Fiat 500X, Citroen C3 Aircross or Mini Countryman?
This week’s car news: Audi has announced that it wants to give its future models a friendlier, rounder design. Down with the aggressiveness! They even brought up the war in Ukraine. We don’t want to go that far, but it seems that since corona the fuses in traffic have become a bit shorter. As is often the case, AutoWeek takes the lead in the automotive landscape, so this week we are looking for three friendly-looking used cars. We are looking for three used compact SUV’s. Can you find a nice second-hand car in that genre with an amount that is about €10,000 below the average used car price?
With 14 grand in your pocket you can then – luckily! – still in all directions. Because compact SUVs are all the rage, we limit ourselves to this segment. Which occasion has the X factor, is the ideal son-in-law? At least one that has an X in its name: that’s the Fiat 500X. A Citroën C3 Aircross (because: cross!) cannot be missed either. And finally the Mini Countryman. No X in the name, but this German Brit (or British German) has been a must-have for twenty years anyway. It doesn’t need X to have the X factor!
Fiat 500X 1.4 Turbo MultiAir 16V 140 Popstar – 2015 – 142,328 kilometers – €13,950
Encouraged by the huge success of the modern 500, Fiat built a whole model range around this little rascal. One of them is the 500X which actually has little to do with the convex A-segmenter. It is certainly not a raised 500 Giardiniera avant-la-lettre, but a B-segment SUV. In fact, the 500X is longer than its two opponents! With around 14 mille in our pocket we end up in Zoeterwoude where this Fiat 500X is located. Nice: the asking price includes a one-year Bovag warranty, because with more than 142,000 kilometers, the pronte Italian has the biggest bojob of the three done. By the way, he covered it with the strongest engine.
140 hp are released on the front wheels (that X does not stand for four-wheel drive), coming from a blown 1.4. More importantly, the strong torque of 230 Nm is already released at 1,750 rpm. That seems to make the 500X a real caravan tractor, and that is correct: braked 1,200 kilos are allowed on the hook, where the C3 does not exceed 840 kilos. The Mini may not even pull anything at all. However, it goes too far to call the 500X a sports car, the steering is too light for that. Although there is a real sports button on the center console, which makes the steering wheel more difficult to operate, a kart feeling such as the Mini offers is strange to him. However, the chassis is quite firmly adjusted to prevent hanging in fast corners.
In the interior we find many cheerful details that show kinship with the 500 (structure of the dashboard, 500 logos in the seats), but the X is much more spacious, especially in the back. Two adults find a decent place. Unfortunately, this is at the expense of the luggage space, but you can’t have everything at 4.25 meters. This also applies to the entry-level Popstar, although the ‘navigation’ option was checked by the first owner. A splashing paint color unfortunately not …
Signaling
Brand Fiat
Type500X 1.4 Turbo MultiAir 16V 140 Popstar
Construction year May 2015
Mileage 142,328
Asking price €13,950
Where to buy? Versteegen Auto’s BV, Zoeterwoude
Technical data
Engine 4-cyl. in-line, 1,368 cc, turbo
max. assets 103 kW/140 hp at 5,000 rpm
max. couple 230 Nm at 1,750 rpm
Luggage room 350 l/1,000 l
max. trailer braked 1,200 kilograms
Avg. consumption 1 in 16.9
0-100km/h 9.8s
Top speed 190km/h
Citroën C3 Aircross PureTech 110 Shine – 2017 – 113,554 kilometers – €14,250
The Citroën C3 Aircross is on the one hand quite tough on its wheels, on the other hand the round shapes give it a friendly appearance. Extensive personalization can even create a kind of XL toy car. We get that feeling a bit with this colorful Citroën C3 Aircross. One walks with it, eh … drives away in it, the other doesn’t like it at all. Of these three used cars portrayed, the X factor seems to be the least applicable to the C3 Aircross, but that also has advantages. Because for the same money you drive a much younger car. Although from December 2017, the jolly Frenchman was only put on a Dutch license plate in October ’18. It is for sale at the brand dealer in Krimpen a/d IJssel – also here with a one-year warranty – for just over 14 mille.
You can see from the safety and equipment level that the raised C3 is the youngest. Business like lane assist, traffic sign recognition, light and rain sensor, Android Auto and Apple Carplay can only be found here. Yet with all these facilities it does not sink through its hooves. On the contrary: with an empty weight of 1,154 kilos, the Citroën is no less than 141 kilos lighter than the Fiat. This also means that comparable performance is offered with a weaker engine, while fuel consumption is lower. The 1.2-PureTech block of 110 hp does that. It is also nice to know that this block has improved considerably over the years in terms of reliability, although timely and accurate maintenance (the right oil!) still guarantees a longer service life.
Furniture, chassis, steering … it’s comfort that counts here. Sports enthusiasts should really go shopping a little further, space seekers will get their money’s worth. For example, the rear seat – just like in the Countryman – can be moved, which gives it MPV characteristics. And in terms of operating costs, the C3 Aircross seems to make the smallest impact on the household fair.
Signaling
Brand Lemon
TypeC3 Aircross PureTech 110 Shine
Construction year December 2017
Mileage 113,554
Asking price €14,250
Where to buy? Citroën dealer Broere, Krimpen a/d IJssel
Technical data
Engine 3-cyl. in-line, 1,199 cc, turbo
max. assets 81 kW/110 hp at 5,500 rpm
max. couple 205 Nm at 1,500 rpm
Luggage room 410 l / 1,289 l
max. trailer braked 840 kilograms
Avg. consumption 1 in 20.4
0-100km/h 11.5s
Top speed 190km/h
Mini Countryman Cooper Business Edition – 2014 – 81,173 kilometers – 13,750 euros
The New Mini has been a gadget for over 20 years. BMW saw that early on and took care – with the Fiat 500 – for a whole family around the German / British box. One member of it is the Countryman. Nice new at the price (especially with options it quickly increases) and used … also, because they are quite stable in value. It is therefore no surprise that this Mini Countryman is the oldest of the three, but that it is blessed with a much lower mileage.
Its age is reasonably reflected in the equipment. Although a Business Edition, it does not have the latest state of affairs in terms of comfort and safety on board. Nevertheless, it scored a respectable five stars in the EuroNCAP crash test at the time. As much as the C3 Aircross, the 500X reached up to four stars. As a Countryman, the Mini is no longer a mini: there is plenty of space in the front and back, with the rear seat up, the luggage space offers 450 liters (the largest box of our trio) and with everything flat, it is between 500X (1,000 liters) at 1,170 liters and C3 Aircross (1,289 litres). The sliding rear seat gives it MPV traits, the dashboard is really Mini!
In the motor area, we are less enthusiastic about the 8-TPH-51. Not only does a VTI machine jointly developed by BMW and PSA rest in the front, making timely and proper maintenance a must, it is also the only naturally aspirated engine of this set. Especially the much lower torque that is achieved at a considerably higher speed is striking. If you want to come along a bit, he has to be kept on revs. That is possible, only … the beautifully balanced chassis can handle much more than the 122 horses of this red bolt. Because eating corners, the Mini finds that delightful. The steering behavior is nice and sharp. In short: this Countryman stands out in several areas because it does not seem to be a Mini!
Signaling
Brand Mini
TypeCountryman Cooper Business Edition
Construction year April 2014
Mileage 81,173
Asking price €13,750
Where to buy? Vakgarage Straathof, Nieuwe Wetering
Technical data
Engine 4-cyl. in-line, 1,598 cc
max. assets 90 kW/122 hp at 6,000 rpm
max. couple 160 Nm at 4,250 rpm
Luggage room 450 l/1,170 l
max. trailer braked n/a
Avg. consumption 1 in 16.7
0-100km/h 10.5s
Top speed 190km/h
Which compact SUV is right for you?
In summary: if you are mainly looking for comfort, take the C3 Aircross. Do you also have the most modern and budget-friendly occasion at home? The Mini, with its premium appearance and sporty chassis, is diametrically opposed. As far as we’re concerned, the 500X is pretty much in between. Which compact, friendly SUV is right for you?
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl