Ford Focus or Citroen C4?
With a budget of around €3,000, I'm looking to buy a Citroen C4 hatchback or a Ford Focus hatchback around 2006-07 1.6 diesel. Would you recommend one over the other? I heard that the Focus can be troublesome but I can't find a bad review on the C4. I've been told I should go for a better make car 2005 with that budget but how can you tell which ultimately is a better buy? Will there be more problems with an 05 than an 07?
Moza Walsh (Galway)Aug 2015 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Moza,
You won't necessarily get more trouble from an 05 than an 07 - it's all down to the condition and history of the individual car.
You're right to say that there are no major problems with the C4 - it's actually pretty well made - but check it for any electrical gremlins. The 1.6 diesel is shared with the Ford Focus (and several other cars) so any problems are basically identical - water pump and oil 'sludge' are the common issues. I'd say the Focus has a slight edge in terms of reliability and quality but it's a close run thing.
If you want a 'better make' and reliability is your primary concern then you need to be buying either Japanese or Korean. Corolla, Civic, Almera etc.
@neilmbriscoe