ONE WEEK WITH CITROEN AMI IN THE UK - HAVE I DIED YET?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มิ.ย. 2024
- Some initial thoughts after a week and over 100 miles in my 2022 Citroen Ami in the UK!
#CitroenAmi #NotACar
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00:00 Intro
01:42 So much attention!
05:31 No comfort whatsoever
08:05 Yes, 28mph
12:10 Wet weather performance
14:27 Most importantly.... - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
I was an early adopter with the Brompton cycle. I got shouts like 'lost your way back to the circus' and 'which end do you blow'. All made me smile as I hopped on and off trains and did journeys across London that would of otherwise been expensive and/or slow. Great video, I'm tempted by an Ami but I'm still using the same Brompton for local journeys 27 years on.
Then you get me, the DAHON loyalist with better patents holding together my steed, trolling you some more, even though we are on the same side!🙄
Brompton Bikes! Great kit. My friend Julian Vereker who founded NAIM Hi-Fi assisted with that marvellous company. I saw a brilliant review of Smart Fortwo EQ by AutoEV where he put one in it’s little boot! Impressed th-cam.com/video/HExdaolNJUE/w-d-xo.html
As a comic once said about hecklers, "They're sad, insecure little people who are basically saying 'look at me!' and yearning for some (any) attention. They can be simply ignored👍
No great surprise that we Bommie-riders are also interested in micro cars 🙂
I spend 10 hrs a day in Hereford as a taxi driver and i set my cruise control to 28mph gps, all day I drive with it engaged with no issue.
ln 1978 and l bought a 1961 BMW Isetta 300 Bubble car. - One cylinder, 4 stroke, 300cc and dressed in thick 50’s steel for £60. Apart from the ‘exit onto the pavement front door’, it had another exit via the roof flap. Very sound and safe and a smile from all who saw her. ( A good one now will sell for £25,000 + today ). We all have gone backwards in our transport progress for city travel.
Here in Portugal, I have seen a few of these in Évora. A beatiful historical city/town which has a large portion inside a medieval castle, therefore streets are narrow, parking space is limited, etc. Even in the ring road (outside the castle walls) you really can't drive very fast.
This is the ideal habitat for this little car (/quadricycle)...
In Europe, there are plenty of towns with similar characteristics...
Congratulations for Citroën for being bold enough to make a useful product targeted at a poorly served market niche (That may not be so small as some may think).
Thanks Gary for that balance appraisal, my wife was much inspired. Hoping we won't be long in joining you
It's all 30MPH near me, and I do really low miles, 2300 in the last year. Ami would be perfect for me.
Thank you for your fascinating videos. I don’t understand why anyone would get angry over the Ami (and I drove the original 35 years ago). For purely use around a town it seems ideal!
Yes, people ar funny. "It's not safe" - said a guy driving a motorcycle 100 miles per hour :D
Hats off to Citroen - they have completely filled the brief with this vehicle. It does exactly what it's designed to do - bear in mind it's primarily designed for French 14 year old students to drive without a full driving licence to school or for local hire in the city to get from A to B in zones limited to 30mph or less.I hope the fact that it's captured the fascination of the experienced driving British public does not result in price rises for those whom it was initially designed for!! ( 'Mon Ami' couple included). Personally I have an SLK 2005 that costs £330 to tax, cost me £1800 to get it through last mot, does 30 miles per/gallon and drive it to Tesco and the occasional doctors appointment so no more than 200 miles in the last year. Ami makes perfect sense to me.
@@MrDead1975 good point Mark !!!
It would be cheaper to sell your car and take taxis.
@@MrDead1975 Drivers dont own cars for the practicality, they own cars and pay
big money for the 24/7 convenience, as Jeremy Clarkson said in 1994, it took a Porsche 928 to get him from london to sheffield in time to see his father before he died. try doing that in a taxi
@@phillipsmiley5930
For the "once in a lifetime" emergency, you could phone your local "well known hire company" and have them deliver a car to you while you packed a bag?
Or a taxi to take you to the airport if it's a distance?
@@rogerstarkey5390 You assume an airport with an aircraft is available for where you want to go, whereas roads lead to everywhere
Splendid video. You're genuine enthusiasm for the car / quad/ whatever/ really shines through. It doesn't really fit in in with my commuting or social needs but I wish it did...looks a hoot.
I really like your Ami. We have a Twizy with optional doors and after market polycarbonate windows. We found out that shaving foam is an effective way to stop the windows fogging up. Just squirt some on a microfibre cloth and wipe it on the inside of the windows every couple of weeks. Nice videos about the Ami.
Thanks for the useful tip! Fogging up without A/C is a huge pain. I remember in Winter waiting ages to clear windscreen on my marvellous 205 GTi back in the 80’s. And cursing when I lost patience and used my hand which led to huge marks on the inside! Doh 🙄
Motorcycle visor spray is for the same fogging issue, may be worth a look.
Poutamos, how ever did you discover that anti-fogging tip?
Motorcyclists have been doing versions of that for years. Washing up liquid is good too.
@@rondenton4188 Hi Ron, when we got the Twizy and the windows fogged up I googled how to stop it :-) It led me to some youtube videos on using shaving foam I tried it and found it worked!
Great commentary at the beginning of a journey we will all be following👍😊
Informative video. As a old 1960’s mod I know what it is like to drive in the wind and rain and to come off resulting in gravel rash. I wish there had been an Ami around in those days. Some people are just either negative or miss the point entirely.
Of course, you could drive a Reliant Robin on a bike licence.
@@computerbob06 class B1 licence, which will also get you a 2HP quadccycle
like a microcar MC2
I mean... there WAS an Ami back in those days.
@@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge But the 2CV based Ami wasnt licence free or even B1.
The first new car in the last 7 or 8 years I'd absolutely love to have a go in. Brilliant idea. That's what citroen is all about.
It makes perfect sense to me as a town/suburban runabout and particularly ideal for getting the weekly supermarket shop thanks to the passenger seat space. I don't understand all the negativity, unless your critics think you need a Tesla Plaid or similar to navigate 30 mph roads.
Same people probably moan about Range Rovers in town centres too.
some people have to compensate for undersized ***
excellent stuff, pleased to hear it's going well.
Comfort! My last micro car was a 1958 Frisky Sport Tourer. I’m set and awaiting a collection date.
I just googled the Frisky Sport, it looks brilliant!
As a long-time Citroëniste, take it from me, you have 4 points on the prejudice meter before you even put rubber to tarmac: it's French, it's Citroën, it's electric, it's different. Even some traditional Citroën fans go mental about it. After that, it's all down to the wannabe petrolheads to parrot what they've heard about it and how it threatens their fragile egos - and I love it for that alone. Finally, you'll have cut through the noise to those who are prepared to give it a chance.
Dorset Council are on the cusp of introducing blanket 20 mph limits on residential roads so the top speed will become academic in town around here.
Glad you like it.
Its not Dorset council its Sir Klaus Schwab and its world wide.
Yuri Bezmenov warned you 40 years ago
Great seeing how much you enjoy it!
I just love unusual vehicles, that’s why I once started with a Twizy. One must never underestimate the fun factor. Is the Ami ugly? No, it’s a funny little street bug which has kind of a personality maybe like the 2CV. Steamy window: the Twizy comes with a heated front window which works quite well. 🤔 I anticipate a wave of aftermarket stuff coming on to make Ami life more individual and probably more comfortable. Have fun with your little not-a-car and always safe driving. 👍
I’m so interested in what you are doing I watched this before a fully charged car review! Brilliant content.
Loving the sarcastic title, the sound engineers will no doubt love it too 😆
Like your video and your honesty on your report, thanks.
An honest review, how refreshing. Enjoy your new toy.
I sat in the Ami at Fully Charged live and it put a huge smile on my face. I'd love to have one on the drive, it'd be a great runabout for local journeys
Mines on order! cant wait!!!!
we got one ordered in portugal,..... soo excited, delivered april 2023, yeeh!!
Here in France there are loads of them, a neighbour has three of them one for each teenage child. Just accept them for what they are a little low cost runabout to the shops, work, school run etc. You would find it difficult to get done for speeding
The Ami is perfect for round town or shorter rush hour commutes. Small, manoeuvrable, easy to park, relatively quick off the mark, quiet, and most of all very cheap to own makes it ideal. Face facts, in town and during rush hour 30mph is a target, not a limit.
That's exactly the point I was about to make!
Van delivery parcels etc etc
That’s the best and surely most concise summary of the Citroën Ami Ëlectric that I’ve yet heard! You should be writing advertising copy…. I wonder if the original BMC Mini divided opinion like this? 🤔
Steve, that is surely the best and most concise summary of the remarkable little Citroën Ami Ëlectric that I have yet seen! You should be writing ad copy! I wonder if the 2CV or the original BMC generated such divided opinion?!
I already have two cars and couldn't justify one, but from all the stuff I have seen they look a hoot. I have a silica gel "cushion" that works in far larger cars than the Ami, and when it stops doing its job you just dry it back out on a radiator in the house and you're good to go again. In my airtight (aye, right!) Landie I also carry a tea towel for demisting purposes. Cheers
The main thing is your happy.. and it’s a talking point ! Good or bad keep up the cracking reviews. The other point is you seem very thoughtful with regards to watching your speed considerations and surroundings well done pull over etc let the traffic clear etc less pollution at source also
Congrats
Thx for ur video. I must say I couldn’t agree more about ur viewpoints about the car. I now live in Germany with unlimited motorway speeds (on 2/3 of stretches) and got myself a smart, back in 2002. It was the most relaxing car because it wasn’t that fast. I really didn’t even consider overtaking on the fast German country roads (100km limit) unless there truly was space between the bus/lorry in front of me and oncoming traffic. I never really tried the dash out of a side road to get that minor gap between cars as the automatic kinda took a second or two to realize we were driving. I never tried to set to warp speed on the motorway as it’s too speed was a useful 130km. Instead I’d tootle along within speed limits, I’d get to wherever o was going in a very relaxed manor as the car allowed for a high seating position, which was incredibly comfortable and had great visibility and most importantly… as I really couldn’t go any faster… I just didn’t. The best things however were: any few minutes I might have gained by speeding we’re more then compensated for by being able to park anywhere instantly… never needed to even consider parking… no matter how busy and cluttered… I’d always find a spot to fit in normally or sideways (short length). Oh yes… petrol stations were ridiculously infrequently visited what with just a 35 liter tank that would easily last for 7…800km.
The funniest thing was that eevveerryybody that got in for the first time said: oh.. I thought it would be small inside. Well it isn’t. It’s a two seater with masses amount of space for two and a very large boot just behind the seats which even had a split tailgate for easy access. As a photographer this was a dream car as I could time my appointments tighter as I’d never worry about parking right next to where I needed to get to and could easily load and unload my gear with great comfort.
I know this is somewhat off topic… however it’s kind of a similar concept per se and must applaud Citroen with bringing out this little scooter about town.
Looking at one of these for her indoors, she can’t drive a car but can ride a moped and this would be perfect for her half hour journey to work, especially as dark nights are here and I don’t like the idea of her walking home by her self when I’m on a late shift, plus it’ll keep her dry 🤔🙂👍🏻 also if you haven’t looked, check out Me and Mon Ami on TH-cam.
Bonjour from rural France where we’ve been driving a Kia e-Niro since March 2019. We are seeing Ami’s around here quite often, which is a surprise considering the distance between places..it looks like they are being bought and used by communes for ‘aide domicile’ (care visitors)...there is hardly any traffic on the roads so ambling along at 45 kph isn’t going to upset anyone. Thanks for posting, love the Porsche story
thank you for all your balenced reports on the Ami we are looking forward to ours coming soon most if not all our journeys here in Cornwall are short so in every way a perfect way to save feeding the fuel pumps at about £40 a week backed up with solar at home and free top up at both our local Tesco stores .I think as long as the car survives about four years it will be not only great fun but make great financial sense . keep up the smiling and we'll start smiling with you soon
“Bus aficionados” 😂 Keep up the great work. Think I may have to have one.
Just got confirmation of our Reg Plate today, can't wait, keep the vids coming!!
Ahhh now that's the kind of progress I want to hear! Exciting stuff.
I was told a few days ago that there are none in the country and I will hear two weeks before delivery and will be required to pay the balance and do the other paper work. The wait is killing me!!!
@@nigelworwood8530 what was your original estimated delivery date?
@@ModernHeroesCurrently Ist November ... I had a test drive for smiles and smiles.
@@nigelworwood8530 ah yeah a bit to go then - there’s still a fair few with September delivery dates waiting I’m afraid!
Nice information!
Saw one the other week in Torquay made my eSmart look huge. Perfect town car for 90%of people.
I have been seeing the ami on the road for over a year. With quite a few in my local small town in France . I think they are great and will probably get one as a second vehicle in the future. I am often in South Gloucester so will be keeping an eye out for you . I certainly won’t be laughing at it 👍
Love this product.
"Brochure parrots".
I like that.
Love it did look into one before being released but the speed did put me off but at £1 per 100 miles it does really make a lot of sense might have to book a test drive keep up the honest reports 👍
As a pioneer, road wise,for the uk you are undoubtedly at the top for your love of this car. You raise valid ownership points and explain them well from a personal point of view. I clicked on to watch a video of the citroen ami but I didn't see the car...I watched u explain the car to me. I don't wish to attack your enthusiasm or passion for your video subject. I applaud it, honestly, read the positives in your comments, so much is true. But I, personally, would like to have seen more of what the video was about than simply you telling me. In the words of an old musical 'show me...' the focus of this video appears to be you talking about the car not the citroen ami itself. Please, again, I don't want to sound in anyway negative just constructive from my point of view to engage me more in your content. Many thanks again for your enthusiasm for this 'flawed but fun' urban mobility solution.
Fair play, saying it is not a comfortable 'car'. It is a very efficient basic form of transport that keeps you snd a passenger dry. 👍
Great Video Mate, for my commute to work would be ideal for this in Edinburgh out of 14 streets I commute to my work only one is a 30mph road the rest are all 20's! I really need to have a look at one in the flesh and have a drive.
Sounds absolutely perfect for that! Have Edinburgh council started charging for public charging yet?
ideal for Edinburgh, wish it came in other colours than 70s Invacar blue.
Good honest review. I get the occasional negative comment when I ride my recumbent bike, but it doesn't bother me. I also get attention at the ferry port before when going cycle touring on it that the various supercar owners are craving but not getting because I'm there on my little bike, which makes me smile. I saw one of the first AMI's in france (St Malo) back at the end of June and thought at the time that someone has outsmarted the smart car. I really like the idea of it but we only have one car (a Skoda Enyaq) which is pretty much the opposite of the AMI in that it's big, comfortable and gets no attention at all except from other Enyaq owners desperately waiting for theirs.
I’m jealous! I ordered mine at the weekend and it’s not due until January
I can’t see how you can get angry at such a fun, cute thing!
Your Porsche experience - I had similar in my Isetta. I was parked next to a Lambo, the owner was narked that the crowd was around the Isetta and not his pride and joy.
Great video. Keep up the good work old fellow 👍
Been out at night yet?? Are the lights much good??
Certainly are - they're better than a lot of proper cars I've driven!
Love it in the invacar blue!
Its lile the Russian "Invalidka"!
We were in Nice a few weeks ago and met the guys from ‘Me and Mon Ami’. The Ami is an adorable little thing. The only thing for us - two six-footers - is that the passenger seat sits under the metal reinforcing rod for the roof just where I needed to position my head! That ended any further thoughts of us having one… Ah well, Microlino’s expensive bubble should be available here in a couple of years!
Thanks for the honest review. I was interested in an Ami because it seemed perfect for Jersey where I live but another channel on TH-cam took one up a hill and it crawled. That's fair enough because it's a city car and cities are usually fairly flat but Jersey is not so it would make for a pleasant driving experience. Wish it well though and well done to Citroen for making something as useful for a really low price.
Have you seen the Me and Mon Ami channel? They visit a lot of high villages near Monaco and the car seems to cope ok.
The top speed is even less of an issue in London, where the speed limit in most boroughs is 20mph (except trunk roads etc).
I’d have one of these time if I could justify another car. I used rain x in my cavalier. Works fantastic, top it up ever few weeks. 😎
Definitely sounds like it's worth a go. Been around a while now, surprised there isn't some super high tech replacement for it that lasts longer etc - like most car cleaning products.
Some people will twist on twenty one. Great videos, keep it up.
Here in Greece the Ami has one basic problem that is in effect thwarted sales… it doesn’t have air conditioning, as you can appreciate an absolute necessity here.
How can anyone hate something so charming??
I like it, would work for 90% of the trips I do. 👍
More comfy than a moped for sure
I can see the fun and usefulness for towns. But if I was stuck behind one in a 50 or 60mph road I would be getting pretty grumpy!
The UK guy that lives in southern France and drives an AMI, he parked next to some Ferraris in Monaco and got more attention
I drove over 400 kilometres in this "car". I love it! And yes, it's a lot of fun to drive!! Due to its size, faster than average vehicle acceleration and my driving skills, I flow like a fish in traffic and drive to point B in minutes. Super convenient in a city and a lot of fun to drive. From my personal observation some people think it's ugly, but most people do like this car (even those who don't like EVs, strangely enough).
i love the AMI
It was designed to potter around town creating no pollution. You can go to the shops drive home and recharge it, it is a second car not your only car. Good review thank you.
I like them. Seriously, in Amsterdam you see loads of Cantas and Biròs, and they are a big improvement over Defender, Evoke and more than ridiculous monstrosities use in streets that can't handle them. Amsterdam uses them as disabled transport, the birò are used by accountants, realtors and the like.
I like the quirkiness of it 😀
Your 'friend' makes you happy. Who doesn't like a little attention from time to time?
I drive a leaf 40 Tekna and also a 1972 air cooled T2 bay . Both get lots of attention and questions .
Others will have said this, I'm sure, but anti-fog spray for motorcycle helmets - or the old tricks of washing up liquid or shaving foam and a microfibre or lint-free cloth - would likely help with the steaming up issue.
Thank you for a very honest review. Ignore the haters, they will always hate, let them walk or get the bus or pay exorbitant costs for fuel etc,you clearly enjoy the vehicle(not a car), end of.
However, it is not for me, keep up the videos we do appreciate them.
There are sprays to prevent steaming. Spray when windows are dry.
good looking and fun, It makes loads more sense than a Bentley
I live in rural France and most of my trips are short range for shopping. I'd love one of these if the speed was a little higher and the range just a few kilometres more. For the moment, I'll just have to make do with my beautiful Citroën 2006 16 valve turbo 92HP diesel C4 Coupé which, if I could reduce it's consumption just a little , would produce diesel rather than burn it. I love Citroën ever since I had an Ami 6 back in the 70s and a Saxo 15 years ago. Quality cars with a low price.
Perfect 4 driving country lanes
It’s very cute❤
I'd be able to use one most days .
Kinda cool 😎
If I still lived in London (or any city really) I'd have one!
Very interesting,
I would love one
I do really love it, and being older I learned to drive in cars that were very basic so Ami is perfect for me but I would like it to replace my bigger car as if I'm not using the car I'm on the bike, millage is split evenly half car half bike. Can I say again love your Ami :) ps I use Rain-X on the outside and the fog one on the inside of the windscreen in my leaf and it works brilliantly , here in Oban it rains tons and those products help loads
Tax is £0 because it’s zero emission. Insurance is cheaper than my Kangoo but it’s not exactly cheap - people keep asking me how much the premium is but that’s irrelevant because insurance is 100% personal and dependant on your circumstances.
@@ModernHeroes well I pay £220 a year for my leaf , does that help for a guestemate ?
Not really given I’m not an insurer. Direct Line, EUI (admiral etc) and Citroen themselves can all give you a quote.
If say for instance, you live 3 1/2 miles from your local shop which you will travel regularly. Then you have a land cruiser 4.2 td that uses a lot of fuel.... you have solar panels on your roof with a charge controller. Then the ami would make a great motor to cut the cost of running your existing vehicle on high fuel consumption short journeys.
💯
Comfort beats bike seats I bet.
Great city runner.
For extra window help the small mobile heater fans might help?
' Me and my Ami'. youtube. Worth a watch. a couple of amusing gents in an Ami in the south of France.
*I WANT ONE* I live in Bulgaria - 8 miles out side the city in an apartment - it would be absolutely PERFECT for me.
I had similar results with my i3 in the US.
Don't know what's wrong with people these days .
Used to be you could have a healthy debate with someone who had a different opinion to yours but these days you're just wrong if you deviate slightly from their thinking as they are right.
Sad times
How did you find the cost comparison for insurance?
What people don’t comprehend is that is this car was decide to be a very simple little town car. I bet most of the t0ssers who are negative wouldn’t say it off their keyboards. I find the Merc EQC highly offensive and a lardy, horrid thing. Why make an electric car so heavy and 4WdD when it’s never going to go further than a kerb stone. It’s the modern electric 2CV! People are so cynical and opinionated. I love the Ami and what it represents. Great video!
the ami is cool, and i wish i coud afford one, in Portugal is costs 7790€ for the base version
As a second car I can see how it would be useful
what types of people do you think it would be aimed at.
how about insurance cost what is it equal to in car and bikes etc.
after you work out range, how then does adding weight for that you may carry effect distance at what added weight does it stop you hitting top speed.
I have a 2006 BMW Z4 2.5i with 35k mileage that I use daily to get to the train station and have fun at weekends; but to be honest, I am looking at small CITY cars like the Ami as a daily car so the Z4 is used as a fun car only :) Hopefully, more in the future as Electric City Cars are needed more. I am sure that even with the cost of ELECTRICITY, it will be more economic than a TESLA on a short City journey every day.
Handy for getting to the train station
The Ami is a great alternative to one of the cabin car type mobility scooters (such as scooterpac one) which have a maximum speed of only 8 mph and cost around £8K + (though you don't require a driving licence to drive the cabin car scooter) I'd definitely have purchased an Ami if I didn't have the problem of charging it up at home.
The Ami meets class AM 30mph moped so you only need a provisional licence
Not true - it needs a full AM licence at a minimum and can’t be driven on a provisional.
Regarding the comfort concerns,
any seat cushion upgrade recommendations?
Some kind of memory foam cushion would do the job. Used to have one for my Citroen Relay van which was the most uncomfortable drivers seat I think i've ever experienced.
They hinted at custom one looked good.
wonder if they will update the Ami with blind for the top like my mini
I was very surprised to learn of the negativity you experienced towards the Ami. I have owned a Twizy for nearly 4 years which I drive regularly around Norwich and have only had one negative comment in all that time. Everywhere I park I am asked about it, What is it? How fast?, How far on a charge? etc. etc. Yesterday although it was connected to a charge point at Lidl, a man asked if it was electric! I am 71 years old and to be told by people less than half my age. that your car is really cool, is very satisfying. I do also love the Ami and considered buying one but I think it is expensive here compared with France. I asked my nearest Citroen dealer if I could test drive one only to be told there would be no demonstration cars and if I wanted to drive one, I should go on the manufacturers website and order one. To be fair, our Renault dealer was similarly disinterested when I wanted to buy a Twizy. When I asked if they had a demonstrator, or a second hand Twizy that I could drive, the Sales Manager's actual words were "No thank goodness"! I had to go to Cambridge to see one and then Northampton to drive a Twizy! I like the idea of the side by side seating in the Ami and the superior weather protection and luggage space, but the price and low top speed mean that I will not be selling my Twizy anytime soon.
We also have a Twizy here in Cyprus where they are extremely rare. We own the battery rather than leasing it. Like yours we get a lot of interest in it. Wherever we go it gets looks, has its photo taken and people come over to ask questions about it or to ask if we want to sell it. I love how the Ami looks tho and would like to test drive one if they ever come to Cyprus. By the way the Twizy 2 (Mobilize Duo) will be out soon but will only be available to lease rather than buy.
20-odd years ago I had the top model in the Mondeo saloon range in blue (the hatchback was the more common version). At a traffic light a kid said: "shit car mate". After that I became immune to criticism! In my workplace area a couple had a G-Whiz each, and they got looks too - before they moved onto the BMW i3. At some point the AMI or maybe a more solid version of it will catch on. You'll see!!