I said that but we have just bought a new C4 Grand Picasso as the S-Max we had was getting a bit stale. It's quite a nice car and nowhere near like the Citroens of yore. Granted, it's only got 500 miles on the clock so far, so reliability remains to be seen, but it's got a 3 year warranty so this takes out any financial element of this happening.
Whilst the petrol version is a better choice on a hot hatch, the resale value generally doesn't hold as well as a diesel. Most modern diesels are pretty nifty anyway and perform just as well, if not better, than some petrol engines. A friend of mine has just bought a Golf GTD and whilst I would have said it is sacrilege to get one of these in diesel, it's quite impressive, although is missing that petrol sound from the engine and the power at the top end.
the diesel specs are OK. 74 mpg official, and zero car tax. 0-60 under 10secs. So not as quick as the petrol but I work out we will save about £500pa, even on just 8000 miles pa., so it will easily save the cost difference in just 2 or 3 years.
Had a Citroen quite some years ago, a Xantia, superb car, most comfortable ride of any car I have had, unfortunately at that time resale values were very poor, so, lost quite a lot when I came to sell it.
the diesel specs are OK. 74 mpg official, and zero car tax. 0-60 under 10secs. So not as quick as the petrol but I work out we will save about £500pa, even on just 8000 miles pa., so it will easily save the cost difference in just 2 or 3 years.
Sadly 8,000 miles is nowhere near enough for this type of diesel engine and if you are not using the vehicle regularly at motorway speeds expect serious DPF expenses in future.
Sadly 8,000 miles is nowhere near enough for this type of diesel engine and if you are not using the vehicle regularly at motorway speeds expect serious DPF expenses in future.
It is not scaremongering, although I was under the impression it was mainly larger diesels that were affected.
I had 2 Jag XF 3.0 S diesels, and although 80% of my miles are blatting up and down the motorway (just what they like), on 2 occasions a mere day's town stop-start driving brought on the DPF warning light. I had to hack out of town to find a faster road and give it a blast to clear out. From then on, every time I had a city journey, I'd be waiting for it to happen.
Recently changed to a BMW 640d Gran Coupe, and had to do 3 hours in London traffic at the weekend, which made me nervous. So far, so good, Maybe the Germans have cracked it.
There is nothing else that would give me 0-62 in 5.4 secs, 465lbs of torque and a realistic 40mpg on the motorway! It even sounds fantastic. Small diesels are another thing entirely.
I would certainly be doing some regular motorway driving, but I work from home, and don't do a load of commuting mileage. This also isn't my only car. That's why the annual mileage will be on the low side.
I would certainly be doing some regular motorway driving, but I work from home, and don't do a load of commuting mileage. This also isn't my only car. That's why the annual mileage will be on the low side.
Ah, the Maseratti Quattroporte does the journeys then. ;-)
If you are concerned about saving money on fuel then i'm not sure buying a small engined diesel that has the potential for dpf, turbo , injector, clutch and flywheel failure is the best thing although they have gotten better.
As others have said you don't do the mileage to make buying a diesel worthwhile .
I would certainly be doing some regular motorway driving, but I work from home, and don't do a load of commuting mileage. This also isn't my only car. That's why the annual mileage will be on the low side.
Similar position and looked at the DS3 a couple of years ago before buying an Alfa. If the Citroen dealer had been easier to get to I'd have bought a petrol version. I live near to a driiver testing centre and it's telling how many DS3s are being used by driving instructors.
If you are concerned about saving money on fuel then i'm not sure buying a small engined diesel that has the potential for dpf, turbo , injector, clutch and flywheel failure is the best thing although they have gotten better.
As others have said you don't do the mileage to make buying a diesel worthwhile .
well in financial terms, it certainly adds up.
diesel car tax, 0, petrol car tax 130.
on as little as 8000 miles, I calculate using diesel saves over £350 per annum, so I am saving nearly £500 pa in total.
I have had a DS3 sport diesel version for two and a half years now and it is the best thing I have ever driven. I really only drive it around town but I have found it really economical. Great looking car and fun to drive
I'd like to make a few observations on the diesel engine in the DS3...from personal experience working in the car repair trade.
Yes the DPD can be a problem using the car for short journeys, but if you get out on the motorways and give the car some revs at least once a week, obviously stay inside the speed limits, but you can still be in a lower gear.
My experience is that around 80,000 miles is when the DPF shows signs of a problem, but once the fluid is topped up and the filter given a regeneration things settle down and all is well....cost is around £180 at a dealer.
This applies to the potential turbo problems as well as DPF....make sure the correct oil compatible with DPF is used at all times and don't go over the recommended oil change interval, plus, ask for a sump clean out at regular intervals and also a new mesh filter in the turbo oil intake.
The Dual mass flywheel can be a problem, but if you drive it smoothly without slamming in the clutch they should last....I had a DMF fail in my own car at 44,000 miles, but I was unlucky.
This dmf, dpf problem is not specific to Citroen or French cars, BMW, Audi, Mini, Ford, etc all suffer these problems.
I could write a very long list of common failings on all sorts of cars, you just pay your money and make your choice.
Comments
I said that but we have just bought a new C4 Grand Picasso as the S-Max we had was getting a bit stale. It's quite a nice car and nowhere near like the Citroens of yore. Granted, it's only got 500 miles on the clock so far, so reliability remains to be seen, but it's got a 3 year warranty so this takes out any financial element of this happening.
Whilst the petrol version is a better choice on a hot hatch, the resale value generally doesn't hold as well as a diesel. Most modern diesels are pretty nifty anyway and perform just as well, if not better, than some petrol engines. A friend of mine has just bought a Golf GTD and whilst I would have said it is sacrilege to get one of these in diesel, it's quite impressive, although is missing that petrol sound from the engine and the power at the top end.
Sadly 8,000 miles is nowhere near enough for this type of diesel engine and if you are not using the vehicle regularly at motorway speeds expect serious DPF expenses in future.
Check this out.
Nothing like a bit of scare-mongering.
It is not scaremongering, although I was under the impression it was mainly larger diesels that were affected.
I had 2 Jag XF 3.0 S diesels, and although 80% of my miles are blatting up and down the motorway (just what they like), on 2 occasions a mere day's town stop-start driving brought on the DPF warning light. I had to hack out of town to find a faster road and give it a blast to clear out. From then on, every time I had a city journey, I'd be waiting for it to happen.
Recently changed to a BMW 640d Gran Coupe, and had to do 3 hours in London traffic at the weekend, which made me nervous. So far, so good, Maybe the Germans have cracked it.
There is nothing else that would give me 0-62 in 5.4 secs, 465lbs of torque and a realistic 40mpg on the motorway! It even sounds fantastic. Small diesels are another thing entirely.
I would certainly be doing some regular motorway driving, but I work from home, and don't do a load of commuting mileage. This also isn't my only car. That's why the annual mileage will be on the low side.
Ah, the Maseratti Quattroporte does the journeys then. ;-)
I think if the lottery obliges on Friday, it might be a Ferrari, but otherwise it will remain a humble Vauxhall.
If it obliges the last thing you should do is buy - better to hire what you need as you need it
As others have said you don't do the mileage to make buying a diesel worthwhile .
Italian? Are you sure?
Similar position and looked at the DS3 a couple of years ago before buying an Alfa. If the Citroen dealer had been easier to get to I'd have bought a petrol version. I live near to a driiver testing centre and it's telling how many DS3s are being used by driving instructors.
well in financial terms, it certainly adds up.
diesel car tax, 0, petrol car tax 130.
on as little as 8000 miles, I calculate using diesel saves over £350 per annum, so I am saving nearly £500 pa in total.
Yes the DPD can be a problem using the car for short journeys, but if you get out on the motorways and give the car some revs at least once a week, obviously stay inside the speed limits, but you can still be in a lower gear.
My experience is that around 80,000 miles is when the DPF shows signs of a problem, but once the fluid is topped up and the filter given a regeneration things settle down and all is well....cost is around £180 at a dealer.
This applies to the potential turbo problems as well as DPF....make sure the correct oil compatible with DPF is used at all times and don't go over the recommended oil change interval, plus, ask for a sump clean out at regular intervals and also a new mesh filter in the turbo oil intake.
The Dual mass flywheel can be a problem, but if you drive it smoothly without slamming in the clutch they should last....I had a DMF fail in my own car at 44,000 miles, but I was unlucky.
This dmf, dpf problem is not specific to Citroen or French cars, BMW, Audi, Mini, Ford, etc all suffer these problems.
I could write a very long list of common failings on all sorts of cars, you just pay your money and make your choice.