Its time to replace my Fiat Panda (which is fantastic but I want something bigger) and I think I have decided on either a Berlingo or Partner as my next car. These will be the car versions not the panel vans.

Any advice about what to look out for? What to avoid? Budget could be up to 5K but would rather spend less as it will get ruined with muddy stuff in a matter of weeks….

I have no preference on which so anyone with a bit of knowledge on either please feel free to chip in!

Thanks

Rhid

i have got both in mk2 guise – the pug ive had for 6 years the citroen for 1 year – both at 100000 miles.

the citroens a bit cheaper feeling and looking inside but perfectly fine.

aside from that they are the same car – all suspension /engine/consumables are the same between them.

watch what engine you buy should be into a early B9/mk3 for 5k although you may find a better condition late m59/Mk2 for your cash the mk3 was a redesign on a different platform – wider and longer and more desirable the mk2 was more or less a facelift on the mk1 platform.

Ugly as sin but i dont have to haul around a full size van just to chuck a couple bikes in the back with ease. you can hide under the tailgate in the rain and i can hose out the back in seconds. and if you cant repair a berlingo for about 5 quid in an hour then its very broken indeed – parts are cheap and they are easy to work on.

If it’s the 1.6 HDi make sure it’s been serviced properly.

Not had any problems with mine and it’s coming up to 1 year on Saturday, which reminds me I need to sort my insurance renewal.

Thanks for that,

I was thinking late Mark 2 with lower miles than the Mark 3 which seems to be a fair bit longer. Do both these have the same engine? Is it only the Mark 1 which comes with the 2l diesel?

hahaha if I was worried about looks I would not be driving a fiat panda!

I had heard about the 1.6 HDi being a bit troublesome for some people, but not really sure what the issues are with it.

I just want something simple and (hopefully) trouble free…..

the mk1 2l diesel was the one to have it is 8v and robust as **** being derived from the old 2l TD from the 306 but mostly they are getting long in the tooth.

the 1.6 HDI is a 16v engine alot more go about it and has issues with the turbo pick up clogging and starvign the turbo – how ever given the volume of these engines out there (they are in fords , minis , pugs , citroens etc etc) you dont hear of that many failures – but those that do are vocal as hell about it due to the cost of fixing it ….. which many try to do on the cheap and then cause another failure.

both mines are 1.9 Dw8 diesels – they are boring as sin , cant overtake a road sign but will pass many many petrol stations before needing to stop , keep me honest with my speed on the motorway and just keep on trucking.

As trailrat says a lot of HDi problems are of the owners own making. Looked after they are fine, I seem to recall some people saying to change oil every 6k miles instead of waiting for the service light to flash up at 12.5k.

yeah thats a given though if you like your car – i do my oil at 7.5/8k instead of 10k intervals as the book. it starts to get rattly/tappety and quietens down with fresh oil.

Berlingo better specced for same money as the partner. For example Berlingo XTR has all 3 back seats separate, equivalent Partner has a double and a single so is less flexible.

Munqe Chick recently got a late model Berlingo XTR, very easy to drive, loads of nice features (internal roof bars-sounds mad but useful for eg stashing clean clothes) and bonkers amount of cubby holes, only thing it lacks is cruise control. XTR even has blinds on rear passenger door windows, though M-C has just paid for all rear windows to be professionally tinted so she can get changed in the back comfortably. She looked at loads of competitors as well as the Partner, about 5 of her old club mates either have or had Berlingos for bike carrying duties.

The 1.6 HDI has all sorts of horror stories about it, as others above had said its such a prolifically specced engine any minor problems are going get coverage. As trail rat says it relates to an oil filter blocking and starving the turbo. Cheap/crap oil, neglected service intervals and/or lots of short journeys all factors, but look at all the Post Office type vans about that probably tick all these boxes and are still in service.

Doblo? Someone on here said it drives similar to a Panda

Thanks for all the replies. I have found a 09 plate with 46000 on the clock for just under budget. I will investigate further. there seems to be no shortage of them which is good!

Are Doblos the same size as the Berlingo?

Pretty sure Fiat Doblos and Renault Kangoos are even more low-rent spec-wise.

Yes but hora folk on here often talk shit.

You dont buy a van for its handling and certainly not under the illusion it handles like a small city car. It doesnt.

Does the MK2 still hate going round corners like my MK1 then? (still love it though)

On the older ones (mine was 53) the back axle seizes which cost well nigh £500 for the part and fitting wasn’t cheap either.

Ive started something here haven’t I Rhid 😉

put some decent tires on it mines handles its self pretty well , its better than my old golf but it aint no go-kart. On winters you will get stuck by ground clearance before traction is an issue. the only time ive been stuck in mine the front end was up on a drift and the wheels were about a foot off the ground 😀

you got shafted at 500 quid for a rear axle – although i did hear frazer brown is no longer doing uprated ones (which in reality are just refurbed drilled and tapped for grease nipples)

It is possible to drill and tap the original axle for grease nipples without disassembly. Ive done one – i need to get round to the other.

mines are 54 and 06 plates.

My heads up would be for the mk2 steering rack , the angle of the rack pinion is such that water sits and corrodes the seal surface on the pinion and thus it will leak. This can be prevented/minimised by cleaning , drying and greasing round the pinion periodically – otherwise your looking at 200 quid for a recon rack and about 4 hours labour to pull and refit as you have to drop the subframe – its not fun.

Seal kits can be had from “steeringseals.co.uk” but if the pinions corroded your pissing in the wind.

http://www.berlingoforum.co.uk/thread-10879.html

drilling for a nipple !