There are few family cars which can hold a candle to the Ford Mondeo. The Citroën C5 is one of them.
It’s exceptionally quiet, not just because the 2.7-litre diesel engine is refined. Wind and road noise are all but banished from the cabin. Ten years ago, you’d have needed to buy a Lexus or a Mercedes for this kind of high-speed hush.
It towed well, too, quickly pulling the van back into line after a tug on the steering wheel at high speeds. The C5 was also rock-solid through the lane-change test, especially with the adjustable suspension set to sports mode. The ATC unit in the caravan showed no more than 0.7G – one of the lowest figures of any outfit tested. It’s a shame the detached feel of the steering doesn’t give a greater sense of what’s going on with the front wheels.
Cabin space doesn’t quite match the Mondeo’s, but the boot took all our luggage bar the Aquaroll.
Our biggest concern is with resale values. What Car? predicts the C5 will hang on to just 34% of its list price after three years.
