Faults:

Locking petrol filler cap stopped locking.

General Comments:

I downsized to the C1 and haven't regretted it. It's a car the deserves more recognition for its many good qualities, not least its no-nonsense appeal.

It is surprisingly comfortable even at motorway speeds and on long journeys - my biggest worry before buying it. Engine noise is very modest, road/tyre noise is evident, but no more than I'd expected, on most surfaces it is very quiet even beyond 70mph.

The reliability (no problems, uses no oil, ABS very effective in a sudden snowstorm) and economy (genuine 60mpg achievable) are superb; it's fun to drive and cheap to own.

The boot is small, and I find I have to drop the rear seats most weeks for routine shopping and carting things about. I bought roof bars, a bike rack, and a collapsible roof bag/box for holidays etc, and that makes the car pretty versatile for my purposes.

I'd happily tackle a very long drive in it - crossing the alps, for example - and have travelled from the Scottish borders to London and further in a day without over-tiring the car or its driver.

Equipment is fine - the radio and heater work well, I use the i-pod socket most weeks. I'd like an interior light in the boot, but that's being really pernickety.

Do you really need any more from a car? I decided I didn't, and am delighted with my C1.

Faults:

Slight rattle from dash on crumbly road surfaces. Will get that addressed at its first service.

General Comments:

We got the car brand new for £5,795. The Road tax is £35 per year, and a full tank (current cost about £35 to fill) gets us 400 miles!

Nimble handling, but bumpy ride. Lovely steering feel, and lots of grip. The economy is amazing, and the car is brimming with character, as its growly little engine pulls the car really well, and makes the car seem faster that it is.

It cruises long distances no problems, it only seems bad if you are used to a Bentley, but I have only owned cheap cars so this is good in comparison!!

Build quality for the price is exceptional, and the safety features are very good indeed, as the car has 4 star NCAP, and stability control.

The boot is tiny, but I don't need a big boot.

The size of the car is great for parking.

Overall, this car is absolutely brilliant in every way. The little problems such as the ride quality and rattling dash are forgiven when you have to fill her up, or pay for road tax!!

Faults:

The horn goes off when pulling away from lights and reversing!! This is the biggest heartache for me!

General Comments:

I got the Citroen C1 for 2 weeks as a courtesy car, and am glad that I got to give it back and get my own car back. Am not going to totally slag the car off, but it does have a lot of bad points, but some good ones too.

This is a very basic car, and was designed for town driving and cheapness, but I would still expect some basic equipment that other manufacturers offer, like electric windows and central locking, as it does get annoying having to use the key all the time, but you could leave the car unlocked cause at the end of the day; who is going to steal it?

Driving the car isn’t really that bad to tell the truth, as it’s a lot faster than what I expected it would be have been, and really nippy around town, but personally I don’t feel safe driving around country roads.

I also found a problem with the horn going off when reversing or pulling away at traffic lights.

The gearbox isn’t great either, as sometimes you do seem to select 3rd instead of 1st, as the gear stick floats around a bit (Well a lot).

Other than that really, it’s a fun car to drive, with probably more bad points than good, but that’s just my views. I could see this car being used by the older generation for the weekly run to the shops, and the odd Sunday trip, as it is very cheap to run, and so easy to drive, with some extra power when needed out of the 3 cylinder 1000cc engine.

The price the garage said for me to tell my insurance company was £7500, and that does seem a lot of money for the size of car. If you really like this car, then wait 1 year and you would probably get it half price.