The most comfortable car ever. Jay Leno

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It has been many years since I was a passenger in one (I never did get to drive it)
But it does stand out in my mind as, about, the most comfortable riding car I have ever been in.

I never thought much of them as a kid, too Quirky. But if ever I get a car collection like Jay, I will have one.

Heck, If I see one at the right price, in good shape, I might just buy it as a driver.

Comments?
 
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I sat in one as a kid. It was about like the couch I'm sitting in now.

It was way ahead of its time. It was known as the "Ds " which in French sounds like "goddess" a very apt name.

When renegade French soldiers ambushed Charles degaulle's D's and shot out the tires, she righted herself with her pneumatic suspension and carried degaulle to safety.

Its a gorgeous, elegant car. I like it best in convertible trim. With a youngish Catherine DeNeuve behind the wheel.
 
It's one of my eternal fave, amongst others such as VeeDoubleU bugs (earlier version), mini, Sabb 96, etc.

Sadly, a Citroen DS is quite difficult to come by nowadays, and parts can be a bit challenging to get.

Nevertheless: it's a very, very fun ride.

Q.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I thought all Citroens had 3 wheels, or is that some other French car?


deux cheveaux (2 horses) still had 4 wheels, but you can make an amazing three wheel kit car out of them... google Lomax.

The car shown in the OP, is actually one of the all time classics, and really rocketship science of the day. Dad wanted one, but could only get an R16.
 
Some of you may remember the character Rupert Giles on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" back in the late '90s. He drove A Citroen DS for the first two years of the series. Then, ca. 2000, he bought a small BMW 3-series convertible, astonishing all who knew him. (Buffy herself complained about how slow the BMW was: "'Ultimate driving machine' my a*s!")

The DS also came in among the top 5 saloons (aka sedans) of all time in a poll done by Classic & Sports Car Magazine around 1999. Among the others were the Mercedes 450SEL 6.9, the Jaguar Mk II 3.8, and the Jaguar XJ. So the DS is in distinguished company.
 
And Citroens, because of their unique suspension characteristics, were the camera car of choice for horse tracks across Europe ( possibly even over here...)
 
It's not just Citroen.

Peugeot owners would scoff at Mercedes Benzes and Cadillacs insisting that their cars rode better.

Apparently, the French are very good at isolating the driver from rough roads.
 
Yup, French cars have excellent suspension. I had a 1989 Renault R9 in Thailand and even though it didn't have pneumatic suspension, it rode and handled great. It only had a torsion axle in the rear, but it had long suspension travel and minimal roll. It was fun to drive in Bangkok with a stick and no traffic.
 
About 7-8 years ago I had a Citroen C6 TDI with hydraulic suspension to drive for about 10 days. I don't know how long term ownership would be, but for the time I had it, it was one fantastic car.

But having said that. This last September I was in France and spent 2 days driving from the North all the way to the Spanish border, I chose to use only Non Toll roads so as to see some of the country.

It was a great trip, and the VW Polo I was driving was just fine.
But it left me thinking.

IF I was to make that same trip in any car I wanted, what would I want?

5 months later, I now think it would be a Citroen DS
Great visibility, Great ride, adequate performance (seeing as I seldom would exceed 50mph) and just a nice way to see the country.

I think this is going to be added to my Bucket list.
 
At the airport, the guy in the hangar next door has a Citroen. He purchased it because of the comfort level.

I've driven it a few times. It's interesting to drive, and the seats really are amazingly comfortable.

His has a turbocharged 4 cylinder gas engine, with a strange hydraulic pump, driven from a jack-shaft and a couple of belts. That hydraulic pressure raises the car once started and also powers the brakes.

The brake pedal is quite different. It does not seem to move. One simply pushes harder to achieve more braking. The pedal feels hard as a rock. It's much like pushing against an iron pipe stub cemented in the ground.

I'm not sure the ride is superior to modern cars though. Just that the seats are amazingly plush and comfortable, in the same way as a well made La-Z-boy type recliner.
 
Superb cars. In college, I was part owner of a '58 ID19. Rode like a dream, with tenacious handling. Only sold it because we needed the cash. At the same time, another friend had a Renault 16, and that too could spoil you for conventional cars quickly.
 
I'm not a big fan of French cars - did buy a new Peugeot 407 in 2007, though - but they are axtremely comfortable on the road.

The DS is a real classic.
 
My father in law had a DS, he liked it but eventually the rust got to it and it got parked behind the barn...
He kept the driver seat out of it though, got it recovered and its still in his living room under the reading lamp. It is quite comfortable still.
 
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