So my car has finally died and I need to replace it I have possibly £5000 to spend what do you suggest? It will mainly be used for commuting to work but with weekends biking. I possibly want something that is a car but van capabilities. So carries a few extra people but space for bikes preferably with only having to take front wheel off. Space to change in the back too.

So far I have found a Citroen Berlingo 2009 plate with 60,000 miles on it for £5300 diesel 1.6.

Help me I’m a chick with no knowledge of cars!!! Thanks in advance!!

Skoda Roomster, perhaps.
Honda FRV

Depends how much room you need for getting changed and stuff – could you squirm around in an estate or do you definitely want something with a bit more headroom?

Vauxhall Zafira…?

Probably something with a little more head room but no idea really! I’m a car biff with not much interest!

Avoid those 1.6 diesels – they have a well known problem with oil feed to the turbo which is very expensive to repair. Just not worth the risk.

No kids? Van!

Diesel vs petrol decision first, based on your mileage. There’s been some discussions about this recently.

Probably something with a little more head room but no idea really! I’m a car biff with not much interest!

If you’re a car biff just buy a biff bus (aka Berlingo)

Doblo?
Dune?
Touran. Had one for 5yrs and would have another

I’ve got a doblo cargo I use for running around in, it’s alright.

If it were me, I’d be going for an estate, probably something like an E Class Merc but I’ve always wanted one of those.

Ahhh I want something where I can carry people but not kids 🙂 the petrol version has tax about £130 more sod that!! It’ll be used for commute which is 18 miles each way steady country roads and trips away, rarely for town or local trips as we live in the town centre.
What’s the score with the expensive oil issue you mention then? All the time or certain mileage or what?

Loving the biff bus I’m not a car snob I’d pay 50p for a heap of junk if it worked reliably! We are having a mare with only one car we both work in places where no **** public transport goes and too cold for me to ride motorbike!

SMax?

Fusion
Soul (Sorrento owner)

Tax may be more on a petrol, but there’s lots of expensive bits on diesels that do go wrong which aren’t fitted to petrol engines. Obviously reliability on any second hand car is a bit of a lottery, but you just need to be aware of what ‘might’ happen and the costs involved.

http://www.arnoldclark.com/new-cars/dacia/duster/1.6-access-5dr/brand-new/ref/blk_ipgh1jcj2waaghms/

Whatever car you choose info on potential issues can be found by searching eg berlingo problems.
http://www.autoinsider.co.uk/problems/car.php?cid=51
So if you have £5k pay £4 and save £1k for issues.

The issue is with the oil feed to the turbo, it blocks and the turbo goes bang. Avoid ones with a new turbo for sale too – the full process to ensure the block is clear and doesn’t come straight back is 13 hours labour alone.
If not done properly a new turbo will last no time.

Mm so if I want something Citroen berlingo size and shape? So I want something car based rather than van, big enough to get bikes in with front wheel off and possibly wheeled in vertically. Hence thoughts on berlingo style rather than a can i.e. Octavia estate or similar.

Make sense?? Is £5000 decent budget? As it’s a figure I picked out of the air randomly rather than with any thought or rationale behind it.

Renault Espace???

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201501039921408/sort/atcustom/maximum-age/up_to_5_years_old/make/renault/page/1/usedcars/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/radius/1501/postcode/cf142eg/model/espace?logcode=p

I bought a Honda CRV for weekends of carrying my dogs, bikes and boxing stuff about in. I can and have got changed in the back however if you go down that route you may wish to black out the rear windows for privacy. It’s comfy on motorways and although not a hardcore 4×4 by any means is capable in bad weather. I’ve been very pleased with it, it’s slow compared to my other cars and not exciting to drive but it’s been reliable and spacious. Very easy to park too as all corners are visible. Crap on fuel round town though.

FRV http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201501090040221/sort/default/usedcars/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/radius/1500/postcode/kt89lg/model/fr-v/page/9/make/honda?logcode=p

CRV
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201501059952798/sort/default/page/1/usedcars/seller-type/private_adverts/postcode/kt89lg/price-to/5500/make/honda/radius/1500/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/model/cr-v/price-from/5000?logcode=p

Both good cars for what you’ll be doing, FRV is a 6 seater 3 seats in the front so with the rear seats folded its very practical.

If you want something like a berlingo then the most like a berlingo you can get is a berlingo really. Zafiras have extra seats that are only useful for kids (and using them means you can only carry kids in the back – no room for adults at all), the bigger people carriers are thirsty, often complex and expensive to buy and run. There are a few lifestyle/feux x four estates around like the roomster but for out and out usefulness they’re bettered by the berlingo/partner.

The nearest equivalents are the Kangoo and Doblo but 2nd hand there are just more Partners/Kangoos to choose from.

As wild card – the Vauxhall Combo is available as a crew-cab and there seem to be a lot of ex-fleet ones around at the moment. If you are carrying adults rather than kids in the back then the rear-seat comfort is exceptional – tons of legroom, even with a tall driver in front. Some (but not all) will have a bulkhead between the seats and the boot which would compromise bike carrying, but the bulkhead can be removed. I

Volvo xc-90 might be worth a look too, but may be over budget.

Maybe but XC90s have been around forever, ther must be some older yet relatively low mileage ones available

The 1.6 diesel Berlingo will be fine if you can verify that the oil has been changed religiously and with the right stuff. If you end up looking at 1.6 TDCi powered Fords they will have the same issue if not looked after.

Berlingo’s are good but van based so are bit more basic and rough around the edges than a car type affair (Zafira etc) but if you are using it for carting bikes about it’s great, try and get an XTR as the seat fabric is a bit more hard wearing. The rear seats come out individually as well, I’ve had 3 people and 3 bikes in mine with plenty of room to spare.

£5k isn’t a good amount to spend on a car. You get something middle of the road with high mileage and you spent so much on it it’s not worth scrapping if it has a big problem so you end up paying the big bills. You worry about it get scratched etc and it depreciates too.
Spend £1500 or £10,000

Don’t get hung up because it’s £130 for the tax, it’s one of the lowest individual running costs for the year. Always surprises me when someone justifies buying new or nearly new car for thousands and then says they did it for the £30 tax band! Or for that matter, a super efficient eco hybrid thing when they average 4k per year

Ford Galaxy is your solution (or the VW/Seat equivalents).

7 Seats that can be used by adults. You can remove 3 seats and carry four people and their bikes (both wheels off admittedly). You can get changed in the back and they often come with tinted rear windows. You can remove all the rear seats and it’s then almost a van. You can carry shed loads and even sleep in the back if you wanted.

2.5K and this is yours:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201501110095364/sort/default/make/ford/radius/1500/model/galaxy/postcode/yo104nb/page/2/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/usedcars/seller-type/private_adverts?logcode=p

I’m with the comment before about the Berlingo/Boxer Tepee.

Most people carriers are much bigger, especially a full size one like the Galaxy. Great, but mrs_oab keeps reminding me how chuffing huge it is around town and car parks.

4×4 and faux 4×4 you are big car, not as much space as people carrier unless you go huge again.

The other van shaped things just don’t seem as good alround when we looked a- they felt like vans with windows, but the Berlingo felt more a car.

Oi Spooky get back to singlespeeding in Wales! 😀

Still need to do the sums – cost of petrol VED may still be cheaper on overall annual mileage than the diesel if you don’t do too many miles /pa – say 12k – 15k seems to be the cutting point.

I’m with yourguiterhero, spend £1k-£1.5k, put the rest in the bank for repairs.

Someone mentioned Kangoo this look okay??http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201409167449207/sort/atcustom/page/1/usedcars/postcode/ox266ql/make/renault/radius/40/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/model/kangoo/maximum-age/up_to_5_years_old?logcode=p

Just looking at all the options people have mentioned above. So that kangaroo is petrol not diesel and therefore in higher tax bracket.

Go with one of those Honda suggestions, reliability will be much better and the drive much less van like. Much more car for your money. As someone else has said look beyong roadtax as concern, I’d go for a petrol for refinement and ease of maintenance.

C4 Grand Picasso, buckets of room in the back, I’ve had two now and love them, don’t worry about the supposed unreliability of french cars, I’ve done over 200,000 miles in 5.5 years with no mechanicals. The flappy paddle gearchange option is fantastic as well.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-Accord-2-4-I-VTEC-EXECUTIVE-/191458428072?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2c93cfc4a8

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-Accord-2-4-i-VTEC-auto-EX-/261584721352?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3ce7aa15c8

Enjoy replacing expensive exhaust manifolds ? Those 2.4cdti hondas are notorious for it. Chuffing pain to get at , 1 of the guys at work is on his 2nd and anothers on his third – at least his has honda warrentyy the other guy has to pay for his as honda laughed at him 🙂

Spooky talks sense re tax

And the berlingo is a brilliant bike car. Dont be scared of the 1.6hdi just make sure it has verifiable service history at the correct intervals unfortuanly – this does not mean service stamps it means reciepts.

I also reckon for your usage look at cheaper and bank the rest for repairs.

I picked up a mk2 1.9berlingo for 1400 quid and spent 200 changing the cambelt water pump and tensioners . Been a good little motor. I went for the1.9 as ive had a van with that for the last 5 years as well so know it inside out its quirks etc, but i would buy the 2.0hdi over again.

Most people carriers are much bigger, especially a full size one like the Galaxy. Great, but mrs_oab keeps reminding me how chuffing huge it is around town and car parks.

4×4 and faux 4×4 you are big car, not as much space as people carrier unless you go huge again.

Agree on the 4×4 being short on space. Much easier to get 3 bikes and people into the Touran than it is the Sorrento we have now(for caravan towing) MrsT however loves it even around town and it is pretty easy to oral believe it or not. She is already talking about the next one(her car btw) 🙄

As for checking service records? Talking too an old workmate who now works in the local breakers yard he was telling me about the crap found in inlet manifolds, not something that can be seen or “serviced” 🙄
The one thing that needs checking is the oil change intervals. Even then you have no guarantee that the correct oil and filter has been used. Eg my current car requires a low ash oil apparently

Hence why you ideally want reciepts for it all rather than a stamp……

I got a surprise recently , my inlet on the van is clean as a whistle – blanked off egr about 50k ago ….

Havnt got round to doing the blingo yet -brief look says coked to shit (its not that hard to look – but not someting anyone selling a car will let you do) . Need to strip it off and clean it propper with parafin and a toothbrush and blank the egr

Nissan NV200 Combi.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/oD5Rov]26th August 2014[/url] by Rob Sutherland, on Flickr

Much better than a Berlingo, and superb to park (turning circle of a black cab). Drop all the seats and you have acres of room in the back.

Those 2.4cdti hondas are notorious for it.

2.2cdti diesel

2.4i vtec petrol

Enjoy replacing expensive exhaust manifolds ? Those 2.4cdti hondas are notorious for it. Chuffing pain to get at , 1 of the guys at work is on his 2nd and anothers on his third – at least his has honda warrentyy the other guy has to pay for his as honda laughed at him

Eh? This the 2.2?