Looking for no nonsense load swallower

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Fri 17 Apr 2015 23:53
Looking for no nonsense load swallower - nlpnlp

With kids getting bigger by the day, plus dog to accommodate (with more toys and kit than the kids), I am looking for a reasonably priced, reliable to run, vehicle that can swallow a large load. Looks aren't important. Whilst thos may sound like a dodgy personal ad, it is definitely a 'new' car I am looking for!

I have had a Merc Vito and ideally would want to go a size down from this due to high running costs. I don't want to pay high People Carrier prices and don't need 7 seats. With the Vito we just took out the backrow of seats to maximise the luggae space. We already have an Avensis estate, which has quite useful space, but I want something bigger in the load carrying department.

Vehicles that I am thinking about are a Nissan NV200, VW Caddy Maxi, Citroen Berlingo - all of these are van derived, so hopefully practical, reliable and economical. But would be interested to hear any left field suggestions - Ssangyong Rodius, Chevrolet Orlando, etc.

I have considered a used Grand Renault Espace or Peugeot 5008, but am put off by general negative reputation of these makes. I have a Citroen which I have put 176k miles on from new, so am not afraid of going French, or something non Germanic. But I do want something that is reliable and reasonably low maintenance - the Citroen is serviced every 20k miles at Halfords and has not let me down (touch wood).

I would spend up to £15K for something nearly new, but would prefer to buy 2/3 years old, to minimise future depreciation. Mileage will be aboout 12k a year, so currently thinking diesel, but I am not adverse to petrol.

Thanks for any suggestions or experiences.

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Sat 18 Apr 2015 09:17
Looking for no nonsense load swallower - daveyK_UK

The Citroen berlingo multispace/Peugeot partner tepee is a good mpv, provided you take the necessary precautions with the diesel 1.6.

It is due a facelift in June, so the small quantity of stock cars sitting should be pre-reg soon enough providing some good bargains.

The latest Multispace/tepee has been around since 2008 and is not due to be replaced until 2018, so parts and spares are plentiful.

The Ford Tourneo Connect is a better van based MPV in my opinion BUT there is little or no discount and compared to the multispace and tepee deals, it looks expensive and difficult to justify.

I didn't like the VW caddy maxi mpv van, I though it was very expensive and not as durable as the others.

The Fiat Doblo MPV has recently been facelifted and is a good van based MPV to drive, it also has a few quirks that the others don't such as the largest boot in the sector and the Tom Tom go system and is appealing as an alternative.

Edited by daveyK_UK on 18/04/2015 at 09:20

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If you cover no more than 100 miles per day and have easy access to a charging point at home or work, then an EV is ideal for you.

Is an electric car right for me?