Citroen C4 (2004 - ) - Mini review - impressed!

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Wed 30 Jan 2008 20:23
Mini review - impressed! - DP
SWMBO has a business trip coming up and a hire car has turned up:

A Citroen C4 1.6 SX automatic!

I can't say I've ever been a Citroen fan in particular, but SWMBO commuted in it today and came back raving about it, so I went for a little blast myself.

The first thing that strikes you is the styling. It's gorgeous IMHO with some really neat details. The headlights that wrap around into the wings and come back almost to the wheelarches, the deep windscreen and the completely flush grille. It's as aesthetically pleasing as many contemporary hatchbacks are bland. What's more, in my opinion it has identity - this just couldn't have come out of Japan or Germany.

It gets better inside with what has to be the most wacky dash layout I've seen in years. The first thing that strikes is the steering wheel boss which is fixed in position, with the wheel rim rotating independently of it. The central boss contains thumb switches for radio controls and cruise control (!) , and also contains a neat row of warning lights. There are three backlit LCD panels - a big central one with speed, fuel and temperature gauges , one on the console showing computer and radio information, and a "strip" type digital LCD rev counter mounted on the steering boss. It's just different! I loved it.

This example has done 11,000 miles and like most hire cars, has probably had a fairly hard life, but the fit and finish is faultless. Everything works, nothing rattles, and the materials are as far removed from the brittle plastics of older Citroens as you can get. Golf standard it probably isn't, but it's more than decent.

On the road it's superb. The steering is a bit light, but has reasonable feel, the car turns in eagerly, and the ride, although on the firm side, is beautifully controlled. I took the car around some of my favourite lanes, and it flows beautifully. I can't comment on the outer limits of handling, but it felt secure and beautifully chuckable when "making progress". The engine is a little noisy, has the typical PSA petrol "tappety" idle, and not exactly face distorting, but its eager to rev, responsive, and very punchy for a 1.6. The auto box is a great match for it, kicking down eagerly, and allowing some degree of control via the Tiptronic mode. It seemed a little jerky when cold, but once warmed through it was smooth as you could wish.

It's just a taut, chuckable car which probably won't match a Focus in terms of outright ability, but is more than enough that most drivers in most situations wouldn't notice the difference.

Scrolling through the trip computer, the average showed 34.5 mpg which, although it might need to be taken with a pinch of salt, is a useful guideline. I thought it was impressive for a car that's probably been thrashed by almost everyone who's driven it, and certainly won't have been driven with the same consideration as one would reserve for their own car. Putting the computer into instant mode and driving it more gently, I would be very surprised if it couldn't average 40 mpg if driven with a little consideration.

Spec is superb - electric windows all round, ABS, a cracking sounding CD player, cruise control, tiptronic auto box, auto lights and wipers etc etc.

It's not a car I've ever looked at twice, but I found myself really warming to it in just a 20 minute drive which is not something a lot of cars, particularly "cooking" models tend to do for me these days. I like the way it's not just another bland box, and that the designers have clearly been given a bit of a free rein to make something a little different. It's probably one of the few small hatchbacks that you might actually buy with a little input from your heart as well as your head.

So that's about it really. If you're in the market for a small hatchback, by all means drive the superb Golf/Focus crowd, but try this as well. Put aside your prejudices about Citroen build quality too - this is still taut, tidy and rattle free after 10,000 hard driven miles.

I'd spend my own money on one.

Cheers
DP
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Wed 30 Jan 2008 22:38
Mini review - impressed! - tack
I had the 1.6 diesel VTR+ and it was, indeed, an excellent car. IMHO the 1.6 diesel is the best buy in the range. I have now graduated to the C4 Picasso 2.0l diesel.

Before you get too carried away though, it is said that the Focus is more of a drivers cars. However, I am a fan of comfort and the Citroen is much more comfy than the Focus.

Make sure you don't pay dealer prices, even with 4yrs interest free credit, go to an internet dealer of repute for good discounts.
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Wed 30 Jan 2008 23:31
Mini review - impressed! - Lud
Likewise, brief urban punt, something like a year ago now when they were trying to sell them, in a 110bhp diesel manual, loved it and thought it went extremely well. Couldn't help worrying about the lcd dash in the long term though. What happens if it goes pop just out of warranty? Will there be aftermarket slot-in ones by then?

Great little urban slingshot though, lolloped over the Ken bumps a treat.

Edited by Lud on 30/01/2008 at 23:32

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Wed 17 Sep 2008 18:46
Mini review - impressed! - Chris79
Having just read your reviews im glad that some C4 owners are happy. I've just traded my 2005 C4 in for a new car (Not a citroen) Whilst the mechanicals of the car seemed pretty robust the electricals were an absolute nightmare, Despite repeated trips to the dealer (who was very good initially) it still played up. I loved the styling of the C4, but as all the reliability surveys seem to indicate if you want trouble free motoring its best to go elsewhere.
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