2003 Citroen Picasso Desire 1.6i from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A great family car

Faults:

Mainly electronic:

New display unit required at,10000 miles;

New wiper stalk required at 15000 miles;

New module needed at 9000 miles

Computer often in mid cycle upon start up. Not solved.

Cassette often switches back to radio for no reason.

Engine cuts out as it slows down (15000 miles)

General Comments:

The car handles well and delivers a wallow free ride

Economy is good, lower to mid 40 mpg on a journey.

We use it for towing - it is one of the best tow cars we have ever owned

Tons of storage, essential for a family of 5!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th July, 2004

2003 Citroen Picasso Desire 1.6 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A very economical and spacious vehicle

Faults:

No reliability problems so far.

Does have an annoying rattle from the dashboard though.

Fuel consumption has averaged at 44.8 miles to the gallon. If the digital readout is to be believed, then I think this is excellent.

General Comments:

The performance is fairly good for the size of engine. A bit more power would have been nice though.

I find the seats very comfortable even on long trips.

Good safety features and crash test ratings.

Ideal for the kids due to the very roomy cabin. Lots of storage.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd February, 2004

18th Jun 2005, 13:27

I have a 2003 Citroen Picasso 1.6 desire. It is awful over rough roads. The thing rattles from everywhere. Fuel consumption is good though. Blind spots from forward pillars. Acceleration very slow. A pig on motorways for overtaking. Otherwise a very functional vehicle with lots of space. ABS brakes are good. Lots of tyre noise maybe because the vehicle is newish and treads not worn in yet?. CDS good. The diesel sounds a good bet though.

7th Mar 2006, 16:41

I have just bought a 1.8 disire, its great on juice, comfortable, handles well. what more can you want.

16th Sep 2007, 13:16

Hi we have just picked up our 1.6 desire and I was a bit wary after reading lots of comments with problems with electrics, But I decided to go ahead and buy a second hand 2004 model. It has great room inside and the controls are a doddle to use (fool proof). We are keen campers and we like the idea of the removal of the seats for extra room and love all the storage compartments. But like any other car that all people purchase I can only say to you only time will tell if this has proved to be a good purchase, but I would recommend this family car to anyone who has doubts.

2003 Citroen Picasso Exclusive 2.0HDI from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Excellent value, spacious and economical family cruiser, but lacking in power

Faults:

Within a couple of weeks the driver's door handle broke so it couldn't be opened from inside, but this was fixed by the dealer without hassle.

General Comments:

The picasso is excellent for family travel in comfort and space.

It offers outstanding value for money for the size and equipment level compared to what else is on the market.

There is generous cabin space for 5 passengers and luggage, good boot space and excellent flexibility. The flat floor between the front seats, made possible by the dash-mounted gear change, makes a big difference in the amount of space for packing.

The rear seats are easily and individually removable giving lots of options for using all the space.

The picasso beats the multi-purpose vehicle competition (eg Vauxhall Zafira) unless you actually need 7 seats.

The driving position and seats are comfortable, and the ability to recline the rear seats a little is a good feature not found in many cars.

The sloping roof at the rear, giving the exterior egg-shaped form, unnecessarily restricts rear seat headroom for tall passengers.

The HDI diesel unit delivers excellent fuel economy for a car of this size. I'm routinely getting 50-55 mpg (mainly out of town driving).

The engine is responsive and smooth in normal driving, but push it hard and you start to see the compromise.

The engine is seriously underpowered at higher revs, making overtaking manoeuvres at speed something of a white knuckle adventure. I would like a lot more power in reserve (previous car: 2 litre petrol Mondeo).

The handling is soft, giving a comfortable ride, but a tendency to wallow on faster cornering. Overall the ride is quite acceptable, but don't try to push it too hard along winding roads.

The exclusive has a very good equipment level and all the gadgets seem to work well.

The cruise control falls nicely to hand, but I would prefer a visual indication that cruise control is engaged.

I also like the climate control, and the sunroof is excellent for giving the interior an even more airy and spacious feel.

The dash mounted gear change is well positioned and falls easily to hand.

The digital speedo takes some getting used to, but now seems fine.

The kids love the seat back trays.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th June, 2003

30th Nov 2003, 16:59

I hired Picassos on my three latest visits to Dublin. Although I could only hire the 1.6 petrol version, I have become rather fond of the vehicle. The most recent one was dark blue in colour, and it really looked striking. Both my wife and my ten year old daughter, also my wife's parents found the Picasso extremely comfortable and roomy.

I plan to buy the diesel version; but I am concerned that two out of three hired Picassos had faulty fuel guages. I also like the Picasso; because it is easy to park, as it is not too large.

12th Dec 2003, 16:39

I have just seen the proposed Citroen Picasso replacement for 2006. One just types in to the Google search " Citroen Picasso replacement 2006 " and the correct heading should appear. The story and the pictures come from an AutoExpress site.

22nd Dec 2004, 05:35

If you are getting 50-55mpg from a 2 litre hdi then you must be driving it with a feather on the accelerator, no wonder you find the performance poor!

I get 40-45mpg from mine which is good considering my driving style is 'to get there' rather than to admire the scenery.

Pushing the engine like this gives me no problem with performance, hey..it's an MPV after all!