Citroen AX Review Covering 1987

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Models Covered: FIRST GENERATION AX - 1987-1991: (1.0 3 & 5DR HATCHBACK [E] / 1.1 3 & 5DR HATCHBACK [RE, TGE, TRE, TRS, TZX] / 1.4 3 & 5DR HATCHBACK [TRS, GT, TZS, TZX] / 1.4 DIESEL 3 & 5DR HATCHBACK [RD, TGD, DTR]) Second generation AX - 1991-1997: (1.0 3 & 5dr Hatchback [Debut] / 1.1 3 & 5dr Hatchback [Echo, Echo Plus, Forte, TZX II] / 1.4 3 & 5dr Hatchback [GT II, Forte, GTi, TZX II] / 1.4 Diesel 3 & 5dr Hatchback [Echo, Echo Plus, TZD] / 1.5 Diesel 3 & 5dr Hatchback [Debut, Echo Plus])

Quick Summary of the Citroen AX

OVERALL

The AX makes plenty of sense as a first car or an extra family runabout. There's little to go wrong and lots of fun to be had if you enjoy your driving. Just don’t expect post millennium style refinement or trim quality. Still, "Vive la difference".

CHIC ON THE CHEAP

On the lookout for a Supermini bargain? Then it's hard to better Citroen's little AX. Now replaced by the bigger Saxo, it makes plenty of sense for the small car buyer, particularly as there are plenty around - at tempting prices.
Used Citroen AX for sale

History of the AX

The AX was arguably Citroen's first serious Supermini and was launched in 1987 with attendant hype, which included a trip along the Great Wall of China.Though under the skin, many parts were shared with Peugeot - including all the engines - the car managed to quickly develop its own unique Parisian personality, dispelling the myth that budget cars had to be boring.The model range has included 1.0-litre, 1.1 and 1.4-litre petrol engines as well as a 1.4-litre diesel (upgraded to 1.5-litres in May 1994). Of these, the diesels were particularly popular, mainly because independent tests consistently found them to be the most economical small cars it was possible to buy.The budget ‘hot hatch’ GT models were - and are - also in demand, with the best made between 1991 and 1992, incorporating the facelift improvements. Rest to sixty in these non-catalysed cars takes just 9.2 seconds on the way to 108mph. Yet insurance is rated at an affordable group 9.Later warmed-up variants (known as ‘Fortes’) gained catalytic converters but lost power as a result. The ultimate AX was the 100bhp fuel injected GTi, produced between 1991 and 1994. It sold poorly, however and suffered under group 11 insurance, so used examples are rare.
Used Citroen AX for sale

Citroen AX Road Test

All the engines on offer feel perky - including the diesels. Later models got Peugeot's 1.5-litre normally aspirated diesel (there was never a turbo version), which felt faster than 5bhp and 6.5lbft power and torque increases would suggest. The straight figures reveal that it's capable of topping 98mph and making sixty from rest in 12.7 seconds.On the road where it counts, the AX in this form is actually a serious middle-lane hustler, with overtaking requiring less forward planning than most rivals. So much so in fact, that if you're a sporty driver and can't afford to insure the GT and GTi models, you don't need to feel too hard done by.Later models, as I've suggested, were certainly quieter, a fact you can put down to either a more refined engine or better sound deadening; Citroen won’t care which.Criticisms are limited to a touch of nose heaviness - the steering loads up quickly when you’re cornering hard. Few potential owners are likely to drive in this fashion, however.You’ll be more interested in the fuel economy of course, which Citroen claims is up to 78.5mpg in diesel variants. Most owners are more likely to achieve just over 60mpg in day-to-day use - but that’s still pretty creditable.
Used Citroen AX for sale

Buying a Citroen AX

Check for minor dents and signs of kerbing on the wheeltrims. Galvanised panels mean that rust shouldn't be too much of a problem, so any that you do find probably points to accident damage. Interior trim quality is far from the highest and should be checked for damage.
Used Citroen AX for sale

Citroen AX Typical Pricing

Don't let any seller tell you that special editions are worth more; they're not. In fact, in 1994 and 1995, numerous new AXs were limited run ‘specials’, with fancy names like ‘Memphis’, ‘Dimension’, ‘Jazz’, ‘Salsa’, ‘Cascade’, ‘Splash’ - I could go on, but you get the picture. Citroen are renowned as serial limited edition producers, and most of the changes are limited to fancy decals and minor equipment variations. The AX is still a reasonable runabout and you won’t have to part with very much money to get hold of one.
Used Citroen AX for sale

Citroen AX Parts

(approx based on a 1990 AX 1.0 excl VAT) An exhaust system is about £140. A clutch assembly will be around £100 and an alternator should be close to £100 (exchange). A radiator is around £100, a starter motor about £100 and a front headlamp around £85. Front and rear brake pads will cost you something like £45 each
Used Citroen AX for sale