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The XM is a large car built by French manufacturer PSA
Peugeot Citroën between 1989 and 2000.
The XM is regarded as an excellent car by enthusiasts,
who relish its rock bottom second hand values, and enjoy
equipment and trim levels similar, or even superior to
that of other luxury cars such as BMWs and Mercedes, it
is universally and somewhat undeservedly feared by the
non-initiated public, and Citroën dealers alike. Not a
car for the faint hearted, or those afraid to get their
hands dirty. That said, most of the stories about the
car's legendary complexity are easily dispelled with a
little research/advice from fellow owners. It's actually
not that hard to understand (nor that unreliable) when
you see how it is supposed to work.
In spite of this, mechanics at service departments cower
in fear when an XM pulls up outside. The Citroën dealer
network's knowledge of the car in some markets,
particularly the UK and Ireland, is utterly abysmal.
Perhaps this is due in part to the low sales of XMs in
these markets, meaning that they have little or no
experience of the car. Indeed, some of the younger
service technicians profess to never having seen one.
As a result of this, rare is the XM enthusiast who would
trust a main dealer to go anywhere near his beloved car.
Most owners tend to be self supporting, though many
reliable independent garages who specialise in Citroëns
do exist, and are widely utilised by those in the know.
Numerous excellent internet resources exist for the
discussion of XM's, including the XM-L list on Yahoo
Groups.
Looks-wise, you could be forgiven for believing the XM
to be the result of crossing a whale with a Delorean.
its pointed, angular, almost fierce looking, aerodynamic
front gives way to a large, wide rear. It is also
reminiscent of a 'cheese wedge' shape, which it is
sometimes referred to as. Time has been kind to the XM's
features, and it looks futuristic even today, some 17
years after its initial debut. Indeed, its striking
looks resemble nothing else on the road, and it still
draws stares from bewildered passers-by.
A facelift 'Series 2' version was released in 94-95, in
which the front grille was changed to match the
'corporate nose' already worn by the smaller, but less
distinctive Xantia. There were many other changes to
interiors, engines, and specifications, but many XM
enthusiasts prefer the original Series 1 front grille,
and the highly unusual single spoke steering wheel,
which offers an unobstructed view of the highly packed
instrument panel.
The XM is often referred to as 'The Enterprise,
--Millennium Falcon--', and other sci-fi euphemisms, due
to the fact that it has more gadgets, buttons, and
lights than you would find on the console of a starship.
Performance-wise, it is an intergalactic motorway mile
muncher. It is content to sit at 90mph on the motorway
all day, without so much as a whimper, its passengers in
perfect comfort the whole time. Indeed, due to the
superior hydraulic suspension system, and excellent
handling, many XM drivers report feeling alert and
refreshed, even after a particularly long journey.
The car's dynamically adapting Hydractive system, fitted
to all UK standard models, allows for highly spirited
driving on twisty, bumpy roads, without diminishing
passenger comfort or safety. Indeed, drivers of smaller,
supposedly more nimble cars are often left gobsmacked as
it blasts into the distance, after they make the mistake
of goading one into a race on a roundabout or snaking
country road. The look of bewilderment upon their faces
is indicative of the fact that they clearly did not
expect such agility from this old, heavy, wallowing
French barge. In the words of an infamous XM owner "The
XM moves like an 18 stone ballet dancer".
The estate models are renowned for their utterly
cavernous boot space. Indeed, they have been known to
swallow washing machines and tumble driers whole, in a
TARDIS like fashion, whilst still leaving space for the
rest of the kitchen contents.
The XM is the successor to the legendary Citroën CX, and
precedes the new Citroën C6.
The XM shared a platform with PSA's other car, the
Peugeot 605, which ironically, was also one of its main
competitors. Other adversaries include the Renault
Safrane in the domestic French market, and the Ford
Granada and Vauxhall/Opel Senator internationally.
The XM isn't perfect, and can exhibit a plethora of
strange, and often bewildering faults. That said, the
majority of these are minor, though their relatively
high frequency may go part way to explaining the car's
reputation of being unreliable. These minor issues are a
common source of frustration and amusement among XM
owners. Many problems are well known and documented, and
indeed are not to dissimilar to problems that most cars
of this age and specification experience.
One amusing side to this is the use of 'XM Radio'. This
is not to be confused with the Satelite based radio
service of the same name. Instead, it involves tuning
the car's radio to a particular FM frequency, and then
driving around listening for the whines which signify
the operation of the electrovalves in the hydraulic
system. This is a commonly used, and useful tactic to
troubleshoot problems with the Hydractive suspension
system.
The XM is reportedly on the edge of being afforded
'classic' car status. It is already somewhat of a
cult-mobile, something which is set to intensify as
numbers diminish and the cars become rarer still.
A truly great car, technologically light-years ahead of
its time, underappreciated, misconstrued, and feared.
Brilliant !
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