Driving a Citroen C1

[guest4669]

Very recently I had a chance to (very briefly) try a friend's Citroen C1...but it was enough.

It felt more like a van to sit in, and the clutch felt a lot heavier than my GD Jazz does.  It was a 1.0 litre (three cylinders I think), but sounded more like a diesel when started.  I know it's in the city car segment of the market, but I was surprised at the lack of refinement compared to the Jazz.  Getting in and out was more of an effort too, as it's lower than the Jazz.

The good thing about trying out other cars like this, is that it really makes you appreciate anew the one you use yourself.  In this case, I sat back in my Jazz later with some satisfaction!

[RichardA]

I had a 12 plate Skoda Fabia 1.2 as a courtesy car a couple of years ago and I was glad to get my Jazz back, despite the Skoda being a five years younger design.

[melanogaster81]

I had a New hyundai I20 as a courtesy car.... well overall, it was nice car with the gear and clutch very light and with a very reduced road noise (my wife told me this) although there were strange noise from the plastic of the dashboard .... However, when it was the moment of putting our pushchair in the boot, it was a nightmare ... I had to disassemble the wheels for making the pushchair to fit into the hyundai boot.... so we were very pleased to have  our Jazz back after the repairing.

[degzi]

  truly terrible car.   
Why anyone would want to buy one is beyond me. It's like a really cheap ebay chinese built car, it's cheap and you just know it's it's going to be pants. Even my mk1 1978 mk1 polo was less rattly than it. 

The only car which comes close is the horrible Ford ka interior.    or the fiat panda    which is just horrible as well. In fact tell them to buy an old fiat panda it maybe be one step up from the terrible Citroen reliability.

[monkeydave]

i keep a c1 in the boot instead of a space saver

[monkeydave]

truly terrible car.   
Why anyone would want to buy one is beyond me. It's like a really cheap ebay chinese built car, it's cheap and you just know it's it's going to be pants. Even my mk1 1978 mk1 polo was less rattly than it. 

The only car which comes close is the horrible Ford ka interior.    or the fiat panda    which is just horrible as well. In fact tell them to buy an old fiat panda it maybe be one step up from the terrible Citroen reliability.

its got a toyota 3 cylinder engine which is in the 1.0 yaris and is built in the Czech Republic with the 107 and iygo

[guest4669]

Seems like everyone is of the same opinion!  Degzi, interestingly I read that the C1 is supposed to be one of the most reliable small cars in the last year or two - I can't see that myself, as like you the only stuff I've heard about Citroen (or indeed any French car) is the poor reliability.

What was really strange, sitting in the driving seat, was the weird instrumentation - with the rev counter sprouting out up and right from the speedometer binnacle.  Add to that the heating and ventilation controls, and the effect was more of a "Noddy" style car, despite it's efforts to look cool/funky/upbeat <insert other meaningless PR term here>.

It might be more conventional, but I prefer the sensible (and highly readable) dials on my GD anyday 

[guest5107]

Our 18 yr old daughter is about to get one for her first car, purely for insurance costs, and the £20 tax.
For a first car I can't really fault it. Gaz

[degzi]

I suppose it's not bad for a new driver.
I'd still rather buy a banger for my first car. There's some belting cars out there for a few hundered quid. They don't suddenly fall to bits or break down loads and they are generally really easy to fix, as they don't have sensors all over the engine. And your not bothered if they get a odd bump or two.

Anyhows, I'm maybe just getting old. I still miss pulling the choke out  and yes I miss non power steering 
I miss non ABS, and everything, you drove and had more feedback from the car, nowadays it's a bit sterile.

Ramble over 

[RichardA]

I can't comment on the latest generation, but the signs of cost cutting on the original C1/107/Aygo compared to the Korean city cars was obvious - pop-out rear windows, no adjustable head rests, etc.

[guest4078]

I agree, I would rather have a Kia/Huyundai, but not as 'cool'.
The most alarming issue is insurance costs now. My first insurance premium was £14.17.9 with the Co-Op. for an Austin 1100 cream with red interior, strip speedometer and a heater.