Category: City Cars 
Price Range: £7,545 to £9,375
Pert looks, willing petrol engine, surprising legroom (even in back), decent safety spec, excellent value.
Dull and expensive diesel option, boot good for weekly shops, but not monthly ones; beaten for practicality by Panda, Picanto; with Citroen's special offers, more versatile C2 can work out cheaper to buy.
Arguably a better-value proposition than the 107 and Aygo, though all three are class-leaders
Driven in its intended urban habitat, the C1 excels. Its power steering and large glass area make parking a cinch and, while there's some roll under heavy cornering, the C1 is a point-and-shoot little runner. For a fairly unsophisticated suspension set-up, the ride isn't too choppy either, soaking up ridges and ruts well. Brake, clutch and throttle pedals are a bit on the soft and spongy side, but their application is progressive and the brakes bite confidently.
The petrol C1's low-rev response is good and this is a flexible engine, so you're rarely stuck between gears at town speeds. Adequately tall gearing in top also means that motorway cruising isn't such a frenzied, high-revving affair.
There's plenty of legroom to stretch out, but the driver's seat isn't height adjustable, so some taller drivers may find they're sitting a bit higher than they'd like.
Two engines are offered, a 68bhp, three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol sourced from Toyota and a 55bhp 1.4-litre diesel from the French alliance. The 1.0-litre is the pick of the two, as it is well suited to the C1's perky character. Citroen's figures claim the C1 will reach motorway speeds in about 14 seconds and top out at 98mph; however, it feels much nippier than that, throbbing sweetly as it goes. As above, the five-speed manual gearbox's ratios have been well-thought-out for town driving.
The 1.4-litre diesel C1 feels very different to its petrol sibling - the diesel's low-revving nature saps some of the zip and life from the car, feeling all too grown-up and sensible - and slow. 62mph takes a yawn-inducing 15.6secs to appear putting any thoughts of a fast getaway to bed.
The diesel's economy is only marginally better than the petrol at 68.9mpg (compared to 61.4mpg), and this, coupled with the £1,100 premium that you pay for the diesel and the additional cost of diesel at the pumps, means there's little to recommend it over the petrol.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Citroen C1
wrote on 07 04 2008
wrote on 31 03 2007
wrote on 15 10 2006