Colourful, fun, and engaging. Citroen's bold exterior styling and comfort-focussed interiors are the perfect match to urban Australian life – bringing panache and excitement to every drive.
Buying a Citroën was always on the agenda. I've owned lots. My wife thinks it's a sickness. I love cars and ever since the first one - a Renault 12 - there has been a string of french beauties in and out of my life and also in the lives of family and friends. I had a couple of interlopers - a G-Wagen, Defender, a Verada and currently the "other" car is a Discovery, but I digress. Let me tell you about my C5. A Bourassque Blue Tourer with a lovely black interior. So Chic. For the "spec" heads it's a 2.0litre Diesel Turbo in Exclusive trim. In other words it pretty much includes the kitchen sink for a 2015 car. I've had it since new and it's the last of the model line that has the wonderful Hydropneumatic Suspension. After 150,000km I still love this car. It's solid, refined, brisk, quiet and really, really stylish. The fuel economy is outstanding and considering I travel long country distances every week it never puts a foot wrong, even when I frequently bury the right foot (which is another sickness my wife reminds me off frequently...).
Is it all roses? Yeah, mostly. I still can't fathom how they managed such an impractical interior. The French were so good at the simple practicalities but this C5 is seriously deficient for interior storage. Sure, the tourer boot area is huge but the door pockets, oddments storage and glovebox are stupidly small. Don't even think of a takeaway coffee...Whoever designed electric tailgates should be shot. Replacing a perfectly simple task with a tardy groaning electric opener is such a retrograde step. The rear sets are super comfy but not a lot of room for legs and feet. The dash has 7,000 buttons but I kind of like it, especially at night as it makes you feel like you're piloting an aircraft. Minimalist new Volvo it ain't, not by a long shot. But all is forgotten when you're out on the road. It simply eats up the kilometres with that French insouciance that you start to take for granted until you ride in other "normal" vehicles. You know, those cars that have "sporty ride" but that's code for deleting springs and dampers somewhere in the specification. Not sure why the world went from great riding cars with excellent road holding to poor riding cars with excellent handling. I remember pushing my old Renault 16TS and Pug 504 to hilarious levels of body roll but never ever losing faith in their road holding.
So I get that the C5 is not for everyone but that's part of the appeal. I take the "Shitron" jokes in my stride because I know just how capable and reliable the C5 is. It does everything I ask of it and more. The litmus test for me is trying out other vehicles that might be a candidate for the C5's replacement. Lots of great stuff out there but nothing has made me feel like I had to have it, especially the new C5 Aircross (what were they thinking?) and not even the new 508GT which is stunning in its own right. That's the greatest compliment I can give the C5. That and the fact that of the two vehicles in our driveway I always pick the C5. Unless I'm parked in. Still a great design 10 years+ on.
Ok I will start in saying that the ds3 is an unloved car in Australia but does still have a strong following in Europe, this is undeserved as they are great little cars.
I originally brought the car due to its styling and was “sucked in” by the anti-retro advertising as it seemed a lot of cars were going the retro path and I wanted something different and it certainly is
I love the styling of it and was worried that it may start to but it has seemed to held up, people still are shocked that it is almost 8 years old when I tell them
Inside it is starting to show its age with the red led display for infotainment which is certainly is a far cry from the colour touch screens of today’s cars but it’s something i can certainly live with, the finish and build quality are something that is surprising most people would scoff at Citroen’s saying that the build quality isn’t there however after all this time it only has a minor rattle and everything has held together as if it had just rolled off the production line in France
The seating is both comfortable and supportive for the front occupants and there is a surprising amount of room for the back seat passengers even on a longer trip, not bad for a 3 door hatch
On the road it is a sweet little car to drive nice and quite on the highway and has a nice little mechanical wind it which reminds me of our old mini when i was a kid
Power wise it is ok but it could have done with a bit more, sadly Australia missed out on the ds3 racing model which would have been very nice
Now let’s talk about the problems, a big one and that is the psa/bmw developed prince engine under the bonnet sadly this is the car only problem as there is well documented problems of timing chain reliability and I am sure it’s a major reason this car has had a bad reputation, in saying that Citroen did replace mine with no questions before it gave me any problems at no charge to me
I have had a couple of other mechanical problems a ignition coil that had a fault ( I still haven’t changed it ) a temperature sensor failed but the worst was the high pressure fuel pump failing which was an expensive exercise to replace but all in all it has been pretty good all of this time
I don’t think I would change it ( well except for a bit more power ) and it saddens me that the new ds3 is going to be a 4 door suv which in my eyes goes against the original concept of it and that being anti-retro and standing out from the crowd
Yes it’s French and yes it’s not perfect but o still look at it and smile knowing I made the right recision in buying it which is lucky as the resale value is shocking
I've been meaning to write a review here after purchasing my first French car.
Needing to take my C3 in for its first (12 month) service served to highlight my lack of action in writing a review, and prompted me into action!
So here we go.
First things first. This is my first ever Citroen, and indeed, my first ever French car.
I've always had a soft spot for French cars. The willingness of French designers to push the envelope, and to produce cars which break from conformity, has always attracted me from the sidelines.
When a decision was made to look for a second (small) car for our household, I couldn't bring myself to look at run-of-the-mill small cars. On this basis, models like the Corolla, Focus, Astra, i30 etc weren't even considered (even though I've driven them, and they all have their merits).
With a budget of circa $25,000, the shortlist ended up being:
New Volkswagen Polo - despite the very positive reviews from motoring publications, it just didn't excite me.
Peugeot 308 - interesting and attractive, but sitting next to a Citroens in the same showroom, it felt a bit staid.
Citroen C4 - I was almost sold on the C4 Cactus, but the lack of wind-down windows in the rear (as reported elsewhere, they only pop-out) put me off.
Citroen C3 - As a newer model release from Citroen, it benefited from a more mature (restrained) design theme which first appeared with the C4 Cactus (with airbumps now appearing lower on the doors).
Once I took the C3 for a test drive I was sold.
The 1.2 litre, 3 cylinder PureTech engine was an absolute delight, with lots of low-down punch. It needed few revs to accelerate briskly and tackle steep hills. And it has a real quirky burble as it progresses through the rev range.
And the comfort of the front seats and ride was simply outstanding. I honestly didn't expect such comfort from a small car.
Nor did I quite believe the hype surrounding Citroen's claims of its focus on comfort. For once, the PR hype stacks up.
And it begs the question, why aren't all cars this comfortable? Do we really need cars that focus on handling and outright performance at the expense of comfort. Not everyone will agree, but I'm a convert.
From a design perspective, I love the way it sits on the road. Chunky, squat and purposeful. The large 17 inch wheels with 45 series rubber really fill the wheel arches (and without impacting ride comfort)
Unlike so many other small cars, it doesn't try and be swoopy and sleek (something best reserved, in my book, for longer vehicles).
And doesn't it attract attention!
Maybe it's a combination of the design, my chosen colour combination of the Almond Green and black wheels, or perhaps it's just because there aren't that many C3's on the road.
Interestingly, the C3's bonnet-line is quite high. When sitting next to our other car (a new Hyundai Santa Fe), the height of the bonnet lines is remarkably close (the Hyundai only appearing to be centimetres higher than the Citroen).
Twelve months on, my initial impressions gained from that first test drive have not changed.
More than that, this is a vehicle which grows on you. The character and charm of the 3 cylinder engine, and the comfort you get from such a small vehicle, keep you coming back for more.
And it brings a smile to your face every time you walk up to it. It's a fun car without pretension.
I regularly drive the M1 between Sydney and the Central Coast. For those familiar with the M1, it has a number of long and steep climbs, which highlight torque deficiencies in lesser vehicles.
The C3 simply eats these inclines for breakfast, barely ticking over in top gear.
With the comfort of the seating, quietness levels and torque available, you could be forgiven for thinking you're loping along in a much larger vehicle.
There are a few negatives. Or perhaps they are better referred to as character traits. Or French charm characteristics.
The engine start/stop is not as smooth as it could be (but you learn to accommodate it quickly).
The cup holders are too small and poorly positioned (again, something reported in reviews elsewhere).
And what's the go with having only one USB connection in a new vehicle?
And like other Citroens, the glovebox really only has room for gloves (it's not even big enough to hold the user/service manuals).
I have heard from many motoring enthusiasts that modern cars lack charm, and how we've lost the fun that comes with motoring. The Citroen C3 has given me an insight into what those people have been talking about.
I'm convinced that motoring can be full of charm and fun, if you know where to look.
Hopping into other vehicles, which I do frequently, shows how dull many have become!
The Citroen C3 truly is a breath of fresh air, and a refreshing contrast to other vehicles on the market today.
This is more of a car comparison than review, but here’s my review of the 2018 Citroen C3 Shine.
When my wife and I decided to purchase a second car -- a compact -- for me to use primarily as a means to travel to and from work, with the occasional childcare pickup/dropoff, I immediately started making a list of light cars in the low-20k price bracket to consider. My requirements: small, but not tiny; good fuel economy; can fit a forward-facing child-seat that will won’t be used frequently; preferably a 6-speed torque converter automatic; some sort of sat-nav, whether in-built or via Apple CarPlay; LED daytime running lights; and automatic headlights, which is both a convenience and safety feature.
The Citroen C3 never made my initial list, and not because it didn’t meet the brief. The Citroen brand’s mind-share is so poor that it simply does not come to mind, and I doubt I’m atypical when I say that. Too bad, because both the C3 and its twin-under-the-skin Peugeot 208 meet my base requirements well. In fact, when I finally added the Citroen C3 Shine to the list, it was obvious that it would not only make the eventual short-list, but that it may finish at the very top.
Which cars were on the shortlist? Many of the usual suspects: Honda Jazz in VTi and VTi-S trim, Suzuki Swift in GL Nav and GLX trims, Ignis GLX, Kia Rio, and the new VW Polo Comfortline. They fell within my expectations of small city-friendly size, value for money, and “X-factor”, whatever that means to you.
Citroen eventually won my heart, and wallet, with the C3. Mine is orange with a black roof, which is sure to grab lots of attention, and lower whatever resale value a Citroen carries. The Shine is the only spec that Citroen sells on these shores, so if you’re the positive ‘cup is half full’ type, you can say I bought the top-spec model. At a driveaway parice of $27,490 in Melbourne, the C3 isn’t going to win over many budget-conscious buyers. That’s approaching Polo Beats money, and the segment is too competitive for Citroen to get away audacious pricing. However, at the special driveaway price of $23,990, which, after a couple of months on sale, may have become the norm rather than ‘special’, I’d argue that the C3 is not only reasonably priced, but is a relative bargain. No, it’s still not cheap, but it’s affordable for a fully loaded car.
The C3’s list of standard equipment is impressive, blessed with distinctive 17-inch alloys (black at no cost), choice of body-coloured/black/white/red roof (no cost), digital speedo, cruise control with speed limiter, traffic speed sign recognition, height- and reach-adjustable steering wheel, one-touch front and rear windows, 7” capacitive touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, reverse camera and sensors, auto headlights and rain-sensing wipers (that aren’t advertised well), LED daytime running lamps, front fog lights, lane departure warning, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, climate control, electronic child-locks for rear doors, tyre pressure monitor, and dark-tinted windows. Also note the 5-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, and 5-years roadside assistance. I don’t have the optional in-built ConnectCAM dash-cam to test, which is a shame. In terms of equipment, the Swift GLX and Ignis GLX are its closest competitors, with the Ignis GLX being the best bang for the buck of any car on my shortlist. The Polo doesn’t offer the same level of standard equipment in Comfortline form, but the Launch Edition and Beats models probably do for a bit more money.
Notably missing from the C3 safety-related features is AEB, which is unfortunate because Citroen has included a number of other active safety features, but not the one that consumers (and car reviewers) look for most. To be fair, the list of cars in this segment that don’t offer AEB, even as an option, is surprisingly long, with the Accent, Yaris, Rio, Ignis, and Jazz to name a few. (Note: The upcoming 2018-19 Jazz will have AEB as standard.) Furthermore, as far as safety features go, I really wish this car had a head-up display (HUD).
The C3 is powered by the Peugeot-Citroen family’s trusted 1.2 litre, 3-cylinder Pure-tech turbo engine, generating 81 kW of power at 5500 rpm and 205Nm of torque at 1500 rpm, and fitted with an Aisin-sourced 6-speed torque converter automatic shifter. On paper, this combination of engine and transmission seems perfect for a compact city car. The acceleration won’t cause heart palpatations, but it’s quick enough off the line to not annoy, and it reacts quickly, but not linearly, to throttle pressure. There is a slight low-speed shudder, which is felt through the steering wheel. It’s not as bad as the DSG jerkiness I noticed in the Polo, but not smooth like the others, which slightly mars the experience of driving in stop-start traffic conditions, where these scenarios are common. I prefer the C3’s transmission over the Polo’s DSG for city driving, which upshifts too quickly to save fuel. I also prefer it to the CVTs found in the Suzuki’s. The 4-speed auto in the Rio was smooth, but indecisive on hills. The Swift GLX’s 6-speed torque converter gets top marks here, while the biggest surprise was the Jazz’s CVT, which was pleasant to drive. Once the C3 gets moving, shifts are quick and smooth, smart enough to always choose the gear that puts me in the peak torque range. The engine is fantastic. I haven’t even bothered with the C3’s “Sport” mode, which holds gears for longer.
Citroen should be commended for the suspension. It’s pillowy over not-so-nice surfaces, but somewhat firm. Firm-ish. It’s ability to smooth out speed humps and bumps, glide over potholes, and soothe long stretches of irritating road imperfections makes at the top in terms of comfort and quietness, along with the Jazz. At the same time, the C3 manages to corner well, with little body-roll to speak of, even when approaching corners a bit too fast. The Polo’s ride was firmer, and the Swift Ignis were firmer still, and corner better as a result. However, in my typical driving style, I would have to intentionally throw myself into corners too fast to perceive the benefit. What is more obvious, more often, is the greater harshness I felt when driving the Swift, Ignis, and Polo over Melbourne’s imperfect inner-city road surfaces. The C3, Jazz, and Rio were more comfortable. For daily driving, I’ll take pillowy, thank you.
I don’t frequently drive on highways, but in my brief experience, I found the C3 to be very quiet, comfortable, and stable, as though you’re actually driving a car from the next size up.
The one big negative comment on the C3’s driving report card is its poor turning circle. It’s not good at U-turns on tight streets, which is a curious oversight when considering the C3’s city-centric target audience. The Ignis and Swift were noticeably better in practice, and I can’t remember the others.
As for styling, the C3 is a stunning little car to look at, both inside and out. They say a picture says a thousand words, but I don’t think that a photo is enough to convey how special the C3 looks in person when compared to its competitors, or even those sold by higher-priced marques. Ostentatious? Perhaps, but the overall aesthetic is coherent, never feeling over-the-top or contrived like the similarly stylish Mini Cooper. The circle-square rear taillight pattern, the black-white horizontal stripe that runs across the C-pillar, the matte finish along the length of the A-pillar, and the 17-inch alloys, all look great. Even the divisive split lights on the front end, which often looks askew on other cars (e.g. the Hyundai Kona), works well here. The others all look cheap in their respective trim, except the Ignis GLX, which looks fun, fresh, and sporty. The Polo and Rio look austere, and this rings true even in their higher grades. The Swift looks like a big Nissan Juke to me. The Jazz looks decent, but I’m not a huge fan of this generation’s design.
The interior shares the same attention to detail. I particularly like the look and feel of the textured seat fabric details and contrast yellow-green stitching used in the standard Grey Mica interior trim, while the contrasting white plastic used for the door visually breaks up the dark tones used throughout. Citroen designers managed to make a grey interior not look drab. The seats are also comfortable. Unfortunately, the tactile feel of the interior doesn’t match its visual appeal. Hard plastics are used throughout the cabin, which makes the interior feel more Swift than Jazz. I can say the same about the Polo, though the C3 and Polo prove to be great examples of cheap interiors done well. The C3 happens to feel more cheery, with its higher material contrast and detail.
In terms of internal space, Citroen does well here in some aspects, but poorly in others. When both front seats are set for my 177 cm frame, rear legroom is sufficient for 3 adults, though they may not appreciate rubbing shoulders. Let’s say 2 adults of average height, or a toddler in a forward-facing child-seat. There’s significantly more legroom in the C3 than in the Swift, equal to the diminutive (but surprisingly roomy) Ignis, and less than the Rio, Polo, and Jazz.
With a listed cargo volume of 300 litres (VDA), it’s above average for the segment. More importantly, the cargo floor area is large and deep, giving it more useful cargo-carrying ability than, say, the Suzuki Ignis, which seems competitive on the spec-sheet, but not in practice. Without using a tape measure, I’d say the C3, Rio, Jazz, and Polo had comparable cargo floor dimensions, and would prove equally useful for errands around town, groceries, etc. With the seats folded down, the Jazz is the clear winner, while most other light hatchbacks, like the C3, fall flat, or perhaps I should say don’t fall flat, which is the problem. With the rear seats down, the C3’s boot is an awkward space to work with, as the seats don’t fold down completely flat, and there’s a hump between the boot floor and seat back. I’m rarely going to fold the rear seats down, so the C3 is perfectly suitable.
As for interior storage, the glovebox is next to useless, and too small even for the owner’s manual, thanks to the fusebox Citroen put in there. There is no central storage compartment to dump your stuff into, and no armrest (it’s optional). The cupholders that sit in front of the gear selector are too small, only suitable for piccolo drinkers. They’re also set too deep into the recessed area, so if you place a small coffee in there, it may take some effort to pull out. Of course, you probably wouldn’t want a large cup in the cupholder anyway, because you wouldn’t be able to see whether the gear selector is in P, R, N, or D. Very odd placement. The instrument display situated between the speedometer and odometer feeds you this information, but there’s no excusing such French-ness. Above the too-small cupholders is an awkward shelf that isn’t deep or rubbery enough, and has no lip along the bottom edge to stop things from falling off. It’s large enough for my narrow wallet and small iPhone SE, but coins would become metal projectiles under the wrong circumstances. My suggestion: Place your coffee cup in the single cupholder meant for rear passengers (seriously, it’s not a huge stretch), and place your wallet in the cupholder.
The centre console area is mostly devoid of buttons, as the touchscreen is used to control almost everything. It works well enough. Fortunately, there are still dedicated physical buttons for both front and rear de-misters, and a volume dial. Screen navigation is lag-free, and the dedicated touch-button shortcuts along the side of the screen make daily use quite liveable. Apple CarPlay was effortless, with the first pairing taking 1-2 seconds to engage. On the radio screen, I hate the overall placement of text, menus, and other information, as I find it unintuitive to change stations. Sound quality is great, but only once you edit the audio settings. The default bass setting was far too oomph-oomph for me, even when listening to radio host banter. It was intolerable. I dialled it down to the second lowest setting.
Overall, I’m very happy with the C3. My initial thoughts were that I would end up purchasing a Swift GLX, Polo Comfortline, or Honda Jazz, but by the end, it was a 3-way fight between the C3, Ignis, and Polo. I felt that the C3 was at the top of the list in terms overall comfort and drivability through urban streets, and exterior styling. In addition, it’s interior made me feel happiest behind the wheel. Highly subjective, but ‘feels’ matter too, right? The C3 includes a reassuring 5-year warranty, lots of cargo space, and adequate rear legroom. In terms of value for money, it includes almost everything I want in a car, and this isn’t true on any of the other cars at the price I paid, bar the Swift GLX. As objectively the best blend of features, ride quality, engine performance, fuel economy, cargo capacity, and practicality, the Polo was hard to resist. It jus but the C3’s longer warranty makes me feel more assured. If I was more price sensitive, or if I simply went for value for money over everything, I would have been extremely happy with the 3rd place Ignis GLX. It was that close.
* 'MRLP' is the manufacturer’s recommended list price as provided by our data provider and is subject to change, so is provided to you for indicative purposes only. Please note that MRLP is inclusive of GST, but is exclusive of any options and does not include on-road costs such as registration, CTP, stamp duty and dealer delivery. Where an MRLP is stated as a price range, this reflects the lowest to highest MRLP provided for that model range across the available variants.
Compare
