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Certainly, the Citroen C3 SC is light-years ahead of the first C3 in terms of reliability, but can it catch your eye and your money and make you overlook its somewhat shabby reputation like the shack where I’m writing from?

I believe this is the most forgotten car from Citroen, and hardly anyone knows anything about it. Especially now that the Citroen DS3 has arrived, which is practically a much better-looking and more dynamic version of the Citroen C3 SC. And then there’s the Citroen C4, which is essentially a larger C3, so the question arises: why would you buy a second-generation C3?

• There are two quite important reasons. The first reason is that in this range of cars every 100 pounds counts, and the Citroen C3 was cheaper to buy new than the C4 or DS3, and it’s much cheaper to buy used as well. Seriously, you can buy a Citroen C3 SC from 2010-2011, functional and with papers, for just 2000 pounds. You won’t find a Polo or a Fiesta from the same year at that price. The only real alternatives to the Citroen C3 SC are the Vauxhall Corsa and the Dacia Sandero, but the point still stands that it’s one of the cheapest used cars and it’s also fairly reliable.


• The second reason is that the Citroen DS3 was the sport version of the C3, and it comes with larger and more powerful engines, a more aggressive look, but also with sport suspension. And if you want comfort, the Citroen C3 SC is the better alternative. And more practical too, because the C3 comes standard with 5 doors, while the DS3 has only 3 doors.

So, the Citroen C3 is the convinced family member, while the DS3 is the rebellious adolescent. A C3 will live its life in a supermarket parking lot, while a DS3 will be in the parking lot of a music festival. One is Tom Jones, and the other is Becks V The Menthol.

And the second generation Citroen C3 is indeed a step forward compared to the first C3. Sure, it hasn’t transformed from a Cavallier into the Rixos Marina or from plain water into Guiness, but the second generation Citroen C3 comes with more technology, more safety systems, and engines for everyone. What’s more, it has standard cruise control on all models and that gear shift indicator that lights up on the dashboard when you need to shift gears, in case you’ve forgotten or don’t know when the right moment is. So, we still have an inexpensive and very easy-to-drive car.

Citroen C3 SC Engines

Petrol

• 1.0 MPI TU1 of 68 horsepower – The PureTech engine that I don’t think I’ve ever seen in action on a Citroen C3 SC. In fact, I’m not even sure I’ve seen more than 2 C3s of this generation in action ever. Plus, it only appeared in 2013 on the facelift model, when the C3 was already far too lost in anonymity.


• 1.1 MPI TU3 of 60 horsepower – This is carried over from the previous generation of C3 and the 206, and it’s a simple and reliable engine. The only notable issue is with the catalytic converters, in the unlikely event that you care and that you’ll drive enough miles for the issue to occur.


• 1.2 MPI EP6 of 82 horsepower – It has a more dubious reputation than Bobby Cummines, and you don’t know if it’s genuine or not. Built jointly by Peugeot and BMW, this engine is notorious for its camshaft that had play straight from the factory, so I wouldn’t throw money at this engine like an Dubai arab throws money at mobile toilets.


• 1.4 TU3 and EP3 of 73 and 95 horsepower – I’ve said it in the article about the Citroen C4 and I’ve said it in the article about the Peugeot 208, and I’ll say it here too. The 1.4 VTi with 95 horsepower is probably the most balanced engine for this car and it doesn’t have any specific issues.


• 1.6 EP6 of 120 horsepower – I’ve said it in the article about the Peugeot 208, and I’ll say it here too. This engine really doesn’t get along with the normal C3 because it only comes with the top trim level, and it implicitly costs so much that the point of the C3 is lost. Not to mention that this is a sports engine, and if you want sport, there’s the Citroen DS3. Anyway, if you insist, this engine is decently reliable and only needs coil packs from time to time.

Diesel

• 1.4 HDi DV4 of 68 horsepower – The old 1.4 HDi received a major overhaul and now it doesn’t have an appetite for injectors like the balkan people have an appetite for V33. However, with those 68 horsepower you’re limited to city life, but it’s a Euro 5 diesel that doesn’t get along with the city at all, so this engine is in a bigger existential crisis than a college graduate who sends out their first resumes on the job market and sees that nobody hires them for the dream job and definitely not for the dream salary.


• 1.6 HDi DV6 of 75, 90, 92, and 112 horsepower – Like the hateful 1.4 HDi, the 1.6 HDi also underwent a major overhaul and no longer destroys injectors and turbos like in the old days, but instead it can develop an increased appetite for oil, but you’ll have to accept that because it’s the only engine with which you can constantly travel outside the city. Although I don’t know why you’d want to do that in a Citroen C3.

Citroen C3 SC Reliability Issues

• We quickly move on to the action and take a jab at the infotainment system. Constant issues with Bluetooth connectivity, so check beforehand if your phone can connect to the car, if you care about that option. However, you should care about the Radio / MP3 at least because that tends to work only when it feels like it.


• And we continue on the line of electrical issues because otherwise it wouldn’t be Citroen. The microchip in the key… that, tends to faint early, so you’ll have to change it because otherwise you’ll be left with the spare key and the question “when will this key break too???” and then you’ll really feel like the skin of the male genital organ. And if the microchips in the key aren’t enough for you, you also get some issues with the tailgate stop light that works when and if it feels like it.


• The manual gearboxes of the diesel engines can have issues with the linkage and synchros, and the semi-automatic ETG gearbox should be avoided altogether.

Citroen C3 SC Verdict

Honestly, I’d rather recommend a Citroen C4 from the second generation because it’s a slightly larger car, somewhat better equipped, and with a somewhat nicer interior. But if 500 pounds make all the difference to you when buying a car, then the Citroen C3 is worth it. But that’s the only real reason to buy it, just because it’s a few hundred quid cheaper. Personally, I’d work for an extra month and buy a C4, which is a much more complete car.

What engines do I recommend? For petrol, absolutely the 1.4 VTi of 95 horsepower, and for diesel, the 1.6 HDi with 92 horsepower or any variant you find really.