SOLID, steady, stable, are the qualities most family buyers want in their main car, but the Citroen C4 is not usually on their shopping list.
And they are missing out on a very good car.
Taking on the Focus and Astra, the C4 can compete in terms of size, room, equipment and economy but also delivers an extra bit of style both inside and out, and the comfort of the Citroen is arguably its best feature and puts it in a class above its rivals.
There is a choice of twelve models comprising three trim levels and with two petrol or four diesel engines, five or six-speed manuals and four or six-speed automatics priced between £13,995 and £20,495.
This car was the range topping Exclusive 150 but a sub-100g/km diesel is also on the price-list.
The 2.0-litre 150bhp engine was a good instant starter and once on the move it pulled well although it was not outstandingly flexible when you might have expected it, however it did return 43mpg without any effort.
I liked the light clutch and direct gearchange with good ratios giving easy overtaking and utterly relaxed motorway performance.
The brakes inspired with their power and progressive assistance and even the electronic parking brake did a very good job on hills and never gave a moment's concern.
Whether on the open road or in town, the variabale ratio power steering gave good feedback, did not suffer from vibration and the turning circle was good in traffic or when parking. I liked the major controls layout and the clear if small instruments but some of the secondary switches were on the small side if you have big fingers.
On a few very cold mornings I found the demisting system took longer than I thought it should but once warmed up it kept the glass clear and the interior comfortable. The controls were clear and easy to use.
Oddments space was reasonably good for a family car in the front and back, while the bumper-height rear luggage load bed was sensibly shaped and provided a nominal space of 380 litres rising to a maximum 1,183 litres with the rear off-split seats folded.
Access for driver and passengers is very good and the room inside is adequate for four but a little tight for five people.
The well shaped seats gave excellent support and had good fore and aft as well as rake settings on the front pair. It would make long journeys to see family a pleasure rather than a duty.
This Exclusive specified car came with parking sensors and the visibility through the windows is very good, helped by a low waistline and thin pillars to the roof so it can be very precisely placed in a space or edged through a gap.
Optionally, you can order lights which 'look' around corners and are far reaching and broadly spread while the wipers cleared a large windscreen area in poor conditions and the lights pack includes blind-spot monitoring.
There is no doubt the Citroen C4 is a very capable all-rounder as a family car and its comfort and ride qualities set it apart from the rest in its class. You really are well insulated from the road shocks you can hear underneath.
Its handling is unchallenging as it tends to safely run wide on tight turns but ease off and it gently comes back on a tighter line. Mid corner bumps can be heard but they do not affect its stability through a curve and it does not pitch or dip when driving hard.
In conclusion it's a well-mannered model which does nothing badly and a lot well.