As title suggests, thinking of selling the missus car and swapping it for a small van, Caddy or similar about £5kish. Would need to have rear windows so that she will be comfortable driving it.
Anything I need to know/avoid?
Cheers

Do you use the Severn crossings much? Double toll charges.

Small Vans? Girls trainers…… 😛

I have a Caddy Maxi, the car derived van version.1.9 TDI. Five seats, swallows everything and drives like a car. Best thing I’ve ever bought. Would be rough for 5k and under though.

If you can see past the VW badge, and the premium that attracts, you’ll get a nice small van for less than 5K, (actually I suspect you could probably get a decent Caddy for that price). Vans tend to have good mirrors to overcome the lack of rear windows, and it soon becomes second nature to square up to junctions so you get decent sideways vision.

Berlingo
Doblo
Transit Connect
Kangoo

I had a lwb connect, was really nice to drive but had a lot of issues. Friend has caddy with same 140bhp as my golf with golf seats in, it’s great, if I wanted a small van again I’d get a caddy, but I have a big van for bike duties! Get a big one then you can sleep in it!

rear windows wise it depends on the van as to how useful they are. Some wee vans you have quite an elevated driving position (berlingos for instance) some (like Combos) you don’t. In the case of the latter unless you are tall you can hardly see anything out the back window so it doesn’t really matter if its glazed or not.

But yes, van mirrors are loads better than car ones.

What you’ll have a bigger learning curve with is the lack side windows and having to plan your approach to acutely angled junctions, get it wrong and you find yourself having to pull out blind into traffic. You’ll only make that mistake once though.

Cheers for the input. There are many reasons we are thinking of a small van. Even a Caddy Maxi is too big. Don’t worry on the driving advice I have owned and driven vans for years. The only reason for windows in the back is so the missus would happily drive it.
Just mostly looking for which vans to look at.

I take a size 11, so I’m out.
IGMC.

There are many reasons we are thinking of a small van. Even a Caddy Maxi is too big….. Just mostly looking for which vans to look at.

well how small is small then – and why a van, and what does it need to carry? Or does it only need to be a ‘van’ for tax purposes? – like the fiesta and corsa vans.

Caddy size is about right. Fiesta and Corsa vans would be too small. Basically want a van for chucking bikes in etc. My Focus estate just gets trashed from all the mank going in it and having a small van would solve these issues. We would keep my Focus and swap the missus fiesta for a van.
Cheers

5k would get you a stonking blingo/partner – but according to the “unofficial VAG forum police” im not allowed to suggest that in these topics 😉

i initially went looking for caddys of 04-06 vintage (in 2009) – everything saw below 5k was tatty (inside and out – it seemed the window winders liked to fall off and the central console round the gear stick was fairly weak judging by the number of them hanging off and betwee 80-90k on the clock.

was against french cars how ever saw a peugeot partner on an 06 plate sitting in the corner of a car garage forecourt (3 years old) with 38k on the clock and managed to snag it for a price that – if it was shit i would have made money on it…. that was 5 years ago.

my only other advice- unless your leaving it with bikes in the back(which is a silly idea anyway) buy the multispace – with removable rear seats and rear windows/sliding doors of what ever van you do buy.

Its my only regret with my van – we recently got a multispace of the same vehicle and its much more versatile and handy.

Cheers Trailrat

My heart says Caddy – cos I like the look etc but the head says you would get a better van for similar money. Just not sure what others are out there that are any good.

if your moniker is true and your a “cults” dave. then i assume you live on north deeside road – im in culter

feel free to look at ours if you want.

got a mk2 pug partner van and a mk2 blingo multispace – both 1.9 D and getting on , 90/100k

If i could find a reasonable milage mk2 on a 2.0 HDI 8v id punt for that how ever they are getting long in the tooth. but the mk3 with the 1.6 is a much more refined place(car like) to be but the 1.6 engine is a “bit” riskier. id give it a punt with a full service history and drop the sump off and sort out the oil pick ups my self.

avoid the petrols like the plague.

I find the high upright position much comfier than cars now – im too tall for most cars and find my self lying down so im not looking through the sunvisor – then my back gets sore. Done the alps twice in the van now, a couple of 800km days on the race back to the ferry.

Trail Rat – yeah you are correct I live along that way. I think we have met at a couple of the mates races before. But yeah would like to pop along some time and have a nosey at your van.
Cheers

no worries aye we probably have although i dont think ive managed to get to any this year …. been away alot with work.

My emails in my profile so just drop me a line.

Caddys are nicer to be in than other vans, they feel better put together from my experiences of owning/driving a lot of vans.
Residuals on them are good which means you get a bit less for your money but also that you’ll get more of your money back after – wings and roundabouts really.
5k would get you a 10plate with about 10 on it. Make sure it’s a 1.9tdi the sdi is seriously slow if bombproof.

I have had a Caddy van for the last 3 months.
Its perfect.

Chuck my bike and all my stuff in the back,dont have to take any wheels off.

mine is the 2.0 sdi engine..not the fastest but 600miles on a tank full is ok..

+1 on the berlingo/partner.

I have a mk3, and as TR says it’s a comfier place. For bikes I find it more versatile too, I have a multispace and the seats clip out easily. A little wider and longer so you can wheel 3 bikes in wheels on (with 2 seats out the back) and do 3 people and 3 bikes no bother at all. An inflatable mattress goes longways in the back if you slide the seat forward too.

The van version won’t actually quite fit bikes as well. One of the reason the bikes will go in longways with wheels on (rather than at an angle) is that on the multispace you can turn the bars slightly and the front wheel drops into the rear footwell.

I had a Combo and it was awful, avoid. Longer than a Berlingo though in the back so better for putting bikes in and I could sleep on it on a diagonal.

I would second the recommendation for a multispace type one- having seen a couple recently the interior is nicer. The dash is the same but there are carpets instead of rubber and plastic and it’s a nicer place to be. Also they have the lifting tailgate to hide under in the rain instead of double doors.

Try a fiat Doblo, now sold as a vauxhall in the newer shape, its taking over from the old Transit conect,as a fleet van which appears to have loads of problems according to the local garage i use.

I have a Caddy, can’t fault it but not sure how much van you’d get for £5k… I bought an ex-dem Hi-Line with all the toys and saved £3k off the window price of a new one. Had less than 2k on the clock and a 3 year service plan too.

I love it, it’s my everyday vehicle – not sure how I managed before I had it! It’s the SWB but it’s big enough to get changed in if it’s lashing down, and at 6’1″, I can just about lie corner to corner if I need to kip in it. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

G

luke – you can get vans with the tailgate – but your right most are barn doors.

bikes go straight down the sides of the mk2 – and one in the middle makes 3 fully built bikes or 5 with the front wheels off – **** knows how many if you take both wheels off – never had to.

did you have a bulkhead in the combo ? i used to sleep on the weekdays in my pug down the lhs on a raised platform to save a 100mile a day round tri – go biking instead 😀

the van also has carpet in the front – but the multispace has more sound proofing on the firewall , a pollen filter and electric windows/mirror (in comparible poverty spec)

the mk3 multispace does have alot more carpet and trim in the back which is a negative from me although the quick release seats are good – be aware unless XTR the double is a bloody heavy lump to shift on your own… XTR spec has 3 individually removable seats…. the utilitarian abilities of the mk2 are why i like em…. give it a quick sweep oot and its like a new pin again.

but what they do lack is – i do like when i see a clean caddy on banded steelies 😀

he mk3 multispace does have alot more carpet and trim in the back which is a negative from me

Mine’s lined with a cunning arrangement of tarp and a cut up rubber runner over the top to weight it down, works well.

unless XTR the double is a bloody heavy lump to shift on your own.

I kinda agree with this, but there very much is a knack to whipping it in and out. I find it dead easy, but if I ask someone else to do it they invariably make a pigs ear of it/struggle unless I’ve shown them the easy way to lift it out. The main advantage (IMO) to the 3-split in the XTR is that you can choose which side to leave the single seat in. So if driving on the continent you can do it the other way so the bikes don’t obscure your vision merging into motorways. a minor niggle though as the wing mirrors are expansive.

Oh, and I will add if looking at MK3s discount any of the ones with the overhead compartments/crap in the roof space. You lose height in the back that you need to wheel big bikes in.

I have 53 plate blingo and agree with IA on the overhead compartments- can hold a lot of stuff never knew needed in the car but makes awkward maneuvering bikes in. Otherwise ideal bike transporter.

Newest Berlingo van also comes in a long version (not lwb but extra pod at the back). Looks a bit odd but might be very good for fitting whole bikes.

Careful on the speed limits. Caddy, Connect and Doblo can fall over the 2 tonne GVW which puts them to 50 A-road and 60 dual carriageway if that bothers you.