| C4 - DS4 Owners :: Forums :: Citroen C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso (B78) 2013 onward :: Citroen C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso (B78) Road Tests and Model Reports |
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A final review - C4 Picasso 2016 |
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Richard_C
 
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  Member No: #46470
Joined: Oct 11 2016Location: Cambridge |
It's gone, 2015 last of the pre-facelift model, 1.6 blue Hdi manual, Exclusive plus, first registered January 2016, I bought it ex Citroen UK at 9 months old and have just traded it in so I have had it 8 1/2 years. In that time I've covered 74k miles, average 47.4 mpg (real, from fuel purchase records, not trip computer), aside from the usual servicing, tyre and brake replacement after c 50k miles I've had no trouble at all apart from one thing, the BPGA unit which meant it wouldnt start or even respond to the start button on holiday on Orkney last year. It did manage to start, after 10 or so minutes of repeated on-off and button pressing so got us home (the last day I got it started and didn't switch off for 550 miles) and ended up with a new BPGA diagnised and fitted all in for c £600. Sounds a lot, but that was the only issue in all those years. At the end everything still worked perfectly, even all the kit that comes with the Excl+. Most of that kit is unnecessary or even a liability - when you buy second hand you get what is available and decent but I wouldn't seek out glass roof (adds weight, plenty of light in cabin anyway), electric tailgate (noisy beep beep, slow to open and close), daft leg rest on passenger seat (used it maybe 10 times, feels like you are in danger of submarining under the seat belt if you use leg rest and recline the seat a bit), and the self parking stuff (which doesn't play nicely with a manual gearbox and just takes too long - played with it in week one, then forgot all about it). VTR spec would have been fine, better even, without all the bits and pieces. Overall impressions? 1.6 blue hdi, 120 bhp is plenty enough and a remarkably well balanced engine for a diesel.Functionally very good, probably the most useable and flexible luggage space you can get in a 4.4m long car. Great for family. Fairly high, one of the reasons we got rid of the C5 III tourer was the low and deep seats which made it hard for my slightly arthritic wife to climb out after a long trip. The Picasso is excellent in that respect. For 2 people an excellent long distance machine, we did many big trips in UK and Europe. If you have adult back seat passengers not great, seats look OK but its difficult to get comfortable enough for a day of travel. The back seat recline works OK ish but isn't graduated and is hard to put back to upright if you are sitting on it - need to wait until next rest stop. The sat nav and some aspects of the radio (no TA announcements) dismal, I used the inbuilt sat nav while updates were free but even then the traffic and re-routing seemed to be between an hour and half a day out of date. I simply used Google on a phone in a holder on the air vent and bluetooth streaming. The dashboard diaplay is OK, and in that version was configurable, but the main beam light was easy to overlook and the 'black screen' function of little use as the stuff left on was at full brightness - who designed that I wonder. The other design aspect that should never have got past final testing was the headlight performance - the styalists definitely won that one at the expense of the engineers and the customers. I don't think I've had such poor country road illumination since I ran my 2CV with yellow bulbs in France back in the 70's. So overall a good car and anyone thinking about getting a (now cheap) second hand very functional car should consider one. Here's a funny thing. I don't like changing cars, and in the past when I've traded things in Ive had a twinge of sadness - the SAAB 9-5, Citroen C5 tourer, but not this time (nor as it happens when I sold my Xsara Picasso) - I don't miss it at all. Maybe its a car that is hugely functional but doesn't appeal at an emotional level. Setting off to the Alps or Mediterranean in the C5 or the SAAB was an event to be savoured, the Picasso had no such appeal. 8 1/2 years though, so it wasn't all bad. That means I'm off from this forum too. Unlike other user forums that I use for all kinds of hobby and workshop things this one seems particularly low on participation and mutual support. People post questions, others take time and share experience to give reasoned and helpful replies, few if any of the posters return to say what the final outcome/solution was so no one learns. So it goes. Sic transit gloria Picasso. |
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MatthewJBD
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 Member No: #61601
Joined: Jan 26 2024Location: Oxfordshire |
Nice review. I bought a fully loaded 2017 flair model a year and a half ago. My son really likes the glass roof, especially driving at night with the moon/stars out. My wife really likes the leg rest, but she has her feet tucked up on it (I would never use it). The "massage" feature is dreadful and whilst the self park works fairly well (despite manual gear changing and controlling it on the clutch), like you I only used it once and then left it. |
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wunny
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Member No: #42824
Joined: Nov 29 2015Location: Cardiff |
Had mine since November 2015. £20 / year road tax, averages 53 mpg on the trip counter. Good workhorse, useful for big loads and towing the caravan. Best of all I can get in it - neck and spine problems prevent me getting into most other cars. Great when it is working and a PITA when it's got problems. Taught me to never buy a Citroen without a warranty! Will keep it until I find something as useful at a decent price. | ||
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