Citroen C5 Aircross

• Report 1: We welcome Citroen's C5 Aircross to the fleet
• Report 2: Comfort with a capital C
• Report 3: Just how practical is the Citroen C5 Aircross?
• Report 4: Only 17 miles on a charge...
• Report 5: Citroen C5 Aircross vs Skoda Karoq
• Report 6: Goodbye to our Citroen C5 Aircross

Report 1: We welcome Citroen's C5 Aircross to the fleet

We get our hands on Citroen's family SUV, the C5 Aircross PHEV. What do we think of it so far?

Date: 2 October 2023 | Current mileage: 8321 miles | Claimed economy: 222.3mpg | Actual economy: 58.1mpg

I've always had a bit of affection for Citroens that harks back to my dad owning two GS models back-to-back when I was small, so it seems apt now that I'm going to be running Citroen's latest family car for the next three months, the C5 Aircross.  

While many family SUVs will make a big thing of their sportiness, the C5 Aircross refreshingly swims against the tide and makes a big thing of its comfort and practicality. While we'd probably hate to admit it, while a car that we can chuck into corners is the car we think we want, the reality is that we want something that's as stress-free as possible when ferrying children round and we'll be delving into that in more detail in later update. 

First though let's have a look in more detail of our C5 Aircross long-termer. It comes in Shine trim which sits in the middle of the C5 Aircross range and comes with an awful lot as standard. This includes a reversing camera, front/rear parking sensors, keyless entry/start, electric folding door mirrors, adaptive cruise control and Advanced Comfort Seats with Alcantara upholstery. There's also 18-inch alloy wheels, a 10-inch touchscreen with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard (though it's a wired connection).

Our Citroen C5 Aircross also has a couple of optional extras as well. It's finished in Platinum Grey metallic paint that's a £595 extra, an 'Energic Blue' colour pack (£180), a black roof (£250), a motorised electric tailgate (£790) and Highway Driver Assist (£500). 

While the 1.2-litre PureTech engine is a popular choice with the C5 Aircross, we're going to be running the 225PS plug-in hybrid. It'll hit 62mph in 8.7 seconds and has an electric-only range of 41 miles from a fully-charged battery. Fuel economy is a claimed 157.2 to 222.3mpg (provided the battery is kept topped up), while the petrol tank is 43 litres - some 10 litres less than the 1.2 PureTech. 

The Citroen C5 Aircross is 4.5 metres long and a smidge over 2.0 metres wide (that's with the wing mirrors out) and has a kerb weight of 1890kg - some 400kg more than the 1.2 PureTech car.  

It's front-wheel drive only, so it's going to be interesting to see how it copes with some of the more rural roads where we live as the weather deteriorates. We're also going to miss creature comforts like heated seats now the mornings are getting colder. 

All in our Citroen C5 Aircross PHEV costs £38,250 - considerably less than something like the new Honda CR-V PHEV, but comparable in price to a Ford Kuga PHEV. And after living with a couple of family-orientated PHEV SUVs in the last couple of years, including the Ford Kuga and Suzuki Across (see also Toyota RAV4), I'm looking forward to seeing how the Citroen C5 Aircross stacks up. 

Report 2: Comfort with a capital C

Inside our C5 Aircross and you'll have to go a long way to beat it for comfort.

Date: 16 October 2023 | Current mileage: 8533 miles | Claimed economy: 222.3mpg | Actual economy: 45.2mpg

I touched on it in my first update, but I wanted to expand on just how comfy and easy to live with our C5 Aircross is turning out to be. 

Let's start with the bits you can't see. The C5 Aircross is kitted out with progressive hydraulic suspension that Citroen reckons should give you a 'magic carpet' ride. The result is that the Citroen C5 Aircross delivers one of the plushest and smoothest rides you're likely to find this side of an S-Class. Drive along and it's completely unfazed by the mish-mash quality of Britain's roads, soaking up any lumps and bumps with ease. 

Citroen hasn't stopped there. Upping the comfort stakes even further are the rather aptly-named 'Advanced Comfort' seats. These seats benefit from an extra layer of 15mm thick foam to make the seats even more comfortable, while the seats also have high-density foam at their core to bring extra support on those longer journeys. 

The steering is also incredibly light, and while it can be pretty vague on windy roads, it excels round town. It's easy to park considering its size and the turning circle makes you feel like a black cab driver.

It's a combination of these separate elements all coming together to make the C5 Aircross a very relaxing drive. Whereas some cars encourage you to take them by the scruff of the neck, the C5 Aircross somehow manages to put you in a more calm state-of-mind. 

It's easy to find yourself driving along and ignoring some of the selfishness of fellow road users as you glide to your destination. You'll certainly feel fresh after a long journey, while my two girls haven't uttered the three words that strikes fear into any parent on a long journey of "I feel sick". They've both happily say in the back watching the world go by.

There's a lot to be said about a car as comfy as the C5 Aircross. While there's times I've missed being in something a bit more focused, for most of the time when all in the car together, comfort beats sportiness. 

Report 3: Just how practical is the Citroen C5 Aircross?

It might major on comfort, but does that come at the expense of practicality?

Date: 30 October 2023 | Current mileage: 8718 miles | Claimed economy: 222.3mpg | Actual economy: 35.4mpg

We've talked a lot about how comfy there Citroen C5 Aircross is, but how does it stack up when it comes to practicality? Despite some frustrations that I'll come onto in a bit, it's fair to say that the C5 Aircross is very practical indeed.

We already know how sumptuous the seats are, but if you've got young kids they're incredibly versatile as well. Not only do the two outer rear seats come with ISOFIX fittings, but the front passenger seat does as well. 

Each of the three rear seats is on sliders, with each one moving independently of the other should you need a bit more room in the boot. Speaking of which, boot space is pretty good on the C5 Aircross. Our PHEV version looses out on some 120 litres with the seats pushed back compared to the standard car (blame it on those batteries), which results in a boot capacity of 460 litres, which increased to around 600 litres with the seats pushed forward.

 It's a pretty versatile size, though it would be nice to have some hooks for shopping. It also passed my little test of squeezing two kids bikes in the boot, though it did require the central seat to be folded down (not like the more practical boot of the Suzuki Across that easily swallowed them up without the need to flip a rear seat down). 

If you want more space, then the C5 Aircross comes with some rather funky looking roof rails. While the design might standout, it was frustrating to discover that my Thule WingBar Evo roof rack system wasn't compatible.

You could put this down to bad luck, but this popular roof rack system will fit rivals (you might need to change the footers), but the Citroen C5 Aircross is only compatible with Thule's top of the range WingBar Edge. 

To be fair though, other brands of roof rack systems are compatible, while Citroen itself will sell you a set of roof bars for under £200. And when I did need to get a adult-sized bike in the back, the rear seats folded down flat and I could shove the bike easily in there with space to spare.

Report 4: Only 17 miles on a charge...

Now we've got a charging lead, the electric-only range is not quite what we'd hoped it would be.

Date: 13 November 2023 | Current mileage: 9012 miles | Claimed economy: 222.3mpg | Actual economy: 57.1mpg

When our C5 Aircross was delivered, it came without a 3-pin charging cable. There was a fast charger tucked away in the boot, but with no home wall charger and nothing that I could use nearby to top up locally, it's stayed in the boot. It's also meant that I've had to commit the cardinal sin of PHEV ownership and run it without charging it. 

This meant that on the regular short trips I was doing, I was lucky if I was getting 36mpg (though things improved a bit on longer runs). Not great, though it clearly illustrates that if you're going to be paying the premium for a PHEV, you need to charge it regularly to see any kind of benefit.

But that benefit also comes down to how much range you get once you've topped up the battery. The good news though that the good folk at Citroen were going to be able to send me a 3-pin charging cable, so before long I'd be able to take full advantage of all that expensive battery tech nestled underneath the car. 

Our Citroen C5 Aircross is supposed to have an official electric range of 41 miles. I say official, because as you'll find with both PHEVs and EVs, that official figure can dip slightly depending on the conditions. For example. the Volvo V90 PHEV we ran earlier this year has an official range of 54.1 miles, but dropped to the low 40s when it was really cold. The Suzuki Across was pretty close to its 46 mile range when we ran it from mid-February through to the summer. 

With the charging cable having arrived and hooked up to our C5 Aircross I was intrigued to see what kind of range I'd get after a full charge. Bearing in mind it hadn't been really cold when I first charged it (and no freezing temperatures to really zap the battery), I was pretty disappointed to see I was only getting 17 miles of range when I switched the car on.

Putting it down as an anomaly, I hooked it up again the next night hoping I'd at least break into the 30s, but the same range appeared on the dash the next morning. When things have got a bit colder in recent days, I've been lucky to get 13 miles.

With nightly charging required it's a bit of a discipline to keep plugging it in each evening. I've found myself not bothering a lot of the time for the range I get back each morning...

Report 5: Citroen C5 Aircross vs Skoda Karoq

With see how our C5 Aircross long-termer stacks up against one of our favourite family SUVs.

Date: 27 November 2023 | Current mileage: 9177 miles | Claimed economy: 222.3mpg | Actual economy: 47.8mpg

You're spoilt for choice when it comes to family SUVs, so we thought we'd see how our Citroen C5 Aircross matched up with one of its most popular rivals, the Skoda Karoq. 

The Karoq we're driving here is decked out in top-of-the-range Sportline trim and is kitted out with a not-very-trendy 2.0-litre diesel with 150PS. This one is also four-wheel drive and comes with a DSG gearbox. All this brings the price in at just over £41,000, making it a pricier option than our middle-of-the-range C5 Aircross. That said, plump for the 1.5-litre petrol with 150PS and you'll be paying substantially less at around £36,000. 

The Skoda Karoq certainly looks more conventional on the outside than the C5 Aircross, and that follows through once you get inside. While the C5 Aircross favours a minimalist design, the cabin of the Karoq is adorned with dials and buttons. These provide quick access to a range of settings, including climate control, and after some frustrations finding controls with our Citroen, the Karoq's interior in refreshingly simple to use. 

There's also a pronounced drive selector in the central console, and now the weather is getting colder, we've been able to take full advantage of the heated seats and steering wheel in the Karoq. A feature that's missing on the C5 Aircross. 

The seats are noticeably firmer inside the Karoq though, but then most seats feel pretty firm after the plush comfort of the C5's seats. There's not much in it, but the Karoq feels a little more compact inside as well. It's the same with materials - both have some hard plastics dotted around, but then both have some pleasing touch-points as well. 

The Karoq has the upper hand when it comes to boot space, but this is due in part to the C5 Aircross' PHEV configuration that eats up boot space. So, with the rear bench seats pulled forward, the Karoq has 588 litres of space compared to 460 in the C5 Aircross (though the standard car has 580 litres). And while the roof rails don't look as slick on the Karoq, they are a bit more versatile when it comes to compatibility with roof rack systems.

Starting a diesel up is quite a change if you've been used to pulling away in near silence in a PHEV, but there's plenty of low-end torque and it pulls really nicely. While our C5 Aircross is happiest doing short little trips, it's the other end of the scale with the diesel in the Karoq. To really get the benefit of this engine, you're going to have to be doing a lot of motorway miles.

Which would I choose if it was my money? You can't argue with the comfort of the C5 Aircross, but the Skoda Karoq gets an awful lot of things right. Swap out the diesel for the petrol and you can see why we reckon it's one of the best family SUVs going. 

Report 6: Goodbye to our Citroen C5 Aircross

After three months and some 2000 miles later, it’s time to say goodbye to our Citroen C5 Aircross.

Date: 11 December 2023 | Current mileage: 9256 miles | Claimed economy: 222.3mpg | Actual economy: 48.5mpg

After three months of running our C5 Aircross, it's been taken away to be replaced my new long-term test car, a Peugeot 408. That'll have to keep for a little bit longer as it's time to reflect on our time with the Citroen. 

When I think about the C5 Aircross, it's comfort that springs to mind. While we've already dug into the detail in a previous update, the incredibly smooth ride, deep-padded seats and well insulated cabin make for a calming experience, whether behind the wheel or as a passenger.

It's also very practical as well, with a good-sized boot and spacious cabin that should be more than up to most family's needs (though little things like hooks to secure shopping bags in the boot would be welcome).

There are other little frustrations as well. It's hardly a dealbreaker, but the keyless start requires what feels like an overly unnecessary press of the start/stop button than in rival cars for the car to spring into life. The infotainment interface is also a bit of a minefield, and even after three months of using it, I was still left frustrated looking for certain settings. 

I've been disappointed with the EV range from the hybrid engine, but when there is enough charge in it, it's effortlessly quiet on short trips. While you'll get penalised for the extra weight of the battery if you make regularly long trips, for those times on the motorway, it's a relaxing drive. The driver assistance tech is also pretty unobtrusive here as well, while the adaptive cruise control refreshingly faff-free to set and adjust on the move. 

The quirky design has grown on me, while we've had no reliability issues to report while it was in our custody. It'd be fair the say then that it's been a dependable companion over the last three months, and if you're looking for a family SUV that doubles-down on comfort with a relaxed drive, then the C5 Aircross should be on your shortlist. For me though, it just lacks a little bit of character and excitement.