With low insurance premiums, Citroen’s C2 is a popular pick as a first car. Here’s the Used Car Expert Buyers Guide

With low insurance and affordable running costs, the C2 is a popular first car.

Why consider a CITROEN C2?

Citroen C2s are often considered as first cars because they look trendy, there aren’t huge numbers about and it’s perceived to be cheap. That’s because the basic specs feel cheap and reliability on Citroens suggests they may be built on the cheap.

There’s nothing fundamentally wrong about the Citroen C2, or Citroens generally, but there’s nothing that is stand-out good either. Essentially, they are over-complicated Peugeots with more fussy styling. It’s a car for two adults and two small kids, no more.

Which CITROEN C2 to buy?

The 1.6 petrol is for boy-racers with cash (or credit cards) to burn. Which leaves the 48MPG 1.1 petrol – ideal for local runs and your first insurance premium. For everyone else there is a 1.4 petrol that does the same MPG but struggles less and a 66 MPG 1.4 diesel.

If you do a lot of miles, you should buy a bigger car that is more stable on motorways. But if you insist on a tiny French car, then go for a 1.4 HDI. Be aware that you pay more for diesels despite average mileage 15,000 more than the 1.4 petrol (our pick).

What price to pay for a CITROEN C2?

£6,000 buys a 3 year old 1.4 petrol with average miles of under 20,000. With £3,000, look for seven year old cars with average miles of less than 50,000. The diesel will be £500 more on the newer models and as much as £1,000 more on older stuff.

Depreciation is almost never out of double figures which means the longer you wait, the older the car, the cheaper it gets and whenever you buy, you are going to lose a noticeable amount of money.

What faults do I need to check before buying?

Here is one of the faults UsedCarExpert.co.uk recommends checking for before buying:

During the test drive, when changing gear, you may find there is a gear selection problem; the change may be rough.

The electronics may need re-programming to make the gear change smooth.

For a full report of common faults on the CITROEN C2, visit UsedCarExpert.co.uk