The Citroen C3 Picasso is a five-door family MPV made for transporting larger families. This segment of cars is really popular in the US and there are many options to choose from, but sadly the Citroen C3 Picasso is not available in the USA. So, is Citroen C3 Picasso a good car?
The Citroen C3 Picasso is a fairly good car considering what you get for your money. The C3 Picasso comes with a choice of efficient and reliable engines that are likely going to satisfy most people. The car also looks really interesting because Citroen is not constrained when it comes to designing good-looking cars. The interior is okay as it gives you everything you need without much fuss.
The C3 Picasso drives like any other MPV. It is fairly smooth, quiet, and able to do the trick when it comes to both long and short-distance journeys. Reliability is okay with the C3 Picasso, but there are some issues worth talking about which can hamper your overall user experience to a great degree.
Value-wise, the C3 Picasso is really good as it does offer lots of features for a fairly attainable price. It is a family MPV which means that it does come with decent equipment from the factory. Practicality is great because the C3 Picasso offers a bunch of space, and is really easy to get in and out of.
Citroen C3 Picasso – The Powertrain
The Citroen C3 Picasso comes with a choice of diesel and gasoline engines. The gasoline lineup kicks off with the 1.2L inline 3-cylinder engine with 110hp while the 1.6L 4-cylinder engine offers 120hp. You can also get the 1.4L 4-cylinder engine with newer Picasso models which offers 95h. Diesel engines include 1.6L 4-cylinder units with 90hp-115hp.
You can get the C3 Picasso with either a manual transmission which comes as standard on all models, or you can upgrade to an automatic one for some models. All C3 Picasso models come with a FWD setup as that is pretty much a standard for MPVs.
Efficiency is really good with these engines as the best examples can return around 50MPG which is certainly a great result for a car as big as the C3 Picasso. All in all, the engines are okay, they aren’t anything special, but they do the trick.
Citroen C3 Picasso – Design and chassis
The Citroen C3 Picasso is a fairly good-looking car, at least when you compare it to most MPV models out there. It is a nicely laid-out car that prioritizes ergonomics and logic. The interior of the C3 can be considered exciting to some, but it really isn’t anything particularly special. Sure, it does get decent equipment, but it still isn’t anything to brag about.
The driving experience is fairly reserved which is the case with most cars from this segment. This means that the car is fairly soft, it rides relatively well over bumps, and it manages to stay fairly flat for an MPV. It lacks character, but that is the case with literally all MPVs in the business.
Citroen C3 Picasso – Reliability and common issues
When it comes to reliability, the C3 Picasso is okay. Some examples seem to be suffering from issues more than others. Newer models are better, they are likely to last longer and they seem to be built with higher quality materials. Either way, there are some issues we need to discuss as they can hamper your overall ownership experience quite a bit.
First of all, the C3 Picasso seems to be suffering from suspension-related issues which can result in a really bumpy ride. The transmission is not the smoothest and it can fail. The brakes can lose pressure which can certainly be dangerous. The car’s electricals can fail easily and all engine variants experience injector-related issues.
Citroen C3 Picasso – Value and practicality
Value-wise, the C3 Picasso is really good as it offers lots of features for a fairly attainable price tag. Second-hand C3 models are really popular in Europe which is the biggest C3 market in general. If you are interested in buying one, you ought to consider an example with not too many miles on the clock as that can make the car fairly tired.
Practicality is certainly a strong suit for the C3 Picasso as the car can pack lots of people with more than enough trunk space. It is easy to get in and out of, it is easy to see out of. It is also a car that is really easy to drive which is a positive as the C3 is not the smallest car out there.
FAQ Section
Is the Citroen C3 Picasso discontinued?
The Citroen C3 Picasso was discontinued a few years ago when Citroen replaced it with the Citroen C3 Aircross which is more or less the same car as the Picasso. It retains the same overall shape, layout, engines, and all the pros and cons associated with the Picasso.
However, the C3 Aircross made the Picasso a bit more exciting and modern-looking in order to attract a younger crowd that wants technology with all the known benefits of an MPV. Therefore, the C3 Aircross is now as popular as the Picasso which means that it sells really well.
Is the Citroen C3 Picasso a safe car?
The Citroen C3 Picasso is a through and through family car which means that it is indeed a safe car. As such, the C3 Picasso comes with loads of safety features that are designed to keep you and your family safe at all times.
It may not benefit from all the features you get in its younger brother, the C3 Aircross, but it does get everything you need.
Is the Citroen C3 Picasso a comfortable car?
The Citroen C3 Picasso is a decently comfortable car which means that it should do the trick for most people. It isn’t a luxury car by any means and Citroen didn’t intend it to be one. It is a quiet car with a sophisticated and efficient engine which means that your kids will have no issues when it comes to sleeping on a long journey.
