DO THE FRENCH have what it takes to blow away the Germans when it comes to the diesel game? After all, Peugeot cleaned up at Le Mans last season after a long period dominated by Audi.
It’s a fact that marathons like Le Mans are won on total consistency, lap after lap, helped by long driving intervals and the shortest possible pit time for refuelling and repairs. Diesel wins over petrol here.
So how would this knowledge translate to the road cars? How, for example, would Citroën’s C5 in new 3.0-litre turbodiesel guise fare in a sustained track performance test against a seasoned campaigner like Audi’s A4 with 3.0 TDI power? How about a little 10-lap challenge at Killarney race circuit to see which car is more fuel efficient when driven with intent. The game plan: two sessions of five laps each, a cool down, driver swap and back on track for another five laps. Then the final cut: the fuel pump test.
THE CARS
On the face of it the A4 and C5 are very similar – mid-sized sedans with similar powerplants and outputs, both claiming comparable fuel consumption figures for the urban and combined measures. It is a little irony that the C5’s engine is the essentially very British sequentially turbocharged 3.0-litre developed by Ford when it owned Jaguar/Land Rover and now built at Ford’s Dagenham plant for use in the Jag XF, Discovery 4 and Range Rover Sport. Could there be a C5 ‘R’ on the way?
We know the Audi has been most usefully compared to the superbly refined and rapid BMW 330d – similar aims, similar outputs (180kW/520Nm, 6.1sec 0-100kph sprint and fuel combined figure of 6.3ℓ/100km). They’re closely matched from the beginning, including on the price which kicks off at R463 000 for the BMW before you get any tasty kit. Everyone’s weighed up the two big German diesels and the choice comes down to brand loyalty and nuances of grip and grin.
Printer-friendly version
Send to friend
PDF version
Comments
maintenance
Car maintenance is an important aspect too. Citroën’s C5 is not a car that you can easily apply the knowledge you get from car repair guides while Audi is easier to maintain. It is a point to take if you know how to take care of your own vehicle for a smoother drive.
I prefer the C5
I choose the C5. Is more exclusive, more comfortable, more stylish and better in ride and handling!
citroen c5 2009 bedre end Audi A¤
Denmark
Citroen c5 er på de fleste punkter bedre end Audi A4. Audien mangler c5'erens komfort og evne til at kører stærkt og komfortabel på tyske motorveje. C5 kører således helt uanstrengt 200 km t i time vis. Frankmændene syntes endvidre nu at være på højde med tyskerne hvad angår kvalitet. man får derfor en bil som komfort mæssigt er bedre end Audi og BMW og lig dem hvad angår kvalitet.Har tidligere kørt Audi A4(2004-07 og BMW 520 d(2007-09). Gode biler men slet ikke på komfort siden lig C5.
Citroen c5 far better
The citroen c5 is far better than the audi a4 on all fronts. I think that we need to look at the car as a whole in terms of comfort, performance and reliability. Citroens' are today reliable cars just as much as audis but in terms of the diesel perf and comfort on the ride, i think the c5 best the audi by more than a mile. I would not recommend the audi as it lacks space and the suspensions are stiff compared toa much roomier c5 and suspension that just is not comparable.
GO c5
Youre missing the point!
Rightfully said that most articles seem to splurb about performance and handling whereas you see more "normal" cars on our roads than sporty and performance-orientated vehicles. But as for going at the journos for testing cars on the tracks...where else should they do it? you will battle to find suitable ground for testing where the conditions stay consistant during the test. plus, they generally probably try to stay on the right side of the law and dont want to do "tests" on public roads, especially not with the hooligans we call drivers on SA roads.
They could have tested the fuel consumption figures driving a consistant 60 km/h for 10 laps, but that costs time to rent the track and time outa the office. a comparison to the office and back would be affected by other drivers, traffic, weather etc. adn thus not be correct.
That we need more reality tests in south africa is DAMN RIGHT! I cannot smoke a new polo around the seapoint circle, so who cares if it can! but i have to pay for tyres and services (aft serv plans etc) and put in fuel and and and, and these are the things that are amiss.
We love the long term reviews, but then do some good pics on them as well and write with zeal and give them a proper place in the magazines (all of them) so that they fill good space and not chill in the back pages between little adverts.
@ This shows what is wrong with journalism....
Butthurt much? Seeing a car's fuel economy under spirited driving conditions is still a valid comparison.
So the Audi is marginally faster but more economical around a track. No need to get your panties all in a knot. 99% of the motoring magezines have reviews of the cars where they test it on our lovely everyday roads.
But you probably forgot all about those.
Go read the...
Go read the blogs on wheels24 and you will se the majority of people commenting on things as "the BMW is 0.3secs quicker to 100 than the Audi, and is thus a better car", and you will understand why I say South Africans put too much emphasis on performance figures and very rarely look at the everyday convenience of having a car. I also do like the performance shootouts, but it will never again be a deciding factor in me getting a car, as I have previously aquired vehicles based on performance, and there were never lasting owner satisfaction, mostly due to ridiculous fuel consumption and harsh ride qualities.
Blogs..
Ye a bunch of brand whores posting comments on online blogs should be taken seriously...or not.
Don't you take test drives of cars before you buy them? Or read long-term tests? I'm sure nobody buys an everyday commute just becuase it's a track monster. We'd see more Ariel Atom's on the road.
Though it's a given that cars with a sporty suspension and performance tuned engine won't be the most comfortable, economical ride around.
Skiballa
A better handling car may just forgive driver error.
Remember MOST drivers do not have superior skills.
I guess...
I guess it can go both ways. Plus, a car must handle like a real dog to endanger your life. I dont think being a few seconds faster on a track means it is safer though. But yes, I see your point, and can appreciate the logic behind it.
Similar comparison...
I 2006 I had a E90 320d and in 2007 I had a 407 Hdi executive. The 320d will run circles around the 407, and was almost a R100k more expensive.
But to be honest, I had more fond memmories of the 407. The interior was very comfortable (even with the, in my opinion, horrible ceentre console), and the ride comfort much greater than the 320d.
A4 vs C%
Definately very different cars for different markets. I think the C5 will be more comfortable to the ordinary driver. The A4 will last better and the build quality is superior.
What does a track test prove? Superior handling can save your life in an emergency where you have to swerve violently at speed.
Ummmm...
I tend to disagree. Saying that a better handling car might save your life when swerving to avoid an accident is far fetched. I do however agree that a professional driver would benefit if he had to swerve, as he will have the ability to control. I tend to find that vehicles that have very direct inputs on the steering can catch a person off guard if they violantly swerve, as the reaction they get from the car is much more than what they might have expected.
But, light steering doesn't mean bad handling, it just means it parks easier at the mall :-)
This shows what is wrong with journalism....
These type of articles really gets my blood boiling. Frankly, I have to ask, why are South Africans so concerned about how a car performs on the race track? Do you buy you mid sized sedan to go to track days? Or do you buy it as a daily commuter to work and back, and the occasional long distance haul to your holiday destination?
I recently saw the RPM shootout between the Mito and the DS3, and although the DS3 were rated the better looking vehicle with the superior interior and comfort, it lost the shootout because Spike thought the steering was too lite. I mean honestly, are we permanantly racing through twisties that this should matter so much?
How about journos start reporting on what it would feel like driving the vehicle in everyday circumstances, how does it feel in peak hour traffic, over pothole filled roads etc etc. Frankly, the best handling vehicles are rubbish for everyday use, as the road surfaces in this country does not suit them. And why comment on fuel consumption achieved on a race track? I can promise that these vehicles have very different setups, and maybe it is more realistic to have fuel consumptions for everyday use.
But I guess everyone wants to be Top Gear these days, and we will keep on receiving useless information regarding performance, cornering ability and all the other useless crap real drivers dont care about.
And please, journos should not report on perceptions. Maybe take 5 executive cars from different stables with similar mileage, and send them to dealers for a standard service and publish the results. Then comment on service cost. Also, why mention that the Citroen will be more expensive to maintain if both have full maintenance plans. Damn this is a waste of an article...
Post new comment