Item: Used Skoda Citigo 2012-present
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

The most obvious alternatives to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/skoda">Skoda</a> Citigo are the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/up/hatchback/used-review/n794">Volkswagen Up</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/mii/hatchback/used-review/n822">Seat Mii</a>. Which one you choose will depend largely on how much you value the VW’s slightly glossier finish over the Skoda’s lower prices. Bear in mind, too, that the VW is the only one of the trio to be available with a more powerful turbocharged engine.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/i10/hatchback/used-review/n820">Hyundai i10</a> is also remarkably good for a tiny car. True, you won’t have as much fun as you can in a Citigo and it only scored four stars in Euro NCAP’s crash tests, but it’s roomier, equally as comfortable and comes with a five-year warranty.

Speaking of warranty, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/picanto/hatchback/used-review/n926">Kia Picanto</a> comes with seven years and 100,000 miles worth of cover, making it a good choice for those who want peace of mind above all else.

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

If you’re looking for a tiny car with an automatic gearbox, the Citigo isn’t the best option. That’s because the AGR gearbox it uses is a crude automated manual that results in glacially slow gearchanges and jerky progress. A <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/i10/hatchback/used-review/n820">Hyundai i10</a> automatic, with its torque converter gearbox, is a much better option.

On manual cars, quite a few Citigo and Volkswagen Up owners have also reported excessive clutch and gearbox wear, so make sure the car you’re looking at slots cleanly into first and reverse gears, and listen out for a clicking sound from the clutch.

According to our latest What Car? Reliability Survey, the Citigo is a pretty safe bet, because it finished in sixth place out of 23 other small and city cars. That’s a better score than the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/up/hatchback/used-review/n794">Volkswagen Up&nbsp;</a>managed and only just behind the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/i10/hatchback/used-review/n820">Hyundai i10</a>. Skoda as a brand came in seventh out of 31 manufacturers, which means they’re keeping their customers happy.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2018-what-car-reliability-survey/n17798">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;pages for more information.

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Hatchback

One of the greatest success stories in the car world of recent decades is Skoda’s rise to become a hugely credible mainstream maker of good-value, good-sense cars.

Central to that success has been its place within the VW Group, alongside the Volkswagen brand itself, plus the likes of Seat and Audi. That has given it access to exactly the same underpinnings for its cars as the other brands, and it has complemented this by adding its own developments, from the way the cars drive and ride through to the features they have and the pricing.

The result is a range that extends from a city car to a large executive saloon, with family and large seven-seat SUVs too. There’s a wide variety of petrol and diesel engines, all of which are competitive for the class.

As a result, Skoda has a range of cars that is almost entirely class-leading or among the class leaders, and it has enjoyed long-time success at the What Car? Awards as a result.

SKODA

CITIGO

The Skoda Citigo is a tiny car that’s extremely capable, not to mention very cheap to run

Used Skoda Citigo 2012-present

Small, light cars should be very cheap to run, and so it proves with the Citigo. All versions will achieve 50-60mpg in normal driving and you won’t pay more than £20 per year in road tax either. Greentech models qualify for exemption from road tax, thanks to the inclusion of a stop-start system pushing the cars to less than 100g/km of CO2 output.

Servicing is also cheap (Skoda’s fixed-price menu starts from £159 for a minor service), although you do need to factor in £389 for a cambelt change every three years or 30,000 miles. Being rated in a low insurance group also makes the Citigo a good choice for young drivers.

While it’s true a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/up/hatchback/used-review/n794">Volkswagen Up</a> will hold on to its value better than a Citigo, it also costs more to buy in the first place.

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The Skoda Citigo is a tiny car that’s extremely capable, not to mention very cheap to run

A budget of £3000 will get you an early <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/skoda">Skoda</a> Citigo with 50,000 or more miles on the clock. At this price, you’re looking at an entry-level S trim three-door with the lower-powered engine. For five doors, you’ll need to add £500 to that budget.

Better-equipped SE Citigos start from £3500, again with roughly 50,000 miles already under their belts.

If you want a more powerful 74bhp Citigo, expect to pay upwards of £4000 for a 50,000-mile example, for which you’ll also get more equipment.

Jumping to the top of the scale, a nearly new Citigo with around 1000 miles recorded will fetch at least £8500.

Entry-level S trim cars get a CD player but not a great deal else – even electric windows and remote central locking are left off the specification sheet. It’s worth upgrading to SE to get both of these, along with air conditioning and a height adjustable driver’s seat, or to Elegance (later renamed SE L) for alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, heated seats and sat-nav.

Beyond those, there are Sport and the later Monte Carlo models, but be warned that both come with firmer suspension that unsettle the ride.

You’ll also need to opt for at least Elegance trim if you want the higher-powered engine.

Our favourite <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/skoda">Skoda</a> Citigo 1.0-litre 59bhp SE manual

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Clever interior space </li> <li>Quiet and comfortable ride </li> <li>Good visibility </li> <li>Plenty of safety tech </li> <li>Low running costs </li> <li>Outstanding value for money</li></ul>

City cars are all about diminutive size and manoeuvrability because they invariably spend most of their time on our increasingly crowded urban streets.

They do need to be big enough for a couple of adults, with back seats that’ll suffice for occasional use by people – or as a dumping ground for a couple of large shopping bags – but they must also be small enough to nip in and out of traffic, and squeeze into tight parking spaces.

Out-and-out acceleration isn’t crucial, but there must be enough oomph in the lower gears to scoot into gaps that appear in the traffic. Running costs should be low, too.

Fortunately there’s never been a better line-up of city cars on offer. Kia's Picanto mixes a neat, functional interior with tidy handling and a surprisingly big boot, while the Skoda Citigo and Suzuki Celerio are cheaper and even more frugal.

City

First and foremost, check the portable sat-nav unit is there if it should be. Being removable, it’s one of those items that might well have been misplaced.

You’ll also need to look for the kind of dents and scratches that are often inflicted on cars that spend their time in mainly urban environments. Also, ensure the clutch hasn’t suffered from too much stop-and-start driving. Feel for a clear bite point and try accelerating from a low speed in a high gear to make sure it doesn’t slip.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/skoda">Skoda</a> Citigo has been recalled four times, but only for cars built within very small timeframes. For example, models produced between January and March 2013 were recalled to address a possible fault with the airbag warning sensor. Cars built in March 2016 and fitted with a panoramic sunroof were checked for poor bonding of a panel that can result in rattling. Five-door Citigos built from November 2015 to April 2016 were requested back into Skoda dealers to stop a fault that could cause the rear child locks from disengaging without warning.

The Skoda Citigo is a lot like the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/up/hatchback/used-review/n794">Volkswagen Up</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/mii/hatchback/used-review/n822">Seat Mii</a> – in fact, they're almost identical. That’s because all three cars share the same basic structure, engines, gearboxes and so on. Park them side by side, remove the badges and you really would struggle to know which is which.

That’s actually rather good news for the Citigo, though, because it means it feels as polished as its posher VW sibling in almost every way, but doesn’t cost as much to buy – and that’s whether you’re in the market for a new or a used one and whether you want three or five doors. Better still, the Citigo, Up and Mii triumvirate sits right at the top of the class alongside the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/i10/hatchback/used-review/n820">Hyundai i10</a> as our favourite city cars, thanks to a surprisingly 'big car' feel despite the diminutive dimensions.

The Citigo is spacious in the front with plenty of storage. The stereo looks a little basic but you can clip a separate sat-nav unit to the top of the dash that also includes Bluetooth hands-free phone connection and can be used to display the car’s trip computer.

You only get two seats in the back and leg room is tight if both driver and passenger behind are tall. However, with a shorter driver or rear occupant, there’s ample space, including generous head and elbow room.

The boot is deep enough to carry a weekly shop and you can get a false boot floor for all models to raise the load height. If you need more space, you can fold the rear seats almost flat. It’s worth noting that on entry-level S models the seatback is in one piece, whereas from SE onwards they are split in a 60/40 configuration.

It’s when you get moving that the Citigo really impresses, though, on account of its supple, quiet and well-controlled ride that puts to shame many larger cars. Combined with light controls, good visibility and excellent manoeuvrability, the smallest Skoda is a delight to drive in towns and cities, while also feeling planted on the motorway and not nearly as bothered by crosswinds as other small cars. We would advise sticking with the smaller 15in wheels and avoiding the optional sports suspension for the best ride comfort.

The engine line-up is limited to a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder unit with either 59bhp or 74bhp. If you rarely venture out of town, the lower-powered engine is up to the job. For those who plan to use their Citigo for motorway commuting, the extra power of the 74bhp is worth it. True, it still doesn’t turn the Citigo into a rocketship, but it’s quick enough to keep up with traffic.

The Citigo’s safety record is good, having scored a maximum five stars when crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2011. One feature worth seeking out is autonomous emergency braking, which is optional on all but entry-level S models and might just prevent a costly bump in the future.

The Citigo was given the mildest of midlife facelifts in early 2017. However, so slight were the changes that you’d be hard-pressed to tell.

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Used Skoda Citigo 2012-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Skoda Citigo hatchback?