• The Cactus is a cheap car to run…
• … especially as it doesn’t come with a hybrid
• Repairs could prove to be expensive, though

What are the running costs?

The Citroen C4 Cactus makes the best sense when you look at its running costs. The blobby styling, the lightweight engineering, the tiny engines – it was all done to cut CO2 output and fuel consumption.

Even the least economical C4 Cactus, the powerful PureTech 110 turbocharged petrol, only emits 107g/km and can return over 60mpg. And, should you really be chasing the ultimate in efficiency and economy then you can buy the 1.6-litre BlueHDi diesel. It emits just 82g/km of CO2 and can has an official fuel economy figure of 91mpg.

Thanks to its range of small engines – everything is 1.6-litres or smaller – the C4 Cactus should be cheap to insure, too. Especially when you consider the AirBump technology, which safeguards the body panels against minor car park dings and grazes. They’re made from high-tech thermoplastic polyurethane and were designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle with no special maintenance.

Reliability

As we mentioned on the first page of the review, the C4’s reliability has been patchy. However, it’d be wrong to blame all the faults on the car. Poor maintenance and cheap owners have pushed the tattiest cars to breaking point, so do your best to hunt out a well-maintained example.

The Cactus’ underpinnings and technology were used elsewhere in Citroen’s contemporary range. When the car was new, we heard the odd report of the C4 Picasso displaying some unusual electrical issues – and it seems the Cactus is following in its footsteps. Take a crumb of comfort in the fact the 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engines are still being used in Citroen’s new cars.

When we first drove the Cactus, we found its cabin to be quite hard wearing.  It should stand up to the rigours of daily family life well. However, the high-gloss black trim used on our test car was exhibiting some localised scratching. That’s just cosmetic, though. We can live with it when used prices are this cheap.