Citroen C5 Aircross - Reliability and safety
The C5 Aircross is built on a well-established platform, which bodes well for reliability
Owners voted the Citroen C5 Aircross as the ninth-best car to own in our 2024 Driver Power survey. This put it well ahead of several rivals, including Kia Sportage, Skoda Karoq, Suzuki Vitara and Vauxhall Grandland. Citroen performed well as a brand, too, ranking fifth out of 32 brands in our best manufacturer rankings.
Euro NCAP tested the C5 Aircross in 2019 and awarded the SUV a four-star rating, although this is upgraded to five stars if customers spec an optional safety pack. Adult and child occupant safety achieved 87 per cent and 86 per cent, respectively, but pedestrian safety only managed a 58 per cent score.
The C5 Aircross comes with a host of driver aids as standard, including Highway Driver Assist, which allows the car to follow the car in front on a motorway, including bringing it to a stop automatically in traffic. Also available is an extended traffic sign recognition system, ensuring you never miss a warning or speed limit sign, as these are shown in the driver display.
Warranty
Citroen provides a two-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, and you get an additional year’s cover provided by the dealer, albeit limited to 60,000 miles. It’s par for the course, but soundly beaten by warranty offers from the likes of Kia, MG and Toyota.
Servicing
Buyers can take advantage of Citroen's Service Plan programme, which allows you to spread the cost of your servicing via monthly payments.
What do owners think?
Here’s what owners of the Citroen C5 Aircross thought of the car in the 2024 Driver Power survey.
| What they like | What they don't like |
| “It’s excellent value. I pay less than £200 per month to lease the top-spec model. It’s a lot of car for the money.” | “Citroen claims 38 miles on a charge. I manage about 27 miles on hot days, but just 11 to 13 miles in the winter.” |
| “With Android Auto I can run Spotify from the steering wheel. It’s easy to connect and use on the move.” | “It’s an SUV, so there is no driving pleasure. It doesn’t do anything badly but it does nothing really well either.” |
| “It seems well built, with no rattles. Some plastics feel a bit cheap, but it’s far better than I expected at the price.” | “Only one smartphone can be added and connectivity is non-existent. It’s both annoying and disappointing.” |
| “The built-in TomTom nav with real-time traffic and connected services is very easy to use and reliable.” | “I can’t trust this vehicle. It’s been very unreliable and I don’t have confidence in the dealership to fix things.” |
| “The dash layout is particularly appealing since the touchscreen isn’t on top of the dash like an afterthought, as in so many cars.” | “I thought that I was doing the right thing by going for a hybrid, but it has been a big mistake; the economy is poor.” |
| “The acceleration is more than adequate for normal driving. The engine is very smooth, even at high revs.” | |
| “The heating and ventilation system is brilliant, because it gets up to temperature very quickly. The heated windscreen also works really well. The front seats are always very comfy, no matter how far you’ve travelled.” | |
| “There are plenty of storage spaces scattered around the cabin, and with the back seats folded down, the boot is easily big enough for me to fit in my mobility scooter or folded-up wheelchair. The C5 Aircross is even more user-friendly with its extra underfloor cargo space.” | |
| “The Aircross copes very impressively with our very poorly surfaced roads here in the UK; it has the kind of ride comfort that a Citroen should have, but which seems to be lacking in most modern cars. Despite the soft ride, my Aircross has great handling. I love driving it.” |
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Which Is Best
Cheapest
- Name1.5D Plus 5dr Auto
- Gearbox typeSemi-auto
- RRP£28,110
Most Economical
- Name1.5D Plus 5dr Auto
- Gearbox typeSemi-auto
- RRP£28,110
Fastest
- Name1.2 Hybrid 145 Plus 5dr Auto
- Gearbox typeSemi-auto
- RRP£28,875
