Citroën C2 (2003 - 2009) 1.1i VT 3d (2009/59) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

A practical guiy in a practical car which is kept meticulously. It is a pasttime activity to DIY maintain the car and I kept it sensible also.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

I think one of my neighbours is impressed so he/she chaged to a Citroen C3.

Would you buy this car again and why?

No, I will upgrade.

What are you likely to buy next?

Possibly back to Mercedes Benz E-Class.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£4,300

When did you buy the car?

February 2012

Did you get a good deal and why?

Car has 6 months Citroen warranty remaining when I bought it.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Upgrade from Vaxhall Corsa 1.2 2dr.

What was the dealer like?

Normal.

What's it like to drive?

Frequent gear shift gets most satisfaction. Use hgih rev to unleash power, low rev for economy. Due to width of vehicle, steering requires constant adjustment from the driver. Compact size allows for choosing path of least curvature in corners than wider, longer cars so it excels there. Body tilt and row is obvious sensitive to road surface than bigger cars.

What's it like to park?

I regularly over-estimated the turning radius - the perception is the short wheel base should yield correspondingly better full lock turns. When parking in tight spaces, keeping an awareness to adjust the estimated turning. Since the model is 2-doors, beware of the door hitting the car next to mine. COnversely, the size of the door is really good for getting in and out of the car - the same easiness as a much larger car.

Have you had any problems with the car?

I do regular preventive maintenance so nothing went wrong so far. Rain water leak from rear glass jet nozzle fixed permanently. Ratlles on really rough road cleared by re-doing interior trims and adjusting lock latch of rear hatch. Passenger side front antiroll bar tide rod replaced new from early on. Sump screws retorqued to clear slight sign of oil wetting. Condensation on driver side indicator signal light so this was replaced and there had been no problem since.

What's most practical about your car?

20000 miles service interval is very impressive. Oil is only 3 litres. Low insurance and consistent above 50mpg consumption. Truely very low cost to maintain. Unlike older French cars electrical is durable since the battery is still going after 5 years since the car was new.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Electric power steering - better efficiency than conventional hydraulic type. Top-bottom-split dual opening tailgate - space saving reverse close to wall while keeping full access. Fast ABS. Hydraulic clutch smooth as silk. Fly-by-wire electronic throttle. Chassis and suspension are well tuned - the car model has more powerful engines so structure is strong for the 1.1L engine. Cable gear selector link - gear knob does not wobble when the car is in motion. Roller cam followers reduces friction and noise in the engine. Driver's seat has height adjustment and steering wheel can adjust tilt and extension - very useful when taking on rear seat passenger.