24th Aug 2006, 13:28

I am in the lucky position of having the choice for a company car of a Citroen C4 2.0 HDi VTR+ or a Civic 1.8 SE. I actually like both cars and it is a very hard decision to make. I think the Civic looks great from the front, but have to agree with the previous comment that the rear of the Honda looks naff. Triangular exhaust pipes and lots of clear plastic is going to date very quickly. The C4 looks good all round and I think it will stand the test of time. Not so much the Coupe version though.

The interior of the Civic is (in my opinion) an absolute gem. It's so well laid out and so much better than a normal car. The build quality is also better than the C4. I was very disappointed after I opened the C4 glovebox as it was extremely flimsy. However the C4 has a nice interior and is also well laid out and better than a run of the mill Focus or Astra. The Specification offered in the Citroen is also better than the Civic.

After lots of hours deciding I went for the C4 with a promised 52 MPG. Got to wait 6 weeks to get it. Fingers crossed I have made the right decision.

22nd Sep 2006, 23:36

The speedo in the centre of the dashboard is perfect. I don't find it distracting at all and I still have a view of the road in front of me, unlike when I look through a steering wheel to look at a speedo on other cars.

In terms of taste, the C4 coupe will outlast all other cars in its category. Let's face it, the French have taste!

26th Sep 2006, 06:27

I have the misfortune to own a C4. Ever since day 1 the car has made unwanted noises while driving, breaking and backing up. That is why I have decided to sell my C4 back to the Citroen-dealer and buy a Focus instead.

27th Sep 2006, 22:45

And this is why people with said cars should join owners forums.

Then you would know that it's a common issue, and one that has a fix by Citroen in which the rear calipers, pads and discs are replaced.

Not only that, but any car with disc brakes is always going to squeak a bit, it's just normal can't be avoided.

I too had the noise, and now my car is totally noise free and has been perfect motoring, with very little noise from anything for the last 6 months.

But enjoy the Focus. It has a worse ride, much more uncomfortable seats, and is totally boring and ugly. Its only saving graces are the nice gear change and the handling. Which means it is a little more chuckable. But driven the same, there's very little difference in them.

6th Feb 2008, 08:18

I rented one of these for a few days last month and loved it. It reminds me of an old school Citroen - quirky, "different" and very pleasant to drive. Certainly aesthetically it's in a different league to the Focus, Astra or Golf, and nobody makes diesel engines as linear, smooth and inoffensive as the French. It makes VW's bigger, less powerful 1.9 TDI engine sound and feel agricultural and ancient.

The hire car I drove had 11,000 hard driven miles on it, and still drove like new. Everything worked, nothing rattled or squeaked and all controls were taut and precise. It seems Citroen have massively improved their quality control as well.

Great car, and a welcome breath of fresh air in a class of talented, but incredibly boring tin-box clones. Out at the ragged edge it's not as composed a handler as the Focus most probably, but who drives a 1.6 diesel hatchback in a way that they'd even notice?

1st Mar 2008, 13:08

I can't imagine why anyone would choose a citroen car over a honda. Citroen is a budget car manufacturer whereas honda tends to cater toward the premium marque sector. I would go for the honda in the blink of an eye.

Citroen cars are poorer quality, count on reliability problems in the first few years.

2nd Mar 2008, 11:02

Tend to agree with the last comment. Also earlier the depreciation was compared in a very odd way. The new civic with the diesel engine in it is in a different league in terms of residuals compared to any citreon.

French cars are nice cars to drive, I don't pretend they aren't, but when you look at actually owning one it is a different story. The French took ages to offer a 3 year warranty like the other manufacturers because they simply aren't very reliable, and don't expect them to follow suit and bump it upto 5 years anytime soon.

12th Mar 2008, 16:19

The Civic might be a more "Upmarket" car. It really isn't that great though. My friend has had to refuse his due to ongoing problems the dealer has been unable to fix.

My C4 on the other hand. Still going like a champ and my Citroen is older and had no rattles. Unlike his Civic. Heard of this happening to a few of them now too.

They really are not that great. You also realise Citroen have also improved their reliability hugely over the last few years. Now one of the most reliable cars you car own. Ahead of every single European brand 2 years in a row and also ahead of a few of the Japanese brands. 3 years ago they were near the bottom, but a lot can change in that time.

People think Citroen and automatically it gets lumped into the badly built, rubbish car. And they just aren't anymore. The C4 is no worse than the Focus, Civic in terms of build. But with more individuality. What can I say I am not a sheep.

And while the Civic keeps it's money better you have to realise that Citroen sell the cars cheaper. Do the maths and compare like for like with how much you have to really pay for each and the figures are not that disimilar.

Plus at the end of the day... the civic is an ugly car. Especially the Type R which looks like it has driven through the Halfords Ripspeed section and come out with most of the bits on the shelves.

23rd Mar 2008, 17:37

There is no "might" about it. The Honda is in a different league than the Citroen. We shouldn't even compare the two.

9th Nov 2009, 19:42

How on earth is Honda 'premium', this is the company that brought us the 'Jazz'? LOL...

Had my 56 plate C4 Hdi VTR+ Coupe for a year now, love everything about it!

I enjoyed the review, but I am not sure why anyone is comparing it to the Civic, there is a fairly big price difference. Plus the Civic is ugly.