Peugeot 408 vs Citroen C4 comparison

Today in our car ring there are two Frenchmen - Peugeot 408 and Citroen C4. Both cars are assembled in Russia, in Kaluga, approximately equal in value and we will consider sedans. By the way, there is an opinion that the development of the Citroen C4 began at the same time as work on the Peugeot 408 and specifically for the Russian market.

So, let's cross swords, gentlemen, duelists?

External data

Both of these cars cannot be called handsome in full measure, however, Citroen pays a little more attention to detail. At the same time, Peugeot is slightly larger in size, although the cars were made on the same platform, and some kind of imbalance in proportions became noticeable. Maybe that's why Peugeot began to look rustic, well, or if someone likes it more, strictly and solidly? Moreover, the abundance of chrome parts, the relief of the lines, the apparent concavity of the shape of the rear window of the Citroen C4 give some dapperness to the car.

And inside, Citroen looks fresher and more expensive, but still imperfect. Illumination of scales and devices, in addition to the standard white color, can become three shades of bright blue. Just those that are called "ripped eyes". It looks very intimidating, so you are unlikely to change the white color for all these possible options, except that once - just look and be horrified.

However, as for the budget - then there is not the slightest hint of it in one or the other car. Quality materials are everywhere, plastic is soft - a pleasure to touch.

If we evaluate roominess, then both cars can boast of this quality - roomy and comfortable even for tall people - with a comfortable position of the passenger in front from the knees to the driver's seat, at least 10 cm remains.However, the absence of a central armrest makes the trip behind two passengers less comfortable.

As you know, the French are scrupulous to the smallest detail, and it is quite possible to store a two-liter bottle of cold water in the Peugeot's glove compartment - and there, in general, a whole organizer with cooling. Next to him on the left is a hook for an umbrella or a bag.

The luggage racks are quite roomy, but the Peugeot 408 has a little more: 560 liters versus 440 for the Citroen C4.

Test Drive and Engine Evaluation

The first thing I want to say is that the Peugeot 408 with a 1.6 engine is one of the most affordable diesel cars in Russia in all trim levels. This moment will not leave anyone indifferent, given the price of gasoline, especially in winter, when the engine needs to be warmed up. But high-quality diesel fuel has become much more affordable. True, such a car can only be bought with 112 horsepower under the hood. And such cars are considered much more noisy.

Test drive a Peugeot 408 car:

The steering wheels of the Peugeot 408 and the Citroen C4 have additional finger grips. The main difference is that the Peugeot 408 does not have any buttons on the steering wheel; a steering column switch is made for them. To some, this may seem unimportant, however, at high speeds, catching the buttons does not seem convenient enough. Citroen has all the buttons on the steering wheel. The steering column for both cars is adjustable in height and reach. And the driver's seat is adjustable only in height. It's a little uncomfortable.

Test drive of the car Citroen C4:

The Peugeot dashboard is rather laconic and does not lose information content, but it is still less readable than the competitor's. Although here at Citroen, too, not everything is perfect - it is convenient to read the speedometer readings only thanks to a large digital backup, and nothing more.

Go?

Let's go back to the steering wheel - here the Peugeot 408 has an electric power steering, the Citroen C4 has an electric power steering. What is the difference? At low revs, the electric power steering gives a soft steering wheel and it is much more convenient to turn it. But at high speeds, the steering wheel needs to be tougher so that the safety of the driver and passengers is high, as well as for better handling. At the same time, the information content of the steering wheel in both cars is very good, although there is no clear zero. This does not prevent cars from obeying the steering wheel and being stable on the road.

Both sedans have great visibility thanks to large windshields. Side mirrors of one and the other of the car are located on the doors. This adds visibility to the driver on the left - the stands do not interfere. They can also control blind spots.

The ground clearance is approximately the same - 176 mm for Citroen and 175 mm for Peugeot. This moment is also very pleasing, because it allows you to safely ride on the road, without fear of striking the "belly" on the curb, although it all depends on the height of the curb. In any case, many cars have much less ground clearance, so there is nothing to worry about. Outside the city, this clearance is also quite enough for a quiet ride.

Since both sedans were developed for Russian roads, in both cases it was possible to maintain a balance of stiffness and elasticity of the suspension. You will have to jump on bumps and bumps, but without the risk of hitting your head on the roof of the car. And the small pits that Peugeot, that Citroen swallow without batting an eye.

For the cold season, both cars have a plastic front bumper guard to help the cars warm up faster. By the way, here you can add that the heating of the air inside the cars depends on the type of engines - the gasoline engine warms up the car a little faster, but thanks to the presence of adjustable air ducts for the rear passengers, this problem can be quickly solved for diesel Peugeots.

Upon purchase, both cars will be supplied with a "winter package", which differs in composition. For example, for Citroen, this will be a complete heating of the windshield, and for Peugeot, only the wipers rest zone will be heated with filaments.

Life in motion

Getting under way with a diesel engine is a little more difficult than with gasoline. But nevertheless, the engine is a real beast, no worse than its petrol counterpart, so it is a pleasure to drive such a car. Citroen accelerates to 100 km / h a little faster than its colleague in the shop - 12.8 s versus 13.8 s for the Peugeot 408. Fuel consumption per 100 km looks like this - for Citroen it is 9.9 liters in the city and 5.6 liters on the highway. And for Peugeot, this time is 11.3 liters on city streets and 6 liters during country trips with 6 automatic transmissions, and on a diesel engine these data will look like 6.2 liters in city mode and 4.3 liters in suburban mode.

Maximum speed also impressive - from 180 to 200 km / h - there is something to drive. However, if Peugeot behaves confidently at high speeds, then Citroen owners will have to be more careful, especially when overtaking - calculate your maneuvers with a margin.

Noise isolation - it's time to remember that both the Peugeot 408 and the Citroen C4 are class C cars. If on cars of a lower class you will definitely hear the sound of stones on the bottom, then in these sedans the engine will be the main source of noise. At high speeds, the suspension becomes audible, and at Citroen it will sound a little louder.The engine of a diesel Peugeot sounds louder and rougher at idle, while a characteristic vibration passes through the body, this is especially noticeable from the outside.

So which choice should you make - a Peugeot 408 or a Citroen C4? In general, Peugeot's sales are higher than its counterpart, especially due to the appearance of a diesel engine, but there are more than enough Citroen fans. So the rivals can disperse to the corners of the ring without losing to each other. Someone will like the appearance of Citroen more, and more practical people will like the Peugeot 408 due to the increased trunk. And due to the similar power of the engines, the cost of service and insurance will be approximately the same. Of course, the owners of a diesel engine will have to rely on their own peril and risk when refueling the tank, because there is a risk of getting on summer diesel fuel when refueling in winter, but now the situation is better - our gas stations are increasingly selling high-quality fuel. In addition, Peugeot is much faster than its competitor due to the higher torque.

And since both cars are adapted to Russian roads, each of them has its own niche in our market. The choice is yours!