Citroen C3 Picasso (2009 – 2017) Review

Citroen C3 Picasso (2009 – 2017) At A Glance

3/5

+Decent practical upright car. Roomy in the back. Good load capacity. Drives and rides well. Panoramic front screen with no blindspots.

-Automatic originally only an automated manual. Was ranked as one of the UK's worst cars for reliability in the Honest John Satisfaction Index 2020.

Insurance Groups are between 10–16
On average it achieves 82% of the official MPG figure

It might be tall and upright, but the C3 Picasso is far from drab. Compared to something like a Berlingo Multispace or a Peugeot Bipper Tepee it’s positively handsome, but it’s also very family friendly, with plenty of space on offer. The cabin is just as interesting as the exterior, with an attractive dashboard design and a comfortable, upright driving position offering a good view out.

Passengers will find the back row spacious even if they’re tall and the load area is generous too. There’s a double boot floor, with a minimum load space of 385 litres, expandable to 500 litres if you drop the floor down. Exclusive models are even more capable thanks to a flip forward front passenger seat – so you can carry long items like skis.

The C3 Picasso has been set up for comfort rather than handling prowess, with light controls and soft suspension. Potholes and speed bumps are well dealt with while town driving and parking are easy thanks to light steering and surprisingly compact dimensions. But the C3 Picasso isn't perfect. Out on a twisting country road the comfortable suspension means noticeable of body roll and the light steering stops being such a blessing.

The engine range consists of two petrol and two diesel choices. The petrol engines produce either 95PS or 120PS, but neither is particularly good on the emissions front, with CO2 outputs of 145g/km or 149g/km respectively. A better bet is one of the 1.6-litre HDi diesels – 90PS or 115PS options are available, with the former a perfectly decent choice thanks to a good torque output, low emissions of 107g/km and official economy of 68.9mpg.

With its interesting looks and a good level of gear on all but the entry level VT model, the Citroen C3 Picasso holds a lot of appeal. It might not be the most exciting car on sale, but as practical family transport with a touch of pizzazz it’s pretty hard to fault. The Ford B-MAX is better to drive and the van-based Peugeot Bipper Tepee is more practical, but as an all rounder the C3 Picasso has all the right ingredients. 

Citroen C3 Picasso 2009 Road Test

Real MPG average for a Citroen C3 Picasso (2009 – 2017)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

82%

Real MPG

27–67 mpg

MPGs submitted

667

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

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Ask Honest John

Is it safe to drive my car with an AdBlu fault?

"My Citroen C3 Picasso has had AdBlu added and pump cleaned but the warning light is still coming on. Is it okay to drive or is it dangerous?"
Although your AdBlu system has been topped up and the pump cleaned, if the warning light is still illuminated it would suggest the system is not functioning correctly. If this is the case it may mean that the engine will eventually shut down and will not restart, so we would suggest having this checked as soon as possible.
Answered by David Ross

Do I drive enough miles a year for a diesel?

"I'm looking to buy a Citroen C3 Picasso, it's a 2015 diesel, and I was worried I may not do enough miles in it to keep the DPF healthy. I'll be doing about 8000 miles per year and the majority of driving will be on a 10-15 mile stretch with speeds approx 30-40mph at least twice a week, with some short shop trips mixed in and the odd 80 mile run on a-roads maybe twice per month Does the Picasso sound right for me? Are the DPFs in the Picassos known to clog particularly easily or a bit more tolerable?"
Generally speaking, to keep a DPF healthy it requires to be driven at 2000rpm or more for 25 minutes, ideally twice a month if not more regularly than that. If this is something you can achieve and are happy to do then you should not experience any problems. As far as we are aware Citroen DPFs are no more susceptible to issues than with other manufacturers, but buying a used example means you cannot be sure how it was driven previously.
Answered by David Ross

What's the best practical family car for £5000?

"We have recently had a baby and have a dog which means we have outgrown our Ford Fiesta. We are looking for something under £5k with room for car seat, buggy, luggage and dog but don't want anything too big as we live in the city and have to park in some tight spots. Wish list - reliable, cheap to run, - mpg, insurance, tax, repair etc. Ideally parking sensors too. Also needs to be petrol as we live near a ULEZ zone. Not bothered about style or mod cons but if it had bluetooth and DAB I'd be chuffed. We went to see a Skoda Fabia estate but the interior possibly felt a bit too small. With the car seat in the back you have to have the front passenger seat scooched up and struggling with that in the fiesta. Not totally ruled it out though as it seems to tick a lot of boxes. Have also been considering the Ford C-MAX or Vauxhall Zafira (even though we don't need 7 seats - I know they fold really easily and it's quite a nice option to have). Is there anything out there that we haven't considered that might work for us?"
The longer the list of requirements, the smaller the shortlist of potential vehicles, so unfortunately there are not a huge number of cars that will meet all these criteria. The Ford C-MAX and Vauxhall Zafira are quite a bit larger than your Fiesta, but you could consider their smaller stablemates in the form of the Ford B-MAX and Vauxhall Meriva. Alternatively you could look at cars like the Dacia Duster and Citroen C3 Picasso, both of which are compact but practical and offer low running costs.
Answered by David Ross

I need a replacement for my Citroen C3 Picasso - what should I buy?

"I have to replace my much-loved Citroen C3 Picasso with something maybe three to five years old. I love the Picasso's high driving position, its spaciousness, its big windows and its comfort. What do you suggest?"
Given you were such a fan of your Citroen C3 Picasso, we'd suggest going for its successor - the C3 Aircross. It has a similar upright body to the Picasso but with the higher-riding stance of a crossover, so it retains the high driving position you want. It's also spacious inside for a relatively compact car and has a comfortable cabin. The driving experience is also biased towards comfort rather than sporty handling. As an alternative, take a look at the SEAT Arona, which has a similar high driving position with a small footprint but offers the best level of comfort in the class.
Answered by David Ross
More Questions

What does a Citroen C3 Picasso (2009 – 2017) cost?