Check it hasn’t been taxi’d. Check back of drivers seats. The door kicker plates shouldn’t be more scuffed than the drivers one etc as they can be popular with taxi firms.

Well its down as one owner, fsh and only 31k……
Its 2003. I don’t think its been a taxi but the reviews of the 1.9’s are not exactly filled with praise. Most say get the 2 litre diesel or the 1.6 petrol.
hmmmmm, trade-offs..

I’d still do the normal checks. The first owner could have been the taxi driver. In addition I’ve come across a few that are/have obviously been used as a taxi yet state 1 previous owner and somehow the current (selling) owner hasn’t listed himself on the V5.

The rear seats/around the back door frame shouldn’t look anymore worn than the drivers area.

You could also get the address off the V5 and googlestreetview the house…you never know 😉

Anyway- thats may paranoia over with.

NOTHING at all wrong with the 1.9 – less to go wrong IMO! You’d get used to its pace.

Nowt wrong with the 1.9 Diesel UNLESS you want a bit of ‘rapid response’ – it won’t do that…it will get up to speed but it isn’t quick to get there…that was the only drawback I had in mine and to be honest, I wasn’t bothered as I hadn’t bought it to be quick off the line.

Things I was glad it didn’t have – air-con, I never use it (although saying that, for the first time ever 2 weeks ago, I used it to demist my car…seemed to work well!).

The Berlingo wasn’t as highly specced as the equivalent Partner – the Partner had the passenger airbag as standard and I think it also had some Electronic braking control thingy, but can’t recall.

Carrying 2 bikes – Large Trance 1 and a Small Stumpy D4W –

2 bikes in Berlingo by DickBarton, on Flickr

And with my bike in on it’s own (and Large Trance 1 with about a foot of seatpost showing) –

Single Bike in Berlingo by DickBarton, on Flickr

Seriously, nothing wrong with that model and it proved to be very reliable (and safe – I rolled mine down a hill with 2 bikes a PC and 2 people in it…everything came out unscathed, but the car was a write-off –

Bikes now removed by DickBarton, on Flickr

If I wasn’t so tight with my money for ‘motoring’ I’d have another one…it wouldn’t cost me much more than what I now drive, but it is still more so I didn’t go for it…kind of thinking I should have though…probably would have cost me about £200 a year than what I’m paying now but would be a lot more practical. Given my mileage and use of the vehicle now though, it’s £200 I wasn’t thinking was going to be well spent as the car is now simple a means to get to work and back.

Looking at pictures 2 and 3 – did you crash because the steering wheel came off?

Sorry to keep going on about it but,
I’ve got a 2003 1.9 Diesel to look at with a supposed 31k…1 owner from new.
Also, a 2002 1.6 petrol, 85k, one owner from new, immaculate exterior and interior.

Thoughts on which is the better bet?
Price is similar.

Buy on condition however what is your budget? I’d try and buy as new as possible as well within your budget.

I honestly don’t believe anyone buys a diesel and does 3,800miles a year.

The interior would be bloody spotless IMO.

Remember, even if its a dealer sale- check the car over thoroughly, lift the coolant cap, radiator cap- check the oil condition under the cap there as well. Look underneath, etc etc.

Due to its age etc you wont have as many ‘rights’ as you’d think from a dealer.

I know it’s probably too much kit…
But, 5 people, and 3 mountain bikes.

(parents were going walking that day)

Ours continues to sip fuel and perform adequately. Comfier than the older one on motorway journeys with a wide enough back seat for three adults.
The handling on the later one is much more like a car. (based on pug 307 underneath the body)

My Partner’s a 1.9. It needs considerable notice to overtake anything, but bowls along happily once up to speed. And what’s the rush anyway? 😉 It’s not spectacularly economical, 40-45 overall average, although it’s mostly used on non-mpg-friendly journeys with traffic and corners and stuff. Upside of the prehistoric engine is epic simplicity, there’s not much to go wrong with it and it’s cheap to mend. Mine’s done 125,000 miles (new in 2001) and is mechanically fine. Driver’s seat’s gone a bit soggy, window winder a bit iffy, rear screen wash broken. That’s it.

Drive it and the petrol, see what you think. None of them are exactly racers…

Also brilliant if you’ve got kids, sliding doors and crowded car parks is a winning combination.

Remember this, if you are buying from a dealer. You don’t have great coverage if the car is older or high mileage. So do all your own checks on it:

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_world/consumer_affairs/buying_second_hand_vehicles.htm#you_bought_the_vehicle_from_a_dealer

When deciding whether a secondhand vehicle is in reasonable condition it is important to consider the vehicle’s age and make, the past history of the vehicle and how much you paid for it.

For instance if you pay slightly underbook, or a really good price. The Dealer could argue that the price reflected its subsequent ‘lower’ condition.

So say your heater matrix fails after 2months, you think ‘ah its within the 3months’.

The Dealer could say ‘the fault wasn’t present at the time of sale and its reasonable for me to say its an old car and reasonable to expect something will fail due to its age at somepoint’.

Check everything! Always insist the car is stone cold when you view it. If the seller says ‘I warmed it up for you’ – you might miss clues/noises or start/rough running issues…

Diesel would be my choice out the 2 you have earmarked.

They can be prone to wear on the rear axle (bad design not providing a grease nipple)so look out for rear wheel or wheels off the plumb.

Diesel would be my choice out the 2 you have earmarked.

Is that for the lower mileage?

Are Renault Kangoo’s as good as Berlingo’s?

No, lower mileage wouldn’t bother me, but from previous experience I can get 600 miles out a tank…

Assuming the Kangoo is from the same ‘year’ as the Berlingo/Pug, then it is slightly narrower, but I think same height and almost same length. Narrower by about 2 inches…

Don’t flame me but……Suzuki Wagon R?

Don’t flame me but……Suzuki Wagon R?

Thanks for the suggestion, they are certainly on the cheaper side however, I do have a modicum of self-respect still… 😉

In all seriousness, they do not have nearly the capacity of the blingos but I see what you’re saying, thanks.

I love Wagon R’s and the whole Japtastic mini MPV thing. Look at some Honda imports

http://www.tradecarview.com/used_car/japan%20car/honda/vamos/8886042/

Honda SMX Lowdown

Or this:

As a previous Aygo, Smart and Puma owner you’ll know I have no UK male hangup about small and different

Actually that IS a sweet ride… 😀

hora – Member

I honestly don’t believe anyone buys a diesel and does 3,800miles a year

My parents have an 03 plate 2.0 hdi Berlingo that they’ve had from new and it’s only got 37k miles on it.

I thinks it’s an ace vehicle. Not looking to sell it though, they say they’ll change it when it reaches 150k miles which at this rate will make them both about 100 years old lol

I’ve got dibs BTW 😉

wombat, I know a bloke who has owned a 1.9diesel 156 since new (2005) and it also has circa 30k on it.

There are always statistical spikes however there will be more lower miler diesels around from recent years as people will ‘worry’ and be sold a diesel on its fantastic mpg by salesmen when its wholy inappropriate for their needs (i.e. they need a town car and a small petrol would suit them better)..

If I see a low miler diesel I’ll always carry out the extra checks on the interior and entry points.

Hora, I know what you’re saying and agree with you.

I know that in my parent’s case my Dad likes the way that diesels drive and, as depreciation isn’t an issue for him as he’ll not be selling the car, probably ever, it was his choice at the time he bought it.

Diesel would be my choice out the 2 you have earmarked.

Darn it! Diesel has gone…. Have to go for the 1.6 petrol now probably…