Skip advert
Advertisement

Citroen C4 Cactus review - driver appeal of a different kind - Citroen C4 Cactus MPG and running costs

Not an 'evo' car in the traditional sense, the Cactus is nevertheless quite a likeable car

Evo rating
RRP
from £12,990
  • Interior design, comfort, light weight
  • Overly light steering, quirky styling may put off some

Light weight – Cacti start at just 965kg and none break the 1100kg mark – and small engines make the C4 Cactus very frugal, both on paper and in the real world.

We’ll start with our own experiences first: The 1.2-litre PureTech 110 gets an official combined economy figure of 65.7mpg, and in mixed driving we saw MPG in the high 40s, so mid-40s is a realistic estimate and 50-plus if you have a particularly light right foot.

Advertisement - Article continues below

On paper the turbocharged car is actually a little better than its naturally-aspirated compatriots, but with a figure of 83.1mpg combined the diesel (with the ETG6 gearbox) would be the one to go for if ultimate economy is the goal.

Interestingly, PSA Group – the brand that controls Peugeot, Citroen and DS – recently tested the real-world economy of several of its models. It achieved 46mpg from a Cactus PureTech 110 (matching our estimation) and 55mpg from a manual-equipped Cactus diesel.

Other running costs should be low enough – Citroen has a ‘SimplyDrive’ feature that includes three years’ worth of insurance, routine servicing, tax, warranty and breakdown cover included when buying the car on finance. The Cactus also rolls on fairly sensible tyres and its light weight means you shouldn’t chew through consumables too quickly either.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Used Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk5, 2004 - 2009) review – one of the best VWs of the last 30 years
VW Golf GTI Mk5 front
In-depth reviews

Used Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk5, 2004 - 2009) review – one of the best VWs of the last 30 years

Volkswagen's quintessential hot hatch saw a stunning return to form in Mk5 guise. It’s aged like a fine wine and is an appreciating modern classic tod…
2 Sep 2025
Boxster and Cayman are dead – Porsche’s sweet-spot sports cars axed
Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4
News

Boxster and Cayman are dead – Porsche’s sweet-spot sports cars axed

The ultimate goldilocks sports cars of our time finally bow out. The segment has lost its all-time great benchmarks
2 Sep 2025
Best cars of the 1990s – the ultimate driver’s cars from three decades ago
Best '90s cars
Best cars

Best cars of the 1990s – the ultimate driver’s cars from three decades ago

The 1990s was a goldilocks decade in some ways – new technologies married old-school sensibilities in sensational driver’s cars
30 Aug 2025