported/held within in a fantastic driving position!!

Xantia seats? Well Ok, apparently I'm shaped in such a way that I don't suffer the gripe of short
squab that the car has been lambasted with since it's release and I LIKE the VSX seats (with or
without leather or tartan pattern, it doesn't trouble me) but the Activa one's are a notch up being
a lot better again!!

Anyhow, do we think that motoring journo's have always had it in for the dear old Xm!?



Andrew

I previously had an early 2.0i with manual rear windows, and yes, the seats were some of the most comfortable I have sat in!

Hi Citroen xm, Quote "A newish BORING F@@@ Focus!!" Can't really say it's boring, reasonably quick, very frugal, has more gadgets than my xm, the diesel engine sounds like a sewing machine compared to my 2.1 td that sounds positively agricultural, the ride isn't up to xm standards but isn't bad either and it certainly handles and stops well enough to cope with twisty norwegian mountain roads at speed...

Wouldn't swap my xm for one though (massochist) but in estate form the Focus isn't at all bad

Colin.P (did I mention the superbly comfortable and supportive seats ?)

citroen xm I hear you! I have back issues and the extra room and seats in an xm is the reason i'm still running two! The manual seats in the S1 car are more comfy for me than the VSX and I've got a mate who says its the most comfortable car he ever sat in!

Back early in the year I was driving the work Focus estate (its a few years old) and its not too bad. I had the option of going Xantia last xmas but opted to stick with the xm.
I havn't used the work pool cars since I got a functioning XM back (they have Smarts too, nasty).

My s1 estate has leather seats (not heated though) which are very comfy. I'd agree with citroenxm about xantia seats, had a 2.0 manual the other week as a courtesy car and couldn't get comfortable at all. No matter where I adjusted the seat/wheel combination I'd have had to have been a Barbary ape to fit in properly. I'm 5'11" and 13 stone so not too abnormal as far as the human race goes. Got the same reaction from the Redhead after she had used it for a couple days, she said the seat squab felt too short, mind you, she's got legs that go all the way up to......

I've had a few cars over the years with decent seats,one old 900 Saab had a beautiful burgundy, almost black velour interior that looked superb and was as comfy as the XM, shame the suspension wasn't as compliant. Even the 405 I had prior to the XM had good seats, it was a run out model with electric everything and leather, the a/c worked as well!

Bob

robmc52

A xantia courtesy car!! Still??!! Thought they'd be to old for loan cars now!

Everyone else:

The problem I found with xantia seats is the fact that the seat is too LOW, and the pedals come down too far to the flour... (Sorry if I've repeated myself)

I lately now have my XM seat on MAX height, with my head just under the roof line, it doesn't rub the roof, and my legs go around the end of the squab and it feels like I'm sitting in a NORMAL arm chair as far as leg positioning goes.. and that just keeps my lower back happy..

In the Xantia as the seats are too low, my legs go in an upward slope before my knees, then to the pedals, and my back doesn't agree with it!!

When I had an XM seat fitted to a Xantia, as I said above it was better, but not perfect.

As for comparisons, I test drove a Volvo 440 Turbo about ten years ago, and that too was a PERFECT seat, with excellent support!

Rgds
citroenxm

citroen xm, seat higher is better for lower back probs, really knees should be below hips but not possible even in an XM unless you are really short. I have to compromise between seat height and headroom, I did see one XM recently on the web without sunroof, I think that would have more headroom. I am 5'11.

As I said before I turned down Xantia a year ago, my bro has it and seems quite happy with it, I tried sitting in it and just wasnt comfortable with the whole experience.