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Original poster

Thinking about buying a C4 Grand Picasso

27 replies

megandraper · 10/01/2013 14:26

There's a hefty discount available until the end of January which is tempting us to take the plunge.

We've got a Xsara Picasso at the moment, but could do with the extra seats (have 3 small children and need to be able to transport grandparents/other children/etc. regularly)

Anyone with experience of one? Any tips? Any recommendations (have read that we should go for the diesel engine and the manual transmission).

OP posts:
podgymumma · 10/01/2013 14:35

Just something to take into consideration - they don't come with a spare tyre. They just come with a can of special sealant that is supposed to cover the hole in the burtst tyre until you can get it fixed.

My friend tried to do this and the hole was too big and ended up having to buy a really expensive tyre from the AA in the middle of the night Angry

Original poster
megandraper · 10/01/2013 15:14

that's a bit crap, podgy! thanks for info

OP posts:
HannahsSister40 · 10/01/2013 15:26

Do not buy a French car.
That is all.

signet · 10/01/2013 15:32

I love love love my c4 grand Picasso.

Absolutely right that they don't come with a spare tyre but lots of 7 seaters don't and it's never been a problem for us.

Incredibly economic with fuel and pretty cheap to tax and insure compared to lots of others.

Very spacious and the back seats fold down very easily for when dh wants to pretend he's driving a van...usually when he wants to go to the tip. Boot is huge even with just the very back seats down. We can fit all our camping gear for a week and 3 children in the car easily.

Middle back seat folds down flat so with our three we have them spread out in the car and they have tons of space without being able to reach each other to poke/hit which is a bonus.

Very easy to drive, lovely all round without being too expensive. Did I already say I love mine?

snowballashoebox · 10/01/2013 15:33

what hannah said.

signet · 10/01/2013 15:34

I don't know why people say don't buy a French car. It's ridiculous. We've just bought a second citreon - the c3 because they are so reliable and inexpensive to fix if something does go wrong. We've had ours for 2 years and not a single problem. Last car was also french - peugeot and was fab for 15 years!

Tincletoes · 10/01/2013 15:39

I chose one as my company car and I am already looking forward to giving it back. I really don't enjoy it at all. Yes it's big and great for getting my 3 under 6s around, but it's plasticky and just feels so cheap.

But then again they are obviously affordable! If money were no object - I'd get a cmax. Clearly Citroen's are loads cheaper. However I would weigh up if you really really need 7 seats or could you get a wide 5 seater.

Also depends how much you enjoy driving!

Sidge · 10/01/2013 15:42

Very few new cars (especially MPVs) come with a spare tyre these days.

I've had a Grand C4 for 3 years now. I've got the 1.6 diesel manual and it's quite sparky for a big heavy car - good acceleration and goes like the proverbial once you get going.

The boot is huge with the 2 rear seats down (fits DD2s clunky great wheelchair in easily as well as loads of luggage) and still fairly roomy even with the extra seats up. The seats are easy to flip up and down but you wouldn't want to put a child seat on them - like most 7 seaters the 2 rear seats aren't like regular seats, they're slimmer and lighter.

Mine hasn't had any reliability issues at all. It's pretty economical for a big car. The only things that bug me are that the electric windows don't respond quickly enough sometimes, there's no heated front windscreen and the CD player has chewed up some of my CDs.

I preferred my Ford S-Max by miles but the Grand C4 is a prefectly reasonable (and much cheaper) substitute.

Sokmonsta · 10/01/2013 15:55

I have an automatic c4 grand Picasso. For my family of 6, it's not quite big enough as we need a double buggy. We bought it when we found out I was pregnant, great car, isofix. Plenty of room, chiller box in front. Two spare seats to take out non-driver inlaws out with us. Then found out I was carrying twins.

I can still get the kids/pushchair/shopping in. But for a family of 5 it would have loads of room and the economy on mine has been really good. It broke down once, was a fuse. The only thing the aa and my mechanic didn't realise was it doesn't have a fuel pump in the normal sense. So it's symptoms of a fuel pump failure had them talking a lot to Citroen. But other than that, I do love my car and despite it being big, it's easy to drive.

KoalaTale · 10/01/2013 15:59

Yabu, French cars are awful IME, as are far eastern ones.

Lifesagame · 10/01/2013 16:01

Yep - definitely what Hannah said!!

Original poster
megandraper · 10/01/2013 16:17

well we've got a citroen already and are happy with that one, so hopefully the Frenchness not too much of a problem!

1.6 diesel manual is what we are thinking of as well.

did any of you get any of the extra options and think they were worthwhile (or not?) - like the SatNav which seems to be massively expensive compared to having a plug in one (but DH would much rather have a built-in one)

OP posts:
Chopstheduck · 10/01/2013 16:21

yabu.

I had one, was quite glad to see the back of it. It was jsut so cheap, it looked awful by the end of three years. Seats were sagging and had weird water marks - even though nothing was ever spilt) bits of the trim falling off, the bits that were still there were scratched to hell.

Though having said that it was a nice car to drive, and I lvoed the display in the center.

I now have a galaxy - far better build quality, heaps more space (though it isn't actually very much bigger at all), but it is a bit underpowered and struggles with mountains.

Chopstheduck · 10/01/2013 16:22

I had the bog standard citroen. It had pretty much everything we needed at the time. My galaxy is the top spec one though - the leather seats and parking sensors are the two things I really love having now.

Tincletoes · 10/01/2013 17:09

Very good point too about actually seating 7. You need to go and see one as I'm not quite sure who seats 6&7 are designed for. You wouldn't be able to put a child seat on them, and no way would I want to subject my parents or inlaws to the rear seats - the one time we had DMIL with us, I went in it - it is tiny with zero leg room.

Squeakygate · 10/01/2013 17:20

Im sure there is a motoring topic?

SantasENormaSnob · 10/01/2013 17:28

We had nothing but problems with ours.

Oh and the engine shuts off when there's one of many a fault, fucking marvellous when in the outside lane of the motorway or approaching a busy junction.

fluffiphlox · 10/01/2013 17:33

While the French have many skills,car design and build is not one of them.

lagoonhaze · 10/01/2013 17:36

Things that would put me off.

Storage boxes and car seats as cant put leg prop on top of storage box.

Diesel particle filter- if it has one of these not good for short journeys/around town.

Chopstheduck · 10/01/2013 17:45

6 and 7 ok for booster seats, proper car seats and you would struggle. It was starting to get cramped for us (Youngest are 7yo dts)

Inaflap · 10/01/2013 17:58

You can pay extra and have a spare tyre fitted underneath. Ours is fine. Its not the most exciting thing to drive but its great for the family and the back two seats fold away so its not like having a massive 7 seater. The only thing is is that these have low leg room and is only ok for the very small or the normally sized for shortish journeys up to an hour. The storage places are really useful. I still miss my picasso though even though it cornered like a brick!

podgymumma · 10/01/2013 18:40

The peugeot 807 (or whatever the 7 seater is) comes with a spare tyre as standard as my Dad has one.

Inaflap Citroen wanted £450 + VAT when i enquired how much an additional spare would be!!

MNHQ
RowanMumsnet · 10/01/2013 19:47

Hello

We've moved this to 'Cars' as it's not really an AIBU

WMittens · 10/01/2013 21:11

While the French have many skills,car design and build is not one of them.

Tell that to Bugatti.

Chopstheduck · 11/01/2013 07:13

erm the original french owned bugatti stopped making cars in 1950. It was the Italians who turned it into a luxury sports car brand!

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