Citroen DS3

FORGET 
Wish You Were Here...? I wish 
I was there! I’ve been 
forced to endure 
a frustrating few weeks because my 
favourite long-term car is being used by everyone – except me.

The reason? I recently broke my foot while holidaying in 
the Maldives, and my damaged metatarsal has stopped me from driving anything with a manual gearbox. So I’ve been confined 
to the office for the most part, while our Citroen DS3 has 
been having all the excitement.

My colleagues tell me the car 
is still performing brilliantly, and it’s great to hear their feedback. Our human resources director Alison Hunter was very excited 
at the prospect of a drive in the Citroen. A visit to one of our satellite offices in Frome, Somerset, took her on a 180-
mile adventure, involving both monotonous motorways and blistering B-roads. “It’s such a fun car to drive, and I love the styling,” she gushed on her return. 

When Citroen delivered our DSport model’s big brother, the 204bhp DS3 Racing, to the office, we couldn’t wait to try it. Deputy motoring editor Jack Rix and motoring writer Paul Bond set off on a hectic day’s driving. London to Goodwood, West Sussex, was their first leg, before heading north to Coventry, and finally back to Citroen’s HQ in Slough, Berks. After clocking up more than 270 miles, they both agreed the hefty £7,000 premium the flagship model commands isn’t really justified – they decided our turbocharged 1.6-litre version 
is a much better option. Mind you, I could have saved them 
the running around and told them that in the first place!

The DS3 has made a name 
for itself already. I’m not one of those people who gives their car a name or treats it like a member of the family, but I did get a distinct sense of pride when the DSport was pitched against the new 
Audi A1 and MINI Cooper 
late last year (Issue 1,140). 

The little French supermini certainly gave its rivals a run for their money, and emerged with overall victory. The official Auto Express verdict was that it was the best all-rounder and sure to put a smile on your face – and I couldn’t agree more. The Citroen’s racy styling still turns heads, even though the model is now a more common sight on the road than 
it was when our DS3 first arrived.

The chic grey and red colour combination is one of the best 
on offer, and I know at least two people who have ordered a DS3 
in the exact same specification after seeing our car. And despite racking up the miles, the engine still revs cleanly and sounds good, while the interior is standing 
up exceptionally well, too.

Few things in life are perfect, though – and there are some niggles. For example, there must have been insufficient anti-freeze in the washer bottle mixture this winter, as the severe weather saw the windscreen washer pipes split. And the mudguard on the driver’s side front wheel also popped out. Oil consumption 
is rather higher than I expected, too, but that’s about it. 

All I need now is to pass a fitness test before I can get back behind the wheel – it won’t 
come a moment too soon.

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