Citroën C3 (2010 - 2016) 1.4 HDi VTR+ 5d (2011/61) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Not sure really... It's a fairly rare car over here, though common in France. It looks good without being overly sporty.

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

They like it's looks and those who have ridden in it like the comfort and road/engine noise.

Would you buy this car again and why?

No, I never like to buy the same car twice. If a car is good enough to buy again, why not keep the car you have with it's character? (Unless it's written off!).

What are you likely to buy next?

Something a bit bigger. I like the new C4 Picasso... Probably a Citroen though as they are good for the money and fairly economic.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£8,995

When did you buy the car?

March 2013

Did you get a good deal and why?

Good deal on my Part Ex as we had valuation from webuyanycar and Parkers. Dealer exceeded these and brought price of car down so we could afford monthly payments, then we decided to buy outright! ;).

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Old Citroen C2 1.4 HDi injector seals started going and Citroen dealers were reluctant to quote, suggesting repairs could be upwards of £1K... Decided to trust them again with a new car since that C2 lasted us 6 years and 100K+ miles, so time will tell...

What was the dealer like?

Friendly enough till things were signed, then seemed to rush to get us out the door and onto the next customer! (Yeomans Plymouth).

What's it like to drive?

Speed is ample, it's a small diesel so it's never going to be quick, but it copes well enough unless you let it run out of grunt up hill! Mainly noticed this on hills - at 60 it seems to struggle, but 70-80 and it's fine. Overtakes are difficult as acceleration is generally poor. Having driven a DS3 courtesy car, the ride is a lot more comfortable on the C3 at the sacrifice of cornering stability. MPG is disappointing - get a reading of around 65-68mpg on long drives at 60mph, but in a recent trip to france it struggled to stay in the high 50s at 130kph! Steering is light, but have only driven two or three cars without electronic power steering and found all those with are light.

What's it like to park?

Visibility is average compared with other new cars. Good crash protection makes visibility poorer than old cars, and the C3 door pillars obstruct view more than on the DS3 or C2. Reversing view is poor and would really benefit from reversing aids.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Nothing major. Alloy wheel centre caps seem loose but been told by dealer that's normal. Dash had been cleaned previously with something that has affected the paint on it, when trying to clean off marks it has made it worse! Also have strange feeling when accelerating through from about 2K revs like as if clutch is slipping (revs increase by 2-300 with no speed increase, then drop back and continue as normal). Been to dealer who has tested and found no faults... KPH band on speedo very inaccurate by design and not lit on the C3.

What's most practical about your car?

Boot & Passenger space over the C2 is huge improvement! Least practical: For better fuel economy really could use a bigger engine and/or a 6th gear.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Speed limiter/Cruise. Worth noting that the speed limiter/cruise readout is 2mph slower than dash readout. Or the Zenith Windscreen which makes the car feel a lot more spacious - though in direct sun means you're basically sat in an oven!