I have so far done a grand total of 230 miles. During the first 20 miles I thought I had made a mistake and bought the wrong car! Soon I got used to the car and became aware of its good points. I am now very pleased with my new red C1 vibe 3 door. I knew from the test drive and the reviews that the car had a firm ride. The ride is made firm partly by the stiff anti-roll bar - this is ancient technology and has been fitted to cars for donkeys years, but is referred to in the Citroen blurb as a “cornering stability system”. The ride is o.k. when both front wheels move up and down at the same time as when going over a speed bump. In this situation the anti roll bar has no affect and the car deals with this type of bump reasonably well . If one wheel falls into a pot hole then the stiffness of the anti roll bar is added to the stiffness of the suspension spring and a firmer bump is experienced in the car. The whole thing is a compromise between ride comfort and handling. These days, Car manufacturers seem to be extremely frightened of producing cars that have any body roll. Some reviewers have likened the C1 to the Citroen 2CV because the 2CV was a cheap entry level car. The 2CV ride was the complete opposite of the C1 , a very soft ride, it leaned over dramatically around corners but you got used to it and it was not a problem. Even so, when I had driven the C1 a little way. I got used to the firm ride and started to enjoy the handling. The car feels like a very upmarket go-kart around corners - great fun ! Those with a bad neck or back may find the ride a problem on longer runs. This is not a problem, but my impression after some driving in a 40 year old Morris Minor ! First gear seems like a second gear - For a car designed to be used in stop/start traffic in towns, first gear seems slightly long, a little bit of clutch control is required before the car is on its way. But the C1 is very light and is quickly away from the lights. In town, the C1 accelerates beautifully, big fat Range Rovers puff and wheeze to keep up! The go-kart handling gets you around roundabouts quicker as well. The car has long gearing, 5th gear can not be used comfortably until hitting around 50 mph. The engine is very flexible and pulls well across a wide rev range. The long gearing allows relaxed motorway cruising and adds to the fuel economy. One review I read said that the C1 is slow - this is completely wrong, getting on to the motorway and up to motorway speeds takes very little effort. The C1 comes fitted with Michelin Energy tyres, these have lower rolling resistance and will waste less fuel than ordinary tyres. These will be harder than ordinary tyres , inflated to 32 P.S.I., and may be partly responsible for the firm ride. The C1 is a good all round performer and is as much fun out of town as in. One of my first outings was a 150 mile run from Birmingham to Nottingham then to Derby and back to Birmingham. This was mixed A roads and stop/start town driving. Before setting out, I filled the tank to the brim and then filled it again when back in Birmingham. I had driven carefully and with gentle acceleration . The car had done 63 MPG! The throttle control is a little vague at lower revs, which made smooth gear changing difficult at first. I was used to driving an old car with a carburettor and very precise throttle feel. I bought the 3 door base model. There is a some road noise over rough tarmack and some general noise which appears to be coming in around the door seals. I guess that the 5 door version will be a little noisier because additional noise will come in around the rear door seals. None of this is serious and no worse than some other cars. I started out looking at the Fiat panda, I also looked at the Kia Picanto. Each of the 3 cars is good, I liked them all. The Fiat is a pretty car, has excellent interior space and large rear hatch . The Pincato has much to be said in it’s favour. I chose the C1 because of the Fuel Economy , cheap road tax and it was the most fun to drive. A minor point - I preferred the interior design of the C1 to the plasticy interior of the Fiat Panda. None of my comments should put anyone off buying a C1, . Not many cars qualify for £35 a year road tax ( the Fiat Panda and Kia Pincato both cost £115 P.A.). The C1 is group one insurance, has good NCAP crash safety rating and can make nearly 70 MPG. (on a long run with careful driving). Cheap economical motoring that will give much more fun than many larger, heavier, thirstier, more expensive cars. I know that I have made the right decision.
