For a car that is now the best selling mini-mpv in the country, I find it somewhat surprising that there are so few reviews on this site. So here is my contribution to address the imbalance.....
Do I like this car? Well, I now own my second one. That should give you a pretty good indication that I was sufficiently impressed with the first. After two years owning a 1.6SX I traded it in recently for a 2.0 HDi SX.
The car is available in three trim levels - LX, SX and Exclusive. The LX comes with radio cassette with steering mounted controls, ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Four Airbags, Front Electric Windows and trip computer. The SX adds fog lights, air conditioning, CD player and front armrests. The Exclusive adds digital climate control, full length glass sunroof, alloys, refridgerated glovebox, electric rear windows and various colour coded trims.
There are a couple of things you notice when you first get into a Picasso. First, the 'instruments' - speedo, fuel and temp gauges etc. These are mounted at the top of the dash in the centre. It is an entirley digital affair, and the speedo is very clear for all passengers to see. This is a major disadvantage if you have the mother-in-law in the back! Secondly, the gearstick - this is located 'on the dashboard, below the radio and heating controls. Sounds quirky, but both are really effective and easy to get used to.
In the rear, the Picasso has three 'proper' seats, all with three-point belts. Because the gearstick is located on the dash, Citroen have been able to dispense with the transmission tunnel which means the floor of the cabin is completely flat. That means that if you sit in the middle of the three rear seats, you don't have to awkwardly straddle the transmission tunnel running down the centre.
The rear seats themselves fold forward or remove completely. Very easy to do, and with them all removed, creates a van-like 2,128 litres of storage space. Compare this to the average 450 - 500 litres in the boot of a standard saloon car.
As someone who stands well in excess of six foot, I have no problem spending four or five hours behind the wheel of this car. The steering wheel is height adjustable, although it would benefit from rake adjustment as well.
Build quality is OK for this price level but could undoubtedly be better. Numerous rattles have been experienced, but no major faults to report. (For one thing, it rattles less than the Megane Scenic we test drove a couple of years ago!!)
Running costs are very reasonable. A Citroen main dealer service will set you back about £140, insurance rates are low, and I averaged about 39mpg with the 1.6 and am now acheiving 52mpg with the diesel. For the record, my driving is about 75% Motorway/A-roads and 25% in town/country lanes.
The driving experience is not spectacular, but you probably wouldn't expect it to be. If you throw it into corners too quickly, you will probably find your passengers getting reacquainted with the lunch they ate a few hours ago. However, it feels safe enough at speed although you would probably tip the thing over before you would notice understeer.
The main difference between my experience of the 1.6 petrol and 2.0 Diesel is one of refinement. The 1.6 gets very noisy at 70 mph, whereas the diesel is a more relaxed drive, but with the low-down power to easily have you chugging past the 80mph mark before you know it. The diesel is the 90bhp version which has been tried and tested in many Peugeot and Citroen models over the years. Rumours has it that the 110bhp version will be available in the next Picasso.
For the price, this car is hard to beat....and talking about price, don't pay any attention to the list price. Citroen dealers are always willing to negotiate and both of my cars have had discounts in the 20 - 25% range.
For more information, may I recommend the 'Unofficial Citroen Picasso Website' which can be found at:-
www.citroenpicasso.org.uk
This is a community of Picasso owners and provides the real-life experiences of driving and owning these cars.
In summary, despite it being almost three years since the launch of the Picasso in the UK, there still is no other car in this class, outside some of the Korean offerings maybe, to offer better value for money.
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Enjoyed reading the review. I have had a 1.8SX since Jan 2001 and am looking forward to taking delivery of a 2.0 HDi Exclusive in the next couple of weeks.
swissrolls 25.08.2003 15:29
Nice op. My friend owns one of these which I love. However his is the 1.6 and fully laden appears to be a little underpowered. I will be looking to buy the diesel and your remarks are good news. Enjoy!
nancymac 08.08.2003 18:34
This is really useful, I am trying to choose between this and the megane scenic.
Advantages: good fuel economy, plenty of room to relax in, comfortable ride, good for the average size family. Disadvantages: expensive parts, awkward engine bay, wipers cause minor windscreen scratches
Advantages: Space inside for all of us and for the pushchair and my mums wheelchair as well. Disadvantages: Always in the garage for various electrical problems.
Oct 18th, 2002
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