Help! Order Placed 4 Weeks Ago But Citroen Dealer Can't Get Me

[Martin_1973_uk]

Does Mr Clarkson really like them? I would be surprised as he wont touch anything without a 3 litre engine these days?

 

I personally think they are great little cars and the main parts are reliable. I would imagine they would be big sellers in the current climate although I don't see too many on the roads. Maybe 300K a year for the world is not enough!!!!!!!

 

Working in Citroen, how reliable do you find there other cars in comparison. The mechanic I spoke to said the C1 was a lot better. I find it amusing that the only part Citroen do on the cars, the lights and badges are the two most common failures!!!!!!

 

With regards to rear the C1 is the best as the 107 lights look cheaper. The Aygo has the best front though with the C1 the worst in my opinion. I got my C1 as it was still the cheapest of the three by a long way.

 

The reason Pug and Citroen are still seperate is brand loyalty is big in France. Also if you buy a bad C1 Citroen and you wont have another one you then go for a Pug so they haven't lost your custom. Did you know that Bush, Matsui, Goodmans and Alba were all the same company for the same reason.

 

I take it Toyota and Pug are having the lions share of the production line then.......

[TurboSlag]

I got my C1 as it was still the cheapest of the three by a long way.

I've had 2 now and that's not really the case. The cheapest offical RRP for a C1 is £7395 for the poverty spec model. Cheapest offical RRP for a 107 is currently £6150, and thats for a fairly high spec special edition with uprated stereo and subwoofer.

 

Dealer discounting is a different matter, and you'll get both for comfortably under £6k if you're canny, but much as I preferred the C1s nose (and thats a personal quirk) the 107s thus discounted were virtually identially priced for much more kit. Money talks.

 

The only time the C1 really scores price wise is when Citroen run one of their cashback offers.

[downsman]

The only time the C1 really scores price wise is when Citroen run one of their cashback offers.

 

Yes when I bought ours, the price they was asking was a lot less than the figure Whatcar said you should bargain the dealer down to :)

 

I prefer the C1 front too, I don't like the 107 smiley mouth much, but the yellow 107 is the best colour :huh:

 

By the way ritbitboy welcome to the forum :lol: , it must be nice to really like the cars you're selling. Just a shame they're so hard to come by!

[CE08LDB]

I actually wanted a C1 as I think they look nicer, but for £70 more I got rev counter, colour coded wing mirrors and door handles, and rear headrests on the 107, so it was a simple economic decision. That could be why the 107 outsells the C1 more than 3 to 1, and I can't figure why PSA have 2 of their own cars competing against one another in exactly the same market segment???

 

The 107oc (www.107oc.com), for which I am a moderator and events co-ordinator, welcomes C1s and Aygos with equal verve, in simple recognition of the fact that they are all essentially the same machine.

 

Well for the sake of £70 you would have been stupid to have not gone for the 107 as you seem to have some good extras there.

 

I am a Citroen fan true and but I do like some of the Peugeots. 207cc is my fave.

[ColinC1]

The whole thing about city bugs is that they are all the exact same to drive with japanese reliablilty.

 

It depends on market conditions when you will get your bug, if you want one for the new reg then there is more of a waiting list.

 

I always have a personal plate, so 'new reg time' does not bother me, so when I bought my red 3 door Vibe, I got it in 4 weeks straight from the factory.

 

Also my reason for buying the C1 was cost, it was the cheapest at the time (cashback offer) with the best trade-in price for my Smart Fortwo, so I jumped for it.

 

OK, some like the front or back of a specific make of the car for visual reasons, but at the end of the day they are all the same car, off the same production line.

 

Hence, when the time comes to trade in my C1, I willl be buying another 'City Bug', and again, the make will depend on price and availability.

 

Only this time it MUST have central locking and electric windows.

[ritbitboy]

By the way ritbitboy welcome to the forum :huh: , it must be nice to really like the cars you're selling. Just a shame they're so hard to come by!

 

Thanks very much !!

 

To answer the reliability question Martin - I'm really not sure. It is early days for me here. General feedback is very good. The guys on here are the best judges of that.

 

It's wierd in this car industry. Ask a technician or service advisor if the cars they work with are good, they will say no. This is because they deal, inevitably, with fixing ones that have problems - cars whose owners say "I'll never own another xxx".

 

As a salesman, I get the people who say "I love my xxxx and I want another one." - a totally different set of circumstances. Mind you, personally I have to like what I sell. I am a (*take a deep breath*) honest car salesman and pride myself in that.

 

I have worked for Pug, SEAT, Jaguar, VW & Alfa Romeo. I loved them all except for Alfa. I would never, ever buy an Alfa, and after a few months I refused to sell them (we had SEAT at the same site so I could still sell) because I did not believe in them.

 

As for Mr Clarkson:

 

From The Sunday Times June 19, 2005

 

Anyway, the thing is, you voted for Blair so plainly you like the idea of a world where all the animals are equal and all 4x4s come with a free hippie chained to the radiator grille. So I’m sure you’ll be delighted to find that the subject of this week’s column is a small Citroën called the C1.

 

In many ways, it’s the spiritual successor to the old 2CV, that poisonous upturned bathtub favoured by the sort of hippie who’s currently handcuffed to the tow hook of your Land Cruiser. If Citroën were really on the ball, they’d sell it in CND livery with Save the Whale bumper stickers ready fitted. And maybe get superhippie Steve Hillage to design the upholstery. Man.

 

Instead they’ve been even cleverer, making a car that is pared to the bone and then shaved. To save development costs it shares a body, a floor, suspension and even an engine with both the new small Peugeot and the Toyota Aygo, the little car in which my colleagues on Top Gear recently played football.

 

And that was just the start. The rear tailgate is made entirely of glass rather than made from metal with a window glued in place. And there’s only one electric window switch on the driver’s side. To get the passenger window down you have to lean over . . . which is no great hardship since this is not a big car.

 

I’m reminded in fact of an advertisement Citroën ran many years ago for the 2CV which claimed it had central locking. “You can easily reach all the doors from the driver’s seat.” And that it was faster than a Ferrari. “At 70mph the 2CV will easily overtake a 308 GTS travelling at 68mph.”

 

There’s that same sense of jokey cheapness in the C1. And yet. And yet. Deep breath. I liked it enormously, because it has something which is sadly missing from most modern cars. Charm.

 

Oh sure, 0 to 60 takes a week, the ride’s bouncier than a government adviser’s breasts and the boot’s barely big enough for Darling’s IQ, but the interior is a jolly place to be. It even has a docking port for an iPod, and you don’t get that on an S-class Mercedes.

 

As a station car this would be absolutely ideal, especially when you look at the result of all the cost cutting. It’s only £6,500.

 

The only problem is quality. Citroëns have an unenviable reputation for breaking down a lot, which might lead you to the door of the identical Toyota Aygo. This is £500 more, which you might think is a small price to pay for that famed Japanese reliability.

 

But since the two cars are made in the same factory, by the same people, I would therefore save the money and go for the C1.

 

Then, when the road pricing scheme comes to fruition, with the anti 4x4 big-car bells and whistles in place, it’d be just the right size . . . for driving right up Darling’s backside. "

 

:) Anyway, that's a long enough post I think !!

 

Hang on...is that a customer I see walking in...?

 

Er.....

 

No. A mirage. Damn.

[TurboSlag]

2 problems there Mr Clarkson...

 

To save development costs it shares a body, a floor, suspension and even an engine with both the new small Peugeot and the Toyota Aygo,

Other than the floorpan and internal monocoque, the Aygo shares no body panels with its sibling. Even some of the glass (rear quartes and tailgate) are different.

 

The only problem is quality. Citroëns have an unenviable reputation for breaking down a lot, which might lead you to the door of the identical Toyota Aygo. This is £500 more, which you might think is a small price to pay for that famed Japanese reliability.

The cars are manufactured by TCPA, an independent organisation, created as a joint venture between PSA and Toyota. As such, the vehicles are neither PSA or Toyota manufactured products, and are all subject to exactly the same manufacturing tolerences and quality control.

 

Nice to see Jezza hasn't changed - he's an entertainer, not a serious motoring journo.

[ritbitboy]

Good grief Turbo....you really know your stuff !!

 

I had someone come and ask me about compression ratios on their Citroen. Was that you ?

 

:lol:

[TurboSlag]

No, wasn't me chum!

 

My old fellers a specialist engineering financier and does a lot of work for PSA financing their operations, so I get a lot of the gen from him.

[750Nig]

2 problems there Mr Clarkson...

 

Other than the floorpan and internal monocoque, the Aygo shares no body panels with its sibling. Even some of the glass (rear quartes and tailgate) are different.

 

The cars are manufactured by TCPA, an independent organisation, created as a joint venture between PSA and Toyota. As such, the vehicles are neither PSA or Toyota manufactured products, and are all subject to exactly the same manufacturing tolerences and quality control.

 

Nice to see Jezza hasn't changed - he's an entertainer, not a serious motoring journo.

 

Jezza didn't write body panels, he wrote 'body' possibly rather than 'internal monocoque' as most readers would glaze over with that phrase.

 

He also says 'But since the two cars are made in the same factory, by the same people, I would therefore save the money and go for the C1'

 

The problem with being a pedant is that it attracts other pedants !

 

I remember Top Gear with William Woolard, it was just soooo boring. Much prefer the current format.

[TurboSlag]

Telling people to buy the Aygo over the C1 if you want the "legendary Toyota reliability" is laughable though, when the Aygo is not made by Toyota, and is made on the same line by the same people as the C1. You gotta admit, that's worth a grin.

 

Mind you, Clarkson also erroneously tells everyone the Morgans have a wooden chassis, when they don't and never have (steel chassis,with an ash frame to support the bodywork).

 

Yeah, Willaim Dullard was boring as hell! Jezza...Entertainer - hell yes. Even remotely well informed serious motoring pundit - definitly not.

[ritbitboy]

True, true....

 

He likes Alfas and thinks they are fun to drive !!

 

Having sold them for the past 3 years I totally disagree....I so many people come in and test drive "cos Clarkson said that you're not a petrol head unless you've owned an Alfa"...I could count on one hand the number of folks who agreed with him.

 

But to give him credit he says they will go wrong. A lot. How right he is there.

[ColinC1]

My words of advice for all those who have ordered a new City Bug, and been told the delivery is far longer than expected.....

 

Make sure the price for the new car is held for a guaranteed time period (say the next 6 months), no matter how long the wait, get that in writing. Also if you have a trade-in the same goes for keeping the price held on that.

 

I have suffered in the past waiting for new cars and the delivery period slips, so I always ask for the above, if expected delivery date is iffy.

 

SORRY STORY....

I bought a brilliant new Honda Civic coupe years ago , made in the USA. It was supposed to be 8 weeks delivery and ended up six months wait, due to being RHD and unforseen massive sales.

 

When the car arrive, I was asked for a £400 hike in price due to a increase in Honda prices the month before. I totally refused to pay that saying the car shoud have been delivered to me 5 months before this price hike. They acceped this logically.

 

Also to rub it in worse, due to the delay in production, the cars spec had changed and a factory fitted immobiliser was now standard at a £200 extra cost. I asked for it to be removed, but it was an integral part of the engine managment system, so it was impossible to do that.

 

The Honda garage would not release the car to me until I stumped up that £200, so they had me over a barrel.

 

I paid up and wrote to Honda Headquarters UK, stating the whole sorry story and that I had bought 4 previous Hondas, so eventually they did pay me back the £200.

 

Since then I have ensured that I am always covered in writing, to avoid delivery delay problems on new cars.

[Martin_1973_uk]

I think it is more the fact that Toyota give a better customer service according to the surveys although I have had a good service so far from the Citroen dealer in Colchester.

 

Is TCPA a joint venture by Toyota and the PSA group that own Citroen and Pugs? I think you'll find it is just run by Toyota with the french company supplying the diesel engines etc.

 

I had an Alfa 157 as a works hire car once and I agree, they were lovely and the engine note is to die for. Just shame the electric windown switch came off in my hand. Italians don't make reliable cars, end of.

 

As for Clarkson, Top Gear give the car of the year award to the Ford Mondeo, a car sold by thousands yet they didn't even review it over the series. All they seem to look at are very highly priced fast cars that no one can ever afford. I like seeing Ferraris go around a track but they don't show much else. Totally uninformative and Clarkson has lost touch with the real world. Traffic, runnings costs etc.

[Martin_1973_uk]

How long ago was that Honda story as since 1995 all cars sold in the EU have to have an imobliser so they might have been having you on?

[750Nig]

True, true....

 

He likes Alfas and thinks they are fun to drive !!

 

Having sold them for the past 3 years I totally disagree....I so many people come in and test drive "cos Clarkson said that you're not a petrol head unless you've owned an Alfa"...I could count on one hand the number of folks who agreed with him.

 

But to give him credit he says they will go wrong. A lot. How right he is there.

 

Had an Alfa Spider for a couple of years, mainly to fulfill a lifetimes ambition to drive the Alps in an open sports car, after spending a small fortune sorting out the suspension and brakes (brakes come in useful in the mountains from time to time) we had 2 excellent holidays, the first in France/Switzerland/Italy the second mostly in Italy (the lakes) due to snow storms in Switzerland. During these trips the Alfa ran without fault, over the 2 years we owned it however, we always seemed to be paying out for various failings.

Sold it and bought a Fiat Stilo JTD - ho hum - out of the frying pan ...... Apart from the regular elctrical issues it was and is an ok car. Son is driving it now, but moans because its a five door. Ungrateful so n so.

[TurboSlag]

Is TCPA a joint venture by Toyota and the PSA group that own Citroen and Pugs? I think you'll find it is just run by Toyota with the french company supplying the diesel engines etc.

TPCA is a stand alone company, jointly created by PSA and Toyota. I know this, as my old feller financed them. TPCA itself is not part of either Toyota or PSA and (contractual production obligations from the funding partners aside) is an independant organisation.

 

The 'Toyota' engine and drivetrain (Toyota in origina, but first employed by Daihatsu) is manufactured under licence from Toyota in Poland, and shipped to the plant. The HDi unit is indeed PSA in origin.

[ColinC1]

How long ago was that Honda story as since 1995 all cars sold in the EU have to have an imobliser so they might have been having you on?

It was just before that happened, 1994 and they knew the legislation was coming in, but I did not, hence the spec update.

 

But this story emphasises waiting for a new car has its costly pitfalls, and this one is that if a manufacturer updates the car spec and asks for more money, you can be landed with the bill when you go to collect.

 

Hence it is better to get a new car off the showroom, or in stock, or a dealer swap, or a guarenteed time of delivery within a reasonable period.

 

If not, then ask for a written guarentee of no increases or hidden costs during the waiting time or just walk away and buy a different make of car.

[ritbitboy]

Damn and blast.....talking of long deliveries....

 

So today I was asked to hand over a C1 Rhythm that had been ordered in MAY !! Yes, MAY !!!...long before I started here. So, as I am a generally friendly kind of chap my boss asked me to hand it over as I could hopefully treat her right and let her enjoy the experience.

 

So there is was, a pristeen C1 Rhythm 5 door in black...5 months in the making...sitting in the sunshine looking lovely.

 

Then a chap who had borrowed a car from me for the night and was bringing it back promptly drove into the C1. Scraped the front wing and bumper.

 

:huh:

 

OH MY GOD. The customer was on her way here at this point. No stopping her now. No excuses. No hiding it.

 

AAAAHHHGGGGGHHHHH...ground swallow me up !!!

 

Can you imagine how I felt ? 5 months of waiting, to have to tell her that someone has just driven into it !!!

 

Anyway, all did go well. I just came clean as you have to in these circumstances...and fortunately the guy who did the damage did buy a car !!!

 

Nightmare.

[JenJen]

I will have waited 14 (!!) weeks when I get my C1 (blue 3 door, similar to UK Rhythm) and if they stick only one tiny logo of their shop on it, I won't be gentle with my salesman. :huh: Don't even want to think about my reaction if I see a scratch on it.

[CE08LDB]

Seems there is a delay on the C1 it didn't stop my local Dealer putting an advert in my local newspaper this week advertising a finance Deal on a C1 Rhythm.

[shilley]

Hi all.

 

A quick update. Finally took delivery of a red C1 last Thursday. My dealer also presented me with a lovely bunch of flowers to thank me for my patience. A 7-week saga has come to an end and I'm well chuffed with my new motor.

[JenJen]

7 weeks? Well, I was waiting for mine exactly 15 weeks! I've survived and now I just LOVE my blue C1. :D

[ritbitboy]

We have just had a memo from Citroen saying that C1 availability is back to normal again.

 

Let's hope it stays that way.

 

This year has been survival of the fittest for dealers. It will be interesting to see how many dealers shut at the end of the year !!

 

Citroen are actually a nightmare to have a franchise for and I am amazed that more dealer groups do not tell them to poke it.

 

For example C1's as we know were in short supply. Citroen fined any dealers £250 per car if they tried to hoarde them so that they had units to sell - some dealers were trying to pretend that they had cars sold so that they could keep the cars they had.

 

I had a customer who had bought a C1 from me last month. He was sadly made redundant and could not go on with the sale. Fair enough, poor chap. I gave him his deposit back and wished him the best of luck.

Citroen fined us £250 for that !!

No sympathy for the situation. They just bloody fined us.

I know £250 might not sound a lot, but we typically make about £300 per C1 we sell. Then people expect a deal...so £200 profit is the norm. So now we have a car in stock that already only makes us only £50 and it's not even sold yet !!

 

It makes me mad.

[CE08LDB]

We have just had a memo from Citroen saying that C1 availability is back to normal again.

 

Let's hope it stays that way.

 

This year has been survival of the fittest for dealers. It will be interesting to see how many dealers shut at the end of the year !!

 

Citroen are actually a nightmare to have a franchise for and I am amazed that more dealer groups do not tell them to poke it.

 

For example C1's as we know were in short supply. Citroen fined any dealers £250 per car if they tried to hoarde them so that they had units to sell - some dealers were trying to pretend that they had cars sold so that they could keep the cars they had.

 

I had a customer who had bought a C1 from me last month. He was sadly made redundant and could not go on with the sale. Fair enough, poor chap. I gave him his deposit back and wished him the best of luck.

Citroen fined us £250 for that !!

No sympathy for the situation. They just bloody fined us.

I know £250 might not sound a lot, but we typically make about £300 per C1 we sell. Then people expect a deal...so £200 profit is the norm. So now we have a car in stock that already only makes us only £50 and it's not even sold yet !!

 

It makes me mad.

 

Thats disgracefull that is. Citroen should be supporting their dealers. No wonder Caledonia went bust.