Been driving a Citroen C1 today (as a spare car, whilst the Trajet is in dock for suspected misfuelling with biodiesel) and just thought I would share my thoughts.
I like the simple interior design, although the painted door panels and wind up windows came as a bit of a shock. I wouldn't mind wind-up so much if the knob was easier to grip, but it's a bit small. However whilst the interior suits the French C1 and 107, I don't think I would be too happy in the Aygo version??
Driving position was reasonable, but took me a while to find a comfortable incline of the seats and would have liked to raise the seat and pull out the steeering wheel as well as move it up and down.
Driving was quite pleasant and perfectly adequate, although there was not a large enough gap between the clutch pedal and the side console to drop the left foot after changing gear. That was annoying and would put me off buying a manual version. Not to happy with the lack of rear three quarter visibility but once the mirrors were adjusted properly, I coped. Not ideal though.
Finally, only able to open boot with key. I though that went out with the 1970s? Last car I had that did that was the Cortina.
I wonder if the better equipped models deal with these issues (well some of the them)?
Overall, a five door automatic version would suit me quite well if it had a/c, radio controls on the steering wheel, you could get into the boot without requiring the key and I could get comfortable more quickly.
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That was a base model, and yes the window winders are a pain, i often break my nails on a weekend when i become ''clarissa'' ;)
The next models up do get central and leccy windows, but IIRC the rear door windows on the 5 door only hinge open, not wind down, so if you have rear passengers air con is a must at i think 500.
By the time you've specced it up, its getting a bit expensive for such a small car, and i think i've only seen a closable glove box on the upmarket aygo version, but i could be wrong about that as usual.
It sounds a good buy at £6K but once you've got a few comforts in it, you could get a kia rio or similar for same money and a 5 year warranty to boot.
Having said that they do have a cheeky charm.
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I made a similar point in another thread - you can get a Colt for £6.5k at the moment, but 5 doors and A/C will add £1,000 and the car then starts to looks expensive. The cost of new cars seems to have fallen, but yet air-con on a Colt costs £500 - adding nearly 8%. (I suppose if the car cost £20k, it would still only be £500 and wouldn't seem as bad)
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I like the simple interior design although the painted door panels and wind up windows came as a bit of a shock. I wouldn't mind wind-up so much if the knob was easier to grip but it's a bit small.
Higher spec (like our Aygo+, has leccy windows - no button on drivers side for passenger window though)
>>However whilst the interior suitsthe French C1 and 107 I don't think I would be too happy in the Aygo version
The steering wheel (airbag housing actually) is a nicer design on the Aygo
Driving position was reasonable but took me a while to find a comfortable incline of the seats and would have liked to raise the seat and pull out the steeering wheel as well as move it up and down.
I'd also like a seat which can be lowered - you do feel like you are sat on it rather than in it.
Driving was quite pleasant and perfectly adequate although there was not a large >>enough gap between the clutch pedal and the side console to drop the left foot after >>changing gear. That was annoying and would put me off buying a manual version.
No probs with my size 8s
>>Not to happy with the lack of rear three quarter visibility but once the mirrors were adjusted properly I coped. Not ideal though.
Rear quarter visibility is really bad when reversing.
Finally only able to open boot with key. I though that went out with the 1970s? Last car I had that did that was the Cortina.
Higher spec will get you remote central locking
Overall a five door automatic version would suit me quite well if it had a/c radio controls on the steering wheel you could get into the boot without requiring the key and I could get comfortable more quickly.
Ours has aircon and it's most welcome. No radio controls on steering wheel I'm afraid, radio is quite fiddly too. Once you have set the seat it shouldn't need moving.
Took ours on a trip tonight and with all three of us in it. At the bottom of Otley Chevin ( 1 in 8ish) a Ford Ka was right up my backside (30 limit), but when it came to NSL, down to 2nd and I showed the Ka a clean pair of heels.
The engine and gearing are so flexible - 60 in 2nd, 80 in 3rd - that driving it is so easy.
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only able to open boot with key. I though that went out with the 1970s?
If I'm understanding you correctly, the same is true of the Ford Ka.
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So it doesnt have an internal release? My Daijitsu doesnt have a handle for teh boot but then it does have a release between the seats.
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panda diesel beats it hands down every time for the money
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Elder daughter and I had a good run in a Aygo last week-end as she thought she couldn't afford another 1.3 Yaris (thanks to a good deal from Octagon Bracknell, she can).
But it was livelier than we expected, and she could have lived with it, rather better in town than on the motorway. It'll get itself up to 75 mph readily enough, but if you have to slow down to 60 or so, getting back up to cruising speed took a long time even changing down a gear. (Mind you, my previous Mercedes B200 diesel had the same problem, and it's more forgivable in a 1-litre Aygo). An automatic version with aircon would almost certainly be sluggish, as I think it's a conventional auto rather than a CVT (someone please correct this if it's wrong).
Quite comfortable and the Aygo version has plenty of room for the left foot off the clutch - no footrest but the angle of the floor means one's foot is comfortable.
Nice direct steering and a good tight turning circle. Quite a good bet for town driving, even for the occasional long trip, although the needlessly poor rear visibility would rule it out for me personally.
If it suits, the best bet will be to see which out of C1/107/Aygo gets you the better deal - if we'd had to, we'd have gone for the Aygo if there wasn't much beween them because of the excellent local dealer, the aforementioned Octagon. The Aygo Blue, with aircon and a separate boot opening button, is apparently the one selling best.
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"An automatic version with aircon would almost certainly be sluggish, as I think it's a conventional auto rather than a CVT (someone please correct this if it's wrong)."
It uses an automated manual system so you can change manually to get the most out of it.
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The auto on an Aygo is "MMT" - kind of "electronic manual" so whilst you drive it much like an auto (apparently you need to lift off the power a bit as it changes gear otherwise it jerks) it doesn't have the performance hit of a traditional auto, so economy/emissions is the same as the manual.
I didn't fancy it myself, even though I'm an auto person really, but lots of those who did pick the MMT seem happy with it.
The really basic models don't have luxuries like glovebox lids but they are only a few pounds and fit easily. As the Citroen/Peugeot/Toyota variants are pretty much the same, a number of people have bought the Peugeot glovebox lid at a somewhat lower price than Toyota charge for the same thing and fitted that, for example, and the same applies to other products. Similarly, there is a optional rev counter, but Toyota won't sell you that separately - you get it with the Aygo Sport only. Peugeot will though and it just plugs in.
Pedals are fine for my size nines too.
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.............Pedals are fine for my size nines too. .........
Weird - I have tiny feet (size 7) and yet the width of the gap to the left of the clutch pedal meant that rather than simply swivelling my left foot left and down after using the clutch I had to lift the whole foot up and away from the pedal and then place it underneath!
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Get yourself a Hyundai i10 Comfort. £35 a year tax, £7095 to buy in base red which looks good, aircon, 4 airbags, 6 speaker mp3 cd thingy, leccy windows, remote central locking, proper glovebox, underseat and under boot floor storage, leccy mirrors, alloys, 5 year warranty.....
You may be able to get an ex-demo fairly quickly but new orders are about a 4/5 month wait, such is the huge demand for them.
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This is one of those things where sitting at my desk I can't even begin to imagine what I do with my clutch foot, as it were. I expect I just move it in a different way to you so it works for me but not you!
It's these kind of idiosyncrasies that don't always get mentioned in motoring reviews, and I think discussion of them it what adds real worth to the forum.
runboy, what's the real world mpg like on an i10 as a matter of interest, do you know?
Edited by Dipstick on 30/05/2008 at 11:22
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Dipstick - Not sure of the real world MPG as we still await delivery of our i10. We ordered in April but have been told not to expect it until late August so in reality it will be 1 Sep on a 58 plate by the time we get our hands on it. Thankfully it is a second car so no immediate rush although we are a little "annoyed" that delivery will take so long as the wife wants it so she can get driving!
I did read that order books have been closed on the i10 as there is such a backlog.
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Thanks runboy.
We nearly went for a Fiat 500 over the Aygo in March, but one of the factors that put us off was the long lead times for delivery. I rather suspect we'd be still waiting now - the Aygo took about four weeks. Perhaps small cars really are experiencing more of a market uptake.
Anyway, be interested to know what the mpg is when you DO get it - by the time you've run it in in a year I'll be thinking about replacement, so it'll be interesting to know more about the i10.
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Runboy - my OH was very interested in the i10 after reading a positive review in the Times. 65 mpg apparently. Please post a full review when you get it.
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Wonder if its just us BR'ers or are most people now getting over the badge stigma with the likes of hyundai, kia, proton etc.
IIRC it took quite a while for some to realise just how good the Japanese cars were too.
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tintin01 - please have a search on the wibbly wobbly web as there are plenty of reviews on the i10 and very few contain negative comments. Indeed in a recent magazine roadtest againt the Panda, Twingo and new Agila, the i10 came top.
From what I have seen of the i10 in the showroom and on the test drive, all I can say is that it appears solidly built. Plastics are not up to VW standard but certainly wouldn't be a hardship to live with. There was room for me to drive (6ft 2in and, ahem, a fair few stone). Engine was nippy, handled nicely round the corners - less roll than our Octavia but then it was a bit more bumpy so there is some trade-off on the handling front. Fairly roomy in the back. Boot is smallish but then it is a supermini.
Red is the only "free" colour but that is no hardship as it does look cheeky in this colour. Blue would be next in our choice followed by black they grey.
It has just been through NCAP and scored 4 stars for adult and child occupation and 3 stars for pedestrian.
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I too have a CI 5 dr basic, & love the fact that it has windup window's & no central locking. It is simplicity at its best. Its cheap, very economical 60-75mpg average at present. £35 road tax & group 1 ins. Hope fully its so simplistic & with the toyota influenze it should be reliable & thats all I want for a 20 mile a day commute. If I wanted more I would of paid more & purchased something else. I have no problem with using the key to open the boot! its secure whilst I have the key's & it doesn't have fancy gadgets to go wrong when the mechasim fails.
I think an auto would lack any go & if it had aircon once again more to go wrong & it would effect the fuel economey & performance.
I have also driven it on a long run & covered 300 miles in one day & it was more than just acceptable!
I think with fuel cost's increasing all the time we will be seeing more of these on the road as they gain in popularity.
IJ
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Great little car, my mate uses one to teach people to drive in. Engine is nippy but you need to rev it quite hard. Love the sound of the three cylinder engine with a few revs on it though much more interesting than a four. You'd be mad to pay list though. Go for a lekky windows and air con. Some good deals online or buy a nearly new one.
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