If all you want is a cheap and chearful run about, the Citroen C1 should be a contender. I own a Vibe in red which is the bottom of the range model.
Features, or lack of.
Electric windows, Electric mirrors, Central locking, Air con, are just some of the things this car doesn't have. Which I do miss, but it does keep costs down. Although the integrated CD player and mp3 input are a great touch. The rear window wiper is adequate and another nice touch. As I have the three door version you have to move your seat to allow passengers in, annoyingly you have to find your original seat position from scratch.
Is it safe?
Fingers crossed I've never had an accident in it but according to Euro NCAP it has a four star safety rating. However the Vibe doesn't have side impact airbags unlike the next model up, the Rhythm. What I did think was a clever feature was the passenger air bag switch, which allows you to deactivate the passenger airbag should you wish to carry I child in the front passenger seat. Lacking rear headrests on this lower model obviously increases
the risk of your passengers sustaining whiplash but does improve rear visibility.
Comfort
Comfort is one of this cars weak points, especially on the motorway. Because of the weight and cost saving there is little if any sound proofing, which makes long journeys a bit uncomfortable. However the front seats are great but passengers have complained that the rears are quite flimsy, and as mentioned before there are no rear headrests. The steering wheel is height adjustable, however I have noticed that the steering wheel does not sit dead centre, which I think may be the result of changing the car into a left hand drive. For such a small car there seems like there is a large amount of space, even very tall passengers are pleasantly surprised with how much room there is in the back.
What's it like to drive?
Being a one litre with an unimpressive 63bhp this car is unlikely to scare even the most Sunday of drivers. The engine has three cylinders which produces a metallic rasping engine noise on high revs. Around town it whizzes around, however where you notice the lack of power is when you hit the motorway. Overtaking or reaching 70 after leaving speed restrictions requires patience. What I did find surprising was the cars soft(ish) suspension. I was expecting the stiff ride, go kart chuck-ability of a small cheap hatchback. Instead you get a more comfortable ride but with the disappointing body roll you would expect from a much larger, heavier vehicle. The brakes are sharp and give a lot of feel. The accelerator is extremely light which takes a while to get used to but helps prevent leg ache on long journeys. The clutch pedal is quite heavy but not uncomfortably so. The gear box has no real problems apart from a 'cheep' feel, making choosing gears vague. Steering is one of this cars strong points, excellently responsive, in the wet it gives you a very good idea of how much grip you have.
General.
The whole car generally feels cheep, but unlike most things cheep, it seems to hold together. Although no bits are actually falling off I have noticed that bits and pieces of the car rattle, such as the door locks and the plastic door handles. The inside trim is very basic and in some places it’s left in the same colour metal as the outside. The trim on the back seat has detached from the metal frame, I was told by the Citroen garage to expect that and it seems to be a design flaw. The sound system is adequate around town but when you have to turn it up on the motorway sound quality suffers. Boot space is very small but the back seats fold down at a pull of two cords. Fuel economy is almost awe inspiring, the manufacturer quotes on average 62miles to the gallon, and if your careful, you can get from Plymouth to Harlow (271) miles on less than half a tank. This car is insurance group one making it one of the cheapest cars to insure.
Verdict.
I think this is a great car. I know the Aygo and the 107 are the same car but I find the Citroens are generally slightly cheaper, perhaps because of the badge. As you have seen above it does have some small faults but these are very minimal and are overcome by its strong points. The designers have been clever with their cost saving, cutting out unnecessary frills but leaving in small details such as a CD player which make this car fun.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Cheap car to run and a nippy little run around car for short journeys. Disadvantages: Slow up hills and impossible to overtake anything faster than a tractor!
Cookie-Crumbled 02.11.2009 ·
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Review of Citroen C1
Advantages: styling, handling, larger boot than C1, looks sporty, handles well Disadvantages: only 3 doors available (the C2 is the 3-door version of C3)
michel88 12.07.2009 (12.07.2009)
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