Citroën C1 (2005 - 2014) 1.0i VTR+ 5d Owner Review

How reliable do you find the car?

I encountered three problems during my 4-year ownership. The first two were common to these cars, and not unexpected. The first was that rain water leaks into the car past various seals, notably those for the tailgate and rear lights, but these are easily remedied with upgraded items made by X8R. The second was that the front fog lamp switch failed, which is part of the lighting control stalk on the steering column. These are prone to failing generally, e.g., indicators only working intermittently, and I had this replaced at cost to the dealer I bought the car from. The third issue was that the rear-most mount of the exhaust back box rusted through, so I had to replace that, but I wouldn't be surprised if this happened to any car after nearly a decade of having been driven on salted roads.

Does the car do everything you expected it to do?

I bought the car only with the expectations that it would be reliable and cheap to run. It was, indeed, both of those things. Road tax was nil, insurance relatively low, and, even filling it up with E5 petrol didn't break the bank given the average fuel consumption. And, as mentioned above, I had very few problems with it.
However, coming from a 1997 Ford Fiesta, I still felt disappointed, if not frustrated, most times I drove it.
It was less comfortable, as the level of seat and steering wheel adjustment did not permit me to find a comfortable driving position, and the car pitched noticeably on its suspension over bumps.
It was less practical, as to put something the size of the boot floor into the boot required the rear seat squabs to be folded to widen the boot opening, as the tailgate sill is so high. Also, as a 6' tall person, I found the tailgate itself, and the back edge of the roof, got in my way when lifting anything heavy into the boot, causing me to stoop.
And, finally, it was just plain infuriating to drive sometimes, the gearbox and clutch being the main issues. The former has very poorly-chosen, and generally tall, ratios (probably for economy) and a vague shift action, meaning that you have to change gear often, and that it is unpleasant to do so when you do. The latter has a very high biting point, which I'm led to believe is common to these cars, and makes quick gear changes difficult. Additionally, when cornering quickly, the front and rear of the car didn't feel in harmony with one another, which did not inspire confidence, so it was never particularly fun to drive down a road that would've had me grinning in my old Fiesta.