Used Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer cars for sale

Used Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer pros and cons

Is a second hand Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer a good car?

The Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer is a roomy, family seven-seater that has an alias. That’s because it was originally known, from 2013 till 2018, as the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso. Citroen changed the name when it decided it didn’t want to pay a licence fee to the great painter’s family anymore.

While the SpaceTourer name may not sound as evocative, with either badge this is a great looking MPV — it looks like a TGV train shrunk down and given wheels — with a spacious and very comfortable interior. It’s a rival to the Volkswagen Touran, as well as the Ford S-Max and Grand C-Max. 

The interior is just as cool as the exterior, with a big central information screen buried in the dashboard just under the windscreen, and lots of nice material surfaces. It looks more inviting and interesting than the blander cabin of the VW Touran, but it’s not quite as well put-together, and the screen isn’t as simple to use as it should be. In fact, it can be downright frustrating. 

Basic older models also came with the screen, but without as many functions so make sure you try everything when you’re buying to ensure that you get the features you want. Irritating menus and fiddly buttons for climate control come as standard, unfortunately. 

While the screen can be annoying, the space certainly isn't. There's lots of room up front, and wonderfully squashy and comfortable seats too. There are three individual sliding seats in the middle row, which is great for families as you can get three child car seats in the back with ease. Three adults will fit too, although those in the outer seats might find that they’re squashed up against the doors a bit. 

In the third row, there’s still space for adults, although a VW Touran has more room for fully-grown people. Annoyingly, the Citroen’s seat folding system is quite fiddly and difficult to use, and lacks the pull-and-tip functionality of the Volkswagen Touran. Still, get it right and the third row flops down to give you a massive 793-litre boot. Fold down the middle row and you’ve got 2,181 litres, although there are gaps between the seats into which small items can easily fall, and never be seen again. With all seats in use, boot space shrinks to a fairly tiny 165 litres. 

The best all-round engine for the Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer (or Picasso) is the older 1.6-litre 120hp diesel, which is exceptionally economical (50mpg should be easy). There’s a bigger 150hp 2.0-litre diesel if you regularly do longer journeys, or a perfectly adequate 1.2 petrol if short runs are your thing. Just beware of the optional automatic gearbox — it’s seriously slow-witted, and another point of frustration for the Citroen. 

Even with the auto, the Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer is easy and light-touch to drive. The massive windscreen and side windows give you a great view out, which is nice for scenic drives, and also good for close-quarter work in town. It’s not quite as refined as the VW Touran, and tends to roll a lot in corners, but the Citroen is a seriously comfy long-haul cruiser. A Ford S-Max is much more of a driver’s car, though. 

The Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer might have a confusing name, and it’s not without its frustrations, but it’s a smooth and comfortable car to drive, with a cavernous interior and a good seating layout. Well worth a look.

What to look for when buying a used Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer

Citroen has really improved its reliability and quality in recent years, as shown by a very 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 still some issues to watch out for though, including phantom warning lights that blink on and off for no reason, and issues with the air conditioning system. The 1.2 petrol engine suffers cambelt problems so it’s best to change that well ahead of the recommended schedule, while the 1.6 diesel needs regular high-quality synthetic oil changes or the cylinder heads will fill up with waste sludge. That diesel engine also had common issues with the exhaust gas recirculation system, and the water pump, which is made of plastic and a common failure point.