Citroen C4 Cactus (2014 – 2021) Review

Citroen C4 Cactus (2014 – 2021) At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
Quirky looks mean the Citroen C4 Cactus still turns heads today, while its spacious interior makes it a very desirable used family car.

+Unique interior design has a boutique feel. Comfortable and refined on the move. Spacious inside with a good quality finish. Available with impressive 1.2 PureTech engine.

-Unusual styling divides opinion. ETG6 gearbox can be jerky. Rear windows only pop-out and don't wind down.

Insurance Groups are between 7–19
On average it achieves 73% of the official MPG figure

The Citroen C4 Cactus represented a true return to form for the brand when it first arrived in 2014. With funky looks yet a practical interior and low running costs, it makes for an excellent family car and a solid purchase on the used market. Read our full Citroen C4 Cactus review to find out if it's the car for you.

The bold exterior styling on the Citroen C4 Cactus will still turn heads today, even against a growing backdrop of other small SUVs on the market. It's a shame the 'Airbumps' were slimmed down when the car was facelifted in 2018. These are the air-filled panels fitted to the side of the C4 Cactus, intended to defend the doors against parking dents (as well as look a bit quirky).

The interior is as style-led as the exterior with an elegant and minimalist design that was apparently inspired by luggage and travel. It has a bespoke and boutique feel that's unlike any other car on the market with nice features such as leather straps for door handles. There's also plenty of space thanks to a thin dash design and the option of a front bench-style seat.

Citroen included some useable technology too, with a simple digital instrument display that not only looks great but is easy to read. The rest of the cabin is very simply laid out, with an iPad-style touchscreen on top of the centre stack. Even the upholstery is outside of the ordinary, with fluffier fabrics used in some places instead of the usual materials.

The engine range includes Citroen's strong HDi diesels but we've been most impressed with the 1.2-litre PureTech petrol. This may seem small but thanks to the light weight of the C4 Cactus the turbocharged three-cylinder engine provides nippy performance with good refinement. It's not as economical as official figures suggest, though – expect to see mid-40s MPG at best in the real world.

On the road, the Citroen C4 Cactus drives well with a forgiving ride and decent refinement, while there's little wind or road noise even at motorway speeds. With prices for early examples now dipping below £6000, the C4 Cactus represents a lot of car for the money. It's the ideal family car provided you can live with how it looks.

The Citroen C4 Cactus is a solid used purchase today but if you want a more conventional used hatchback, you may also want to look at the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf. Crossover SUV alternatives include the Dacia Duster, Peugeot 2008 and Vauxhall Mokka X.

Ask Honest John

Is a high mileage or low mileage car best?

"I tend to swap my cars every 12 months, over the last 5 years i have cars that are about 3 yrs old and with low mileage, each car has had the engine management light come on and work has been needed. I now have a 3 year old Citroen C4 Cactus with18k miles and the EML has come on again and keeps going off and on. I am beginning to think I should go for cars with about 50k on them hoping problems have been sorted out, any advice please?"
It is quite unusual to have experienced so many occurrences of EML warnings on several different cars. Unless you are purchasing diesel cars that are very low mileage and being used for frequent short journeys and the EML warning are related to DPF issues, there is no obvious explanation as to why this has happened so frequently. Choosing a higher mileage car is not necessarily a negative, as long as the vehicle condition is good and the service history is complete. Cars with average or above average mileage may have spent more time on motorway journeys, which are less demanding on a vehicle than frequent short journeys and stop start traffic, so you may wish to consider higher mileage vehicles in future.
Answered by David Ross

Are there cambelt issues with the 1.2 PureTech engine?

"I am thinking of buying a 2019 C4 Cactus, I have read that there are some cambelt issues, can you please advise on when you should change cambelt on these cars and should I be wary of them? And also is it a good car car to buy?"
There appears to be some confusion around the timing belt change intervals for the 1.2 PureTech engine. This engine uses a 'wetbelt' system that runs the cam belt in oil. In most cases, these types of wetbelt systems are designed to last the life of the engine and never be changed. But that isn't the case with the 1.2 PureTech engine. Newer versions of the PureTech engine have a change interval of around 60,000 miles or six years (whichever comes first). Your local garage will need to check the car's VIN to confirm the exact belt change interval. You can read our in-depth review of the C4 Cactus here: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/citroen/c4/cactus/ but we think it is an enjoyable family car.
Answered by David Ross

What's a good replacement for a Citroen C3 Pluriel?

"I know you enjoy a challenge so please can you suggest a replacement for our one owner almost from new and much loved 2004 Citroen C3 Pluriel. Something more-or-less like-for-like with the ability to open the roof while on the move, raised or slightly raised driving position, automatic, four seats and room for a smallish dog. We’ve discounted the Fiat 500 as too small. Price up to £15,000. "
Thanks for the question. How about a Citroen C4 Cactus? It's a bit bigger than your Pluriel but equally quirky - with a raised seating position and room for a small dog. The opening panoramic sunroof was an optional extra but worth hunting out. If you'd prefer a convertible, a Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet might be worth a look... although the dog will have to squeeze into the rear seats.
Answered by Andrew Brady

Apple CarPlay not working on Citroen C4 Cactus

"I own a 2017 Citroen C4 Cactus. and am struggling to pair my iPhone with the infotainment system using CarPlay. I can pair my phone for making and receiving telephone calls but am confused as to whether I can mirror all the functions such as Google Maps, and Spotify. The car has an integral USB. Secondly, can you tell me if it's possible to add a reversing camera or parking sensors to this car? "
We're pretty sure your 2017 Cactus is a pre-facelift model, which means the car does not support Apple CarPlay in its standard form. It can be upgraded in the aftermarket to support Apple CarPlay, but this is an expensive hardware upgrade at over £500. Similarly, we don't know if it's possible to add the original hardware for parking sensors or a camera, it would be simpler to have an aftermarket upgrade which starts from around £250 for sensors.
Answered by Lawrence Allan
More Questions

What does a Citroen C4 Cactus (2014 – 2021) cost?