Citroen C5 Aircross Max long-term test: family SUV meets the Sinclair C5

Verdict

The Citroen C5 Aircross should be on any family-car buyer’s shortlist. It’s big and economical, and while the looks aren’t to everyone’s taste, the value for money and comfort are great. The hybrid drive system means you’re moving with the times, and unlike the Sinclair C5, will be around in some form for a while yet.

• Mileage: 16,425
• Efficiency: 40.9mpg

Some would argue that the Sinclair C5 was ahead of its time. But Sir Clive Sinclair’s shoe-shaped, part battery/part pedal-powered trike never caught on with the public, and it’s now a transport curiosity. That’s not something you can say about SUVs, as represented here by the Sinclair’s namesake, the Citroen C5 Aircross. But is a name all they have in common?

Well there is another piece of common ground – they’re both hybrids. Okay, so the Sinclair C5’s mix of 12-volt car battery and leg muscles probably didn’t help its cause, but the Citroen’s combined petrol and electric power sources mean it’s a small step towards electrification for those – including me – who still aren’t best suited to electric cars.

With the number of miles I cover each day, I’m not really in a position to switch to a full EV. But I think that the C5 Aircross strikes a good balance between ICE cars and pure- electric options. Its 1.2-litre petrol engine and mild-hybrid system combines to offer an official WLTP figure of 45.6mpg, although that number is a bit of a stretch if you do a lot of motorway miles. I’ve been getting 41mpg, which is still pretty impressive for an SUV loaded with camera gear, and is similar to what a supermini returned only a decade ago. 

One downside to the hybrid system is something most owners won’t even notice. I grew up driving manual cars, when using the gears to reduce speed without harsh braking was classed as a skill. But the problem with the C5 Aircross is that as soon as you lift off the accelerator, the brake lights come on, even at very low speeds. Colleagues have mentioned that it’s quite distracting to be following me and see the lights constantly flash on and off – they’re used to how I drive, and can confirm that I’m not as bad as the brake lights suggest!

Another small issue that’s cropped up on recent colder mornings – and one that sounds like the punchline for a joke – is that the sat-nav screen freezes on a page, which means you can’t switch functions or see the reversing camera. Normally turning the car off and on a couple of times seems to clear the problem, much like you would rebooting a laptop. Maybe a software update is needed to sort it out. The car is approaching its first service with 16,500 miles on the clock, so I’ll ask them to check the system.

Overall I’ve had a really good experience living with the C5 Aircross. Its strengths are its practicality, size and comfort. The boot is a great size, and suitcases, camera gear and even the family dog have all been easily accommodated. The ride is super- comfortable on all trips short or long, and as I’ve said in previous reports, the Citroen isn’t designed to be sporty, so I’ve never had any need to use the gearchanging paddles behind the steering wheel.

The interior feels more premium than I had expected, and thankfully there are no piano-black inserts to scratch, while the layout is good, with various storage areas around the cabin. And small touches such as a physical volume control and a panel for heating, radio and car functions mean you don’t have to go scrolling through the touchscreen.

Fleetwatch

The Citroen C5 Aircross is very well specced, and its Pulsar alloy wheels are among the nicest standard features. My one small complaint is that their design allows you to see through to the disc brakes, and I’ve noticed on the rear wheels you can spot surface corrosion on some of the metal around the wheel mounts. It’s only cosmetic and I’m sure the right spray could remove it, but it makes the car look oddly older than it actually is. 

Citroen C5 Aircross Max: second report

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• Mileage: 8,115
• Efficiency: 43.3mpg

You don’t see our Citroen C5 Aircross within the pages of Auto Express every week, but rest assured that without its presence, the photos we take for many of the tests and drives wouldn’t exist. 

Its life as a photographer’s car is busy, but it’s proving a hugely capable assistant, and when we headed to Wales for our test between the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio, I thought it would be the perfect location for it to take
a starring role in front of the lens.

Anyone who has kept up with the different long-term cars I have run over the years will know that I have certain requirements. Chiefly, it needs to be a good size, comfortable, practical and deliver efficiency. Adding a bit of style to the mix is always a welcome bonus.

In terms of size, the C5 Aircross has proved itself great at swallowing all of my camera and cleaning gear. But more than that, it’s also been great for holidays and the odd university house move for my daughter, too. 

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When it comes to comfort, this seems to be an area of the market that Citroen has sewn up, irrespective of the class of car you’re talking about. The C5 Aircross has a softer set-up than most other rivals in the compact SUV sector, and with long drives to locations up and down the country, it has been a boon for soaking up long motorway journeys.

The downside to this is that the C5 Aircross is pretty stodgy in corners and it doesn’t like to be thrown around, but then that’s not something cars such as this are designed for – leave that to the Hyundai and Alfa.

You could argue that practicality is determined by size, but as well as being able to carry loads of stuff, there are clever storage solutions dotted around the cabin, with bottle holders within the deep door bins and places to store your phone while it’s on charge.

While diesel has always been my preference for the long drives that I do, the hybrid C5 Aircross offers a decent compromise. In fact, while it doesn’t seem particularly efficient around town, there’s no negative impact when I’m doing faster motorway miles. 

So far, so good, but what about downsides, I hear you ask? Well as the days are getting shorter I’ve noticed the odd flash of oncoming headlights, which usually suggests I’ve left the main beams on. I haven’t, but I have noticed that the dipped beam pattern is a little on the high side. I had a similar issue on a Ford C-MAX many moons ago and had to have the lights corrected at a main dealer. But thankfully the Citroen’s dipped beam adjuster is on the dash, just below the steering wheel. I’ve now set the lights to level two out of three, resulting in no more flashes from drivers. 

The only other gripe I’ve had is with the boot. The tailgate needs a proper slam to get it shut. Even more frustrating is that it’s hard to tell if it’s closed properly just by looking at it, leaving you to be greeted by a dashboard warning when you get behind the wheel.

Citroen C5 Aircross Max: first report

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There's no easy ride for this comfort-oriented SUV as it joins our fleet

• Mileage: 6,282
• Efficiency: 42.7mpg

My latest fleet car – a Citroen C5 Aircross – arrived at the Gibson house at a very useful time of year. I’m a keen cyclist and in a moment of madness I had decided to enter Ride London, a hundred-mile ride back in May that meant my bike needed be transported into the capital. 

It’s always a big advantage to be able to transport the bike securely inside the car without removing any wheels. With the second row of seats down, the C5 offers 1,630 litres of space, which swallowed the bike and all the kit I needed for the event. 

My last long-term test car was a Mazda 3 hatchback, and the added versatility is something I really appreciate in the Citroen. Even with its rear seats up, the boot capacity is still a very practical 580 litres – very handy, given that my day job involves lugging loads of camera gear all around the country.  

The space also comes in useful when I’m on family duties. My youngest daughter is a keen footballer who needs regular transport, and my eldest has just finished her first year at university. Going to collect her and her belongings meant a five-hour round trip, with the car fully loaded on the return leg. 

This was also a perfect test of the Citroen’s hybrid powertrain. But as in most scenarios, the combination of a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor coped extremely well with the challenge. 

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In my experience, the only time the C5 Aircross feels underpowered is when you need to accelerate quickly from a standing start. Otherwise, there’s surprisingly strong response in the mid-range and at the top end, which makes for easy overtaking on the motorway, and the car cruises really well, even when packed with student gear. 

As the C5 Aircross’s name would seem to suggest, it’s a comfort-focused SUV and it has a really smooth ride. True, it can’t come up with the goods when you fancy some more dynamic driving – push on a bit and you can’t help noticing that classic French body roll through corners – but as far as I’m concerned, it’s a price worth paying. 

Not only was the smooth ride a godsend on the motorway, that five-hour schlep also proved just what a lovely place the C5’s interior is to travel long distances in. Thankfully, there’s not much easily marked gloss plastic in here, and I like the mix of materials and finishes inside. Plus there are some nice storage areas by the gear selector and a large storage box under the armrest that’s big enough to take a one-litre bottle. 

The steering wheel feels pretty chunky in my hands, and gives a good view of the dials – much better than the layout in cars from Citroen’s Peugeot sister brand. And when I’m at the wheel, that focus on comfort again comes through. The bolsters on the seats are nice and squishy, rather than trying to be too supportive and ending up too firm.

If I do have a complaint, it’s that the 12.5-inch screen (like many of Citroen’s displays) is a little slow to respond and feels rather dated. Thankfully, using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto solves the problem, but it’s slightly irritating that you need to plug in a cable to sync everything up.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.