Citroen C3 Picasso consumer car reviews and road tests

Citroen C3 Picasso vtr+ MPV 2009

As an engineer and driver of some sixty plus years I can say this is the best car I have ever driven and will drive it until I am too old to drive. By all means test drive one and see for yourself - then buy one!

Citroen C3 Picasso Airdream 2010

I’ve had approx 55 mpg over circa 20,000 miles, with most driving in town. Comfortable with a high sitting position offering problem-free entry/exit - big considerations for a couple of pensioners! Now approaching the end of warranty and I may even hang onto it unless the newer model with 6 gears and more safety features is worth considering?

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 HDI VTR 90bhp 2012

Had the car 2 weeks so far and it is so nice to drive. My only gripes are the small glovebox and silly storage places on the dash. Also, it could do with a height adjustable passenger seat and I’m not sure about orange ’taxi’ glow.

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 HDi 2009

Without doubt the best small MPV on the market. Very relaxing to drive, smooth, quiet and much more comfortable than any of the rivals. Performance is pretty good, while the economy is excellent at an average of 49mpg. Reasonable quality materials and very practical design. What is all this nonsense about lack of storage space? You have under seat trays, good door bins, top of dashboard tray with a cover which takes cameras,spectacles, gloves, sat navs etc. Also bins under rear floor for other bits of kit, add to this a really good boot which you can enlarge by sliding the rear seat forward - what more do you need? The handling is excellent and the car rolls very little considering how tall it is. The steering is nicely weighted and has plenty of ’feel’; I despair of professional road testers, they really do talk a load of rubbish as they always assume that the driver is the only person who sits in a car! Passengers are usually the best judge of a car’s merit and everyone who rides in the C3 say what a superb vehicle it is to travel in.

Citroen C3 Picasso 2010

I have only found two faults with my Citroen C3 Picasso VTR+ 1600 HDI, one being the boot is too small and the second is the back shelf, which if you put anything on a bit on the small side and you then brake it falls into the boot. Apart from that I find it a great car, excellent on fuel and only £30-00 per year to tax.

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 HDI Exclusive 2010

The fold flat seats are a usless idea and waste 6 inches of floor space when flat, causing a set up by the depth of the rear seat. Far better to have the option to remove like Renault Scenics and Skoda Roomsters. The gear box has chunky notches, is of poor quality and freezes below -2 over night, which is a frequent problem. The fuel economy is also far lower than stated.

Citroen C3 Picasso 2009

French cars have the edge. The first Motability car I ever had was a Renault Megane, it was a lovely car and drove like a dream. I go for comfort more than speed, the Citreon C3 Picasso hits the spot. I don’t understand why people complain about the storage space on the dash, yes it could be bigger, but there are so many storage spaces all over the car that it doesnt really matter. I love my car nearly as much as my wife (only joking darling - or am I?!) I love the cruise and speed control, it keeps me out of trouble and I also love the rear parking sensor on our exclusive. Our next car will once again be the C3 Picasso. why change when you have perfection?

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 Hdi Exclusive 16v 2009

Traded in our 3 year old petrol Xsara Picasso for a Diesel C3 Picasso (90BHP model) when diesel was as cheap as petrol!!! So far, have we’ve been over the moon with the car in every way. The car is parked outside, on the drive every night and the RED paint work still looks as good as new. On ’fully loaded’ holiday runs to the south coast it has been both comfortable and frugal at fast motorway speeds. Over the last 28 months and 16k mls it’s averaged 54mpg. So far the car has been fault free and totally dependable. If anyone is looking for a medium sized car with high seating position and loads of storage space I can recommend a road test. I usually start getting an itch to change cars after 2 to 3 years of ownership but I can honestly say I won’t be part ex’ing this one for a few years yet. (sorry Citroen)

Responses to this review

I too have stepped down from the excellent Xsara Picasso but find storage is a problem to the extent that the space above the spare wheel is now crammed with things that will not fit in the C3’s much reduced spaces. Citroen’s failure to do a proper RHD model has resulted in the useless glove box and why are the floor bins only half the size of the Xsaras? On the plus side the windscreen view is good and without the dreaded reflections suffered by its predecessor, love the new daylight lit speedo, brakes are excellent and steering is very light and holds a straight line better, alloys and low profile tyres on the Exclusive look good but not sure if they can stand up to our disgusting roads. Parking the two side by side dimensions are pretty similar, the C3 standing much squarer, yet inside, in my opinion, the Xsara wins on internal space and would have been my choice if it was still being produced - John Holmes from Yorkshire

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 HDI Connexion 8 valve 2011

What a cracking little motor. I have only covered 2500 miles since purchased in July but so far I have no complaints at all. I recently covered 500 miles in one day and was pleasantly surprised to find at journeys end that i didn’t need a block and tackle to get me out of the car, (I have an arthritic spine).The car has so far had no reliability issues and returns an average 55 mpg. Passengers seem happy and most importantly my 2 retrievers just squeeze in the back with the parcel shelf removed; although we do drop the rear seats for a journey longer than 30 mins or so( a 10 second operation) and then they have acres of space. The gearbox was a little notchy at first but got better with a few miles on the clock and now seems fine. The engine is the 8 valve 1.6 HDI, which can clatter a bit when cold and under load, but the power seems fine to me and can easily maintain motorway speeds even when laden. Obviously its no Ferrari, but it pulls and holds the road fine for me (I am not quite past my sell by date). visibility is second to non, by far the best forward vision I have had in a motor car. Parking is a doddle. You may not believe it to look at the car but four adults will fit in easily and with comfort. The ride quality laden or one passenger and up is excellent. The model I bought has auto air con (works well) and MyWay sat nav. The sat nav is very poor, no 7 digit postcodes, no camera alerts of any kind, no 3d display. I have e-mailed Citroen twice to see if i can purchase an SD card with these features and as yet they have not bothered to reply. To sum up all i can say I am very happy with the vehicle (sat nav aside) and I would happily recommend the vehicle, and would have given it 5 stars if the sat nav had not been in the car.

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 Petrol Exclusive 2009

I’ve had my car two years now with no problems and it has just had it’s first service. When I first had the car I complained of transmission noise to the main agents, they had it for two days and agreed with me there was a problem, but Citroen phoned me and said they could not do anything about it as they were all the same. I have been spoilt by having Volvo’s and Nissans all my life, having said that Duff Morgan main Citroen agents have giving the most first class service The car itself is fantastic to drive with great miles to the gallon; I do 200 miles and step out at the end not feeling tired or achey as this is a BMW engine in this model, let’s hope they rectify the transmission problem on the next version.

Responses to this review

Hello Edward, I have C3 Picasso for 10 days, 500 km driven and the strange noise coming somwhere from transmission space - metal whistling sound always when I push the accelarator pedal. On Thursday I go to a garage. How is your car now? Does the transmission noise still persist? Thanks for your answer. My e-mail: durina.lubomir@gmail.com Best regards Lubomir Durina from Slovakia

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 HDi Exclusive 90bhp 2010

You buy this car for space not speed, however it never feels underpowered even when fully laden. Engine is a bit noisy cold but quiet and smooth on the go. Economy is a bit variable and doesn’t make sense as in practice urban is better than constant 70mph at 53 vs 49mpg. Fuel quality may be the problem here. The space is unbelievable and seats 4 adults with ease plus luggage. The sliding rear seats give what appears to be up to around 700ltrs of space which is massive; children can still get into the rear seats. Best about the Picasso is the comfort; best car I have ever been in for a long haul and still OK around town. Seats are superb. Handling for an MPV is excellent although under tight lock the car can skip (anyone else had this problem?). Steering good, brakes excellent, gearbox a little blocky, though driving overall is effortless. Parking is a doddle. Buffeting with front windows more than 20% open is annoying; counteracted by opening rear windows slightly. Interior quality is a major step up for Citroen although dark plastics attracts dust and occasional poor fitting carpets/ hidden nooks means cleaning is difficult. ICE radio is good; CD only adequate. Cup holders should be higher. Paintwork scratches easily (black). As already mentioned the Tardis effect, this still amazes me. Overall a great cruiser, spacious, VERY comfortable car and so far with 6Kmiles reliable. If it wasn’t for the economy and paintwork it would have been a 5*. Well done Citroen.

Citroen C3 Picasso 90bhp HDi VTR+ 2010

I have owned my C3 Picasso for 12 months and have covered almost 18000 miles. The 1.6 HDi 90bhp engine is quiet and economical (consumption is between 51 and 56mpg, depending on driving speed and road). Generally the 90bhp is all you need, but I have found it breathless from time to time and the 110bhp may provide a bit more zest if that is your priority. The car is comfortable; I recently drove a journey of just over 500 miles in a day and still felt fresh and free of backache at the end. The sliding rear seats with their one third/two third fold allows geat versatility when carrying luggage and the high roof and two-level boot floor adds to this. I have been amazed at how much it holds and the high opening tailgate provides shelter from the rain while you load. The simple one-hand-folding rear seats is a clever design and makes conversion to the larger load area simple. In the driving seat the large glass area and highish seating position gives great visiblity with no front quarter blind spot and the adjustable steering wheel and seat makes finding a good driving position easy. At 6ft 3inches, I have plenty of legroom in a car that looks small, but feels spacious inside. My VTR+ has cruise control which is simple to use and aids relaxed cruising in this quiet comfortable car. I have had two problems with the car. The first is a vibration in the binnacle on some road surfaces, which I had from new and although the garage has reduced the vibration, it is still noticeable from time to time and secondly the front passenger door lock broke internally, which was fixed quickly by the garage. I would not let these two faults put you off the car, however. Give it a test drive - you will find it a solid, relatively quiet car that is versatile and very comfortable with good roadholding and it won’t break the bank to run.

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 HDI VTR+8 Valve 2010

I’ve only given this car 4 stars I would have given it 5 but for the useless glovebox and storage trays on the dash. What were they thinking of, just what can you put on those trays? They are simply there as decoration and are of no practical use at all. A bit of a redesign and the space wasted could have given the car a decent sized glovebox. The rest of the storage is pretty good though. I find the door pockets are Ok. The boot is a good size and the false floor allows you to hide away a lot of your rubbish. The rear seats are really easy to drop down, recline, or slide forward and they are comfortable. We have had a Xsara Picasso and a C4 Picasso both of which my wife did not like driving but she actually loves driving the C3. The Xsara was a good car but not that well built, the C4 was better built but a pig to drive in the snow (that’s if you could get any traction) and the heating controls must have been designed by the C3’s dash designer. The C3’s heating controls were mentioned in a previous review. I think that the problem they have is only with the Exclusive model as the VTR+ controls are a doddle to use. The materials chosen for the interior appear to be of good quality and everything is well put together, no rattles or squeaks on our model. The gear change was a bit notchy at first but after a few thousand miles it seems fine. I usually have a struggle to find a comfortable driving position when changing cars but didn’t have too much of a problem this time. I did find that I was catching the toe of my shoe on the underneath of the dash at first and no I do not have big feet. Driving is effortless whether on long journeys or around town. The handling is average for an MPV but it copes with rough road surfaces better than the other two Picasso’s we have had. The 90hp diesel gets criticised for slow acceleration but it doesn’t appear to be so slow to me, anyway the car is so enjoyable to drive I don’t want to hurry. Fuel consumption is excellent and the car is averaging over 52 to the gallon even with a fair bit of town driving. I looked the other competitors in this class but still came back to a Citroen and boy am I glad. I wouldn’t have liked to fork out the list price however and would recommend anyone to try to get a pre reg as we did. Two months old, only 27 miles on the clock and £10.500 the best car bargain we have had. After writing this I’ve almost forgiven Citroen for the silly glovebox and dash design and now I’m wondering should I give it 5 stars?

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6HDI Exclusive 2010

Bought new in Aug 2010 as a replacement for a useless Toyota Yaris (possibly the worst new car I’ve ever owned). So far pretty satisfied. The ride is good although the handling is a bit ponderous as is to be expected with this type of MPV. Comfortable and generally spacious inside. Indicates around 53mpg average. Downsides: Storage in the front is poor, the glovebox is a joke - 60% fuses - will literally just store a pair of gloves, the cubby on the top of the dash is useless, door pockets are small. Although the instrument pod is stylish it creaks and rattles, I’ve had to wedge foam rubber around it to try to stop it, to no avail, makes driving annoying (dealer will be getting a visit over this). Fancy heating system is good but the controls are small and fiddly, distracting to use when driving. Engine is a little rough under power, but not bad for a diesel. Generally a good effort and seems well put together (despite the above niggles). My advice - haggle for a really good new deal or buy nearly new.

Citroen C3 Picasso 2010

Really nice drive on long or short journeys. The fuel economy is also good what with the recent price increases. I would recommend buying one.

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6dti vtr+ 2010

Had ours for 6 months now. Nice car to drive, only problem we have had is the fuse on washers blowing. Would go for the 110hp version if getting another, this is just a little flat, but still good. Getting about 55 per gallon. The computer readout for mpg useage is totally rubbish and a waste of time.

Responses to this review

Washer bottle fuse blowing, according to forums, is down to fluid freezing in cold weather and overloading pump, allow engine to warm before using washers - John Holmes from Yorkshire

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 HDi 90h Exclusive 2010

The car drives like a dream. I drove it to the south of France for a two week holiday; four adults plenty of space. Once you test drive one you will want one. The best car I have ever owned.

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6hdi 90h Exclusive 2009

Yet again Citroen come up trumps. A truly superb motor car. I have the 1.6hdi 90h Exclusive, ideal for the medium sized family, excellent for people with restricted mobilty. Offering great all round vision, very comfortable seating, handles a dream and space that makes the expression getting a quart into a pint pot seem feasable. It also gives somthing all motorists require, economy. "GO FOR IT, TRY IT, BUY IT"

Citroen C3 Picasso Exclusive 2009

This is the best car ever roomy airy and so comfy to sit in. I have limited mobility and I find this car gives me enough space to stretch out in with out compromising space in the back.. It is easier to get in and out of than previous cars and I love the all round vew at the front. My husband loves driving it for me and says he wouldn’t swap it for anything else. Well done Citroen on a very well made and thought of car for people on motability.

Responses to this review

Yeah, It is a great car for Disabled people. I am Disabled and I hope it will get a EGS Semi Auto Box Fitted soon as I would have one then as I am a big Citroen Fan. I drive with Hand Controls so I need a Auto. My 1st Motability Car was a 2005 C3 1.6i 16v Exclusive SensoDrive and I now have a 2008 C2 1.6i 16v VTR SensoDrive - Lee Bengough from Wales

Citroen C3 Picasso Desire 1.6 2008

Very economical, very roomy, very reliable, the best car I have ever owned.

Citroen C3 Picasso VTR+ 2009

This car drives like a dream around town and out of town to. I have mine in bitter lemon, I find myself looking at the reflection in windows - it’s that good. I am getting around 42mpg. The ride is extremely comfortable both in the front and back. My parents who both have limited mobility love the access and room in the back (I wish they would stop telling me this as it gets boring after they tell you for the 100th time). The acceleration is as good if not better than some of it’s class. I would recommend the VTR+, this gives you the right amount of refinement needed.