In five months my Citroen Xsara Picasso spent 7 days in the garage for major faults. The handling is appalling, the trim is dire, the seats not fit for humans, the brakes are weak, it is like driving a Comma van of the 1970s. I have never been more disappointed in a vehicle. Why did I buy one then? I really do not know, I can only suggest that any prospective buyers should be aware that they are not buying a vehicle of quality, such as with the many Far Eastern marques. Do not look at the outside, look at the inside, and count the parts that seem unfinished. Sit in the drivers seat for an hour, take a test drive over bumpy roads, and listen for the rattles. The steering wheel is far too far from the driver, and is not adjustable for reach, the front seats are too hard and the rear too soft, the carpets and trim wear out almost before your eyes. Then the engine management system lets you down, and you are really in trouble. Do not just take my word for it, try entering "Citroen Picasso Faults" into a search engine and read some entries. I have sold mine, and I am very happy to take a loss and get rid of it.

The first thing to go wrong was ten seconds after I got into my Citroen Xsara Picasso SX 2.0 HDi. I adjusted the internal rear view mirror and it fell off.

The controls are poorly thought out and inconsistently positioned and indicated. For example, the electric window controls for the two front window are on the centre console and have the more or less universal window symbol on them. Those for the rear windows are on the right hand side next to the headlamp beam levelling switch, and have a completely different symbol on them.

The instrumentation panel is offset to the left (RHD vehicle) and apart from the large digital speedometer, the other displays require eyes off the road for a couple of seconds. There is no variable brightness adjustment and they are too dim to read on a bright day.

It is unpleasant to drive above 40 mph with the windows open due to the loud wind noise (in my Audi I can do 80 and still hold a conversation).

The seats are hard and offer no proper support. I frequently drive 400 or 500 miles in day on the continent in my Audi and never feel any discomfort. In this Citroen, which I rented for a week, I was in pain after half an hour, with my legs and arms feeling numb and aching. My passengers also complained about the uncomfortable seats.

We returned the car three days early and were glad to see the back of it. It merely confirmed my already negative opinion of French cars.

The Citroen Xsara Picasso SX 2.0 HDi is a cheap car but very nasty buyer beware!!
Air Bag light kept coming on even after being to the dealer several times (service was appalling). Engine warning light kept coming on and reverse sensors failed to work properely. Again I felt like i'd been smacked across the face with a wet kipper by the lack of customer service and attitude of Citroen dealer. Currently engine seems to be dying even though it only 2 years old.