Citroen C3 Review

Performance4/5

The C3 has a good selection of engines, with options that should cater to all needs. The smallest of the engines on offer is 1.1, which will keep those who are trying to keep their fuel bills low happy but unfortunately it is rather underpowered; better by far are the 1.4 engines; the 95bhp version of which has enough pace for all your average driving needs and is more than strong enough for the motorway. There is a 1.6 above this which is a bit faster but hardly significantly enough to make a jump up from the 1.4. There are a couple of diesels on offer too, a 1.4 and a 1.6, the smallest of which again suffers from a lack of power, but the two 1.6’s offer enough punch, whilst still doing impressive mpg’s.

Handling3/5

You will not find a smoother ride on any of the C3’s competitors; it handles pot holes and rough road surfaces like its riding on the softest of clouds. However this smooth ride comes at a rather hefty price, for while the C3 is quite happy nipping round town, get it out on the open road and try and take a corner and the body role will have you feeling rather worried, and hit a bump in that corner and you’ll feel down right scared. It’s such a shame, because if you keep it in a straight line it feels like a firmly planted little car.

Exterior4/5

The C3 is not exactly going to rock your world, it lacks some of Citroen’s slightly mad French flair that it used to be so famous for, but that said it is still a very stylish looking car. There is also the very cool panoramic windscreen which makes the cab so light and airy - a really nice touch.

Interior4/5

The smooth ride and the light cabin make the C3 a very pleasant place to be, and while the seat could do with a bit more support it is still a comfortable car to take a long drive in. You’ll comfortably fit 4 adults in as well, though 5 might be pushing it a bit. There is also plenty of space for your luggage with 300 litres of boot space beating pretty much all of its rivals, and the seats split 60/40 if you have anything particularly large to carry. The dash is an improvement on other Citroens but still has a slightly flimsy feel which lets it down a bit.

Equipment3.5/5

The most basic package with the C3 is the VT and it is pretty basic, electric front windows and a CD player are essentially all you get, therefore I’d recommend upgrading to the VTR+ package, which adds air con, alloy wheels, cruise control and front fog lights. The top of the range trim is the Exclusive, which come with climate control, rear electric windows and interior mood lighting. There is also a trim specially designed for the lower powered 1.6 diesel called the Airdream+, this is based on the VTR+ package but swaps air con for a rear parking sensor and Bluetooth, and cuts CO2 emissions down to a tiny 99 g/km.

Safety3/5

Surprisingly the C3 is a rather disappointing in the safety department. It only scored 4 out of 5 stars in its Euro NCAP test, predominantly because of the lack of safety features that come as standard. You have to upgrade to a VTR+ just to get curtain airbags and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) is only available as an option on Exclusive models. You do get ABS, electronic brake force distribution and four airbags as standard but this is a rather meagre offering when you look at the C3’s competitors.

Buying & Owning3/5

It’s a Citroen, which in the past has meant plenty of trips to the garage, usually to sort out some electrical glitch. Citroen claim they have remedied this, but we have heard that before, so take that claim with a pinch of salt. On the plus side Citroen dealers are usually amicable to doing you a good deal so make sure you haggle hard, especially as the depreciation on the C3 is not good.

Reviewed by cars2buy