Citroën C5 Tourer V6 HDi Automatic Exclusive – 2012 – 585,644 KM – Clockwork

Annual average of 53,000 kilometers

The numbers don’t lie: we have a 2012 car in front of us that will cover 585,000 kilometers in the summer of 2023. That is an annual average of 53,000 kilometers. “But before corona, there were years when I drove a ton per year,” says 75-year-old Hans Schreuders from Doorn. Today he and his wife are guests at Carrec Technocenter. He follows AutoWeek on YouTube and registered for Klokje Rond together with René Vos from his regular Citroën dealer Vos from Waalwijk. “I’m curious what you will think, because I think this car is still quite fresh and fruity.”

Never had any problems with the Citroën C5 suspension system

What is it about that passion for Citroën? “Quirky and comfortable,” says Hans. “I drive all over the country, but also the European mainland. Citroën’s suspension is unsurpassed. I know all the stories about the spring balls, but other renowned manufacturers have adopted that system. I have also driven Citroëns without hydropneumatic suspension, but in the end it does not match the suspension comfort of this one,” says the entrepreneur. In all the years that Hans has been driving the C5, he has never experienced any malfunctions or misery with the suspension system. The car really let him down on exactly one occasion. “And I don’t think it was even the fault of the car itself,” he says. “After maintenance, the car felt different, there was a vibration that was not there before. Ultimately the alternator gave up the ghost, but I think it was due to the vibration,” he says. There was more going on with his first C5. “The EGR valve wasn’t working properly and they couldn’t get it right. I visited all the garages in the Netherlands and abroad with that car.”

When someone drives a car for eleven years, more happens than you think. This becomes apparent when we review the maintenance history. Secretly more has broken and been replaced than you initially realize. As the age of the C5 progresses, maintenance and associated costs increase, but that is a fairly normal pattern.

Hans is not only Citrophile, he also loves English classics

Besides Citrophile, Hans is also just a car enthusiast. In addition to his loyalty to the Citroën brand for everyday use (“I bought a Renault 4 once, but that was a mistake.”) he also has a thing for English classics. That’s quite an unusual combination. “I started with an MG A MK2 1600,” he says. “In that car, the master brake cylinder and clutch cylinder form a unit. I can tell you: that was not a success. My wife had a Midget, an MG B GT also passed by, an Austin Healey Mach 3, a Jaguar E-type and finally a real Aston Martin DB7 Anniversary,” Hans summarizes. It is clear that he has a thing for cars…

Friends of the Klokje Rond show are probably familiar with judge Joep Schuurman’s clear vision about French cars in general and French technology in particular. However, the extensive test drive before the technical inspection surprisingly gives Joep a certain degree of satisfaction. “It actually drives quite well,” said the judge. Of course, owner Hans goes the extra mile. “You simply don’t find a package like this anymore and that is one of the reasons that I keep driving this car for as long as I can,” he says. “I have a spacious engine with plenty of torque and power, I have an automatic transmission, plenty of space and that suspension. That is a lot of comfort, and that is exactly what I need with so many kilometers on the road.”

Antiques are on their way out

Where do all those kilometers actually come from? After all, Hans is at an age where many people take it easy. “I am an antiques entrepreneur, so I buy antiques and trade them,” he says. “Sometimes I buy it sight unseen, but often I also want to see how it looks, of course before I buy it,” he says. That’s why the Tourer, because then he can always take a locker in the back. Hans has a physical store in a neat neighborhood in Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), but the antiques trade is no longer what it used to be. “It’s seriously declining. Young people no longer have the money to pay for it, but above all they are no longer interested in it. There used to be eighty shops in the area where I live, now there are only four. So even in the middle of the target group there is a serious decline. That’s just the way it is. Do you know the Frisian tail clock? It used to yield thousands of euros, now it only yields fifty euros,” said the trader. Hans has to make do with it, but still enjoys working on it. “Sitting behind the geraniums is not for me,” he laughs.

In the meantime, the C5 Tourer is on the permanent Klokje Rond bridge. As Joep himself always says, you usually see what the extensive test drive tells you on the bridge. That also applies to this Klokje Rond. The Citroën C5 can stay for a while and it can continue for a while. “If you want to tackle everything you encounter, that’s quite something, but not everything is necessary right away and, bottom line, you can continue with this car for a while,” says Joep. That is of course exactly what Hans wanted to hear.

“I will take the list to my regular garage owner Vos in Waalwijk. That is a Citroën dealer that I can sincerely recommend: nice people, good service. And I don’t say that because I get a discount, because I just pay full price. And that’s fine.”

So Hans returns to Doorn with the motto ‘mission accomplished’. “I know how things are going and I’m going to continue driving,” he says. Bon voyage!

What’s wrong with it?

• After starting, the timing chain rattles

• The front right window is cracked

• The transmission no longer shifts properly

• The front and rear wiper blades are mediocre

• A crash can be heard in the front right corner during short bumps

• Some (too much) engine vibration is noticeable in the car when stationary

• The steering wheel is crooked when driving straight ahead

• The engine is leaking cooling water from a plastic housing at the top right

• Both connections to the intercooler are leaking

• The left front coupling rod has play

• The cooling water pipes along the left chassis beam are extensively rusted and are probably already leaking

• The rubber on top of the right spring tower is defective (possible cause ‘clunking sound’)

• The front wishbone bushes are torn

• The handbrake cables are not in the correct mountings and are defective

This is the opinion of Carrec Technocenter:

“There are quite a few things wrong with it, but taking into account the mileage and age of the car, I still give one thumbs up for this luxurious French car, which is still quite nice to drive.”