Used DS 3 review and buying guide (2010 to 2019): which one to buy and what to check

Which used DS 3 should you buy?

The safer DS 3 is a hatchback with the non-turbo 1.6 VTi petrol, because the 1.6 THP turbo carries far more owner complaints. Owners of 2013 and 2014 THP cars have reported timing chains that rattled, stretched or failed, and one 2013 car's chain went at 47,000 miles and wrecked the engine. That's several owners' cars rather than a recorded fault, but it's the pattern that decides this purchase.

Cars from 2010 to 2012 were covered by recalls for a battery earth cable that could fail and cut the engine, suspension fixings that could work loose, and faults with the ABS and ESP. Don't buy one of those years without proof the work was done. Water getting into the fusebox has turned up on both a 2011 and a 2016 car, so it isn't limited to the early ones.

The DS 3 Cabrio (2013 to 2019) adds an electric fabric roof, and that's the part to judge it on. One 2014 owner's roof jammed open at 37,000 miles, which also stopped the boot opening, and the repair offered was a whole new roof cartridge. Later cars from 2016 to 2019 have very few reports of any kind, and that means little is known about them, not that they're trouble free.

Which DS 3 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The non-turbo 1.6 VTi petrol is the lesser risk, simply because far fewer problems have been reported on it than on the THP. It isn't spotless: one 2014 non-turbo 1.6 started burning a litre of oil every 2,000 miles, and a 2011 VTi at 8,000 miles threw an immobiliser fault that needed a replacement control unit.

The 1.6 THP turbo petrol, sold as the 150 and in the Cabrio as the 155, is the one to be wary of. One 2013 car needed a chain and tensioners at 30,000 miles, a 2014 car's chain was noisy at 35,000, another 2013 car's failed at 47,000, and one 2013 car had chain trouble at 40,000 and again at 57,000 miles. A 2013 Cabrio 155 lost compression at 9,000 miles and got a new engine under warranty.

If it has to be a THP, only buy one with a full service history and oil change receipts for every year, and pass on any car that rattles from cold. Nothing on record covers any other engine, and the gearboxes only come up once, in a 2013 THP that needed a clutch at 30,000 miles. That silence isn't the same thing as a clean record.

What should you check when viewing a used DS 3?

Don't let the seller warm the car up first: have it started from cold and listen for a rattle from the front of a THP engine in the first few seconds. On the drive, feel for stuttering as you accelerate, an erratic idle, over-revving or a misfire, and check the engine management light goes out. Ask how much oil the owner tops up between services, since heavy oil use has been reported on both the turbo and non-turbo 1.6.

Lift the fusebox cover and look for damp or corrosion, then check the daytime running lights work. On one 2011 car water from a leaking screenwasher pump got in and knocked them out, and the owner paid £60 for a new pump. Look over a black-painted roof and the paint under the door mirrors too, because two 2014 owners have reported paint peeling off the roof and splitting below a mirror.

The paperwork that matters is proof of the recall work on 2010 to 2012 cars (battery earth cable, suspension fixings, ABS and ESP) and receipts for any chain, tensioner or engine work on a THP. On a Cabrio, run the roof through its whole travel a few times and check the boot still opens with the roof folded back.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used DS 3 cost to run?

What do DS 3 owners like about them?

The cabin's the DS 3's strong point: it feels refined, the materials feel a cut above and the finish is of a high quality throughout. There's huge scope to personalise one to your own taste, so it's a car that can look and feel like yours rather than a copy of the one parked next to it on the street.

It's fun to drive, and it handles neatly when you push on through a set of bends. Reversing into a tight space is easy, too, because you can see clearly out of the back of the hatchback, and that makes parking in town far less of a chore than it could be.

• The DS3 offers a highly refined and premium quality interior, providing a pleasant cabin environment for occupants.
• The 1.6 THP 150 petrol engine with a six-speed gearbox delivers 40 to 45mpg.
• The 1.6 diesel engine in the DS3 demonstrates excellent fuel efficiency, with CO2 emissions rated at 99g/km.
• The DS3 represents good value for money in the used car market, offering a desirable package for its price.
• The car handles very well, and excellent rear visibility makes reversing easy.