Used Citroen C3 cars for sale

Used Citroen C3 pros and cons

+ Comfortable to drive

+ Quiet and refined inside

+ Quirky styling inside and out

- Average seat space in the back

- Poor infotainment system

- A bit wallowy in corners

Is a used Citroen C3 a good car?

The third-generation Citroen C3, introduced in 2016, is a quirky-looking small car that’s designed to catch the eye, whether you’re behind the wheel or driving past it. This stylish look is at the sacrifice of some practicality, as the likes of the Skoda Fabia, Volkswagen Polo and Peugeot 208 are all a bit more roomy inside and better to drive, but the C3 is a cool all-rounder.

On the outside, new buyers had a wide choice of body paint, roof and Airbump colours, so there’s plenty of variety on the used market. Those Airbumps are a quirky feature designed to protect the car from the kind of bumps and scrapes you encounter around town or in the supermarket car park.

The infotainment display isn’t particularly sharp nor quick and easy to use, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make life more bearable for stuff like sat nav and music streaming. 

Front seat passengers will feel as comfy as they do in their living room, with plenty of space and well-cushioned seats. But those in the back aren’t as well catered for, with limited head and legroom. The 300-litre boot is about average for the class, though.

There are two petrol engines available, and you can get the more powerful one without paying much of a premium, so we’d recommend that. The less powerful version is a bit lethargic once you stretch its legs out of town. The diesel doesn’t really suit this car and will be expensive to run.

What to look for when buying a second hand Citroen C3

Citroen C3 owners typically complain of electrical gremlins that appear to affect an above average number of these models. Be sure to have a deep dive into the car’s electrical systems, checking everything from the infotainment systems to the window switches to make sure everything works as it should.

The C3’s rear seat space isn’t great at the best of times, but it could be worth knowing that the panoramic roof eats even further into headroom. So if you regularly carry rear passengers they might appreciate it if you avoid that option.

You might have spotted that the C3 only scored four-out-five stars in Euro NCAP testing. This is because its automatic emergency braking system is only optional on most of the range, so this might not be a deal breaker for you. Its adult occupant protection score of 88% and child occupant protection score of 82% is decent.

Citroen C3 FAQs

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