Surprisingly spacious minicar that Jeremy Clarkson hailed as ‘brilliant to drive’ can be yours for under £4,000
A SURPRISINGLY spacious supermini that’s loved by Jeremy Clarkson can now be yours for under £4,000.
The famous petrolhead once raved about the Citroen DS3 in a review he wrote in the Sunday Times – describing it at the time as “an iPod on wheels.”
The Citroen DS3, first produced in 2010 as a luxury supermini, is now built by the brand DS as a standalone manufacturer, and it’s switched to a five-door Crossover SUV.
But back when it was a hatchback, the DS3 was a surprisingly spacious, reliable, and well put-together little car.
And it packed plenty of punch, with it’s 1.6-litre motor boasting 150bhp – capale of hitting 62 mph in just 7.3 seconds.
In his review in 2011, Clarkson said “Citroen decided to look to the future” with the DS3 by creating “motoring’s equivalent of the iPod.”
He added: “Thanks to a few tiny tweaks to the steering and suspension, the DS3 feels like a Mini. It feels brilliant.”
Rather incredibly, he added: “The only other car I’ve ever wanted this badly before I drove it was the Aston Martin DB9.”
When it was released in 2010, the little motor could be bought with either a petrol or diesel engine, and in a range of trims.
Indeed, Clarkson touches on the DS3’s options for personalisation, with owners able to specify different external and interior colour combinations.
While it was favourably compared to the new Mini, both by Clarkson and the general motoring press, the DS3 is actually roomier inside and has a bigger boot.
Clarkson added: “Unlike a Fiat 500, this is a car in which you could do long distances, no problem at all.
“And unlike a Mini, it has space — just about — in the back for teenagers.
“I even like the dashboard – it’s completely mad and at a glance you can’t work out what anything does or what the dials are saying — you could very easily run out of fuel, for instance.
Everything just felt perfectly in tune with everything else
Jeremy Clarkson
“But compared with the dreary, plasticky, home-brand, low-rent rubbish you find in most hatchbacks these days, it comes as a joyous change.”
He concludes by saying: “Everything just felt perfectly in tune with everything else.”
Today, a brand new DS3 SUV will set you back over £25,000 – and that’s for the most basic model.
However, a 2010 example of the supermini can be picked up second-hand for under £4,000 – with less than 50,000 miles on the clock.
Clarkson has also expressed his surprise at the “unbelievably well made” Honda Accord, which can be bought for less £3,000.
Elsewhere, Wheeler Dealers host Mike Brewer has a devastating update on a classic Ford Fiesta that was stolen from him nearly a year ago – stating the motor has “vanished from face of the Earth.”