Road Test: Citroen C3 1.6i 16V Exclusive 5dr Sensodrive

The C3 and me have formed a natural alliance in recent months. Given the quality of some of the perfomance hardware on the TG fleet at the moment, the Citroen is not the most glamorous of cars for a weekend jaunt. And as a lowly freelancer at the bottom of the office food chain I can't be a chooser: I get what I'm given, which is often the C3. But that's just fine with me. I've grown fond of the small green bubble. Small on the outside, that is. The inside is so spacious it feels like climbing into a Tardis. Three can fit comfortably in the back and the generous headroom is a real luxury in a hatchback, particularly for a tall fella like me.

My mom (a serial hatchbacker) loved the ride and high driving position and was considering buying one until a spin round the block alerted her to the car's lurching gearchanges when in full auto mode. But stick to the easy, smooth semi-auto paddle-shift and you've got an ideal around-town car. You see, office speed merchants, it's not supposed to be an F1 substitute - it's just a little gadget to make life a wee bit less stressful.

Gavin Martin