Talk to me about the Citigo.

[DampDog]

First post here so be gentle...

 

I currently run a Polo 1.2Tsi, but due to circumstances I'm thinking of downsizing to a CitiGo. Actually I'm not that bothered whether it's a CitiGo, Up! or Mii. The Polo has had more issues than I would have liked so I thought I'd ask here if there are major issues, faults or foibles that I should look out for before parting with any money.

 

Basically, what's good what's bad and all the little niggles in between.  Is the 60ps or 75ps the better choice??

 

Cheers.

[RickW]

My wife has an ASG 75ps(which is an acquired taste) 5 door  SE L model and she loves it.

 

It's roomier than you first think and is fun to drive.

 

It's very comfortable (hers has the heated seats) and has excellent handling.

 

The down side is that the boot can be a little small for some (although with the seats folded down it creates a lot more space) but my wife hasn't complained up to now. The variable boot floor is an extra,unlike the Up!.

 

One touch electric windows would have been nice but not a big deal really.

 

The PID takes a little effort to learn but up to now,no problem (unlike some other owners experiences).

 

All in all great little car and in my opinion very economical (should get up to 60 mpg),which is one of the top reasons for buying one.

 

Hope that helps,feel free to ask more.

 

Personally I would go for Skoda as I think it's looks the best and the deals seem to be good at the moment.

Edited 22 April, 2016 by RickW

[DampDog]

Cheers.

 

I've just started looking really but jumped in and out of all 3 manufacturers. Looks wise I like the Citigo & the Mii and spec wise they are pretty similar. I just can't see enough in the Up! to warrant the price premium. Just out of interest I popped into my local Seat dealership and they have some really good deals that are not widely advertised, so locally at least they have the edge. I was looking at a Mii Mango, though I think I would need to get in touch with my inner hairdresser...  But so long as it has a few goodies and is cheap to tun it will do the job. 90% of the time I will be in the car alone so they are big enough. Electric windows and mirrors need to be in the spec.

 

That's said they are very well spec'd and have a number of ex-demonstrators that initially look well priced.

 

I was hoping for some feedback on what they are like reliability wise and are there any common issues. And is there any real difference on the road between the 60 & 75ps versions. 

[bluecar1]

get the may auto express special issue, and have a look at the driver power results starting at page 42 

 

bit of an eye opener you would expect VW and Audi to be above skoda / seat

 

have a look

[Defenderben]

My wife has a 2012 - 62 plate Citigo 60ps SE.

It has aircon, electric windows and drives really well, very deceptive sizewise. I'm 6'4" and fit in without having the seat all the way back. It has been 100% reliable, just had a click on clutch, which was done under warranty.

I managed a deal on the PID as it wasn't standard on the SE. It has had city car of the year a few times, which shows it is rated higher than the expensive Up and the Seat Mii.

My wife totally loves it and will not part with it for anything else!

[Hyphons]

In 3 years of ownership, I've had 28,000 trouble free miles, all that has gone wrong on the car so far is the PID throwing a wobbly and not working anymore £10 later and it was good as new (battery was shot) I've had it mapped as of recent and the roar it makes when you bring it up and over 5,000 RPM is orgasmic  

[Scottk]

We got a Citigo black edition this year as my daughter is learning to drive. Great little car, a lack of power but makes for a relaxing ride, pretty quiet and the handling on windy roads is really good.

I have recently fitted rear inner arches which has improved the road noise as well.

Black edition is well specced and only really miss cruise control (but we won't be using it for long journeys) and DAB. The PID is good for streaming music, Bluetooth and sat nav.

[Chris GB]

I've put a 75ps Elegance Greentech through an accelerated durability program! So far 104,000 miles as a driving school car. There are a fair few options, the essential one for me being the upgraded 6 speaker audio pack as the standard one is way behind the competition and not acceptable if you want to listen to music.

Durability wise, I've had to replace 2 coilpacks at just over 100,000 miles and that's it. The only niggle is that, on my car, front hubs are less than perfect leading to brake judder. If you get this, have it fixed under warranty.

Other than the above, it's light on its tyres and brakes, cheap to service and excellent on fuel. Seats are all day comfortable. Bulb life is good too, so far, two DRL bulbs and one brake light bulb. I run Nightbreaker unlimited headlight bulbs and they last about 13 months of heavy use, so voltage control is good.

Get one, they're great!

[ettlz]

Is the 60ps or 75ps the better choice??

 

I think the current belief is it's a software-engineered limitation. Below 5,000 rpm (where most normal driving takes place) both engines behave the same. Most of the oomph is felt around 2,500-3,000 rpm in this car.

 

Someone else had both dyno'd and posted the curves somewhere here. Beyond about 5,000 rpm the 75ps keeps creeping up, whereas the 60ps (very oddly) flatlines.

 

Personally I think the little extra power in a rev band I hardly use isn't worth the price difference. (Although if it is just software-engineered to make differentiated markets, that is pretty tight-fisted of VAG.)

Edited 23 April, 2016 by ettlz

[Chris GB]

I think the current belief is it's a software-engineered limitation. Below 5,000 rpm (where most normal driving takes place) both engines behave the same. Most of the oomph is felt around 2,500-3,000 rpm in this car.

Someone else had both dyno'd and posted the curves somewhere here. Beyond about 5,000 rpm the 75ps keeps creeping up, whereas the 60ps (very oddly) flatlines.

Personally I think the little extra power in a rev band I hardly use isn't worth the price difference. (Although if it is just software-engineered to make differentiated markets, that is pretty tight-fisted of VAG.)

75ps version is 6% shorter geared, so a little more lively in all gears as an effect of gearing.

[DampDog]

75ps version is 6% shorter geared, so a little more lively in all gears as an effect of gearing.

 

Does that reflect in slightly higher engine revs/ noise in the cabin at motorway speeds? What rev's do they pull at say 50 + 70mph Also what sort of "real world" mpg's are people seeing. We all know VW can be a little economical with the truth with regards to economy/emissions.

 

Hopefully Sunday morning I wil have some free time to go and look at a couple of cars.

Edited 23 April, 2016 by DampDog

[Chris GB]

Does that reflect in slightly higher engine revs/ noise in the cabin at motorway speeds? What rev's do they pull at say 50 + 70mph Also what sort of "real world" mpg's are people seeing. We all know VW can be a little economical with the truth with regards to economy/emissions.

Hopefully Sunday morning I wil have some free time to go and look at a couple of cars.

The 75ps would be running about 200rpm more at 70mph. Engine noise is not an issue.

Real world economy for me is around 52mpg, bit the car is almost exclusively used to teach learners, so lots of slow work and crawling about doing manoeuvres, less than optimal gear choices etc. I reckon real world of I where driving would be circa 60mpg. All manufacturers lie about fuel economy. They engineer the cars to perform well on standardised simulations. In the real world, you will struggle to match the claimed numbers even in ideal conditions, in any car.

[DampDog]

The 75ps would be running about 200rpm more at 70mph. Engine noise is not an issue.

Real world economy for me is around 52mpg, bit the car is almost exclusively used to teach learners, so lots of slow work and crawling about doing manoeuvres, less than optimal gear choices etc. I reckon real world of I where driving would be circa 60mpg. All manufacturers lie about fuel economy. They engineer the cars to perform well on standardised simulations. In the real world, you will struggle to match the claimed numbers even in ideal conditions, in any car.

 

Cheers. "car is almost exclusively used to teach learners" I take it you use it as your tuition vehicle. I used to be an instructor for my sins. Gave it up 2011.

 

50mpg for stop/start short trips sounds pretty good.

[Chris GB]

Cheers. "car is almost exclusively used to teach learners" I take it you use it as your tuition vehicle. I used to be an instructor for my sins. Gave it up 2011.

50mpg for stop/start short trips sounds pretty good.

Yes, busy instructor! 52mpg for lessons is typical. I don't know how well it would do with short trips from cold. It has an exhaust manifold integrated into the head and an aluminium construction, so warm up is as quick as anything else out there.

[fabandy]

Some excellent (and very encouraging) comments in this thread and I agree. It is a strong, reliable, cheap-to-run car and fun to drive, with good handling and a surprising amount of space inside. It is great in town and have found it very good on motorways too. You will need to change down on A/B road hills but I don't really miss my 1.2tsi - it is quite natural to use a few more revs and it is lower geared than a tsi. My mum's is 12 months old and is close to the Polo on refinement - mine is older and the gearbox is a little noisier. Mine is also greentec (lower ride) and 75PS so hers is a little more comfortable in ride (not a greentec) but you don't notice the performance difference (hers is 60PS. I notice that the new Colour editions can be had with cruise control, unlike Black models and both editions come with the extra speakers, so I would go for one of those. I find the PID great but, if you prefer your smartphone to link for nav etc, I guess you would have to wait until post week 22 build - updates have already been announced on the Up. If you do wait, I love the heated seats (standard on SEL) and large glass sunroof on mine. Good luck - I don't think you will regret it. Andy.

[ettlz]

75ps version is 6% shorter geared, so a little more lively in all gears as an effect of gearing.

 

Ah OK, I stand corrected.

[fabandy]

PS I didn't mean to imply that our older Citigo has deteriorated at all - both have been faultless - just that refinement may have been improved slightly with upgrades at the end of 2014, together with the addition of extra electric window switches. 

[DampDog]

Some excellent (and very encouraging) comments in this thread and I agree. It is a strong, reliable, cheap-to-run car and fun to drive, with good handling and a surprising amount of space inside. It is great in town and have found it very good on motorways too. You will need to change down on A/B road hills but I don't really miss my 1.2tsi - it is quite natural to use a few more revs and it is lower geared than a tsi. My mum's is 12 months old and is close to the Polo on refinement - mine is older and the gearbox is a little noisier. Mine is also greentec (lower ride) and 75PS so hers is a little more comfortable in ride (not a greentec) but you don't notice the performance difference (hers is 60PS. I notice that the new Colour editions can be had with cruise control, unlike Black models and both editions come with the extra speakers, so I would go for one of those. I find the PID great but, if you prefer your smartphone to link for nav etc, I guess you would have to wait until post week 22 build - updates have already been announced on the Up. If you do wait, I love the heated seats (standard on SEL) and large glass sunroof on mine. Good luck - I don't think you will regret it. Andy.

 

Interesting that you've driven both cars so can make a useful comparison. I've had a very brief drive in a CitiGo, that was some time ago and a 5dr Elegance version if I remember correctly. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it drove. While it obviously doesn't have anything like the pace of the 1.2 Tsi, it went well enough for my needs. Space wise it makes great use inside of what at first glance seems a small car outside. Build wise the Polo is a step up with the quality of the interior materials and having the "trim" on all the interior panels. The painted door surfaces on the smaller car while not unpleasant does feel like a throw-back to the 60's and I guess a design decision to keep costs down.

 

I don't think I can stretch to a new vehicle but I'd hope to possibly pick up an ex-demonstrator with under 5K on. I hear what you say about the revision to the face-lifed Up! later in the year, the changes look simple but enough to give it a lift. Hopefully the changes will filter into the other brands. 

 

I've actually seen a Seat Mii Mango locally, that has a decent enough spec including cruise control and few other bits. (though I would like a sunroof) Other than it being a little bit "girly" it's a decent enough car. Basically I just want something cheap and reliable to run for the next few years. Polo Tsi is a great car, but is proving to be a little temperamental so it's time to move on I feel. I'm an old git, my boy racer days are long gone, so long as it starts first turn in a morning, stops when need it too and is economical CitiGO/Up or Mii will do the job.

[fabandy]

Dear DampDog, I am sure you won't be disappointed and the Mango has a good spec. Just check that it does have the electric door mirrors (I think they all do but SEAT kept changing the spec on i-tech models and some don't). I love having the cruise control and the seat trim on the Mango is very nice. I don't think you will find performance wanting, as long as you use a lower gear on steep hills and economy is excellent. It is fun to drive, is refined on motorways and the seats are comfy. SEAT only do 2 years recovery but were offering a year's free roadside recovery for free with a SEAT service. Servicing is (relatively) cheap and they are reliable cars with little to go wrong. Good luck! Andy.

[Dr Zoidberg]

Look very closely at the detailed spec of all three cars as there are some not so obvious differences between them.
More of the Seats have four speakers instead of just the two you tend to get in a Skoda for example. When we were considering one I had a spreadsheet with all the details on, but sadly I deleted it.

[ronime]

I think the current belief is it's a software-engineered limitation. Below 5,000 rpm (where most normal driving takes place) both engines behave the same. Most of the oomph is felt around 2,500-3,000 rpm in this car.

 

Someone else had both dyno'd and posted the curves somewhere here. Beyond about 5,000 rpm the 75ps keeps creeping up, whereas the 60ps (very oddly) flatlines.

 

Personally I think the little extra power in a rev band I hardly use isn't worth the price difference. (Although if it is just software-engineered to make differentiated markets, that is pretty tight-fisted of VAG.)

 

The MINI R50 ONE and Cooper models were similarly differentiated. 90bhp and all over by 4,000rpm in the ONE but the power in the Cooper kept increasing throughout the remaining engine speed range, peaking at 115bhp.

 

Very easy for the manufacturers to implement in the ECU software on vehicles with a drive-by-wire throttle pedal and very easy for the aftermarket chip-tuners to fix with a remap.

[bluecar1]

The MINI R50 ONE and Cooper models were similarly differentiated. 90bhp and all over by 4,000rpm in the ONE but the power in the Cooper kept increasing throughout the remaining engine speed range, peaking at 115bhp.

 

Very easy for the manufacturers to implement in the ECU software on vehicles with a drive-by-wire throttle pedal and very easy for the aftermarket chip-tuners to fix with a remap.

daughters rapid was serviced recently and one of the items was a check on the software, to make sure not been mapped

 

so manufacturers are catching on to buying a lower model then mapping to release the power limited by the ECU map

 

may be the better tuning boxes may be the way to go as just unplug at service time, then plug back in after service, no detectable changes to software?

[DampDog]

Dear DampDog, I am sure you won't be disappointed and the Mango has a good spec. Just check that it does have the electric door mirrors (I think they all do but SEAT kept changing the spec on i-tech models and some don't). I love having the cruise control and the seat trim on the Mango is very nice. I don't think you will find performance wanting, as long as you use a lower gear on steep hills and economy is excellent. It is fun to drive, is refined on motorways and the seats are comfy. SEAT only do 2 years recovery but were offering a year's free roadside recovery for free with a SEAT service. Servicing is (relatively) cheap and they are reliable cars with little to go wrong. Good luck! Andy.

There is a Seat dealership that's fairly close to me. My intention is to pop over tomorrow morning. At the moment they have 2-3 Mango ex-demonstrators in at a good saving over list price. If nothing else I will be able to have a sit in and a proper look.

 

Look very closely at the detailed spec of all three cars as there are some not so obvious differences between them.

More of the Seats have four speakers instead of just the two you tend to get in a Skoda for example. When we were considering one I had a spreadsheet with all the details on, but sadly I deleted it.

Yeah, I've already twigged that one, also I've noticed some I think early cars only have a single window switch on the drivers side. Also electric door mirrors appear of vanish dependent on trim levels. I'm sure there will be a fair few other little bits n bobs I pick up on as I start to look at them in anger.

 

Thanks for all the pointers peeps, keep em coming. The more I can pick up on the better.

[ronime]

daughters rapid was serviced recently and one of the items was a check on the software, to make sure not been mapped

 

so manufacturers are catching on to buying a lower model then mapping to release the power limited by the ECU map

 

may be the better tuning boxes may be the way to go as just unplug at service time, then plug back in after service, no detectable changes to software?

 

My own preference would be for Superchips' Bluefin, where available for a given car. It's a firmware solution for the original ECU but Superchips supply you with an OBD2 programmer that allows you to install and de-install the ECU firmware at will.

[bradfordfabia]

I have a 12 month old Monte Carlo which I got new. Few weeks after delivery we went to Wales and after having a 1.9TDI fabia estate for 8 years I was unsure how it would cope with the motorway , hills and the luggage, it passed with flying colours. Once up to speed it is refine and comfortable and managed to fit one large bag and a few smaller bags and other bits in the boot. Only downside of the Monte Carlo it does not have heated mirrors.

Edited 23 April, 2016 by bradfordfabia