Citroen C4 Cactus 2018 SUV in-depth review | carwow Reviews

[@lul220]

I have owned this car for a year now. It’s really comfortable, the engine is incredible and it’s a 1.2 litre, steering is only slightly less responsive than the seat Leon. I couldn’t give a crap about the pop out windows, how often does anyone open them anyway? Normally just send a draft down the neck of the driver. It does great mileage. I would like to see a lot more cars looked at in terms of how comfortable they are. Best car i ever had the pleasure to drive was an audi a8. If they could make them all as comfortable and quiet inside as that i would be very happy.

[@stephenberry1205]

Leased a 1.6 turbo diesel with automated manual transmission for 8 weeks and 11,500 kms in Europe. Reverse parking uphill with ETG transmission is woeful. In Australia 4 years later bought a new 1.2 turbo petrol 110 hp 6 speed auto 3 years ago. Love it. The only bug bear is that you have to turn auto stop off every time you start the car, and that touch screen has a mind of its own. Love the sound of the peppy engine and smooth 6 speedo auto. It was great on a 3 week trip of 5,500 kms to the Eyre Peninsula. Those weight saving items mean you have a high boot lip as part of the light weight structure... Yes very comfy and very characterful.... with the airbumps...

[@Justyburger]

I owned an XM years ago. The suspension was amazing, but the one time it failed, ended up being very expensive. The hydraulic pipes were really costly. But...it remains the best car i have ever owned. Oddly enough i still have dreams about the car and that i still own it. I even tried to search for it on the DVLA database, but it must have been decommissioned :( RIP in Citroen Heaven.

[@kamata93]

The Hydroactive suspension wasnt reliable? Wut? My C5 has no issues at all and it is going over 275 000 km. You must be very lucky to break that suspension. Normally only the spheres cause troubles and they are like 40-50 bucks new.

[@-DC-]

kamata93 Same had Citroen BX's back in the day all 3 went to over 150k with no suspension issues at all.

[@betterbeavailable]

He just hates French cars.

[@rui518]

the thing with them is, if you go to a citroen dealer to maintain, yes its super reliable and not expensive to keep, if you go to the corner guy that never saw it but still tries to fix it, will be a night mare... also talked with some citroen owners of old times and a few of them and the bonnet pierced after total failure of the spheres...

[@nicolasbocchino3761]

kamata93 Citroën didn’t change the system because of reliability or because the new system is more comfortable (because it certainly isn’t), they did it for the same reason they don’t give you wins down back windows. To spend less money, but they’re not exactly charging you less money are they. Honestly who cares about 22 kg in a family car. It’s not a gt3rs

[@erikskallevold2080]

I had Xantia with the same suspension. Never had a problem with it.

[@cleevensjoseph]

Glass Roof ...But pop out windows...what the f..

[@erikh1041]

savinf costs lol

[@yashkapur9854]

Why Citroen why It looks like I have gone to 2070 and 1907 at the same time

[@samirav1137]

🇫🇷 Cars for ya

[@OscarLeeMX]

I like cars with soft suspensions.

[@TB.....]

@A true petrol-head No he doesn't. He just likes cars with soft suspension you dumbo.

[@reverend3578]

As a cactus driver....one thing I have to say is: this car is many things, but it's not even close to an SUV.....still awesome, for the price.

[@MrMintoni]

07:34 who is driving? Mat you have a stunt double?

[@owentreadgold8658]

Love it how its about saving weight but it has a massive glass sunroof 😂

[@netako]

Interestingly, the facelifted version sold in South America (which looks considerably different compared to the EU one) actually has winded down windows, and the roof bars are still available as standard, along with a higher groud clearance compared to both the pre-facelift version (which was also sold in South America before its facelift) and the EU facelifted version, however it doesn't have the progressive hydraulic cushion suspension from the EU facelifted model. The LA model is also marketed as a small SUV while the EU model is still marketed as a subcompact crossover SUV.

[@jeanmoins495]

I like the new seats and suspensions, however, I found it better with the airbumps. It had more like an "adventurer" look and I liked it better.

[@runnyeggyolk6347]

Oh come on, I loved the crazy design of the old one! It was so weird and unique for so many reasons, really cool in its own true ways. It’s a shame that they had to “normalize” it, I guess it’s still quirky, but not quite as much as it used to be. :( The rear end does look better though.

[@therickman1990]

I walked around a white one just like this in the showroom a while ago. What I would've liked is the white plastic bit near the C-pillar that says 'Cactus' to have been black. Gives the illusion of a floating roof, like on the XM

[@mokhan27]

My mate Shaid has a bucket list. Driving one of these bad boys is his dream.

[@shroomyesc]

I *LOVE* those seats. The colour/pattern is so pleasing.

[@elukok]

I really liked the way the original cactus looks, this is a little worse. I like the better suspension and thicker windows. What i liked about the old one was front bench seat and the looks.

[@DennisGray123]

Best car reviewer hands down!

[@eUK95]

DennisGray123 yeah get him on top gear right?

[@DennisGray123]

That would be class.

[@miskatonic6210]

Why would Top Gear want a proper car reviewer?

[@eUK95]

Sirion haha true! He's too interesting for TG.

[@Sherukka]

Sirion Proper? You gotta be kidding! Pure Too Gear (=shit) class.

[@ilovecars2558]

Congratulations for 700k subcribers!

[@HologramJones]

The problem with Citroen hydropneumatics was that Citroen did not invest enough in service and training enough mechanics/engineers to work on them. The problem was not reliability was the lack of service. Out in Europe you still see decades old Citroens going strong with seemingly no problems because there are enough of them and also a lot of them are serviced by capable trained hands. Jay Leno actually put it bluntly, you can't have any old hack with a hammer and wrench going at it, you need someone who knows the system.

[@andrewwhite8983]

Ideal car for City driving and bumpy narrow country Roads

[@PlanetautoUK]

There are some clever storage solutions in the rear, love the new look and it’s a great price.

[@peterlustig3175]

when you don't even know where the headlights are...

[@jonathan6665]

Peter Lustig 😂😂😂

[@Nexus104]

Yeah.its the same with some hyundai models

[@agirlslife4829]

I've owned mine for nearly a year and love it.

[@Bewar3them00n]

The Original was Great fun to drive, and very fuel efficient, loved the air bumps and roof bars which came in useful for trips. Yes it was quirky and unique, but at least it had originality. Just about to get rid of mine after 2 years for a bigger car, going to miss it

[@NAKMUAYACADEMY]

Very curious your opinion which year and model would be the best C4/ C4 c4cactus/ ds4?

[@tomalberts4416]

@@NAKMUAYACADEMY I had a 2015 cactus which I loved. Was really comfortable and I liked the design. It had a 1.2 pure tech engine which was ok cruising on the motorway once it was up to speed however, it was slow and very poor in the low gears (the bite when using clutch control was terrible and shook the car like crazy). After selling and having a few other cars over the last few years I’ve just got another cactus. 2019 reg 1.2 automatic, 110 bhp and I think it’s brilliant. The overall drive is better and the automatic gearbox works fairly good. It’s still comfortable, spacious enough and has no problem travelling the 60-70 miles to and from work every day.

[@FPVsean]

That's a shame, I specifically loved the things they got rid of on the cactus, the side bubble panels, the rear lights and the upturned ice skate roof rails... Everything I absolutely love about the cactus, they've gotten rid of!!! If I was a family man I'd of had the (outgoing now I guess) original cactus or a dacia duster, but I'd lean more towards the cactus..

[@christill]

The exterior style of the previous version was iconic and special. They’ve ruined it with this one.

[@kevintjeuh8888]

Chris Till iconic? Are you drunk, just a hideous plastic car

[@Auto_Funk]

Completely agree, it was one of those rare "concept to production" designs that you just don't get any more! Bold and iconic, it's a shame it's been watered down.

[@ABCEDEFG911]

There was nothing to be ruined my dude. Everything was a disaster to begin with.

[@tacodias]

I don’t understand why they simply don’t offer the airpads as a pack to add to this new cactus! The former car was so Citroëny and this is just meh!

[@qbal7562]

Agreed. This is more conventional.

[@Bladebars]

Like a real cactus but with the pricks on the inside

[@plexiglass-kz2si]

I know right?....

[@mattshiz]

Think you've got this confused for an Audi....

[@plexiglass-kz2si]

mattshiz He knows what he's saying, but he didn't mention the prickly interior of Audis because they're all the same and it would be a waste of energy to mention it..

[@sbr7018]

mattshiz nah nah nah... BMW.

[@74H3iD]

@@mattshiz i would have said BMW

[@benroberts1472]

Muse playing on the infotainment system was actually my favourite part of the review haha

[@henrynicklin1345]

You're complaining about it but when you were at carbuyer you gave it car of the year

[@nothingmuch.3014]

1:57 If you look at the shape of the door, it wouldn't be possible to fit wind down windows that go down enough.

[@peteg8920]

Haven't they got rid of the old jerky automatic transmission ? I believe this updated Cactus has the EAT6 Aisin torque converter box.

[@dufonrafal]

The automatic gearbox is really good!

[@dragospahontu]

Yup

[@christophermaloney8119]

Manual is fucking good

[@priteshchampaneri5101]

My mum had 65 plate Auto Cactus, it was horrible. Rolled back on hills, and Jerked when it changed gears.

[@rocker210494]

Getting this model next week!! I currently have the older model in Yellow! My new one is blue!!

[@StasComoestas]

Great review for C4 like it😊😊

[@cariusx]

French car, British reviewer. You know it won't be very positive.

[@Horizon301.]

cariusx haven’t you seen a Bugatti Chiron review? All great stuff from the reviewers. French cars are just a load of crap, they are a laughing stock in the U`k and in the US where they are no longer sold

[@cariusx]

The French cars are crap bias is getting very old. 5:57 says it all.

[@Sherukka]

Bullshit!

[@stephen10.]

PSA = 3.63 millions cars sold worldwide and renault = 3.73 millions cars sold worldwide in 2017.The alliance renault - nissan + others brands have sold 10.5 millions cars --) goup number one in the world in 2017.

[@stephen25uk]

Nonsense. It was an honest and I thought very positive review.

[@Petrol_head44]

Those windows in the back are worst...Totally useless

[@chrisredfield3240]

How could a window mechanism weigh 22kg

[@Petrol_head44]

Fr Cl then they should remove the remaining 2 doors to reduce price and weight.. isn't it ?

[@chrisredfield3240]

How does lighter glass and no winder weigh half a bag of builders sand

[@hamzazoaoui]

believe me ! having a car with none open rear windows is really really awful ! i did had a car like this a Peugeot and i hated it !

[@azera55555]

I always love driving with all the windows down on a nice day so that would annoy me a ton

[@Techinvestor567]

The best reviewer you can find! I am in love with ur videos!!

[@Techinvestor567]

V P i actually haven’t noticed him being so biased towards VW. I think VW is a very good brand and the produce high quality cars. I guess he thinks the same way but he also talks good about other brands to be honest

[@Techinvestor567]

V P well what do u prefer hahaha. Cars from the US maybe? I would rather by a bike than driving something from the states!

[@emjayay]

The pop out rear windows also make for more shoulder room and door storage room in the back seat. As long as you have AC, not a big deal.

[@SurvivorIce]

Pop up windows was bad just as the back doors in Mazda MX-30. WTF were they thinking !

[@samg9878]

"Squidgy" must be a British thing. Never heard it before this vid lol

[@iea96]

Doesn't even have powered rear windows to save weight, but has thicker window glass to make it more quiet? Hmm things don't quite add up here

[@rui518]

its a balace game, you same weight in one side to use in other...

[@Norse94]

Looks good especially from the front

[@andymckenna5387]

I'm sad @carwow didn't do the Citroen e-C4

[@AbsoluteBarstool]

Glass roof, but pop-out windows. Full infotainment system and digital dash, but no rev counter. Split-folding rear seats and full-size spare, but floating anchor points. Top-loading glovebox and massive door bins, but meaningless cupholders. This car really is the definition of running before you can walk.

[@paulosghost]

When the test of Citroen c4 2021?

[@patriotbarrow]

Cutting costs in all the wrong places, Citroen. I know you've not been selling enough cars and you're a bit miffed that Peugeot is enjoying a new wave of popularity, but when my 2009 C3 Picasso is better built and better equipped (rev counter, physical climate control buttons, false floor, flat load bay, electric rear windows, grab handles, more air vents etc), it's safe to say that quality has gone downhill.

[@rossmurrayfam1568]

I test drove one of thease cars today the comfort was superb

[@pugtato01]

Why is it called cactus? They removed the cactus bit from the car lol

[@HollandBest.nr1]

A true petrol-head hahahaha

[@ivandoe33]

In my country that thing costs more than mentioned i30, with waaay less equipment. Starting model doesn't even have AC, and every summer we get 10-20 days with 40C, and the rest of the summer rarely goes below 25C during the day(usually around 30C). Really bad pricing politics. That's why there's more hyundais i30s than these citroens on streets, which was never before.

[@robertsjames16]

Love my 2015 Cactus, best supermarket, car park protection ever

[@christophermaloney8119]

True it is my auntie has one in red And I love it so much its the nicer car I ever been in before .

[@gbej1]

The design of the back seat windows was old fashioned even in the 1970s

[@mister_jon_jon]

I am totally in love with my Cactus!

[@protocetid]

plant human relationships, now I’ve seen everything

[@stephenberry1205]

Actually the Citroen hydropneumatic Nitrogen/LHM oil was very robust & reliable (including many harsh world rallies) - if given basic service and oil change by Citroen service centres. Those who tried air suspension like Mercedes - the systems became very iffy with age. Citroen stopped using it because of cost of production. The high pressure for the suspension powered the brakes and power steering. The self levelling suspension helped with UK Tow Car of the year awards for BX & Xantia. One of the few cars in the world you can have a high speed blow out on front wheel without affecting the car's stability.

[@neeravnaik]

"bit of a faff" counter high for this one

[@succulent951]

In some ways the airbumps are placed more usefully on the doors as kick-guards, although it's starkly missing the rear ones! Matt completely glosses over the physical AC power physical button just below the screen...

[@avengerskull]

They took a lot of features of the New C3 and they put un this New Cactus is like a never ending cycle

[@Vladesculos]

Hi! Are you going to review of the new electric E-C4 as well?

[@minibus1351]

no wind down windows for weight saving on a family car. that is what I call an excuse.

[@abunea]

That should be called bulls**t

[@Bryan-fg3ey]

Why loose the cactus USP, it's air bumps?

[@HollandBest.nr1]

A Fool With A Tool because it's gay

[@Maximilian178]

They are stil there just in the lower section of the door.

[@EduardoRamoscomedy]

When a head to head C3 aircross and the C4 cactus?

[@Sander-rd1qg]

That Cactus tho 😎

[@carwow]

🌵

[@tomheard7844]

Love the new design

[@NeeeWyo]

I am definitely not going to replace my old cactus with this one.

[@jacobboni3889]

What is the issue with glasses ?

[@g00dfeeling]

LOVE this car!

[@vitopetris6861]

This car packs some great punch for the money :) But, for families and what not, the C4/Grand are the best in their class of large MPVs hands down.

[@Settowin]

Just got one from my insurance. I'm loving it!

[@Maurice_Moss]

If there's a few of them, would they be Citroen c4 cacti?

[@taiblatiftaiblatif724]

beautiful car.. unique and look different..

[@stijnhs]

Did they take the rear lights from a Volkswagen?

[@bukkageisha2313]

Best compact ever

[@thepalm2791]

Very good review but please do something about the microphone. It doesn't sense your voice to well.

[@thso6529]

Problem about the windows not going all the way down now SOLVED!

[@kyletelfer1453]

If they went for conventional looks they should have gone fully conventional with the interior and build. If lightweight was their focus, what was wrong with the old Cactus? I prefer the quirky looks as well. It was willfully different to everything else.

[@danhammond2060]

Love the amount of things on this car borrowed from manufacture friends. Wing mirrors from a Peugeot 208 - infotainment display Peugeot 308 - & tonne of bits that look like they are borrowed from Renault :')

[@azera55555]

I can't get over that there's no tachometer. That's insane considering all the other stuff you get...

[@Depak1959]

No need for it.

[@ms1940]

Hey Carwow, use metric system too, pls!!

[@nonokbh]

8:55 you couldn't resist you rosbeef ! ahahah Love your review !

[@sos10]

The wording scratchy plastic is so misleading. It is HARD plastic and yes it can be scratched, but so can the soft touch plastic. Try cleaning soft plastic with certain microfibre cloths and they will be scratched forever! (happened to me once)

[@gogamontana8920]

Automatic transmission is fine, have one in C4 and no, it's not jerky. It runs fine, no stalling or whatever. Don't know, maybe your's was faulty?

[@klozovin]

Citroen switched from the jerky ETG6 to the much better EAT6 transmission. Maybe they only drove the old automatic.

[@samtheman16]

Tbh French car brands are improving compared the last 10 -20 years there where producing then. My friends are funny they told me, they ain’t driving the French pice of shit yet Little they known vauxhall is owned by Peugeot and Citroen 😂😂😂😂😂

[@StephenButlerOne]

Until about 5 years ago all race courses in the UK used older citeons as camera cars to follow the horses around on the grass. No one ever matched it. Now i expect the cameras are on a wire.

[@betterbeavailable]

I recently tested a brand new Volvo V90 D3 and it also didn't have rev counter. And cup holders are shallow because, uhm, they are cup holders and not bottle holders.

[@Nexus104]

The one thing i really like is that it uses the traditional LOOOONNNGGGG Antennae

[@rossmurrayfam1568]

its actually a nice trendy lookin car

[@m4lifestyle638]

The old car looked nice What do you think

[@oxaile4021]

They should have just kept the C4 as the French Golf and the cactus as the quirky hipster dream. This thing tries to replace both and kinda loses the appeal both earlier models had.

[@taiblatiftaiblatif724]

i prefer with rhe air bump

[@ambientsoda106]

What was the car his mum drove, showing off the Cruze and auto breaking controls?

[@bukkageisha2313]

good car

[@MyRunningJourney]

Nice review, but who was the random bloke in sunglasses you kept cutting too? Also, does this one still have an armrest in the front?

[@dimitris.p.kepenos]

I was expecting the infotainment system to be on the "5 annoying things". Like, if you are in the sat nav and you want to change the temperature you have to leave the navigation and go all the way back to do so...

[@nelsonthekinger]

LOL The Cactus

[@Tompel1973]

Hey Mat! Why you didn't clean off the Citroen?? I never saw a dirty (wheels) car in your review.. Why..? :-O

[@sms19846]

Mat,You missed the fixed shutter glass ofrear doors.

[@ΠαντεληςΚαπς]

Family compact car with fixed rear windows, tight leg and head space at the back, supermiNi boot volume, not to count the cheap quality and interior, and for about 20 thousand? Is anybody buying any of them?

[@SDav21]

Oh Mat. You look good with your glasses. I don't know why you think otherwise.

[@94Di]

you should do a review on the new duster 2. big improvements, low price.

[@rjft7003]

Pop-out rear windows is a deal breaker. It's a four door not a Coupé and moreover even the C3 has a revolution counter and regular windows in the back doors.

[@shenqiao8204]

So sad that Citroen is not in a South Africa any more.

[@bikeman123]

Two years later and the c4 now starts at £23k, a £6k rise in two Years

[@dylanlobban1627]

It is shocking of how much cars have went up in (very) recent years when they haven’t changed any features or equipment

[@bikeman123]

@@dylanlobban1627 that's pcp for you. Makes them more affordable and prices go up.

[@dylanlobban1627]

@@bikeman123 But then the final payments are an absolute fortune on them

[@bikeman123]

@@dylanlobban1627 I don't think people care. They just roll over to another new car. Easy finance = higher prices

[@SlickMotoMike]

Not sure if I should buy a vauxhall corsa limited edition 2013 or a citroen c4 catus 2018

[@owentreadgold8658]

C4 Picasso review?