2008 Citroen C4 Reviews

If you looked around a service station forecourt a year ago, you'd easily spot the motorists with a diesel vehicle.They were the ones filling up their fuel tanks with a smug expression.That's history. Now diesel refuellers have furrowed brows and mechanically watch the dollar signs roll over on the bowser gauge.Which is what I was doing when it came time to top up the Citroen C4. I wasn't happy about that $11.20 I had to put in that thing to travel 100km, let me tell you. Highway robbery.But the time has come to do your calculations before jumping in and buying a diesel vehicle.Work out how many kilometres you would average each year of ownership. Consider the price difference between the purchase price of a diesel car compared with a petrol car.If the diesel car is more expensive — some aren't — then that difference is practically the value of the “free” petrol you could put in the petrol model.The Citroen C4 comes in 2-litre diesel and petrol versions. They cost $35,990 and $33,990 respectively for automatic versions.Based on an average of 15,000km a year, the diesel will cost about $1750 a year to refuel at $1.77 a litre. The petrol model's fuel bill would be about $1798 a year at $1.48 a litre.The difference is about $48 a year. With a $2000 premium on the car's purchase price, the diesel model would take 41.7 years of ownership to finally equal this difference.It's very unlikely anyone would own a car, especially in today's fashion-car market, for 41 years.So you're not smug anymore are you, diesel owners.But if the price of diesel and petrol were equal — and who's to say that can't happen again — the story would favour the diesel.And it's a lovely ride. The C4 with the “big” 2-litre turbo-diesel — Citroen also makes a 1.6-litre diesel version — is quick off the mark and almost silent at cruising speed.Part of its economy and brisk manners is the silky six-speed automatic, but a lot comes back to the diesel engine for which the Peugeot-Citroen group — called PSA — are renowned.The C4 has similar features to other C4 models and that includes a welcome cabin that will seat four adults in comfort.It has a bright and airy disposition that is enhanced by simple controls and a perfumed air freshener, but there are some aspects of the dashboard that could be better constructed.Citroen quality is improving each year but it still needs a kick even to reach Peugeot standards, let alone that of the Japanese.The C4 handles well and has a supple ride. However, anyone thinking this car will match the cloud-nine ride of older Citroens will be very disappointed. Most of the underpinnings are shared with Peugeot.In the 1970s, Citroen owners wore tweed, had beards and lived in the hills. It was pretty much the same for the women, though not all lived in the hills. Now Citroen has a broader market although it is still a car for the motorist who seeks something a bit different. The C4, in diesel especially, will guarantee that difference.

It's doubtful if a car buyer looking at a new Holden Commodore or Ford Falcon would contemplate putting Citroen C4 on the list. Until now.The sales figures show the swing from large cars with their petrol-guzzling six-cylinder engines to small-medium cars with four-cylinder engines.Allied to that is the rise in model choice and sales of diesel-engine cars.It's an interesting study to ponder that the Holden Commodore, for years (until now) Australia's biggest-selling car, starts at $36,790 for the Omega. It's Aussie rival, the new Ford Falcon, starts at $36,490.Undercutting both is the Citroen C4 2.0 HDi, a small-medium hatchback from France at $35,990. It has everything most drivers would want - dual-zone climate control, power windows, electric folding door mirrors, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, auto headlights, stability control, front, side and curtain airbags, trip computer, fog lights, split-fold rear seat and alloy wheels.The Commodore Omega or Falcon XT can not match the C4's six-speed sequential shift automatic, either.Sure, the C4 is a smaller car than the big Aussies, particularly in back-seat width. But isn't it smaller cars people are wanting now? The C4 has been out for a few years and has engines including 1.6-litre and two-litre petrol units, and a 1.6-litre diesel, but this latest two-litre diesel is a beauty.It's smooth and torquey and matches well with the transmission. Its 100kW of power is no match against the big sixes. But it's no slug either.And, once rolling, the 320Nm of torque at a gentle 2000rpm has an overboost facility to 340Nm for periods of maximum effort. That even shades the torque from the Holden V6.And here's the winner; fuel consumption.The official rating for the Citroen C4 2.0 HDi is 6.6 litres/100km. I had no trouble averaging 6.5 litres/100km, even in suburban traffic.The Commodore Omega's rating is 10.8 litres/100km and it uses 64 per cent more fuel than the Citroen C4. The C4 diesel has a wonderful surge from 2000rpm, has a flat underbelly to give good aerodynamics, runs quietly (2000rpm at 110km/h) and has a comfortable driving position thanks to height and reach adjustable steering and seat, although the A-pillar set well forward requires peering around.The Citroen C4 2.0 HDi is very easy to live with. Especially on those few occasions when you call at the servo.