Too long, didn't read summary:
"It's very Citroen."
The bit you'll need when you hire one and just want to go:
"The parking brake release is next to the hazard lights button. See previous statement."
After my flight home was cancelled today (seems no one was brave enough to fly into Leeds this morning) I pulled my usual trick of booking the cheapest, nastiest car I could find on the Avis website and wandered over to their office to pick it up.
Usefully - and inevitably - they didn't have any in stock that they were willing to abandon 200 miles away so I was handed the keys to a brand new Citroen Grand Picasso instead. Diesel engine of some description. No idea what but it made noise and went quite quickly if you put your foot down.
So, the good bits:
* The engine is surprisingly pokey considering the weight of the car.
* The seats adjust easily.
* The turning circle is AWESOME.
* Visibility all round is excellent.
* The sat nav works well.
No instrument binnacle on this thing. Instead, you get a TV screen the size of which would embarrass even the most committed benefit scrounger. Three themes, all of which are pretty ugly but clear enough to work.
That's where the good bits end. Everything else is controlled through a smaller touchscreen in the centre console which has to handle sat nav, climate control, radio, media, car setup, and everything else that might ordinarily be handed off to a single button.
It. Is. Appalling. In fact, I think appalling is being too gentle. I spent more time drifting over the rumble strip onto the hard shoulder trying to figure out where Absolute Radio was hidden on the system than actually in the lane. There are about 30 buttons on the steering wheel, none of which are labelled. In addition, there are FOUR thumbwheels, some of which seem to duplicate each other and some which appear to do nothing. There are also two buttons on either stalk.
When the sun hits the centre console the screen reflects it directly into your eyes. You also can't see the screen at that point to do anything useful with the car. You can't view the map on the main screen unless you tap an unresponsive touch button, which means taking your eyes off the road completely.
Changing the instrument cluster theme involves shutting the car down and letting it reboot. You can't select a preset on the radio without going out of navigation mode. You can, however, set the big TV screen to show a slideshow of photos from your phone.
What's it like to drive? Well, assuming you haven't crashed it into a wall trying to pick up Radio 4, not bad. Will pull nicely in 6th from 40mph, comfortable ride, and direct steering. A bit wobbly in the wind today but not terrible.
Fuel economy? Averaged 74mph on the motorway, tested the 0-60 out of the services twice and faced a 40mph headwind most of the way. 58 mpg brim to brim, which is astonishing considering that from the front it has the aerodynamics of an Aga. It may have been slightly better than that, in fact, since it showed 85% when I picked it up and I dropped it off completely full.
Last edited by: Fursty Ferret on Wed 11 Jan 17 at 20:23
|
>> After my flight home was cancelled today (seems no one was brave enough to fly
>> into Leeds this morning)
I believe FlyBe/Loganair made it in but needed clean pants after wind + weathercock effect came close to overwhelming tug on pushback.
|
As I posted on the 'windy weather ' thread, I was watching the Ryanair flight holding at 5,000' feet before finally diverting. My brother drove around Ilkley Moor then over Otley Chevin at 8am and reported interesting driving conditions. I think all the am KLM & BA flights were cancelled, together with several Jet2 & Ryanair flights.
Some video on Look North tonight
|
|
Sounds like new owners of such vehicles should be given free time in a simulator. Heating controls on a touch screen? Ridiculous.
|
>> Sounds like new owners of such vehicles should be given free time in a simulator.
>> Heating controls on a touch screen? Ridiculous.
>>
Yes! I have been carping on about this for ages. It is dangerous. A couple of hire cars had them recently. All very nice and flash until you need to do something useful like demist the windshield.
I guess removing the buttons and wiring for them saves a few quid and over a few tens of thousand cars must save a pretty penny or two.
|
|
The Citroen Cactus has all the heating and air con controls on a touch screen. There is however I believe a separate specific button to demist the screen thus resolving the problem.
|
|
I dislike touch screens in a car myself, but why is it particularly dangerous with a demister?
|
>> I dislike touch screens in a car myself, but why is it particularly dangerous with
>> a demister?
>>
I suppose its because you can probably wait to pull over before making a number of adjustments but the demister can be needed whilst moving.
|
My wife usually adjust the tough screen to the rock station she likes drives me potty sometimes.
I like the old fashion systems turn a knob and find your channel.Overall we like the car Citroen C4 Grand Picasso,1.6 Diesel.
Comfy seats and plenty of luggage space.The manual gear change is so so I have used better boxes.
Plenty of airbags and about 55mpg.There is a extra tank in the boot to kill off any emissions small particles at the end of the exhaust.Supposed to be filled every 12000 miles.Plus the D.P.F system..
|
You probably wouldn't do it in a hire car but if its anything like my Golf most of the touch screen functions are replicated on the steering wheel buttons and thumbwheels so a proper look at the manual should allow most things to be done without taking your eyes off the road.
I do agree that the heating controls should not be on the touchscreen, although with climate control I rarely touch them except to alter the temperature from season to season, the car doesn't mist up inside.
|
|
BMW seem to have thought it out. All the important stuff is on old fashioned buttons or stalks, all the secondary stuff is in the iDrive managed screen. Using that is now second nature on the move. You can select R4 from the steering wheel and the Sat Nav has nice touch sensitive proper buttons on the dashboard.
|
I've got my Hyacinth Bucket hat on now and I'm going to be all posh:)
We sit in the XC60 on the drive and tell it to connect to the internet and book our next service!!
.......and get a confirmation email via the dashboard;)
Pat
|
In theory, you can control many of the functions in my car with voice commands. But I strongly suspect it of selective deafness. It certainly refuses to respond to swearing no matter how loudly you do that.
Irritatingly, my UK resident but German friend and neighbour can make it work. Maybe it's his accent.
|
A C4 Picasso 1.6 diesel auto would suit me down to the ground from a comfort, space and VED point of view.
Reliability ???
Not sure about touch screen everything: do earlier ones have it too?
SWMBO says "No" to any change of car.
Last edited by: Roger. on Thu 12 Jan 17 at 20:13
|
|
Looking on Autotrader there seems not to be touchscreen on earlier variants.
|
|
Touch screen only came in with the current shape about 2013.
|
|
Assuming that it's a similar touch screen set up to the Peugeot 308 (is that the Golf sized hatch?) that Avis rented me last year then yes, it's a nightmare to use on the move. Spoils an otherwise very pleasant car I think.
|
>> Instead, you get a TV screen the size of
>> which would embarrass even the most committed benefit scrounger.
>>
Lovely phrase! - worthy of a Clarkson car review ;-)
|
Quick review - Citroen Grand Picasso - Bromptonaut
