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Citroen peugeot fiat - Grande punto vs C3 vs 206 1.4 showdown - alex mchugh

So ... The last 15 years I've been mainly a fiat guy however in looking to sell my Panda twinair to get something slightly bigger but older.

Honest opinions about the Grande Punto vs the Citroen C3 vs the Peugeot 206. All in standard 1.4 petrol guise. No turbos or sport models. I've driven the mk 1 C3 before and to this day I still can't get over how comfortable and smooth it was on our dodgy roads...

Citroen peugeot fiat - Grande punto vs C3 vs 206 1.4 showdown - SLO76
If all things were equal I’d take the C3. The old TU series petrol motors are pretty tough and it’s a fairly straightforward design that also resists rot very well. That said though condition is more important than make or model especially at this sort of money and age and for the best chance you’d be better expanding that search to include the following, all of which have a better reputation for reliability and longevity than the three you’ve shortlisted.

Ford Fiesta 1.25/1.4 petrol
Ford Fusion petrol
Ford Focus Mk II 1.4/1.6 petrol
Mazda 2 petrol
Mazda 3 petrol
Honda Jazz
Honda Civic
Toyota Yaris petrol
Toyota Auris/Corolla
Hyundai i20

Citroen peugeot fiat - Grande punto vs C3 vs 206 1.4 showdown - badbusdriver

The C3 and 206 are i believe mechanically identical, so it would just come down to which of them you like the most. As for the Fiat, probably the best looking car in its class and as a 1.4 petrol, shouldn't cause too much concern though possibly go for a lower spec to minimise potential electrical maladies (probably be wise to take the same approach with the other two).

You don't say your budget, but personally i'd probably be thinking along the lines of the MK2 Yaris 1.33 for it's combination of reliability, safety, performance and practicality.

Citroen peugeot fiat - Grande punto vs C3 vs 206 1.4 showdown - Senexdriver
I can’t speak with any great authority, but for what it’s worth here’s my two penn’orth. I drive an Audi A4 and on holiday in Greece recently I hired a C3. I wasn’t expecting great things, but I got to quite like the car. The island of Kefalonia has no motorways, although a few short stretches of dual carriageway, so your requirements from a car will differ between Kefalonia and the UK. Against that background, I found the suspension softer than the Audi - a welcome change - and the little 3 cylinder engine very willing, although on the mountain roads you have to work it quite hard to maintain any decent progress. This model was very well equipped and quite roomy for its size. I understand that they represent very good value for money in the UK so if I was in the market for a small hatchback, I would definitely consider the C3. I don’t know what age of car you are looking for, but this one was the new shape with only 5,000 km on the clock.
Citroen peugeot fiat - Grande punto vs C3 vs 206 1.4 showdown - SteveLee

C3, comfy, reasonably reliable and excellent value.