Faults:

The common-rail system is very sensitive to fuel quality. Using low-quality diesel can clog or damage the injectors, causing rough running and heavy black smoke.

If the car is used a lot in the city and at low revolutions, the EGR valve and the DPF become clogged with soot, causing loss of power or the vehicle entering "emergency mode".

This engine uses a main timing belt, but the two camshafts are connected to each other by a small internal timing chain. This chain tends to stretch or wear out, causing a metallic sound (like a sewing machine).

It is common for small oil leaks to occur over the years and with mileage.

General Comments:

I measured up our Picasso and found it had more rear-seat space than expected. Up front, there’s plenty of space and a simple, just-enough dashboard with everything logically placed.

Especially those wonderful, elevated digital dials – a real safety boon, and I loved the way they were backlit by the ambient daylight.

The cabin wasn’t perfect, mainly down to the quality of materials failing to impress. Plastics used aren’t exactly cheap, just not special enough to match the build quality outside.

The panoramic windscreen is this car’s ace card. It just lit the cabin up and almost entirely obliterated all blindspots. Effortless visibility is a subtle quality you actually benefit from every day. Brilliant!.

I really enjoy driving the C3 Picasso. Our car’s 1.6 HDI engine was well suited to the car’s DNA. There was sufficient punch, whispery refinement and around 70 km/l – which has to be counted as disappointing for a small diesel MPV. Perhaps it needs a sixth gear, as many of our journeys were rushed airport runs and fifth is a noisy affair at 110-130 km/h.

The Picasso never felt like a fish out of water on faster runs. The ride is slightly bobblier at high speeds, but most of the time is pillowy soft. I loved its floaty softness on my daily cross-country commute – I just found it a very relaxing place to be, the car gently yawing and pitching thanks to its compliant suspension.

Did anything go wrong? Not really. Nothing broke, but a fuse blew on the screenwash in cold weather (a known problem, see below) and we were disappointed to pay 246 euros (481 old bulgarian Levs) for a 25.000 km oil change.

Faults:

Not a lot; the car ran poorly all of a sudden, found the fuel filter was clogged, could happen to any car I suppose.

Strange clicking noise coming from car one night - couldn't initially find what it was, but it was very strange. Traced to - poor design of windscreen wipers when it comes to dealing with snow - thankfully relatively rare in the UK - the snow gets under the wipers and gets 'packed' against the scuttle; the wipers keep trying and trying to 'park', even with the engine off and the car locked! I don't know how the motor didn't burn out or a relay didn't blow. Haven't had this problem with other cars and snow.

Erm... clicking from CV boots, but that's a maintenance thing that I need to fix.

The glovebox is ridiculous - so small it's almost of no use.

Seems to be heavy on front tyres? Approx 11k miles from a set (different ones) - which seems a lot to me and it doesn't get used hard at all.

General Comments:

Got this car for a great price - it was a part ex at work and was cheap as it needed tidying up inside and out; especially inside as it was not in a good state!

A few deep cleans later and it was worth the effort.

I was looking for a relatively small car with good space inside - and this car does that. It's not a big car - but the interior space is very good, front and rear. In fact I don't think there is a car of this size that's bigger inside the passenger compartment.

The boot however, is the slight downfall. I previously had a Xsara Picasso which was a similar sized car - with less room in the cabin - but it had a much bigger boot.

However, it's been big enough for our needs.

The 1.6HDi engine doesn't get the best write-up, but I think it's a decent engine, at least in this guise. It's only the 90bhp version and the car weighs over 1300kg so performance isn't great - but it's adequate and it's a pretty flexible engine. I also think it's quite refined inside. I've driven much newer and more expensive 'premium' cars such as BMWs, Audis etc which are less refined when it comes to the engine inside the cabin.

It returns 50+ MPG most of the time, with 60+ doable on longer journeys. It's never returned less than 40 MPG on a tank even in winter, which I think is decent.

In comparison to the older 2.0 HDi 90ps engine - I'd say this returns approx 5 MPG more in equivalent circumstances/car types etc.

It's far from a sporty car to drive, which is fair enough as it's not remotely a sporty car. It leans and is slow to respond. The gear change is also ponderous and clunky.

There are a lack of clever storage areas in the car. Other similar cars have more.

The rear seats are a 70/30 bench which slides and reclines. When folded, they lower so that the floor is flat. Again the Xsara Picasso was much, much bigger for ultimate capacity - but you did have to lift the 3 seats out and find somewhere to put them which wasn't always easy.

Overall - it's been a good car and it's going to be difficult to find something to replace it that offers the same qualities.

The car has a bit of a quirky style and an old person's car image... but if that doesn't bother you and you can look past it, it's a decent car in my experience.