Citroën C3 Picasso Owner Reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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This is an update on my previous made 2 weeks after I got the car. So here we are nearly three years and 40,000 mile on. It's on 53K now. I still love this car. After 3 years, it's time to swap. I buy 3 year old, one owner, low mileage motability cars, and swap them at 6 years old. I've looked at every car going, and for what I need, pound for pound, there's still nothing like it. It's been reliable. Only the usual service items, which I do meticulously on (or before) the scheduled date. Unless something turns up, I'm off to buy another Exclusive, in black. It's cheap to insure, has great fuel economy (which seems to be improving over time), is comfortable, quiet, huge inside, versatile. It's got everything. Oh, and I personally like be the way it looks.

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Saved £6000 on new price, from Loughborough Citroen Faultless so far and suits me in every respect. Great spec and can get 55mpg on a run

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never lets me down

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No problems in reliability never faltered

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No mechanical problems, trim problem (interior drivers door handle out of line )

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Always starts and gets me from A to B

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No Red thumbs down

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Its design and practicability has been the best in any car i have owned and regularly get good mpg.

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As a citroen fan from a few years ago they seemed to lose their way...but extremely impressed with this model.Not Sure why there are not more on the road!

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Brilliant desin and features very satisfied

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Ok but gearbox noisy on b roads,gearbox very notchy on all roads

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The boot is very large,the seats are easy to fold and 1.4 seems to be o.k., the wheels are quite large too.

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Very pleasant happy motoring. No problems, nice to drive, very practical, economical.

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Had the car less than 4 months and the turbo packed up - I was advised that the engine would need to be stripped down which was going to cost a lot of money. Apparently this is a common fault with this engine, so beware. Sent it back to dealer and cancelled finance.

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very good car cheap to run pleasant to live with economical and have found it to be reliable at all times, would strongly recommend to potential buyers, only downside is silly glove box and dash top cubby hole.

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Have not experienced any on going problems

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I have had the car since Oct 2010 and it has always started first time, and I have not had any problems with it at all.

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Nothing major

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No Red thumbs down

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We didn't actually buy this car. We got it through the Motability scheme for drivers with serious disabilities. We picked it mostly because of the fact that you had to climb UP into the driver's seat rather than fall down into it like in ordinary cars. We chose Citroen because we had previously owned a few of them ranging from a C4 Picasso to a CX Safari from 1973 (I think) The car has never caused us any concern and it is all that we would want from a car. We are not speed freaks and driving at 70 MPH for a few hours going from Blackburn to Ringwood and back which we do once every 2 months to visit our oldest son and his family puts no stress on to us. The driving position is just fine and the only down side is the lack of any decent sized cubby holes within reach of the driver and don't get me started on the ridiculously small glove box. All of the instruments are within easy reach and the dials are easy to see and understand. The only tricky buttons are the ones that work the Air-Con but once you read the manual and try it a few times, you begin to wonder why other car makers don't use the same system. All in all, this is a brilliant car that ticks all the boxes for us. The only thing missing is a GPS system but a £50 add-on soon fixes that.

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The best car i've ever had

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Bought the car as my ford focus had a fuel pump and cam belt failure. It was a good deal, for price and practical purposes, especially space and comfort. As a 13 month old car when i bought it mileage (3,500) was also a consideration.

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Considering what i paid for the car and my modest travel requirements i am reasonably satisfied with my citroen picasso

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Reliable and practical car, which is economical if you drive sensibly. Good for motorway and urban driving and is stacked with add-ons which is a plus. This car was used mainly on A roads for pleasure and business and is a good work horse with plenty of storage. Had this one for three years and was trouble free, only minus was that I had to change front discs and pads at 45k, which i have never had to do with any car before. Cost of this was £130 so not excessive but annoying. Cost nothing to maintain except for tyres, 1 full set and still plenty of wear left in them and the brake disc and pads. Before this i had 3 Astras and 2 Ford Focus all new and this car is a match for both of them . Just traded it in for a new C3 Picasso Exclusive .

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Awful notchy gearbox is really hard to down shift from 6 to 5 and 4 to 3. Sometimes could not get into gear. Was returned to dealer twice to be told there isn't a problem with the gearbox, then just after the warranty run out, the clutch failed, leaving me with a £800 bill for a new one. Not impressed at all/

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No Red thumbs down

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This is my second C3 Piccasso this model is the Select model paid £12k new good value good little car highly recommended. I have re maped the car so it around 120bhp so it flies up hills too

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The car is used for my driving school. All the pupils like the driving position, i like the low running costs, only major problem was a engine mounting going at 35,000 miles. my local dealer supplyed one and i fitted it in less than 5 mins. Beaing a former motor fitter i do all my own repairs and servicing witch is easy. This car will go for years if looked after. Easy to drive very easy to park.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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Never goes wrong!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Comfortable and spcious but under powered for size of car

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No Red thumbs down

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I am overall very pleased with my citroen c3 picasso. The diesel engine gives excellent performance and it rides very smoothly. Seats are very comfy. The only let down is the slightly notchy gearbox and fuel economy could be better, but would certainly have another. Shame there is no auto version available.

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Surprisingly good.Better Than expected performance. Fuel consumption up to expectations.

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The cars have improved, but neither citroen or it's agents are up to speed yet.

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No Red thumbs down

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Practical spacous multi=functional for single, couple or small family use. easy to drive with good economy, super flat boot loading area with extra lenght useage when needed. Superb all round visibility, and with folding mirrors you can be sure by a glance that the car is locked when you leave it. Down side is no auto-box available yet.

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No Red thumbs down

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Well this is my 2nd C3 Picasso, the only difference with the 2 was the first was a rental from brand new, and this one is 2nd hand after a 2 year gap (I had a 2011 example before). Driving wise then you really need to watch for sharp corners, as the body roll is quite excessive, and doesn't boost your confidence of not going off road into a bush somewhere like on a right hand bend. Driven sensibly, though, they are a great car to drive. Make sure the brake-related recall repair has been carried out if you're looking at a 2009 model in the UK. The main problem I experienced with this car, and a common problem, is that the cruise control will disengage if you coast on the clutch and won't re-engage until the engine has been switched off for a while. It's also annoying that - if you lift off the accelerator for a few seconds - the gearstick won't allow access to fourth gear if you attempt to change down from fifth. This is on 2010 and 2011 models, and is supposed to be a safety feature. You can work around it by double-clutching between gearshifts. Otherwise, they are great cars, and for the taller person they can actually see the bonnet which is rare for most modern cars, making it easy to park. The rear parking sensors are a great idea, as the high parcel shelf restricts visibility. The reversing camera is well worth having. It's a great drive apart from the road noise. Tyres are cheap to replace, but will wear quickly if you're heavy on the accelerator, or start throwing it around corners with a bit of speed. I tried for 15 mph going around corners, and 20 on fairly good sized roundabouts, but after 12,000 miles the front tires needed replacing on my 2011 Picasso. 2009 and 2010 models don't come with Bluetooth or usb/Aux connectors. but apart from that I am happy with the cars. and will probably buy another in the future if I get rid of this one.

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Bought new to replace a Xsara Picasso 2-litre diesel. Great small car, lots of useful features on the Exclusive, fold forward passenger seat, sliding rear seats and fold flat load area. Pleasant to drive but not a "drivers car" - sits happily on the motorway at 70 and has enough poke to get out and past slower vehicles. Rattle from something loose in the driver's door, several dealer visits but cannot get it to rattle when the car is with them. Only real gripe is the fuel consumption (checking the mileage tank to tank not the computer) - this is only slightly better than the old Xsara Picasso with an antiquated diesel and no better than my 2-litre VW Passat which I drove much more energetically than the C3. I honestly expected to be in the mid to late fifties with the fuel consumption based on the engine size and my previous experience with larger diesel cars. This can be acheived only by driving so gently as to be a nuisance to other road users. I really feel the manufacturers advertise fuel consumption figures are very optomistic. Otherwise a great wee car.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Only had this car 2 weeks, but I'm very impressed with it so far. It just seems to do everything right. I'm a gigging musician, and it swallows all my gear. Very comfy seats, great gadgets like cruise, Bluetooth, auto lights and wipers, fantastic MPG, 55 around town, 65-68 on a run. £30 a year road tax. Good build quality. Quiet/smooth diesel engine. So far, I can't fault it. Just hoping it stays this way.

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Bought this car almost on a whim, as my previous car (a Vauxhall Vectra) had destroyed its engine and I needed a car quick. I have owned Citroën's before and always found then to be reliable cars. First I'd like to point out the good about this car. It drives really well with a spacious cabin. The Elegance is well kitted out - this one has sat nav and part leather. Boot space is reasonable, although compared to the Vectra seems tiny. Fuel economy is reasonable although slightly disappointing for a car of this size. Running cost are generally very good. OK, now the bad points. Build quality is not the best, there are 2 silly little flaps that are attached to the back of the rear seats which span the gap between the seats and the boot floor when seats folded flat, one of these broke very easily. I had a pollution fault light come on at 40K and this became a real pain, with numerous trips to garage over the next 18 months and nearly £1,000 to sort in out. It ended up having a new EGG valve fitted, along with a mass air flow sensor and new electronic turbo valve. I have also had to have some front suspension bits replaced. The rear mount for the exhaust required welding. And it has an oil leak from the sump gasket, which still needs to be done and is going to cost 5 hours' labour! What should be a good car has been let down by poor build quality. Another point: why is the sat nav on a car built in 2009 not got full postcode entering!

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Bought new as a replacement for an awful nearly new Toyota Yaris - worst car I'd ever owned. Generally good experience over the 4 years, but annoying dashboard squeaks and rattles – only partly cured by the dealer – have marred the ownership a little. Not as economical as expected, also not as comfortable as previous Citroens. Performance is fair for the engine size. Boot is a reasonable size, but glovebox is a joke. Has developed a rubbing noise which sounds like a duff wheel bearing at 30k miles, but examination doesn't reveal anything amiss, disappointing in a car of this age, although the rest of it seems quite solid. Not sure I would recommend.

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Electrical problem causing engine to cut out.

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Ive had it almost 2 years nothing gone wrong

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Had no problems with the car at all.

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Only had the car 3 months so a bit early to judge

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Reliable and practical

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Good value and specs handling and ride very good

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Lots of room, runs well but does need regular checks and servicing.

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No Red thumbs down

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Wonderfully practical, economic package

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Extremely practical and comfortable car.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Should have had a longer test drive which would have shown up poor driving postion and i wouldnt have purchased the car.

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Excellent all rounder

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Not very roomy, hard ride, lack of comfort, handling not so good. Worse than average front tyre wear ( check pressure weekly)

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An excellent car. Citroen have really upped a gear or two on quality and workmanship. Their dealer has also been excellent.

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Great car, very comfortable easy to drive, nice clutch pedal, loads of space in the back seats. Despite the Carbuyer review it has a great driving position, I've covered 35000 miles and not had a single issue. The diesel engine will pull up the biggest hills fully loaded, the car drives down to the south of France every year and averages 53 mpg on the trip computer.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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if you want a Ferrari, buy one. But if you want a good honest plodder with decent spec and and good fuel consumption that swallows the whole family plus luggage then I suggest that the C3 Piccaso should be high on your list. Ok a certain person would say it leans badly into corners but when you have your family on board do you really want to take a hairpin at 50mph? In the light of Brexit it pains me to recommend this french mini MPV but I have owned many cars in my in my life and not many have made me feel so relaxed when driving as the C3 Picasso with its high driving position and placid handling. I would therefore recommend this car to all family men with sense for what it is a safe way to transport your valuable possessions from a to b

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Have just purchased this car in the last week. It has already had 20k miles on the clock, but as it is a diesel I felt that it wasn't that high. I had to travel 300 miles to buy it but it meant having a good run with it upon my return home. First impressions when viewing it were that it looked rather snazzy for a box-shaped MPV. Citroen have tried to implement some style on a basic box-shaped vehicle with a reasonable amount of success. This will not be to everyones tastes, but I look more for cars that are economical and practical over speed and looks. It is a lot more roomy internally than you would imagine, with good height and leg room. The dash is rather cool in my opinion. (I had a 56 plate C-MAX previously so not much to compare it with) Lots of space for the driver and passenger. Decent space for the rear passengers. The boot space is no where near as large as the C-MAX but you can move the rear seats forward to give you a bit more. There is also a hidden floor which can make the boot space slightly deeper. I was not a fan of the gear stick. It felt a little flimsy when changing gears. Great driving position and it felt like I was driving a van at times as you can see a lot of the road. Rear view is also good and it has big chunky side mirrors, which means I can see more of the road. Cruise control is great and my first car to have it. I managed to get 67.4 mpg when travelling back home, but since running about town it's dropped to just below 60. Not too bad. This is a decent car so far, but only time will tell if the brakes last for a reasonable time or if it starts to need work done. For a car that is only 2 years old, Im hopeful that it will last a while as, it was, for me, a lot of money.

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no problems yet

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only problem i have is rear light bulbs keep blowing

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Terrible suspension, cheap RHD conversion robs storage space, poor economy, no proper spare wheel

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No Red thumbs down

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Just about what we expected and wanted

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Yes Green thumbs up

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So far the best all round car we have had in the last ten years ie comfort, refinement, economy, and practicality.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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Comfort and pratical fulfils my needs

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No Red thumbs down

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Great

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No Red thumbs down

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I love it. A great small practical car

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No Red thumbs down

Citroën C3 Picasso owner reviews

“The Citroen C3 Picasso is a practical and easy-to-drive family car, with distinctive styling that makes it stand out from the crowd.”

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