Citroen C-Crosser: 11,691 miles

By James Burnay

October 2009

If most of your driving is on crowded city streets, then surely smaller is better when it comes to choosing a car? Well, that’s certainly not the case with our Citroen C-Crosser.

Despite its large dimensions, I’m finding the French 4x4 is a perfect urban companion. For instance, the raised ride height gives you a commanding view of the road from behind the wheel.

As a city cyclist, I know how easy it is for car drivers not to see me – but from the C-Crosser’s elevated driving position there’s no excuse for not spotting dangers ahead.

In fact, with its light controls, direct steering and excellent visibility, threading the Citroen through crowded city streets is a pleasure.

Adding to the ease of use is its optional touchscreen sat-nav. At £2,170 it’s expensive, but with its postcode entry and long list of points of interest, the system makes light work of unfamiliar areas.

Out of town, the Citroen continues to impress. The 2.2-litre engine provides more than enough power, while still returning 36.3mpg at the pumps.

The comfortable seats take the pain out of long journeys, while the thumping Rockford Fosgate sound system keeps me entertained.

Passengers are equally well catered for, particularly in the rear, where sliding chairs free up more legroom.

There’s plenty of luggage capacity, too, with the 510-litre boot swallowing everything from golf clubs to my baby daughter’s pushchair.

But it hasn’t all been plain sailing. The rear parking sensors have gone haywire, sounding their alarm permanently when reverse gear is engaged and you are metres away from danger.

There’s also a problem with one of the seats in the third row, which has a broken base. Finally, when loading up the C-Crosser for a house move, a colleague managed to tear a small hole in the rear door trim.

A phone call to my local dealer revealed that the whole door panel had to be replaced, so I’ve booked the car in to have all the faults rectified at once.

We’ll soon find out whether Citroen’s customer service impresses as much as its car. Until then, I’m going to carry on enjoying the C-Crosser’s towering ability.

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