MOST car companies have awakened to the fact that it's not just a case of keeping up with demand that counts, but it's quality that today's discerning buyers are really looking for.

One company who have really grasped this fact are Citroen, who for nigh on 100 years have offered their own brand of style and flair that have kept them a cut above the rest in the mass-produced market place.

Along with some of the best in French styling, Citroen made great efforts to be at the sharp end when it came to the in technological advances, and this shows in the current range of Citroen vehicles.

In early 2008, the French marque launched their C5, which quickly became a serious challenger in the important family-sized saloon car class.

Back then, the C5 came with the choice of two petrol and three diesel engines, and it was pretty hard to look past the tried-and-tested, yet powerful and ultra-refined two-litre 16-valve HDi oilburner.

This sophisticated powerplant could propel the C5 from standing to 62mph in just 10 seconds and on to a top speed of nearly twice the UK legal limit.

Yet powerful as it was, it could still reward the driver with a fuel consumption figure well in excess of 40mpg on the combined cycle.

The flowing lines of the C5 gave the car a presence normally associated with offerings from more prestige and expensive brands and as one of the longest vehicles in its sector, the C5 really did scream class.

But there's no doubt Citroen have also made huge leaps forward in build quality in recent years and this fact certainly shown through in the C5.

The cabin interior just happened to be a masterpiece in design, with its aviation-inspired theme. The ring-shaped needles ran round the edge of three main dials containing the petrol gauge, rev counter and speedo, leaving the centres free to display information from the car's on-board computer, while Citroen's exclusive steering wheel allowed the wheel-mounted switches, such as those for the cruise control and entertainment systems, to remain in a fixed position.

Add to that top quality fittings and fabrics and you could immediately see why Citroen had such high hopes for the C5.

On the road the car could perform as good as anything in its class, but one thing which helped make the car really stand out was the lack of both wind and engine noise while on the move.

Thanks to multiple door seals, laminated side windows and an acoustic windscreen, the whispering C5 proved to be the quietest family transporter in its class.

Safety also featured highly, with advance braking systems, traction control and seven airbags all standard.

For this family favourite you'll have to pay between £4,535 and £6,275 for a 2011 11-plate two-litre HDi in VTR+ trim which includes an on-board sat-nav system, and from £5,510 to £7,410 for a similar 2012 model on a 12-plate.

Shop around and you could find a 2013 13-plate model for between £6,710 and £8,765, now that's something of a bargain in anyone's book.