Citroën DS3 Hatchback 1.4 VTi 95 DSign 3dr Reader reviews

My car

I drove this car for two weeks as a courtesy car whilst our Alfa Mito was having crash damage repairs ( hit by lorry while parked). I really wanted to like this car as it's quirky and looks fun. Unfortunately, too many things let it down, and I've never felt so relieved as when I finally got back behind the wheel of the Alfa. The styling of the DS3 is radical, but it's just trying a bit too hard in my view. However, the worst aspect of the car is the drive. The gear-lever travel is getting on for 18", with a noticeable clunk as you go past neutral. It's way too agricultural and rules out positive gear changes. The low speed ride is very comfortable, but at motorway speeds it's jiggly and unsettled, and the cornering is awful. It understeers with a vengeance like fwd cars of 20 years ago, and it feels like the suspension is made of blancmange or the wheels are linked by rubber struts- deeply disturbing. Smooth progress in town is difficult- the accelerator is feather-light and the clutch is light and long-travel so balancing starts is difficult and doesn't get much easier with practice. Also, although the throttle response is quick, it's not backed up by any oomph on this model, so a jerky start is inevitably followed by insipid acceleration. If you're going to buy one I'd say go for the higher-powered THP models with sports suspension, although the gearbox issue is still likely to preclude sporty driving.