Citroen e-C5 Aircross long term test review 2026

Citroen e-C5 Aircross long term report 3: The most comfortable car for under £40k

Key details

Spec: Citroen e-C5 Aircross Plus Comfort Range| Price: from £36,705 (£38,370 as tested) | Mileage: 3,299 | Test miles per kWh: 3.9 | Report date: 31^st August 2026

After more than 3,000 miles, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Citroen e-C5 Aircross is one of the best cars for comfort you can buy for under £40,000.

Running on 19in wheels with 235/55 tyres, this electric Citroen SUV has really impressed me with its supple ride quality. Potholes, speed humps, broken bits of road, it doesn’t matter what’s ahead of you; this car glides over it with a satisfying, muted thud.

When Citroen launched the latest C5 Aircross in 2025 it made some bold claims about its ‘magic carpet’ ride quality. And being a cynical automotive road tester with more than 20 years’ experience, I assumed that Citroen was over-egging just how good the C5 Aircross is. However, after living with one for three months, I can confirm it is absurdly comfortable.

So, why is it so smooth? Well, it’s down to the Citroen’s advanced comfort suspension, which uses progressive hydraulic cushions that absorb the energy that’s created by road imperfections and prevents it from entering the vehicle.

Unlike air suspension or adaptive damping, there are no fancy electrics or additional weight, which means the suspension doesn’t impact the way the car handles on the road. This provides a simple and cost-effective solution to Britain’s bumpy roads.

On the downside, it isn’t the sharpest tool in the box when it comes to road handling, but I wager that few e-C5 Aircross drivers care because this SUV is clearly designed for people who value comfort and refinement over razor sharp cornering response.

Indeed, if you dislike cars with light steering then the handling of the e-C5 Aircross may be too vague for your tastes. That’s not to say it’s a poor car to drive; it has plenty of grip, but the body will roll from side to side if you ask it to change direction at pace.

Another area where the e-C5 Aircross impresses is with its soft but supportive seats, which have a core of high-density foam, along with an additional 15mm top layer of memory foam.

Coupled with the comfortable suspension set-up, the seats hug you like an overfamiliar friend and support your back perfectly on long trips. This means I look forward to climbing into the e-C5 Aircross after a long day at the office, because I know I’m going to be treated to comfortable and smooth journey home.

One area that does disappoint in the e-C5 Aircross is the quality of some cabin trims. The air vents feel flimsy and the hard plastic armrests on the doors make it clear that Citroen has had to make savings to keep the car’s price down.

However, as an overall package, the e-C5 Aircross is a great all-rounder. And in my opinion, it is one of the best family cars you can buy in the UK.

Citroen e-C5 Aircross long term report 2: The family EV test

Key details

Spec: Citroen e-C5 Aircross Plus Comfort Range| Price: from £36,705 (£38,370 as tested) | Mileage: 2,010 | Test miles per kWh: 3.9 | Report date: 30^th July 2026

“Are you sure all of this stuff is going to fit in the boot?”, asks my partner. We are only going away for 2 nights in the Peak District, but we are surrounded by bags and suitcases. A travel cot and a large child’s buggy also need to go in the boot. And to our neighbours, it looks like we’re moving house.  

In these situations, I usually guess the boot is big enough before being forced to admit defeat after 10 minutes of huffing and puffing. But not today. Why? I’m driving the Citroen e-C5 Aircross.

Unlike some electric cars, which lose boot space because they are adapted from petrol powered platforms, Citroen’s SUV has been designed to be an EV from the ground up.

This means the petrol mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric version get the same 565-litre boot capacity. So, EV buyers are not forced to make a compromise when it comes to storage space.

The Citroen compares well against the Kia EV5 (566 litres), Renault Scenic (545 litres) and Volkswagen ID.4 (543 litres). It can't match the 585 litres you get in the Skoda Enyaq but it beats most of its rivals for boot capacity.

In the real world, this means the electric C5 Aircross is large enough to cope with pretty much everything a family can throw at it. Which is just as well, because the Powell family seldom travel light.

As you can see from the photo above, not only do I get everything into the boot, but there’s also space for some shopping bags. This was handy on our Peak District trip as we needed to add a detour to a supermarket to buy food for our self-catering accommodation.

Another helpful feature is the square shape of the boot, which makes it easy to use all of the available space. A child’s buggy, for example, fits flush against the side of the boot wall. There is also an under-floor compartment for the charging cable and loose items.

Inside, the cabin has lots of pockets and compartments for odds and ends. The door bins are wide enough to take a large water bottle, along with a couple of wet wipe packs (essential for any car trip with a toddler). You also get a useful mobile phone pocket at the top of the seatbacks.

Carrying a full load of people and luggage does impact electric range slightly, with miles per kWh dropping from 4.0 to 3.9. This means a fully loaded e-C5 Aircross returns around 285 miles from a full charge in summer temperatures. As a result, I needed to spend £20 to top up the battery at a public charger for the journey back to Cambridge.

But Citroen’s family-size EV is winning lots of praise from my adult passengers for its comfort and unconventional design. The floating armrests are a particular talking point, while everyone loves the reclining outer rear seats which allow you to sit back and relax.

After 2,000 miles, I must admit that I’m also taking a shine to the e-C5 Aircross. It is a funky EV that has lots of space and character. As a result, it’s becoming a firm family favourite.

Citroen e-C5 Aircross long term report 1: Can an EV be a good family car?

Key details

Spec: Citroen e-C5 Aircross Plus Comfort Range | Price: from £36,705 (£38,370 as tested) | Mileage: 904 | Test miles per kWh: 4.0 | Report date: 30^th June 2026

New cars go through loads of lab-based tests before they reach the showroom, but few assessments are as tough as family life. In fact, I’d argue that the unbridled chaos of living with a small toddler is the ultimate test when it comes to a car’s build quality, versatility and design.

Step forward the Citroen e-C5 Aircross, it will be taking the full brunt of Powell family life for the next six months. I hope the people at Citroen appreciate what they have committed to.

For those who are unfamiliar, the e-C5 Aircross is the all-electric version of the Citroen C5 Aircross. It is the largest SUV in the French carmaker’s line-up and under the metal the e-C5 Aircross is closely related to the Vauxhall Grandland and Peugeot 3008.

The electric version is front-wheel drive, with its power coming from a 210hp motor and a 73kWh battery with a maximum advertised range of 322 miles.

Since taking delivery of the e-C5 Aircross four weeks ago, things have started well. Throughout June, I’ve been getting around 300 miles from a full battery charge. This means I can comfortably drive from Cambridge to Bristol without having to worry about a charging stop.

I have a 7kW home charger and (unless I have a particularly long journey to cover) I usually charge the battery from 10-80% capacity, as this caters for our daily drive needs.

A charge to 80% from home takes less than seven hours and I can configure my wallbox to charge the e-C5 Aircross overnight to take advantage of our off-peak energy tariff, which saves money on running costs.

As a family car, the big Citroen has already impressed. Since entering the ‘terrible twos’ phase with my son, car trips can sometimes be a bit of a challenge with a long journey peppered by tantrums and the odd high-pitched screaming session. However, so far, my son seems to like the e-C5 Aircross. There have been no screams, tears or bite marks on the seats - my son once left a tooth imprint on the headrest of a car I had on test.

I think the key to this success lies in the car’s soft and quiet ride quality, which frequently sends my son to the land of nod. This was particularly useful during a recent heat wave when my son was upset by the heat and refusing to go to bed. To cool us both down, I took him for a 15-minute drive and he was fast asleep within 10.

As a result, Citroen’s comfy SUV has already established itself as a useful member of the family.

In addition to being a commander-in-sleep, the e-C5 Aircross has lots of storage with its 565-litre boot being 15 litres bigger than the car I tested during our Vauxhall Grandland Electric long term review. You get loads of head and shoulder space across both rows of seats, too.

Over the next few months, Citroen’s electric SUV will have to pass many more challenges. I have quite a few long trips planned with the family, I also have several events to attend for work. Will the e-C5 Aircross continue to impress? Only time will tell.