A few Alfa 166 owners have been considering the Citroën C6. Some, like Tony, have already made the jump and now I've done so as well. There is scant information on the Web about them, even the main dealers see so few of them they are unsure about about equipment levels. Indeed on several Google adventures around the Net I kept finding references to them on this forum. We are becoming de facto the information centre for C6s. Several members have PM'ed me for further information. So for the benefit of fellow 166 enthusiasts here are my findings so far. I've never owned equivalent Mercs nor Beemers so my only point of reference is the 166.

Driving it.
Let's start with the one most Alfa owners want to know. How quickly does she go? On paper it looks promising: similar BHP to the Sportronic, similar 0-60, similar top speed. Where it gets more interesting is in the torque: lots more of it, 66% more in fact and even better, it is served up through a slick modern six speed 'box. This car is not slow. There is always power on tap with instant response.

Citroën ride quality is of course legend and deservedly so. This big one is no different. It laughs at the speed humps and [%*^#@!] road surfaces around my neighbourhood which had made life in the 166 such a pain. Contrary to what many believe I actually think this comfortable ride isn't just there to waft along on but is there to allow quicker speeds, I know of several roads which had me easing-off the loud pedal in the 166 because she was pitching and wallowing and generally getting out of shape, the C6 takes them in her stride at greater speed.

The brakes are a bit disappointing after the 166. There is less engine-braking to start with then the brake pedal itself needs a bit more of a shove than the Alfa's so several times I've found myself arriving at corners quicker than I was expecting. Strange that they require a bit more a push than the Alfa, one would have thought it would be the other way around. In the same vein the throttle seems to need a little less pressure - which also you might think should be the other way around.

Steering is light and for a car with wide (245/45/18) wheels they have managed to do a beautiful job of controlling tramlining, it's pretty much non-existent. This again contributes to being able to keep higher speeds on roads that had the Alfa struggling. I found the Alfa's limited turning circle to be a right royal pain in the **** in car parks. When I read the Citroën's is supposedly worse it was nearly a deal breaker for me. My car is kept garaged in a car park. It is a tight fit but despite what the figures say I find the Citroën manoeuvres around this car park easier than the Alfa did. So figures can be deceiving.


Equipment.
They come with many bells and whistles. All the usual stuff like PAS, ABS, A/C, remote central locking, electric windows, heated folding door mirrors, headlamps wash, loads of airbags, etc. On top of that you also get double-glazing, dead-locking, folding rear seats, Xenons, CD/MP3, trip computer, cruise control, tyre pressure monitor, isofix, Emergency Brake Assist, dual zone A/C.

Then there are three levels of trim:
Basic - which no one in the UK seems to have bought.

Lignage the mid spec which it seems makes up 80% of the used market, gives you: electrically adjustable seats, Head-up Display, Active Bonnet (which increases pedestrian survivability), leather interior, parking sensors, rain sensitive wipers, auto headlights, auto dipping mirror.

and Exclusive - which was bought by the remaining 20%, and Tony - adds: greater choice of leathers, fitted floor mats, wood trim, electrically adjustable steering wheel position, memory function for seat wheel HUD positions, heated seats, JBL upgrade to the stereo, lane departure warning system and most important of all "NaviDrive" Sat Nav, traffic info, Europe maps, 30GB hard drive and hands-free phone kit.


Accommodation.
It is a big car and you would expect more space inside. Luckily this is the case, interior space is noticeably larger than the 166, especially in the back. The door pockets are excellent - although if you read Citroën's marketing blurb you might think they had invented a cure for cancer or something. The glove box is a joke. Every car I've ever bought has a smaller glove box than the previous one. The C6's seems to suffer from RHD conversion, I think the LHD models might have a decent glove box but on RHD models it's mostly taken up by a fuse board.
I was careful to compare their respective boot sizes before buying as I didn't want a car with a smaller boot but despite the spec sheets saying they are identical in volume I have to say I'm convinced it is smaller. French and Italian litres must be measured differently. The spec sheets also say the car is only 50 mm wider than the Alfa but somehow it feels an awful lot wider than that. Perhaps it is only a matter of time and I will get more comfortable with its size.


Servicing.
Incredibly Citroën are claiming 20,000 mile oil changes. Yes, that's miles, not kilometres. The timing belt is an even more incredible 100,000 miles, or ten years.


Little niggles.
I miss the simplicity of Alfa's ICS. When you think it was designed in the mid-nineties it is genius. One knob controls everything. On the Citroën the same functions are spread over the central console, the LCD up on the dash and a stalk on the steering wheel. Even while parked I can't find some functions never mind on the move.
Like Tony I miss the remote boot release of the 166. There is a concealed button on the lid but it is annoying if you do winter motoring on the Continent's well-salted roads. The Alfa's solution is neater.
The key has separate 'lock' and 'unlock' buttons. I've never understood why some manufacturers do this, how are you supposed to find the right button in the dark? There is a 50% chance you will be wrong. Again, Alfa's solution is much neater.
In such a modern car it is unforgivable that iPod integration isn't standard. I negotiated Citroën's "USB box" into my deal. They normally charge a whopping £300 for it and although it connects and plays the iPod it doesn't give full access to all the iPod's functions. For this sort of money, and this market segment, I'd expect to see all the iPod's functions displayed on the car's LCD.

But what I miss most is this forum; it's a very knowledgeable and helpful club. Tony and I have been exchanging emails, trying to help each other as much as we can but there is so little information available. The mechanic who did the service on mine when I collected it admitted it was only the second one he had seen since doing his course on them in 2006.

Conclusion.
So after a month's ownership was it the right buy? For me it is. Cars are about driving, I did over 500 kms on Friday through busy British motorways and rush-hour Dublin traffic. Seven hours at the wheel and it felt like thirty minutes. It was also a pleasure to see the trip computer reading 44 mpg instead of the 28 I was used to seeing. I've spent this week enjoying Ireland's awful roads. I know how bad they are, I know a friend who lost his 166's steering system to them, but the Citroën simply flies over them putting a smile on my face.

If you own a 166 because you value speed accommodation comfort and individuality then this big Citroën has it in spades.