Citroen DS3
Regular driver has taken enforced break. But everyone else loves hatch!
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!
Used - available now
2021 Mercedes
A-Class
44,421 milesAutomaticDiesel1.5L
Cash £14,540
2021 Vauxhall
Mokka
31,390 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £14,051
2022 Nissan
Qashqai
29,671 milesManualPetrol1.3L
Cash £17,114
2022 BMW
3 Series
25,100 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £22,430The 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.
Second Opinion
“The DSport is a great hot hatch. While the Racing model is faster, it’s barely any more engaging to drive and isn’t such good value. We expected a hardcore version, but ended up with a only slightly faster take on the DS3 – so we would choose our car every time.”
Ross Pinnock, Road Test Editor
