Citroën C3 (2002 - 2010) 1.6i 16V Exclusive 5d SensoDrive (2005/54) Owner Review
Want to know everything there is to know about this car?
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Summary
What does this car say about you?
"Grandma, we love you.... Grandma, we do!!" (and I'm only in my early thirties)
What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?
"Grandma, we love you.... Grandma, we do!!"
Would you buy this car again and why?
Absolutely not. Wouldn't have another one if it ran on fresh air and spewed butterflies from its exhaust. Direct Line told me this car meant my breakdown premium would increase because of known issues with that model.
What are you likely to buy next?
VW Golf.
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Buying experience
Type of dealer you bought from?
Franchise
Did you buy this car new?
No
What price did you pay?
£5,000
When did you buy the car?
January 2010
Did you get a good deal and why?
We part exchanged our Renault Clio which at the time of sale, wasn't driveable because its gearbox and ECU needed completely replacing. They gave us £2000 for the Clio despite this which at the time, was much more than we'd expected!
Is there any special reason why you bought this car?
Not particularly. I needed to get rid of my old one ASAP and the C3 was within my price range. Plus, I'd driven one before and liked it so didn't have much hesitation when the sales rep suggested it.
What was the dealer like?
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Driving it
What's it like to drive?
When it wasn’t acting daft, I actually quite liked the C3. It was nippy, handled well and was quite comfortable to drive.
What's it like to park?
Easy. Car is only small and steering is excellent.
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Living with it
Have you had any problems with the car?
Yes. It ran well enough and was problem free at first although a few months after buying it, the alternator belt went. In November 09, the right front coil spring went resulting in breakdown recovery, closely followed by the left spring in January 10. The recovery service driver told me whilst I was being towed up to a garage that broken front coil springs on the C3 are common. During the last two months, it began intermittently going into “Snow mode” and without warning meaning a total loss of revs whilst driving even at high speed on motorways etc. In the sixteen months I’ve had this car, I’ve had to ring breakdown recovery four times and at the time of writing, it remains up at the garage whilst I arrange for its part exchange at another dealer.
What's most practical about your car?
Favourite gadget, option or accessory?
