C4 Grand Picasso - 1.6 automatic diesel

CiarraiAbu2

Need a seven seater for a few years, was looking at a 2010 Grand Picasso, low mileage, but see it's automatic. I do about 60 miles a day between school run and commute.

Was told they are a lot heavier on fuel, Is there a big difference between them?

Thanks

bazz26

Those autos are supposed to be rubbish to drive. By all means take it for a test but I'd hold out for a manual.

grogi

CiarraiAbu2 wrote: »

Need a seven seater for a few years, was looking at a 2010 Grand Picasso, low mileage, but see it's automatic. I do about 60 miles a day between school run and commute.

Was told they are a lot heavier on fuel, Is there a big difference between them?

Thanks

There was a regular Aisin transmission fitted with some of the 2.0 HDi. Much better option, smoother and less problematic.

You can distinguish by the gear selection lever. The one with PRNDM is the one to get.



The robotized manual gearbox (ETG6/EGS6) is not the best. It does the job, but definitely requires some skill to have a smooth drive quality. You'll recognize it by RNAM symbols on the selector.

Irish Steve

The robotised manual is a hybrid system, in as much as it is a manual 6 speed gearbox with a traditional clutch, but both clutch and selector are computer controlled, with the option (a bit like Formula 1 but without the performance!) to use paddles on either side to change up or down. The advantage is that it doesn't suffer the performance loss that is inherent in a torque converter, but the driving style is different, in that the gear change takes the same sort of time as it would if you were depressing the clutch, moving the gear stick and releasing the clutch, but as the computer is doing it, you are aware of the lack of acceleration while it's doing it, and that may take some getting used to, as taking your foot off the throttle while it's changing will confuse it.

There are some settings on the gearbox and clutch that can't be easily updated without access to a Citroen computer system, even things like Snap on computers can struggle to deal with some settings.

The 1.6 Hdi engine is high geared, I did a test drive of one recently, to make sure the new clutch was working correctly, and it's only turning at 2200 rpm in 6th at 120 Kph, and with 110 Bhp, it's not going to set the world on fire performance wise, especially if fully loaded, but if you're not looking for a pocket rocket, I suspect it will be a good cruising vehicle. The seating is very flexible, you can set anything from 2 to 7 seats very quickly.

A caveat, like many 7 seaters, there may not be a spare wheel. the theory being that if you get a puncture, you do a temporary repair with a foam can, and get it repaired pretty quickly, which may not suit depending on what part of the country you live in, and how quickly you can get to a suitable repair station. If the tyre is damaged, rather than having something like a nail in it, that can be problematic. There are options to carry a spare under the body, which can resolve that issue, but finding a used spare winch may not be easy, they're not that common, and new the winch is around €200 and you also need a rim and tyre, preferably the same size as the road wheels, to avoid having to drive at reduced speeds.

Like many diesels, there can be issues with the DPF if it's used for a lot of short journeys, the system on the Citroen depends on it being given a reasonable length run on a regular basis to get the exhaust up to temperature and clear out the soot.

Depending on the spec, the extras on it can be pretty comprehensive, pretty much all of them have Air con and cruise control, and some have inbuilt sat nav on them, and there are parking sensors on some as well.

grogi

Irish Steve wrote: »

The robotised manual is a hybrid system, in as much as it is a manual 6 speed gearbox with a traditional clutch, but both clutch and selector are computer controlled, with the option (a bit like Formula 1 but without the performance!) to use paddles on either side to change up or down. The advantage is that it doesn't suffer the performance loss that is inherent in a torque converter, but the driving style is different, in that the gear change takes the same sort of time as it would if you were depressing the clutch, moving the gear stick and releasing the clutch, but as the computer is doing it, you are aware of the lack of acceleration while it's doing it, and that may take some getting used to, as taking your foot off the throttle while it's changing will confuse it.

Excellent write. The torque converter might consume some power, but the gearbox is free to shift as much as it wants, without discomforting the passengers. That way it catches up in the economy department.

Six speed automatics are not far behind when it comes to economy. Some ever started to surpass their manual counterparts...

A caveat, like many 7 seaters, there may not be a spare wheel.

There was an option to have one under the floor.

Like many diesels, there can be issues with the DPF if it's used for a lot of short journeys, the system on the Citroen depends on it being given a reasonable length run on a regular basis to get the exhaust up to temperature and clear out the soot.

Citroen uses Eolys fluid - there is no issue with the DPF not burning out, even in city traffic. Eolys reduces the temperature of soot ignition, so it is extremely easy for the filter to clean up.

There is a caveat though - the Caesium from the Eolys does depose in the filter over time - and it might require cleaning at some stage. Power washer does miracles - and I am not joking. But typically that is at a stage when the car is ready to be scraped.

Green farmer

I’ve a 1.6l diesal 2010 with a manual gearbox. Looked at trip computer the other day. Over the last 7,000 km she’s averaged 47 mpg mixed driving, but mostly school runs etc. their not a heavy car on diesal.