Shitroen Xsara Pisscasso - opinions?

[beko1987]

Thats pretty much what I'm after, something that will just drive stop and require little input from me! The Meriva is coming to the age where everything needs doing and I just dont like it enough to sink another cars worth of money into it when we may still get a few hundred for it as is and move on!

 

At the moment a Picasso is still top of SWMBO's list, but we have a month or two to arguediscuss what she wants. 

[barefoot]

I've always liked* Picasso's in a curious sort of way.

As people have said earlier, a bit of a 'game changer'. As if Citroen set out to design a car but neither started from, or finished at the same place as everyone else.

I have never driven one, it's on my to do list. The wife has, she was given a series of them to take folk down to meetings in London and after her usual 944 she proclaimed that 'all U Picasso R shit' and I've just read that they are a bit unpredictable in cross winds but...

Surely they are prime shite fodder, an oddball design that will vanish just as quickly as they suddenly became ubiquitous and all down to running on the original oil for ever simply because they can. If ever there was a case for mothballing a car for twenty years, this has to be the one. They don't rust as badly as many cars, the engines we've seen, are bulletproof and the interiors still look good after repeated vomming so there's a good chance that when you open that garage door in 2034, if you've filled the sills with something oily, there'll be an interesting oddball car waiting for you.

 

& I'll be seventy fucking something & I might still be able to get into the bastard.

[bub2006]

I'll be honest,have never heard of a 1.4 Picasso. Would have thought it would be dire to drive.

[scooters]

It's 1.6 picasso..predictive text shenanigans

[bub2006]

Well that explains it!

[HH-R]

What are Almera Tinos like? I had a 2003 1.8 for a fortnight which drove OK but I got in a strop with the stupid unfathomable climate control and sold it to my cousin who had just had to weigh in her Mazda. It was family owned before since about 2009 and it's been no bother in that time. Was quite heavy on fuel but I was doing 100% town driving at the time.

[twosmoke300]

Now they do rust!

 

Usual nissan front cross member and plenty of other places

[retrogeezer]

I can only go on my own experience, our 91 ZX was in my family for about 12 years and was still going strong when sold.

 

We bought this Pic in 2003 at about 18 months old with 20k on the clock, we had it until 2008 when I sold it to my brother with 50k on the clock.

 

He has 2 girls that are now 11 and 8, they have used this car as their main car for 6 years and 80 thousand miles. It did not once fail to proceed. Yes, it has had a few things done in that time, what car hasn't? But nothing major, an exhaust, a clutch last year, a couple of CV joints and the blower packed up.

 

Now his 2 girls are lovely, but like all siblings, argue, chuck stuff at each other, fight etc. The grandparents won't have both together! I thought it would be falling apart inside when I got it back but a quick valet and all looks good and all still works.

 

So it's a 13 year old French car with 131k on the clock now and driving it feels no different to when it was on 20k (and I say that as a good thing!)

 

Hopefully it will last another 80k! It is that blue though! 

 

They are a bit tinny but have very good ncap ratings, the plastics on the doors and dash are a bit hard but the seats are comfy -  good useable car that is very versatile.

 

Oh, and you do still see plenty of early ones around too, they must be pretty hardwearing.

 

 

[retrogeezer]

p.s, I think Citroen got these pretty much spot on, they are not rammed to the brim with daft shit you don't need like auto wipers, electric parking brakes and 'mood' lighting. It's a car, with space. It's a shame there is nothing like it now in the line up.

[twosmoke300]

The c4 picasso is full of pointless shit tho.

[retrogeezer]

Exactly, that's what I said 'nothing like it now in the line up' 

[beko1987]

What's simple stuff like the cabin filter and gearbox oil etc to change? I presume they all have disks on the rear rather than drums?

[retrogeezer]

cabin filter is a five minute job, gearbox oil very easy too. Drums on the rear of mine.

[ruffgeezer]

Most have rear drums, unless it's a particularly fancy model.

[steve_earwig]

Just checking Citroen Service for the brakes, looks like they only got rear disks with ESP (so top of the shop models) or automatic after 2003. Don't say which, maybe all.

 

Engines? All the 1.6HDis are Ford DV6s so probably worth steering clear of, 2.0 HDi is DW10TD 90, three 1.6s in 90, 100 and 110 16v flavours. 1.8 16v 117BHP and 2.0 16v 138BHP, Btw it lists "FLEXFUEL" petrol or alcohol for some of the 1.6s but no idea if they sold any outside, er, Brazil.

[beko1987]

Ah I'll be looking at ones with drums then!

[twosmoke300]

The 2.0 hdi 90 is a cracking motor . No dmf and dpf ftw . The 110 does tho .

[warren t claim]

MUTHA_CLAIM had a 250,000 mile dizzler for a while and it still drove in a sort of OK fashion.

 

We run a 1.6 HDi as a taxi at work and it refuses to die although the steering rack managed to detach itself a few weeks ago. It has its useful points for taxi work but I used it for a day and found it to be very van like to drive. If I had to taxi one every day I'd probably end up going on a shooting spree in the Lake district.

[steve_earwig]

The 110s are the Ford DV6 1.6, bad things are promised. Looks like they came with or without OMGDPF but they all got a FFSDMF, another reason to run away screaming.

[twosmoke300]

The 2.0 came in 110 flavour too . Not sure if it appeared in the picasso mind

[steve_earwig]

I have one, it's not in a Picasso mind. I'm reading this stuff off of Citroen's own spares catalogue so there's a fair chance it's correct (but I wouldn't trust it for the small stuff)

[retrogeezer]

nope, the 110 2.0 didn't come in the Picasso but it was just the addition of an intercooler I think. 

[Richard]

Different internals and a DMF on the 2.0 110.

[retrogeezer]

keep clear of that then!

[twosmoke300]

90 bhp ftw. That's what's in my ducato van and even in that it goes ok.

[pompei]

Round these parts they are driven by what used to be called 'Volvo drivers'  -  I know f*** all about them but on the basis of the folks who venture out in them, I'd avoid.