Creditplus car review of the Citroen DS3 – a compact customisable city car

The Creditplus Car Review. Each month we take a look at one of the cars that we have been financing for our customers. As well as our review, we will bring you what our customers have to say about the car, and the best finance deals we have available. This month, we are looking at the Citroen DS3, a perfect supermini for city living, darting in and out of traffic before squeezing into a parking space.

Citroen DS3 Overview

The Citroen DS3 is one of the leading supermini’s on the market. Looking at the customers who apply for finance on the DS3, we see a lot of young women professionals choosing this car. It’s easy to see why, with its compact size making it ideal for urban driving. Cheap to run, a range of new innovative technologies make using the DS3 a pleasure to drive.

“Dreamy, safe, comfortable, nothing short of one of the best cars I’ve driven in 40 yrs on the road. Having had various makes and models. This will be my last car.”
-User review, Creditplus Car Reviews

The LED front lights give a distinctive look to the car, turning heads for the right reason. For those buying a new car, the Citroen DS3 comes with a variety of personalisation options so you can match the car to your style.

“Fantastic looking car, I especially love the LED daytime running lights on the front. These are really eye catching and highlights the car which makes people look at it.”
-User review, Creditplus Car Reviews

“Citroën DS3 is a stunning, stylish car that you can personalise to make it uniquely yours. With sleek lines and chic styling, it’s a dynamic, modern car.”
-Citroen DS3 official website

Comfort and Styling

Interior has been designed to be as comfortable as possible. Figure hugging seats help keep you relaxed when driving, whilst the leather steering wheel has a nice feel to it. The low driving position fits perfectly with the compact design. The five interior seats make the most out of the space available, although fitting three adults in the back could be a bit cramped, especially as the DS3 is only available in a three door version.

“Inside the leather seats are so comfortable and the ratio between you and the controls are perfect. It has 5 seats, a bit of a squeeze in the back but I am usually carting kids about so no problem for me.”
-User Review, Creditplus Car Review

An added feature often overlooked is the noise reduction, meaning that driving on busy roads is not as harsh on the ears – ideal for rush hour. Dials and fittings have chrome incorporated into the design to add a further gloss to the finish.

“Beautiful to look at inside and out. Excellent body and paint work, second to none. Coming with a high gloss interior, comfortable seats front and back in lovely contrasting upholstery. A real pleasure to see on the road, a head turner.”
-User Review, Creditplus Car Review

Economy

The DS3 is available in 1.2 litre or 1.6 litre engines that provide a variety of different MPG values. The 1.2 litre models can give 57.6 MPG, where the 1.6 varies between 47.9 to 78.5, depending on the different engine specifications chosen. Best MPG is the 1.6e-HDi 115 Airdream DSport. Emissions tend to fluctuate between low and medium, so car tax will vary, again depending on the exact model variant you choose.

“Very economical, lucky as I do a lot of running about with having a teenager. A nippy little mover and is quick to pull away. I drove to Birmingham from Yorkshire and was highly impressed with the fuel consumption when compared with my last car.”
-User Review, Creditplus Car Review

Accessories

To go with the personalisation options available, a number of fun accessories are available. The built in hi-fi system is MP3 compatible, and comes with a third speaker built into the centre of the dashboard, as well as an amplified subwoofer in the booth of the car. An optional extra is a built in eMyWay navigation system, with a 7 inch screen and European maps.

A connecting box installed beside the gearbox allows you to plug in an MP3, USB stick or smartphone with Bluetooth audio streaming. Icing on the cake is a built in air freshener that provides a pleasant smell that can have its intensity adjusted or switched off entirely.

Safety features

A number of useful driving aids are built into the car, including cruise control with a speed limiter function. Automatic rain-sensitive windscreen wipers and headlamps react to the weather conditions to make one less thing to worry about. An onboard computer monitors the way the car is driven, whilst rear parking sensors help when reversing into a parking bay.

Assessed by Euro NCAP back in 2009, the DS3 achieved a 5 star safety rating – the highest possible. Particularly praised were the safety assist features, and more recent DS3’s have added more to make it even safer. Citroen DS3 comes with six airbags fitted as standard. The cabin has been protected with a stiff cell to stop objects entering it, whilst non-occupied areas are designed to crumple, providing maximum protection for driver and passengers. Active City Brake is an automatic braking system that works to prevent low-speed collisions, particularly when driving around town where these accidents are much more likely.

Child safety has also been considered, with rear seats fitted with ISOFIX anchorage points to safely secure child seats.

Citroen DS3

If this sounds like a car that matches your style, then Creditplus can provide the car finance for you. We have new Citron DS3’s available from just £216 per month. If you want something cheaper but without losing quality, we have used and nearly new DS3s over at our database of 50,000+ cars.

Apply online today and receive a decision on the car finance options available to you. Unlike other car finance providers, Creditplus are an ethical lending company and will only soft search your file, important when applying for more credit in the future.

Once you apply, a member of our experienced customer advisor team will contact you to take you through the car finance process, walking you step by step and doing all the hardwork for you. So all you have to do is tell us what car you want and how much you want to pay, then we find the car for you and have it delivered to your doorstep. Ready for your new car? Then apply now!

Confused about car finance? We understand it can seem like a daunting process. We’re here to help. Visit our help and advice section for a complete guide to the car finance process.

Other deals you may be interested in:

Ford Fiesta – Britain’s most popular car. The right choice for you?

Battle of the Superminis – A comparison of the best superminis on the market.

Vauxhall Corsa – Another popular choice.