Item: Used Citroen DS3 hatchback 2009 - 2016
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/citroen">Citroen</a> DS3’s most obvious rival is the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/hatchback/hatchback/used-review/n906">Mini Hatchback</a>, which outshines it for interior quality and handling, but is slightly more expensive to buy and has a smaller boot.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/fiat/500/hatchback/used-review/n323">Fiat 500</a> is a smaller car than the DS3, but equally as cheeky and hugely popular, meaning there are plenty of examples to choose from. What’s more, you can pick one up for about £1000 less than the equivalent DS3.

Finally, if you are after a small car that is fun to drive and won’t cost too much to run, don’t overlook the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Ford Fiesta</a>. It might lack the DS3’s fashionable image, but it’s great to drive and unlike the DS3, Fiat 500 and Mini hatch of this era, is available with a family-friendly five doors.

<a href="http://www.whatcar.com/classifieds/used-cars/citroen/ds3/">Find a used Citroen DS3 in the What Car? Classifieds here</a>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

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While there are exceptions to the rule where customers have experienced the odd expensive problem, DS3s on the whole are faring well as far as common problems are concerned. The most significant issue to note is that pre-2014 versions of the 1.6 THP engine can suffer from stretched timing chains and excessive oil consumption, so if you’re looking at one of these make sure the engine doesn’t rattle at idle or stutter when you accelerate.

Bluetooth phone connections can also be temperamental, so try hooking up your phone as part of your inspection.

Citroen’s reliability record has been slowly improving, reflected in the French firm’s mid-table finish in the JD Power 2016 UK Vehicle Dependability Survey, where it was placed behind Peugeot and Fiat, but ahead of Renault and Mini. So while it is always possible you could pick a bad example of the DS3, the odds are in your favour that you won’t.

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Hatchback

Citroën is probably most famous for its quirky design, and the latest cars from the brand live up to this tradition, featuring paintwork-protecting ‘Airbumps’ and eschewing the sporty looks favoured by most rivals.

Indeed, Citroën tends to keep away from sportiness altogether and instead tries to put comfort first.

Value (but not cheapness) is also key to the appeal of most Citroëns. And the company’s range includes everything from small hatchbacks (such as the C1 and C3) to big, family-friendly seven-seaters (the Spacetourer and Grand C4 Spacetourer).

The C3 Aircross SUV is another of its popular models, while a larger C5 Aircross is planned.

CITROEN

The fashionable Citroen DS3 certainly isn’t short on kerb appeal, but there more to it than just its stylish looks?

Used Citroen DS3 hatchback 2009 - 2016

Citroen’s engines tend to perform well in EU economy tests and the DS3 is no different. The most efficient 1.6-litre diesel returned more than 78mpg, and you can expect 55-60mpg in normal driving.

Petrol engines range from 35-40mpg in normal driving, with the thirstiest being the 1.6 THP turbo. Adding an automatic gearbox will dent that figure by another 5mpg or so.

Choose a facelifted DS 3 with the 1.2-litre petrol engine and the on-paper figures of more than 60mpg look good, although in reality you’re unlikely to see much more than 45mpg.

Still, the impressive official fuel economy stats translate to low CO2 emissions, which in turn mean the DS3 is cheap to tax. Most diesel models qualify for free road tax (or a £20 annual fee at worst), but petrols are costlier, with the 1.6 costing between £135 and £190 per year. Insurance is reasonable, and Citroen’s fixed-price servicing costs for cars over three years old are competitive with rivals, with prices starting at £115 for a minor service and £195 for a full service.

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The fashionable Citroen DS3 certainly isn’t short on kerb appeal, but there more to it than just its stylish looks?

As you’d expect, the bottom end of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/citroen">Citroen</a> DS3 market is dominated by high-mileage cars and the occasional Category C or D insurance write-off. For one of these, you’ll need to pay at least £3000.

The DS3s you want to be looking at, however, cost from £4000 and have fewer than 80,000 miles on the clock. Petrol and diesel options are fairly evenly split, and at this price you’ll be choosing between a non-turbo 1.6 petrol or the 1.6-litre diesel. THP versions of the DS3 start at £4500 for a car that’s covered less than 70,000 miles.

Facelift DS 3s cost from £9000, while if you’re after a DS3 Racing hot hatch you can expect to pay upwards of £8000.

When it was launched the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/citroen">Citroen</a> DS3 was available in DSign, DStyle and DSport guises. Each of these could then be personalised with different colours for the bodywork and roof, plus graphics and various wheel designs, but if you opt for a DSign model you’ll still miss out on air-conditioning, and you might need to do without alloy wheels, too.

That being the case, we’d upgrade to the DStyle, which will give you these items along with LED daytime running lights and rear privacy glass.

Opting for a top-spec DSport version of the DS3 means you’ll get 17-inch alloy wheels and dual-zone climate control.

The 2015 facelift not only resulted in the loss of the Citroen badge, but also in the introduction of a new 7-inch touchscreen system designed to cut down on some of the DS3’s many interior buttons. The model range stayed much the same otherwise, but the names of each version were changed to Chic, Prestige and Performance respectively.

Our favourite Citroen DS3: 1.6 THP DStyle/Prestige

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Spacious enough for four adults to sit comfortably</li> <li>Logically laid-out interior that doesn’t</li> <li>feel too cheap</li> <li>Mature driving manners </li> <li>Decent-sized boot</li> <li>Competitive buying and running costs</li></ul>

Small cars, or superminis as they’re also known, used to be bought by single people or couples with no children – but the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen&nbsp;Polo have grown to the point where they can be considered all-round family transport, albeit with the odd compromise.

The Fiesta remains a star of the class, thanks to its strong Ecoboost petrol engines and suspension settings that are beautifully judged for British roads. However, the latest Volkswagen offers even more practicality, decent performance and a classy interior that has the edge on the Ford’s for quality.

Any of these models will be a competent commuter car – especially if fitted with one of the increasingly popular small turbocharged petrol engines – but just remember that while you’ll be able to carry two adults and two children, it might still be a struggle to get all of their luggage into the boot.

Small

The youthful appeal and fun-to-drive nature of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/citroen">Citroen</a> DS3 mean it is popular with younger buyers, so check for the kind of scraped wheels and scratched body panels that can result from having an inexperienced driver behind the wheel.

The interior trim can also be a little flaky so ensure everything feels solid and that the electrics, including the windows, work as Citroen intended.

The DS3 has been recalled more times than most (it’s comfortably into double figures), with possible problems relating to the ABS braking system, bonnet catches, engine cut outs and loose wheel bolts all among the offending items. This shouldn’t put you off buying a DS3, especially as recalls are generally limited to small batches for each problem, but it will be worth contacting a Citroen dealer and giving them a car’s registration to check all the necessary work has been carried out.

Think of the Citroen DS3 as a French rival to the Mini and you’re on the right lines. This three-door-only car might be based on Citroen’s rather ordinary C3, but with a neat design, plenty of options to customise its appearance and engaging handling it is a much more satisfying car to own and drive.

The interior looks smart enough to justify the car’s upmarket aspirations, although quality isn’t as good as you’ll find in a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/hatchback/hatchback/used-review/n906">Mini</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/fiat/500/hatchback/used-review/n323">Fiat 500</a>. The DS3 does edge these rivals for space, however, even if it falls short of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/c3/hatchback/used-review/n902">C3</a> on which it is based. The front feels particularly generous because of the deep windscreen and large seats. However, those seats do impact on rear legroom so the DS3 is best suited for carrying kids, who will also be better able to deal with the rather slim opening into the back. What’s more, while there are three seatbelts in the back, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/citroen">Citroen</a>’s claim that the DS3 is a full five seater is a touch ambitious.

The boot has a high lower lip that you’ll need lift heavy items over, but overall capacity is much better than you’ll find in a Mini. You can easily fit the weekly shop or a couple of cases, and most baby buggies will slot in without the need to remove a wheel. In-car storage is less impressive, with a tiny glovebox and small door bins.

Petrol engines at launch consisted of 1.4- and 1.6-litre units, the latter available with or without a turbocharger. All of these engines do a solid job, but it’s the THP turbo that’s most impressive, giving the DS3 almost hot hatch-like performance.

Those interested in a diesel DS3 can choose a 1.6 HDI engine in a range of power outputs, all of which are pretty smooth and very frugal, if a little noisy. In all cars the manual gearbox feels a little loose as you shift between gears. If you’re after an automatic gearbox meanwhile, the six-speed unit fitted to cars built from 2016 onwards is a big improvement on its four-speed predecessor, which is jerky and sluggish, and therefore best avoided.

Although it has a firmer ride than the C3, the DS3 is still compliant enough to be enjoyable to drive on all but the most rutted roads. The exception is the DSport version with 17-inch wheels, which borders on the uncomfortable side of firm and transmits more road noise to occupants as well.

The trade-off for the DS3’s sporty suspension setup is much neater handling than other Citroens of its size. A Mini still leads the way in this area, but the DS3 is still pretty good fun to drive.

Those after the ultimate DS3 should look for the Racing model – later renamed the DS3 Performance – a heavily modified version of the car developed by Citroen’s talented racing division. While not perfect (the ride is ultra firm and the front wheels sometimes struggle to cleanly deploy the 207bhp produced by the 1.6 engine), it’s a very capable little car that’s great fun to drive.

The DS3’s major facelift came in 2015 when Citroen launched DS as a brand in its own right. As a result the DS3 (or DS 3, as it now became known) lost its Citroen badges while gaining a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine and a less cluttered interior design.

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Used Citroen DS3 hatchback 2009 - 2016 review

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Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Citroën DS3 hatchback?