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Hi folks I’m a newbie. I have had my THP DSport for three weeks. It’s white with black alloys, black wing mirrors, black roof and MyWay city signature.
Here are my first impressions:
I love the design of the car, both the interior and the exterior, for its flare and originality and also for its chunky appearance. The seats are comfortable and look great. The steering wheel looks good and has a quality feel but I find that just where you grip at the 2 o’clock and 10 o’clock could be softer and more comfortable to hold.
The performance has far exceeded my expectations. I previously drove a BMW 330i coupe and I was looking for a fun and fizzy replacement that would significantly improve upon the 21mpg I was averaging (not to mention £350 a corner for run flat tyres). I find the engine has plenty of torque, not too much turbo lag, nice long power delivery and sounds awesome!
The fuel economy also exceeds expectations. Generally I’ve been averaging 38mpg and when I really tried I managed 51mpg!!!
In terms of handling, I like the compromise between ride comfort and agility. Obviously being front wheel drive it’s quite ‘feisty’ and suffers from torque steer but I find this quite characterful and entertaining. In my opinion I find the steering is a bit too light and lacking feel but overall very enjoyable and nimble.
Gear changes are very notchy which I found a little annoying at first but used to it now although I often find it can be difficult to select first gear without double dipping the clutch.
Initially I found the MyWay city signature interface extremely frustrating... too much knob twiddling! I guess this is in part because I have been spoiled by my iPhone and the touch screen system in my wife’s Golf. Although it still takes an age to programme an address into the satnav, familiarity has made things a lot easier. I find the satnav map, directional signs and audio instructions very clear and having three trip computers is useful. My main gripe with the colour screen is that it’s too bright at night and does not dim automatically when the headlights come on. I know I can dim the interior lights manually but this involves fiddling with a small switch that is not easily accessible behind the steering wheel… extremely frustrating doing this every day and night.
I did not realise when I ordered the car that the MyWay city signature option was not compatible with the USB input… it astounds me that Citroen have not overcome this. I really really hope the rumoured upgrade will allow me to play music through Bluetooth as I love this feature when driving the Golf.
I have to give Citroen praise for paint quality. I spent several hours cleaning the paint and applying an acrylic gloss and did not notice a single imperfection. As a benchmark, I think it’s worth mentioning that the Golf was delivered with a chip on the boot and I have since noticed two other minor paint imperfections that look a bit like a spec of grit in the paint.
Finally, I have to say that the most disappointing thing about the DS3 which above all else is spoiling the ownership experience for me are RATTLES!!! They drive me insane.
Although some padding in the glove box, door pockets and arm rest wouldn’t go amiss, I know this is not the issue as the rattles occurred from day one before I put anything in the car. The noise actually sounds more like creaking plastic. I think it is coming from around the top of the door and the B pillar on both sides. Found out today that my car is being recalled so will request an investigation into the rattles at the same time. I won’t hold my breath.
Here are my first impressions:
I love the design of the car, both the interior and the exterior, for its flare and originality and also for its chunky appearance. The seats are comfortable and look great. The steering wheel looks good and has a quality feel but I find that just where you grip at the 2 o’clock and 10 o’clock could be softer and more comfortable to hold.
The performance has far exceeded my expectations. I previously drove a BMW 330i coupe and I was looking for a fun and fizzy replacement that would significantly improve upon the 21mpg I was averaging (not to mention £350 a corner for run flat tyres). I find the engine has plenty of torque, not too much turbo lag, nice long power delivery and sounds awesome!
The fuel economy also exceeds expectations. Generally I’ve been averaging 38mpg and when I really tried I managed 51mpg!!!
In terms of handling, I like the compromise between ride comfort and agility. Obviously being front wheel drive it’s quite ‘feisty’ and suffers from torque steer but I find this quite characterful and entertaining. In my opinion I find the steering is a bit too light and lacking feel but overall very enjoyable and nimble.
Gear changes are very notchy which I found a little annoying at first but used to it now although I often find it can be difficult to select first gear without double dipping the clutch.
Initially I found the MyWay city signature interface extremely frustrating... too much knob twiddling! I guess this is in part because I have been spoiled by my iPhone and the touch screen system in my wife’s Golf. Although it still takes an age to programme an address into the satnav, familiarity has made things a lot easier. I find the satnav map, directional signs and audio instructions very clear and having three trip computers is useful. My main gripe with the colour screen is that it’s too bright at night and does not dim automatically when the headlights come on. I know I can dim the interior lights manually but this involves fiddling with a small switch that is not easily accessible behind the steering wheel… extremely frustrating doing this every day and night.
I did not realise when I ordered the car that the MyWay city signature option was not compatible with the USB input… it astounds me that Citroen have not overcome this. I really really hope the rumoured upgrade will allow me to play music through Bluetooth as I love this feature when driving the Golf.
I have to give Citroen praise for paint quality. I spent several hours cleaning the paint and applying an acrylic gloss and did not notice a single imperfection. As a benchmark, I think it’s worth mentioning that the Golf was delivered with a chip on the boot and I have since noticed two other minor paint imperfections that look a bit like a spec of grit in the paint.
Finally, I have to say that the most disappointing thing about the DS3 which above all else is spoiling the ownership experience for me are RATTLES!!! They drive me insane.
Although some padding in the glove box, door pockets and arm rest wouldn’t go amiss, I know this is not the issue as the rattles occurred from day one before I put anything in the car. The noise actually sounds more like creaking plastic. I think it is coming from around the top of the door and the B pillar on both sides. Found out today that my car is being recalled so will request an investigation into the rattles at the same time. I won’t hold my breath.
Makes perfect sense right!
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