As a confirmed fan of turbodiesel estates I was looking forward to getting the C5 in to test. Plenty of comfort and space allied to great economy and serene motorway cruising were just the ticket. So I was rather disappointed to learn that I'd actually booked an HPi rather than an HDi  just one letter different, but worlds apart.

Having tried a turbodiesel Laguna against its petrol-fired counterpart only a few weeks before I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for. The C5 is a big car and even a 2.0-litre petrol engine doesn't make for relaxing driving. One up it's lethargic enough, but anyone who has to travel five up for any length of time has my sympathy as it must be pretty tiresome.

But if you take the petrol engine out of the equation  as there is a diesel option  how does it stack up? The answer is, quite simply, much better. Not only is the car more frugal with the juice, but it's also far torquier.

The interior is nicely put together and on the outside it looks pretty good with its brushed alloy roof bars  although the Xantia was definitely a more attractive car. The split tailgate is a neat touch and so is the reversible boot mat which allows you to choose between carpet or heavy duty matting. You can even adjust the ride height from the boot, as you stand there with the tailgate open. It may sound trivial, but little user-friendly touches like that do make a difference.

Inside the car there's planty of space for everyone and the wood trim that dotted liberally around the cabin really lifts it. The dash-mounted screen is clear and the sat-nav is easy to use, just like the rest of the controls.

Verdict:
Choose the diesel and you won't regret it, go for the petrol and you'll wonder why you were so daft.

Richard Dredge

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