Citroën C4 Picasso (2007 - 2013) 1.6HDi 16V VTR Plus 5d (2007/07) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Une famille nombreuse as they say in France. A guy with too many kids, given that three is way too many in France!

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

Fairly impressed with its load carrying capabilities. Une belle voiture is what one french neighbour said. I must admit it does have some fine lines. 'I wouldn't spend 10grand on a car' especially a french one, was another comment.

Would you buy this car again and why?

No probably not, but then this is the guy who bought two citroen bx estates even after the suspension problems of the first one. I do have a soft spot for classic french.

What are you likely to buy next?

Probably do a trade in soon for a large merc van that I can turn into some sort of camper for next to no money.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchise

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£10,500

When did you buy the car?

February 2009

Did you get a good deal and why?

Didn't get a great deal but I bought it over the phone and there was no 'typical sales pitch' to have to suffer.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Bought on the spur of the moment after getting sick of looking at Renault Scenics. Needed 'proper' flat seats to fit kids and carseats.

What was the dealer like?

Dealer was friendly and straight-forward talking on phone and in person. He pointed out a small crack in windscreen which I wouldn't have noticed and gave me £50 back in case I had to replace it under insurance. As it happens it hasn't got any worse.

What's it like to drive?

It's not a bad driving car/mpv. It's quite comfortable on long journeys. At 6' 3" I found I have to be on the lowest seat setting though and quite far back, leaving not much room for adult legs behind, ok if its just kids. Headroom for me is lacking. Found this the same on the passenger side. The engine(minus the dozer problem) has been one of the positives. Even with a full load, the 1.6HDI has plenty of torque and pulls well uphill, and it will comfortably sit at motorway speeds with the feeling that there's still more there if needed. It's also returning over 50mpg, albeit an empty car with just the driver, averaging 55-60mph. That's around 600 miles on one tank. Someone else mentioned 725 miles which is fairly impressive if true!

What's it like to park?

It's big so choose your space with care!

Have you had any problems with the car?

It's difficult to know where to start. Lot's of parts have failed. Luckily most under warranty although this has proven to be a bit of a battle getting things refunded and has taken six months or more in my case. The first things to be replaced were one seat frame in the second row, an air dozer problem in the engine bay and both front suspension struts at 33000 miles. Then the boot lock mechanism went, closely followed by the air dozer for a second time, then I noticed tearing on the leather gear-stick cover and the drivers seat cushion on the right hand side as you get in collapsed internally. I also had to replace 2 rear brake discs as there's no warning light to say when the brake pads are getting low. One pad had worn more quickly than the rest and damaged the disc.

What's most practical about your car?

On the practical front the three kids and their car seats fit easily onto the second row seats, although hard to strap in seatbelt, not much space for hands and the kids cannot do it themselves. The extra seats have been great when you've got to pick up family at the airport or on runs to kids clubs etc. On a very long journey it meant that one of the adults could sit beside the kids and help keep them entertained or pass them things to eat without the need to stop every five minutes. I couldn't not mention the windscreen. It's a blessing on dull days and gives you a much better view of your surroundings.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

I really like the digital display screen. Very clear, well lit and choice of different colours. Plenty of information, and you can choose your language and whether you want kilometres or miles. You can also choose to have less information on the screen if you wish.