Citroën DS3

[Bibs]

Anyone got one? If so, any good? 75 mpg+ from the 1.6 diesel is appealing...

[islandbloke]

Let me make this clear Bibs, it's our generation's job to use all the petrol. That way our children will have to be a bit more innovative to have fun cars in the future. And you owe it to George Osborne to pay lots of tax. M'kay?

 

French cars for tree huggers don't do ANY of that.

[V8 FOU]

S'not a Lotus is it?

[Bibs]

All very useful so far...

[robcarter]

Supposed to be very good! Look funky too! Was looking at DS5 recently too...

[Cathalm]

Bibs, I bought one of these, diesel and all for my mother this time last year. Not sure if that a recommendation or not!

She wanted a practical small car that would be good on fuel and looking at Kia Cee'ds and the like. All very well and good value for money but not exactly fun. Once she had a go in the DS3 the deal was done. It's a fun little car to run about in ( which I did for a couple of weeks). Great looking, lots of toys and it's a good steer. Quicker, more direct steering than the various minis I've had, nice gearbox and enough shove to have fun. Silly mpg too.

I'd have one myself as a city car if I didn't have to cart around a fat bulldog.

[Bibs]

It's a replacement for Laura's little Corsa 1.2, it's not for me so good mpg is a big benefit, they'll see close to 100mpg on a run too by all accounts!

That's a good report, thanks. I think we'll book in for a test drive ASAP.

Anyone else got one, tried one?

[steve930]

i would love to see the salesmans face as you and Laura make sure you can fit all the TLF display kit in the back

[MarkLarge]

HI Bibs

 

Bought new a 1.6 'Orla Kiely' limited edition as my driving school car.

Now done 55000 miles.Pupils quite like it to be honest.

 

Waiting for the day that I can hand it back. Previous driving school car was a VW Beetle diesel 1.9.

Do you want to discuss build quality!!

Do you want to discuss inflexible engine.

Do want to discuss steering that has a vague resemblance to what position the steering wheel is pointing.

What about cabin trim rattles?

Ok on fuel but further away from the published figures than many previous cars.

 

Give me back my Beetle or my Mini or indeed my Toyota before that!

 

By the way it looks as sexy as anything I know but....

 

Test drive one for more that a few miles.

 

Mark

[mayevora]

Another ADI - Hi Mark!!

I know lots of people (7-8) who have these and also one of the reasons I am now considering one for my next Instructor vehicle after 3 Minis on the trot. My present Mini (57 plate) has now topped 170k mileage and would have another no question but I just can't get away from the fact, yes reliable, good fuel economy, cheap tax, fun to drive BUT expensive to Buy and expensive to fix, besides I know you've been down the Mini route before.

Citroen is modern, querky, fun to drive, and like you say, fuel ecconomy on the diesel - wow!!! And for a lot less £'s than a Mini. I can see my Driving School having one sometime in 2013.

[rogerch]

I think a 1963 MK 1 Lotus Cortina, practical for shopping, 4 seats reasonably economical, oh, and bloody fast.

and it's BRITISH ! 

[Simon350S]

I like them, but I keep hearing questionable reports on Citroens claimed MPGs across their range, sometimes being quite far out.

I am supposed to be picking up a new DS4 2.0 HDI middle of February to replace the vectra so ive been poking around Citroen showrooms the last month or so and from a funky car point of view I think the DS3 ticks the right boxes.

[Kimbers]

Lets get this straight Bibbo. Having bought a few hundred Citreons this year and over 1200 Peugeots I can't recommend the new generation of French cars enough.

 

I have bought 3 in the last 3 months for my family and we are now a 1 brand family....Peugeot.

 

Don't forget that Peugeot and Citroen are the same company. They use exactly the same engines and chassis but with different bodies. The 308 for example, is the same as the C4 and the DS3 uses virtually identical 208 parts except the body. Of course Citroen are well known for being a "little different" looks wise inside and out. But also be aware that 6 month old Citroens are cheaper than 6 month old Peugeots so depreciate a little more.

 

With the new 208 Gti coming out I am not sure I would go DS3. I know Wendys next car will be the 208.

 

As for engines, I have a derivative of the 1.6 Diesel in my 308 (but with more HP) and Wendy has an identical engine in her current 207. Lets get this straight, no manufacturer quotes figures that are realistic in the real world of driving. However I can tell you that I regularly get 60mpg on long trips and Wendy is in the 50's just driving around Norwich. So the engines a good one. In a car the size of the 207/DS3 it also goes well.

 

I may know a few dealers When you know exactly what you want come back to me and I will get you one from a friendly dealer of mine, to save you that little bit extra.

[Günter]

old PSA was one 'mayor-company' ..but with a even for the customer notable market-strategy on market position

..and a line from *top to down* in quality (of nearly the same cars)  -that's what we still learn in the university Kimbers

 

So the question is: do you realy get the same car (in case of usable *substance* - *reliability* - *long term quality*) from all the three old sections nowadays,  for a fixed sum ?

 

@Bibs:  ..how many miles does Laura drive to comute/ daily runs 'per anum' -so as the *mpg-factor*  is a point, what is with LPG option ?

(as it is available with this, over here on the continent)

Edited January 3, 2013 by Günter

[rogerch]

[Kimbers]

LPG is NOT an option. Ug. Horrid stuff and they have started removing it from some stations now because so few use it.

[GordonMasson]

Brian Angus bought one Bibs

[Günter]

Kimbers -what's horrid on LPG, as long as it is 'factory fit' for the engine ?

 

..and as most customers (you will know it as fleet manager) use those 'use & dispose' cheapish compact-cars until the manufacturer warranty runs out ..there should be nothing to fear ?

Edited January 4, 2013 by Günter

[Kimbers]

As a fleet Manager LPG is not an option. It's only in specialist filling stations, Manufacturers in the UK don't do them (or don't mainstream), the price is offset by lack of MPG and they are impossible to sell on.

[Günter]

As a fleet Manager LPG is not an option. It's only in specialist filling stations, Manufacturers in the UK don't do them (or don't mainstream), the price is offset by lack of MPG and they are impossible to sell on.

 

see -there is the difference .. you can drive from Poland to Spain on LPG over here on the continent, and several 'micro-compacts' and mid size cars are offered in LPG-option from the manufactuer out of the show room.

 

As I was on the start of my 'alternative fuel project' with the Esprit I considered LPG as an option too. But with the given problem that it is only possible to fit a small plastic tank into the flat front luggage -that was not suitable for my needs  ..so the ethanol was on the run