The mighty Skoda Citigo Monte Carlo
Discussion
So after a year of driving about in a boring diesel crossover (
) I decided that enough was enough and sod the negative equity in it I'm going to get something fun! Trouble is, I've got an accident on my record for another 3 years from when I crashed my 125 (didn't even claim mind you, but that's another story), so even something like a Fiesta ZS Ecoboost was ridiculously expensive to insure. I needed something incredibly cheap to insure but still enjoyable to drive, and so I decided on this little terror:
For those who don't know, it's based on the VW Up! (Which I hate) and has a 1.0 N/A 59bhp 3 pot. The Monte Carlo has lower and stiffer suspension than standard, and this cracking paint job. Yes, it's slow and there's no getting around that but honestly I've never had more fun behind the wheel of a car (and I've driven rentals "properly"). Above 4000 rpm the noise it makes is fantastic and to top it all off I've yet to see less than 45mpg even when pressing on. I've had it 4 days and I'm already in love, this one will certainly be a keeper until that accident is no longer on my record and I'll get something with a bit more poke....
) I decided that enough was enough and sod the negative equity in it I'm going to get something fun! Trouble is, I've got an accident on my record for another 3 years from when I crashed my 125 (didn't even claim mind you, but that's another story), so even something like a Fiesta ZS Ecoboost was ridiculously expensive to insure. I needed something incredibly cheap to insure but still enjoyable to drive, and so I decided on this little terror:For those who don't know, it's based on the VW Up! (Which I hate) and has a 1.0 N/A 59bhp 3 pot. The Monte Carlo has lower and stiffer suspension than standard, and this cracking paint job. Yes, it's slow and there's no getting around that but honestly I've never had more fun behind the wheel of a car (and I've driven rentals "properly"). Above 4000 rpm the noise it makes is fantastic and to top it all off I've yet to see less than 45mpg even when pressing on. I've had it 4 days and I'm already in love, this one will certainly be a keeper until that accident is no longer on my record and I'll get something with a bit more poke....
xjay1337 said:
I really like the Up Exclamation Point, I can't see why you hate it. They are great little things.
Maybe hate is a strong word, it's mainly the looks that put me off. I don't see why I would want to buy one if I could have this (the exact same car but better looking imo) for less money. I'm generally not a big fan of VW for the same reasons, I always have preferred Skoda. Not that I'm knocking anyone who buys a VW, they're generally not for me (with a few exceptions...)ajprice said:
I've got a Black Edition with the same 60bhp engine. There is a lot of space inside, I'm 6'6" and I fit no problem, most of the other similar size cars I tried (500/Panda, 108/C1/Aygo, i10) don't come in my size 
.
Things to do, if they're not already done as yours is a new one with the LEDs in the headlights, mine's a ye olde 64 reg...:
Rear arch liners. Without the liners, when its wet, the back of the car sounds like its raining on a tin roof.
Split boot floor. Useful to keep the crap out of the way. Rubber boot tray under the split floor helps keep things quieter too.
I'll definitely consider the rear arch liners, as you say it sounds like the car is being pelted by rocks when its wet. Boot floor might be something to look at in the future .Things to do, if they're not already done as yours is a new one with the LEDs in the headlights, mine's a ye olde 64 reg...:
Rear arch liners. Without the liners, when its wet, the back of the car sounds like its raining on a tin roof.
Split boot floor. Useful to keep the crap out of the way. Rubber boot tray under the split floor helps keep things quieter too.
Golgarth said:
Cracking little motors, we have a Club UP! and I often use it instead of our "big" car as they are just so much fun to hoon about in. They can be driven at 10 tenths everywhere and you learn to carry speed rather than just rely on acceleration.
I've always been a small car driver, having had Cinquecentos Sportings, a few classic minis, Panda 100HP and a few MINIs, I can honestly say I love these more. We've gone for the 75bhp one and it rocks.
Next year might see it sold, but only for the new UP Gti ;-)
BTW, gotta see if I can get that front splitter on the UP!
That's exactly why I love it, you can use all the revs all the time! Last night I took it for a blast down some twisty stuff in the rain and it was brilliant, keep it around 4000rpm and it never feels sluggish, absolutely brilliant car. Despite me not liking the UP, a GTI would be a shout (especially as I don't imagine a Citigo VRS to be coming ever), I love tiny cars with power, hell I love tiny cars with no power too!I've always been a small car driver, having had Cinquecentos Sportings, a few classic minis, Panda 100HP and a few MINIs, I can honestly say I love these more. We've gone for the 75bhp one and it rocks.
Next year might see it sold, but only for the new UP Gti ;-)
BTW, gotta see if I can get that front splitter on the UP!
The front splitter looks great too, I don't see why it wouldn't fit an UP
motormadfrosty said:
Here is mine - http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=152...
After 18 months of ownership and just over 16k on the clock, a update might give balance to the love for the citigo.
My experience with this little car is best described as a bit meh! A year and a half and loads of "niggles" that the dealer will not acknowledge or falls into "wear and tear".
The first "niggle" was when I checked the oil level after the fist thousand miles, to my surprise, it was on minimum, topped it up, checked another 1k later, it was on half. Spoke to the dealer, the car was put on a "oil consumption test" which lasted 1k miles. It had consumed oil but not above the specs, seemed a little strange to me, the dealer stated "it's got a low oil warning light for a reason" so we agreed that that light will be the oil checker between services from now on
Next, the clutch. Since the day we got it, no matter how we pull away from a incline, we always smell clutch. Fine on level ground but the slightest hill, the clutch smells. Initially we thought, its a new car, needs "bedding in" but it's still there. Again, dealer stated, no issue.
Now the wear and tear. The car is on a 3 year PCP deal and apart from servicing and maybe front tyres, I was not expecting any bills. It has developed a shake under down hill braking and all 4 tyres are near the limit. I reckon new boots all round and a set of discs and pads will equate to 6 months of the PCP payments.
Final grumble is the mpg. The PID display shows our long term average at 47.1mpg, not horrendous but not as good as we were expecting.
So maybe it's me being naive but the whole point of this car was 3 years of no hassle and no bills. Half way through the term, it's been back to the dealers 3 times and I have got to dig into my wallet.
Ah that's not good, my clutch stinks up hills too...I thought that was because of it being new so I'll keep an eye on it. I guess I'll just hope they've fixed all the problems with yours for the new model year, won't get my hopes up though!After 18 months of ownership and just over 16k on the clock, a update might give balance to the love for the citigo.
My experience with this little car is best described as a bit meh! A year and a half and loads of "niggles" that the dealer will not acknowledge or falls into "wear and tear".
The first "niggle" was when I checked the oil level after the fist thousand miles, to my surprise, it was on minimum, topped it up, checked another 1k later, it was on half. Spoke to the dealer, the car was put on a "oil consumption test" which lasted 1k miles. It had consumed oil but not above the specs, seemed a little strange to me, the dealer stated "it's got a low oil warning light for a reason" so we agreed that that light will be the oil checker between services from now on
Next, the clutch. Since the day we got it, no matter how we pull away from a incline, we always smell clutch. Fine on level ground but the slightest hill, the clutch smells. Initially we thought, its a new car, needs "bedding in" but it's still there. Again, dealer stated, no issue.
Now the wear and tear. The car is on a 3 year PCP deal and apart from servicing and maybe front tyres, I was not expecting any bills. It has developed a shake under down hill braking and all 4 tyres are near the limit. I reckon new boots all round and a set of discs and pads will equate to 6 months of the PCP payments.
Final grumble is the mpg. The PID display shows our long term average at 47.1mpg, not horrendous but not as good as we were expecting.
So maybe it's me being naive but the whole point of this car was 3 years of no hassle and no bills. Half way through the term, it's been back to the dealers 3 times and I have got to dig into my wallet.
Thought I'd update this thread with some pictures and a little write up after owning the Citigo for a little over a year now. Only a few weeks after picked it up it became responsible for taking me 65 miles to and from work each day (mainly thanks to my excellent under-estimation of how much the train actually costs!), mostly on the M5.
I know some people on here would have you believe that trying to take 59 bhp up a slip road will see you immediately and brutally killed but in the last year of doing this I haven't even been killed once. What I have been, though, is surprised that this little city car also makes an excellent motorway cruiser. I've driven a fair few modern hatchbacks of varying sizes but the Citigo is by far the most refined of the lot, and it is more than happy to sit at 0.85-0.9 leptons for 45 minutes. It's been a genuinely good companion in taking me to work for the last year and long may it continue!
As far as fuel economy goes, I don't tend to measure it on every fill up. I did go through a phase of using fuelly to keep track a few months back and the lowest I got was around 48 mpg, which is pretty darn impressive. Generally, you would have to be trying pretty hard to see it drop below 45 mpg, even when 'making progress' down a twisty B Road.
Tyres are 185/55R15 and are therefore ridiculously cheap, it's in insurance group 2E and is tax band B. All of this makes for cheap motoring indeed.
Practicality wise, it's fine. 4 seats and an OK boot. The mother-in-law proclaimed that she was very comfortable in the back when we made the 100 mile or so jaunt to London a while ago (though she is tiny), and that's all I really have to say about practicality (it's not high on my list of priorities). We have got our first baby on the way though and while it won't be the main family car, it'll be interesting to see how it manages with the assortment of various baby necessities it will be carrying every now and then.
---
Right, that's the boring stuff out of the way, what about the rest?
Well, the noise from the 3 pot engine still brings a smile to my face every time it goes above 4k rpm, and with the back seats down you get a nice little rasp from the exhaust too (I thought I heard it pop once too but I think that was something in the boot banging around
). When you've got so little power at your disposal you really need to plan ahead (especially when overtaking) as exiting in a corner in the wrong gear will see absolutely nothing happening when you try to accelerate away. This, I feel, is one of the joys of driving an underpowered car, because when you get it right it's a great feeling (even more so when you leave much more powerful cars behind)!
The gearbox is just a touch on the notchy side of perfect but it's pretty good, with a nice short-ish throw. I'm still learning how to heel and toe and the pedals are just a bit too far apart to make it easy, but I'm getting there.
There is a touch more body roll when cornering than I'd like but stiffening the suspension even more would ruin the ride, which I think is excellent at the moment. I spend 2-3 hours in it every day and never feel drained afterwards. The steering is very direct and accurate, with a perfect weight to it and the Traction Control seems to give you a healthy bit of leeway before stepping in (in fact, its only kicked in twice since I've had it, and both times were in the same place trying to floor it up a very steep hill with an awful road surface).
TL;DR the Citigo Monte Carlo is cheap, tremendously fun and surprisingly good on the motorway.
---
Now for some pictures:
Parked behind a, er, slightly quicker 4 seater:
Parked next to its big brother:
A fine surfboard carrier!
Packing the....essentials for a weekend away (the WKD isn't mine I promise!):
I know some people on here would have you believe that trying to take 59 bhp up a slip road will see you immediately and brutally killed but in the last year of doing this I haven't even been killed once. What I have been, though, is surprised that this little city car also makes an excellent motorway cruiser. I've driven a fair few modern hatchbacks of varying sizes but the Citigo is by far the most refined of the lot, and it is more than happy to sit at 0.85-0.9 leptons for 45 minutes. It's been a genuinely good companion in taking me to work for the last year and long may it continue!
As far as fuel economy goes, I don't tend to measure it on every fill up. I did go through a phase of using fuelly to keep track a few months back and the lowest I got was around 48 mpg, which is pretty darn impressive. Generally, you would have to be trying pretty hard to see it drop below 45 mpg, even when 'making progress' down a twisty B Road.
Tyres are 185/55R15 and are therefore ridiculously cheap, it's in insurance group 2E and is tax band B. All of this makes for cheap motoring indeed.
Practicality wise, it's fine. 4 seats and an OK boot. The mother-in-law proclaimed that she was very comfortable in the back when we made the 100 mile or so jaunt to London a while ago (though she is tiny), and that's all I really have to say about practicality (it's not high on my list of priorities). We have got our first baby on the way though and while it won't be the main family car, it'll be interesting to see how it manages with the assortment of various baby necessities it will be carrying every now and then.
---
Right, that's the boring stuff out of the way, what about the rest?
Well, the noise from the 3 pot engine still brings a smile to my face every time it goes above 4k rpm, and with the back seats down you get a nice little rasp from the exhaust too (I thought I heard it pop once too but I think that was something in the boot banging around
). When you've got so little power at your disposal you really need to plan ahead (especially when overtaking) as exiting in a corner in the wrong gear will see absolutely nothing happening when you try to accelerate away. This, I feel, is one of the joys of driving an underpowered car, because when you get it right it's a great feeling (even more so when you leave much more powerful cars behind)!The gearbox is just a touch on the notchy side of perfect but it's pretty good, with a nice short-ish throw. I'm still learning how to heel and toe and the pedals are just a bit too far apart to make it easy, but I'm getting there.
There is a touch more body roll when cornering than I'd like but stiffening the suspension even more would ruin the ride, which I think is excellent at the moment. I spend 2-3 hours in it every day and never feel drained afterwards. The steering is very direct and accurate, with a perfect weight to it and the Traction Control seems to give you a healthy bit of leeway before stepping in (in fact, its only kicked in twice since I've had it, and both times were in the same place trying to floor it up a very steep hill with an awful road surface).
TL;DR the Citigo Monte Carlo is cheap, tremendously fun and surprisingly good on the motorway.
---
Now for some pictures:
Parked behind a, er, slightly quicker 4 seater:
Parked next to its big brother:
A fine surfboard carrier!
Packing the....essentials for a weekend away (the WKD isn't mine I promise!):
Thanks guys 
PowerslideSWE said:
Plans are to fit rear arch liners and perhaps some insulation under the split floors, but honestly it's not really that noisy even at speed.
I’ve heard this recommended before, but like you I don’t think it’s that noisy at speed, I certainly don’t notice any noise from the rear, though when driving over grit etc. it does get a bit noisy back there!Jonesy1972 said:
I imagine I’ll be back in something small engined with fun handling again in the future, whether it be an Up! GTI or something else.
I’ve been fancying an Up! GTI when this goes back, never thought I’d own essentially the same car twice in a row! Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff