why do Citroens have bad reputation with uk garages

[pch]

Can anyone explain why Citroens have a bad reputation with UK garages???? is it the old "french "thingy again or is there or was there real reason for it?
I am happy wit my new purchase but will it last?

Pete

[Andre]

I would like to know this too. Everytime i took the 206/Berl to a garage, they would say the same thing to me like i agreed and understood.... "It's sh*t init, it's French."

Granted not all French cars are great, but the Berl is very cheap, cheap to maintain and on the whole reliable against its peers.

[Opensauce]

Depends on the car, certainly 80s BXs had a poor reputation but I would have thought it was a bad idea to buy a car with hydraulic suspension anyway. Theres an L reg ZX nr me still going ok tho. I suppose those sad folk who try to elevate cars beyond anything but a means to transport people & their luggage from A2B will have problem with the Berlingo but of course we know different.

I think its just an anti French think really. Modern Citroens have engines common to various makes of car so the engineering is little different from anything else.

[Chris]

Maybe it's a bit of the old love/hate relationship that the Brits have with the French? We are very quick to criticize many things French, but also quietly admire much that our nearest neighbours have to offer.

When it comes to cars, there have undoubtebly been some dreadful French creations, but then we have produced plenty of total rubbish as well.

As far as the Berlingo is perceived, I think it is very positive (afterall Jeremy Clarkson loves it) because it is a very honest car and does not pretend to be something that it isn't. Most reviews are favourable towards the Berlingo, but I do agree, that generally Franch cars have a hard time getting a good reputation here.

[pk7478]

Chris. Pch.Andre
In my country there's also very bad service for Citroen's cars. And in garages Citroen's cars have the similar reputaion as in UK .
That's why I repair My Bilingo by myself.....

[Father Ted]

I would have thought it was a bad idea to buy a car with hydraulic suspension anyway.

You have obviously never driven one.
A well maintained HP car will knock a conventionally sprung car into a cocked hat.
Google the old GSA adverts of the 70's with the "missing wheel" or "blow out" ads. The latter happened to me on a BX and I was able to keep control and drive the car to a safe place to change the wheel.
A lot of people who own gliders use HP cars to tow with as well, many caravaners will tell you nothing feels as sure footed as a HP sprung car when towing, not even 4x4's. And this is down to the self levelling ability of the HP set up.
I think a lot of the "French is s**t" perception comes from general ignorance in the 70's on how to maintain them. A well maintained and set up BX for instance is far more pleasing to drive than a Mondeo. Plus back in the 70's there was a lot of national press "Backing Britain" stuff going on and anything that want made in the UK was deemed to be inferior and crap. I think this has carried on in the countries mentality.
I always thought the Berlingo was akin to the 2CV in its design.

[pch]

yes I do believe its our old fashioned british way of looking at / doing things. No wonder our country has gone down the pan.
As for the CV, I have so many time thought about buying one of these, magic little cars.
Pete.

[andy-womble]

Over the years I have owned or leased many cars by many manufacturers.
I leased a "G" reg Astra Belmont 1.7D, biggest mistake I made. Electrical faults galore, cam belt snapped etc.
Crap engine, wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding and certainly wouldn't pull a caravan in 5th.
Contrast that if you will with a "K" reg Citroen ZX 1.9D again on lease, brilliant car, not the fastest from the lights I'll grant you but reliability and torque for towing. Lovely motor. Similarly with my old Pug 306D which I've just got rid of reluctantly so I could buy the Belingo.

Preaching to the converted!!!!

[Opensauce]

I was looking at hydraulic suspension from a maintainence point of veiw & it was the cost of fixing problems with the suspension that gave the car its poor reputation, engine wise it was ok. If you were buying secondhand you avoided BXs for that reason. Certainly the cars were a nice drive but a Sierra was always going to be cheaper to fix.