I recently received lots of support for my choice of a Legacy Tourer as next car. However, it just isn't big enough for our needs. my son is 14, 6 ft 2 and still growing and we also wanted a bigger boot. so my other half goes down the MPV route and gets all excited by a Zafira. The folding third row of seats is perceived as some sort of magic trick and the prospect of seven seats (there are only four of us) whets her appetite further. We look at several and take a test drive. We are looking at very nearly new 06 models. lots of underpowered 1.6s available. our local car supermarket has one at a very nice price and we whip down. it's had a hard life so far and pieces of trim are loose and rattling around. I have reservations about the Zafira full stop. We look at all the alternatives and get all depressed at the seeming lack of a car that does what we want. seats four, spacious and with as big a boot as possible. We are sitting in a cafe one sunday morning stuck as to what to do.
Then it all becomes clear. I tell SWMBO we are going to see the car we will buy. Off we go and there it is, a new one sitting in the showroom. Loads of space and a boot you could almost stand up in. The financial arguments are also all stacked in my favour. frankly, she is in a state of shock. The kids are won over immediately by the free portable DVD promotion. Well, it takes Mrs J a week to get her head around the idea, (partly), but eventually she has no rational arguments left.
So, last friday we took delivery of a new, silver, 1.6 HDI, with aircon......
Berlingo.
So far, love it.
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You're not the first to fall for the charms of a Berlingo. My uncle traded his 14-year old ZX for one and similarly loves it.
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Well done, mlj. Good choice.
Funny, even before I got to the bottom of the page I was thinking "You, know, a Berlingo would be just the thing for them." But I don't think I've ever come across a Berlingo as a substitute for a Legacy before.
I guess, in the end of the day, the answer to the question is always going to be "either a Mondeo TDCi or a Subaru Legacy or a Berlingo." ;-)
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I love those vans with windows and they are great for carting kids and their stuff. But somehow I can't see me changing my Outback with 245bhp and tiptronic for a Berlingo - just yet....
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Signum - the perfect car for you !
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These are among the most underrated and passed-over cars around. I have the Peugeot version (Ed: Oooh, 'ark at you!) and it is utterly brilliant. Passengers always have the same reaction: surprise at how spacious, comfortable, and just all round good it is.
And guess what? We were thinking of a Legacy Wagon as well.
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>>>> So, last friday we took delivery of a new, silver, 1.6HDI, with aircon...... Berlingo. So far, love it.
Two years ago this coming Friday we took delivery of a new, silver, 1.9D without aircon
Berlingo (Desire trim)
So far love it!!!
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Two years ago this coming Friday we took delivery of a new, silver, 1.9D without aircon
What - you too? I thought we had the only Berlingo without aircon! ( We regretted not getting aircon last July, but not many other times)
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"Went out to buy a Legacy, came back with a Berlingo"
Sounds like a candidate for one of those "Scenes you seldom see" cartoons in Private Eye!
By the way, I bought a similar Berlingo a year ago - and I still love it (with aircon!!)
--
Phil
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>> Two years ago this coming Friday we took delivery of a >> new silver 1.9D without aircon What - you too? I thought we had the only Berlingo without aircon! ( We regretted not getting aircon last July but not many other times)
As a newbie on this board I've just posted a question about the virtues of an old Merc/BMW v a newer ford, signum whatever.
Having had practical experience with two Berlingos I really do rate them. I had a business where we trundled people around in them, they were reliable, really spacious and so easy to get in and out of. In our time we had 2 Berlingos and a Picasso that clocked up about 300k between them. The only problem we encountered was if something went wrong it seemed to take Citroen an awaful long time to get the replacement parts out.
The only reason I haven't considered one is that I never buy a brand new car and you trying getting a used one with aircon (its the one 'luxury' I must have). Looks like that's going to be less of a problem in a couple of years.
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The Berlingo for some reason always reminds me of a 1940s Jowett Bradford - and the Skoda Roomster, which does a similar job to the Berlingo, has a resemblance to that ghastly Talbot Rancho, which was an old Simca van tarted up to look like an off-roader.
It just shows that we need to put thoughts like that behind us, look at a Berlingo or a Roomster with an open mind - and discover that they do a job very well that a lot oif people need.
Steve Cropley of Autocar, who must have driven every car under the sun, is also a fan of the Berlingo, and got one for 'the missus'.
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Thanks for the support, much appreciated. I'll give it a few weeks and then post a review in some detail.
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A little van! Cool, one less person taken in by the evil MPV, has to be good.
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My old man bought one last year. He has semi retired and does some gardening and helps out his friend who is a one handed decorator (he's very good apparently) and had a Kangoo van.
That was unfortunately written off so went looking at vans at a local car supermarket - almost decided on a Transit Connect, then on the way back through the show room, we said - what about this - a Berlingo (new shape).
Very impressed with it and he can use it as a van for his lawnmowers, then becomes the family taxi to get his extended family to the airport.
Very flexible cars, and a perfect multi purpose car, without buying a huge monster truck !
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I felt the same about the Twingo. Rented several, abroad on hols. YOYOY(why oh why oh why) was it not sold with RHD? Was it the first with a sliding back seat? The only drawbacks were the small diameter wheels, and the size of the doors, but I could've lived with them (I think).
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I've got this image of a one handed decorator putting up wallpaper...
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3800 miles later..... I am delighted with the car.
I was aware that the seats have had a bad press and comfort was an issue over longer distances. Mine are fine and the driving position is excellent. I do think the pedals could be better spaced but accept that this is a practical issue. No problems with quality so far either. Everything works and nothing looks or feels like it is going to break. Performance (1.6 HDI) is acceptable, fuel consumption so far is hovering around the 50 mark. The automatic wipers and headlights were a gimmick I thought but are surprisingly helpful and effective, the wipers particularly so. Been in to the dealer for the obligatory free 1000 mile service; efficient and polite.
Since buying the Berlingo I have become aware just how many are out there. It has been interesting to gauge reactions from friends and colleagues. One is still laughing but I have been surprised how many have frankly expressed almost jealousy! A lot of people fancy one for practical reasons and price but have difficulty getting past the image thing. I admit to being a bit self conscious in the first few weeks but now I just smile when I get in - it's that sort of car!
In fact I was standing by the car last week in the local supermarket carpark when I was approached by a couple who were in a 3 series. They wanted to know what I thought about the car. They were in a similar position as myself a few months ago and were/are looking for a bigger vehicle to meet their needs. Like me they could rationalise buyng the Berlingo; there really is very little to beat it. But the issue they were very tentative about was the image problem. You live in a nice house. You have two teenage kids and go on lots of foreign holidays in the car. You have a BMW on the drive. What will the neighbours think?
We're still stuck in the past in some ways.
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Car image is a funny thing. I've had the German cars and followed the badges in my time.
A year ago we moved to a really nice village and in truth are currently economising to allow us to stay here. The easiest area to save money is motoring. With a couple of exceptions if you look at the cars in the village you would never think there was the money here that there is. However, our only pub's carpark is a very different matter and that is regularly full of some very desirable motors.
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A year ago we moved to a really nice village
However our only pub'scarpark is a very different matter and that is regularly full of some very desirable motors.
Mr Mainwaring, Sir! Permission to ask a question, Sir?
If you live in a 'village' and it's the 'village pub', why don't you - and your fellow 'villagers' - walk there?
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SNIP - Removed uneccessary quoting of message you're replying to - DD
If you live in a 'village' and it's the 'village pub' why don't you - and your fellow 'villagers' - walk there?
It seems blindingly obvious that, given that he has said that people in the village do not have nice cars, the desirable motors in the village car park are from outsiders, who might have driven from their London residence or whereever it is that the people with the nice cars live (given that isn't in his village)... You can notice the cars in the car park without having used it yourself.
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Thanks flunky.
Given I live opposite the pub I do get to see what parks there.
Appreciate my message could come over a bit smug, but it was an honest observation.
PS. Would like to think I'm more like the spiv character, in truth the old scottish bloke "we're doomed, doomed I tell you" is perhaps nearer the mark!
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>> It seems blindingly obvious .
You are of course, quite correct, Flunky - how very unobservant of me - sorry.
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You have summed up my feelings about the Berlingo almost perfectly, mlj! Mine is my second Berlingo (first did 38k in 3 years, "new" one is a year old with 14k on it) and nowt has gone wrong on either.
As for "But the issue they were very tentative about was the image problem. You live in a nice house. You have two teenage kids and go on lots of foreign holidays in the car." it's a pretty poor thing if neighbours judge you by what is on the front drive and if the judgers are that shallow I don't care what they think.
Isn't the Berlingo just about perfect for "two teenage kids and lots of foreign holidays in the car."? My two are older than teenage and still scrounge a week in France each year with us and like the Berlingo - good comfortable seats in the back, they are high (seats, not "kids") so give a good view out, plenty of storage for oddments and a huge boot which will take a layer of wine, beer etc and still have room for four adults luggage on top. It cruises effortlessly at the speed limit (130kph?) and does 50mpg (or more on a run). I know the handling isn't exactly "sporty" but you can press on, the ride is good, and to be honest, I don't do a lot of "sporty" driving anyway - it's too stressful these days to drive at the "edge". If I want to do that I pay for a day on a race-track (great fun!!) - but not in a Berlingo!
I intend to keep this one for a good few years, but if I replace it I suspect it will be with another Berlingo.
--
Phil
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Citroen make the Berlingo 600xtr van with off-road capability - apparently these are used by the Forestry Commission. A 'car' version of this is exactly what I want - I don't need a SUV. Anyone know if Citroen have plans for a car version?
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mlj, you say performance of the 1.6 HDI is "acceptable" - did you try the 1.6 16v petrol? Other than economy, what made you go for the diesel?
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Chris M:
Good question. Diesel and i go back to 93 when I bought a (then) new Golf TDI, one of the first. I prefer driving diesel to petrol, it makes a lot more sense to me. My previous (to the berlingo) car was petrol and I missed the flexibility of diesel a lot. I did drive a Focus with the 1.6 HDI last year and was impressed. The PSA engines are a lot quieter and smoother than VAG. So, no I didn't try the 1.6 petrol because the diesel was first choice. The economy is a bonus; I just prefer driving them. Performance as 'acceptable' means that the car has good acceleration when I need it and can cruise at speed when required. I suspect that this flexibility in what is a bigger vehicle would not be as good in a 1.6 petrol.
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