Goodbye C3

[jazzster]

Well I have now part exchanged my c3 so it will be going on the first of March, what will I miss about it.
The Climate control.
Auto lock doors
Won't miss:-
the sensodrive gearbox.
Auto Headlight
Eco mode

Replacement will be Suzuki Swift 1.5 GLX Automatic, OK so it has not got some of the fancy electrics but the gearbox seems very smooth from my test drive and someone that bought one 3 weeks ago, it;s still got air conditioning but not climate control, has keyless entry which I'm not sure about at the moment, but it looks and drives ok, person at work says they are nippy, 0 to 60 does show it slightly better than the C3, MPG does say slightly less but time will tell, Road tax dearer, insurance won't be much difference, I believe the serviceing is only 9000 miles but that will only be once a year at my present mileage.

So roll on march, Don't get me wrong I will sort of be sorry to let the C3 go but that gearbox totally spoils it for me, I could of gone for the C3 1.6 Auto but I have read too much about bad gearbox problems, the Suzuki is a lot cheaper over £1500, deprecation is really unknown on the New Swift at the moment but predictions have been good and the C3 takes some beating 10 months £5000, anyway there is noway that I will be changing car again in a hurry and this may be the last new car I will buy anyway.
So I may still pop in here now and then just to see how citroens are making there cars.

[Guest CE05LDB]

So I will be the only owner on here with a C3 1.6i 16v Exclusive Sensodrive then. Well jazzster you had your reasons and you got to use the car at the end of the day and if it wasen't making you happy well you want something that does.

I suppose you have seen my post for my about my brothers New C3 Sensodrive Exclusive.

Lee

[wozza]

well just think now you really are "exclusive" :D

lol.

[Guest CE05LDB]

:D lol never thought of that.

[wozza]

Good way to think about it lol

 

:D

[Guest CE05LDB]

It will be funny without jazzster as we had our C3s around the same time. Well a just under a month between. Im lucky I suppose I got used to the gear box which I think I did well after driving Automatics. A Saxo Auto and a C3 Auto. Got used to the rolling back on hills. I do wonder now wheather the sales will drop on the C3 Exclusive Sensodrive as people might go for the 1.6i 16v SX Auto.

 

There is not much in spec difference between the Exclusive and SX.

 

Jazzster just curious if you knew about the Sensodrive a year ago would you have had a C3 1.4i SX Auto?

 

I liked my brothers SX Auto when it was going ok. It was greedy on the petrol and it did take a while to pick up speed but a very nice car.

[jazzster]

I would not of bought the 1.4 auto, would not of been fast enough for me but would of had the 1.6 auto if it was out then, altough MPG is lower on the proper autos I think it's worth it but if they used a CVT gearbox it would be much better, they are smooth faster than conventional autos and almost as fast a manual with similar MPG.

 

I saw the bloke at work today with the swift, he was coming towards me with his thumbs down sign, I though what wrong with his car has I had just ordered one, but all it was his MPG had droped from 40 to 35MPG, at the moment I'm getting 30 ish out of my C3 so 35 of the swift is better but how you drive can make all the difference, so will see in March.

[pork_pie]

35 from the Swift (conventional torque convertor 4sp-auto) is not too depressing compared with its book value of 40.

 

Give it a good few thousand miles to run the car in - Id say after its first service. Engine and transmission will be as tight as a gnats chuff. Town driving will guzzle fuel.

 

Nice car the Suzuki - service intervals are a bit poor at 9k or 6k for the 1.3 DDiS but I guess you wont have any problems with it.

 

It tries to copy the Mini but people will still pay 15-20,000 for a car that is inpractical, overrated, overpriced and everywhere.

 

Your PX value was rotten but it highlights my comment that non citroen dealers try to run a mile when they are faced with shifting a Citroen.

[jazzster]

I would be happy with 35 or even 30 local driving, had a 1.3vvt yaris years ago that struggled with very gentle diving to get 35.

 

I think the service interval is very poor but should manage a year at the present mileage I do.

 

I think the Mini is ok to look at outside but hate the interior and price.

 

Has same trouble with the last C3 it was 6 months old and went loads of garages and they all came up with £7000, so was not overhall suprised about the £6400 after 11 months, as much as I seem to be draw to Citroen with there unusual style, I think the fact that they have very bad P/x values and terrible garages I think I have probably had my last Citroen, to be honest wished I had kept the Honda the only problem was engine was too small why they don't bring the 1.5 in this country I don't know.

 

I have never had a Suzuki before, even in motorbike form, so only time will tell if they are reliable and the p/x value I hope will be a long time of, has I want to make this car last me a long time, passed my test Dec 1987 and this will be my 27 car, so getting a little fed up of changing them

[wozza]

35 from the Swift (conventional torque convertor 4sp-auto) is not too depressing compared with its book value of 40.

 

Give it a good few thousand miles to run the car in - Id say after its first service. Engine and transmission will be as tight as a gnats chuff. Town driving will guzzle fuel.

 

Nice car the Suzuki - service intervals are a bit poor at 9k or 6k for the 1.3 DDiS but I guess you wont have any problems with it.

 

It tries to copy the Mini but people will still pay 15-20,000 for a car that is inpractical, overrated, overpriced and everywhere.

 

Your PX value was rotten but it highlights my comment that non citroen dealers try to run a mile when they are faced with shifting a Citroen.

bog standard minis are crap but the top end ones the cooper s works etc are brilliant cars. There a bit over rated but they really do handle well. And there damn quick. Just not quite as much fun as other hot hatches.

[Guest CE05LDB]

Well then its my first day being the only C3 1.6i 16v Exclusive Sensodrive owner being on here then.

 

Jazzster good luck with your new car. You should have put this web site address in the C3 manual maybe the new owner would have joined if they have internet.

 

What colour car your having this time. I know James May on Top Gear said some good things about the Suzuki Swift.

 

Oh Jazzster the ECO Mode is worse on the New C3 now. It will kick in after 10mins very annoying my brother rathered it be like mine 30mins

[jazzster]

Swift is going good, Gearbox is very sweet, the ride is a little firm but seems to be ok, Springs seem to squeek going over road humps person at works does the same, does lack on some equipment but up to yet happy with it, reversing was a bit scary the C3 had very slow response but the swift went backwards like a rocket first time I tried, but got used to it now, don't know what the speed will be like but it seems to go pretty quick with just the low revs, so when it is run in it should fly, boot space is smaller not a problem for me, seats fold better than the C3, not as many storage places as the C3 but it was a lot cheaper to buy.

 

I may still pop in for a nosey now and then to see whats happening.

 

That eco mode is a pain, was not too bad with the dvd i had because it did't go off but with the standard CD player it did my head in over the last week because I have my breaks at work sitting in my car.

[Guest CE05LDB]

I was like that with my brothers C3 1.4i SX Auto I kept forgetting when I was driving it I didn't have to give it any power when reversing like you had to on the Sensodrive.

 

Well Jazzster im glad your liking the car. Its a shame Citroen let you down but at least the C3 en't your problem anymore. a big loss in value mind you but like you said in previous posts this car is going to last you a long time now en't it. Well I must say at least you had it on 1st March unlike Citroen a year ago. We both had a bit of a wait didn't we.

 

can you fit your DVD player in this car?

[jazzster]

Don't know if I can fit the DVD player yet, found some pictures of a replacement dash where the radio fits, these were in Malaysia and Germany, I don't know whether to bother at the moment because it will not be a easy job, may just try and get my MP3 player connected if I can.

 

Not going to have much chance to do many miles in car because of the weather was hopeing to get it run in qucikly.

 

This is my first car I have ever had on the first of the month, was expecting them to phone and say they could not get it, was a bit disappionted in the MPG meter it does not do Average MPG just Instantanous MPG, someone in Singapore has just had one and theirs has goy Ave MPG, I would say that the car does seem to be good other than a few rattles but I can put up with them.

[Guest CE05LDB]

Your DVD Player look tidy in the C3. I wish I could have done the same but its motability car and I didn't want to mess anything up. My mam bought me a Portable DVD Player From Argos with the car stuff included for christmas.

 

Is your car on the forecourt yet. You should see how much they are aasking for it.

 

My local Citroen Dealer is asking £9,495 for a March 2005 C3 1.4HDi 16v 92BHP SX Artic Steel with 5,800 miles.

 

I took my car out in the snow today first time in 2 days.

 

My brother took his C3 out on the 1st day we had bad snow and not once it went into snow mode. Mine didn't last time we had snow either nor this time.

 

I was telling my mate this morning how much you lost on the C3. He said imagin if I owned my C3 1.4HDi Desire and traded it in I wouldn't get much would I. Its a Jan 2005 54 reg.

 

How come you had red again? On my next car in 2008 ill either have another Green one or the red like you had on the C3.

[jazzster]

Just looked on dealer list they have a C3 listed but reg. No. is wrong but they have it wrong on my sales sheet, they are asking £7999, if they do sell it for that they have made 1600 profit. I wished I never looked now, mind you I think it's worth it for the Swift's gearbox.

 

Had red because I asked what they could get for 1st March, said I liked Blue first and he asked for second choice, when I said red he said he could get one of them and it 300 cheaper, so had Red, I quite like it it looks a bit sporty, although it was mostly white coming from work to night, not driven in snow as it melted on the main roads and the country lanes had hardly any on them.

 

I might get a portable DVD myself yet, not made my mind up though, could even get a cheap laptop

[Guest CE05LDB]

Mind you they are asking a £1,000 less than a Citroen Dealer. Some Citroen Dealers are asking £8,999 for a 05 reg C3 1.6i 16v Exclusive Sensodrive. Some one on ebay had a Silver C3 Exc Sensodrive on a 54 reg and wanted £9,000 buy it now price.

 

I asked my dealer at the time of ordering the C3 would I get it quicker if I had a different colour he did phone calls to Citroen UK and there was none