My Mum's new runabout

[GTV V6]

Citroen C1 2006

A bit of background 1st.
For the last 10 years, my mum's been running about in my old '92 Peugeot 205 XS and while it was undoubtedly a giggle to drive, it was getting on a bit.

The primary reasons for changing were...

1. Road tax, Soon to be based on CO2 emissions in the UK.
2. Cost of Gas, Twin choke carbs, I'l put it this way, if I was driving it, you cold SEE the needle moving.
3. Safety, No ABS, Airbags or NCAP listing mean an unsafe place to be.
4. Starting to cost money for repairs even though the bodywork was immaculate (we still don't understand how a '92 FRENCH car can have NO rust at all after living outside all the time in the British climate)

So my beloved 205 was part-exed for the car you see below (I must admit, I shed a tear or 2)

Anyway, the new car...

Citroen C1 Vibe (Bog standard model) in metallic Silver, 1.0 litre petrol.








The car has VERY low emissions so comes into the 2nd lowest tax band from next year (lowest is for hybrids, they won't need to pay), only £35.

Combined consumption is 60 (UK) mpg If you believe all you read.

It has a 4 Star NCAP rating for adults and a 4 Star rating for infants too. Has airbags and ABS, so all boxes ticked then...

First impressions are that it is completely stripped out, but as TG said, it's an inteligently designed small car.

Instrumentation is basic, no rev counter only a big speedo with the warning lights and petrol gauge in the middle. CD player as standard.
Seats are hard but comfy.

The engine is a 1.0 3 cylinder from Daihatsu with 69hp, It goes surprisingly well but is defeated by hills in 5th (and 4th too if you are loaded up). 0-60 is supposed to be about 13 seconds, it manages 60 in second gear.
It doesn't sound bad either, a bit Porsche 911y.

It corners well, though the ride is HARD and jiggly, I felt like my eyes ached after driving it for long periods.
Interestingly the wheelbase is about the same as a friend's 3 door Toyota RAV4, but there is no overhang at either end. The track also seems very wide so the car is very stable.
Parking is funny too, you park close to the car in front and when you get out and look, you are still over a metre away

Interior space is amazingly big for people, amazingly small for luggage.
My mum can actually stand up in the back to put my Sisters daughter in her kiddy seat.

You can fold the back seats down to get bigger stuff in the boot, though the lip in to the boot is VERY high.

In summary,
Small, nippy, cheap road tax, economical, safe runaround, just what my mum needs for the next 10 years.

[Shawn]

Nice upgrade to the Pug... sucks she missed out on the weird stationary centre steering wheel though.

[watto]

That's a pretty funky car, looks cute. Seriously stripped out interior!

But a 1.0L petrol just sounds like it'd be completely asthmatic, however it's probably the perfect engine for your mum to do her little runaround jobs in.

[Redliner]

Originally Posted by watto

That's a pretty funky car, looks cute. Seriously stripped out interior!

But a 1.0L petrol just sounds like it'd be completely asthmatic, however it's probably the perfect engine for your mum to do her little runaround jobs in.

Sometimes, it really is annoying having a 1.0 litre car. Modern engines are pretty torquey for a 1.0 L displacemente, so you learn to live with it.

[Ironlord]

My first two cars were one-litre models.

1: a base model Vauxhall Nova. 993 cc, 4-speed gearbox. Had the power of an asthmatic ant with heavy shopping. I've not forgotten how it struggled up a hill, maxing out at 48 mph - on the M11.

2: a Lancia Y10 Fire LX. 999 cc, 5-speed gearbox. Much lighter than the Nova, and with an Italian engine as opposed to the stodgy lump of Luton's less-than-finest suet pudding. Went like shit off a shovel... relatively. At least it seemed like it to an 18-year-old.

I've always wanted to test drive a C1/107/Aygo to see if it handles like a go-kart, the way the original Mini did. If the Aygo football was anything to go by, it should do...

[GTV V6]

I've also had previous experience of 1 litre cars...

My mum used to have a 1.3 metro which she changed for a VW Polo 990 something cc and 40 hp.

Coming back from Leeds once in the Polo I got to one of my favourite overtaking spots. In the Metro you'd slot third and accelerate past the car in front going uphill.

I tried this in the Polo and after spending 20 seconds on the wrong side of the road and not even getting level with the bumper of the car in front, I gave it up and pulled back in behind.

Funny though the car would cruise all day on the motorway at 90mph (No scameras in those days), it took ages to get there but once there it was no problem.

[otispunkmeyer]

hybrids go in the lowest band and dont need to pay?

im pretty sure all of Lexus' Hybrids pump out more CO2 than this thing, despite the hybrid system. they still have big engines up front. putting a electric motor system in those cars was a token gesture at best.

[Hidden_Hunter]

Originally Posted by otispunkmeyer

hybrids go in the lowest band and dont need to pay?

im pretty sure all of Lexus' Hybrids pump out more CO2 than this thing, despite the hybrid system. they still have big engines up front. putting a electric motor system in those cars was a token gesture at best.

you forget my friend, about the practice of greenwashing

[_HighVoltage_]

Originally Posted by GTV V6

I tried this in the Polo and after spending 20 seconds on the wrong side of the road and not even getting level with the bumper of the car in front, I gave it up and pulled back in behind.

Funny though the car would cruise all day on the motorway at 90mph (No scameras in those days), it took ages to get there but once there it was no problem.

Very true. I can only overtake when the road is flat. Mind you, my 1.0 Polo accelerates faster than some bigger cars converted to run on LPG.
It can cruise at 90mph, but did you notice the fuel economy lol? Cruising at 60mph and it gets around 50MPG, cruising at 90mph - 30MPG.
I guess it will be the same with the C1.

[FATMOUSE]

I don't know what to say in response to that. My mom's civic does about 34mpg at around 65-70mph, goes down to about 30mpg at 85mph.

How do you get 50mpg at 60?

[_HighVoltage_]

FATMOUSE, my engine is 1.0 rated at 50hp and the whole car weighs 2000lbs. That's Europe for you

[NooDle]

Very nice! I really really like the C1, am actually thinking of having it as my next car since fuel prices make Baby Jesus cry and this gets a thousand MPG and weighs nothing

also, car football FTW