Used Citroen C4 Cactus cars for sale

Used Citroen C4 Cactus pros and cons

Is a second hand Citroen C4 Cactus a good car?

The Citroen C4 Cactus is an odd car — very Citroen in some ways. Early models were very affordable, almost down to Dacia prices. Citroen later updated it, though, and tried to convince us that it was a VW Golf rival, which it just wasn’t.

However, what the Cactus always was, was comfortable. It was one of the first modern Citroens where the French brand returned to its roots of making cars with squishy suspension and with seats like sofas, so for an affordable car, the C4 Cactus offers comfort like almost no other. 

Headroom in the front was always good, but it’s less impressive in the rear, where even though there’s enough width to get three adults in the back, there’s not enough headroom if they’re tall adults. The fact that the rear windows only pop out rather than roll down is a bit of a limitation too. 

The C4 Cactus’ boot isn’t very big, either. At 358 litres, it holds barely any more than a VW Polo, whereas the likes of the Renault Captur and Dacia Duster have vastly more luggage space.

The C4 Cactus is hugely comfortable to drive, with trick suspension that makes it exceptionally smooth, especially over big urban lumps and potholes.

If you want the highest technical specification, find a Flair model, which came with lots of extra equipment, although in all models the touchscreen is obstructively difficult to use.

What to look for when buying a used Citroen C4 Cactus

While Citroen has seriously gotten on top of its reliability game — hence an impressive fifth place finish, out of 32 brands, in the Driver Power satisfaction survey, with only 15% of owners reporting a problem with their car — there are some issues to keep an eye on with the C4 Cactus. 

The most common is the ‘wet belt’ problem for the 1.2-litre PureTech petrol engine. This sees the engine’s cambelt pass through the oil system, which can over time weaken the belt, and clog up the oil system with plastic particles. It means you need to keep a close eye on the belt for wear and tear, and preferably get it changed well ahead of the recommended schedule. 

Elsewhere, there are reports of issues with the touchscreen and the air conditioning, while the optional automatic gearbox can be troublesome. If the C4 Cactus you’re looking at has a sunroof, check for damp carpets or marks on seat upholstery, as these can leak. 

If it’s a diesel version, check the mileage. Low mileage diesels may be more prone to problems with the exhaust particulate filter.