[Closed] Berlingo/partner/kangoo/other fugly car-vans

I have a 2005 2.0 HDi. It has a wee niggle that I'm struggling to get to the bottom of, but apparently the engine is much more robust than the later 1.6 HDi. A mechanic I trust tells me the 1.6 HDi can be a bombproof engine if the EGR is blanked from new. He services one with 226,000 miles on the clock. My 2005 is only on 117,000.

Got a 2002 Kangoo. Brill for kids, holidays and bike. BUT.. Its a Renault. Most electrical stuff seems to have broken. The engine, a 1.9 diesel, should be reasonably economical, but the mpg has dropped way down over the years we have had it. Been in the garage and they can't figure it out what's wrong. The egr is blanked, but this just makes the car run ok, the economy still ain't great. My Peugeot 106 from 1996 runs like a Swiss watch compared to the Kangoo...

Had a kangoo and now have a berlingo both slow with crap handling but brilliant family cars. Sliding doors ace. You can fit a bike on the parcel shelf when the boot is full when you go on holiday, what's not to like.

58 plate Doblo 1.3 D.
I love it.

It's had an injector, welded exhaust, pads and disks and a front arm in 50000 hard miles.

More space than a Berlingo, cheaper, surprisingly good to drive.
Uglier too.

thanks for the opinions
1 shed - Is there anything noticable better/worse with the berlingo over the kangoo? or are they all much of a muchness?

If you're going for one with a 1.6 HDi engine, just make yourself aware of the turbo issue. There are a few threads on here, including [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/peugot-16-hdi-engine-with-no-service-history-dilemma ]this one[/url] I started.

Think the general consensus is it's not a big problem, as long as the oil change is carried out regularly. And I bought it in the end, the 1.6 engine is great, even in a bigish vehicle.

The kangoo was petrol and the cylinder head gasket was on its way out when we moved it on the berlingo diesel, bog standard engine seems strong but we've scraped along more things it just adds charecter. Their not cars to get precious about. Drop the seats use it as a van sweep it out after job done.

Blanking the EGR on the 1.6 helps keep the oil pick up for the turbo cleaner, preventing the blockages that lead to the turbo failure that is widely reported.

mate had a berlingo 1.6 petrol.
it was cheap to buy, did 40 odd mpg, took him and missus and 3 kids all over for a year with no major problems apart from the rear wheel bearings, which is apparently a known weakness on these cars, but at least cheap to fix iirc.
ive been in it a few times, and tbh, i liked it, loads of stowage space inside, enough power, took bike inside easily.
i would consider one.

If you get a berlingo factor in the cost of a new rear axle. mine went at 65k and cost nearly five hundred notes just for the part, and fitting wasn't cheap. Very common problem apparently, and unless you get a more expensive replacement can go again after another 60k. heey come from citroen with no lubrication, and no way of putting any in. Dont know if it applies to the new type info [url= http://www.fraserbrowneng.co.uk/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=61&product_id=52 ]here[/url]

Yes get a Kangoo! Cracking little van in my case, was a 1.9 diesel now a 1.2 lpg/petrol....shes not fast but very very cheap 😉

Has a camper conversion too!

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2012 partner 1.6hdi 112hp here 🙂

Takes family / bikes / big dog - all at the same time!
Gets the p taken out of it, but fits five blokes, 5 x weekend kit and a bike inside, with four bikes in a trailer no problem 🙂

Struggles a bit towing my caravan, with a marquee, family, dog, bikes and cider but it works! Best thing is bikes go in upright fully built! 3 bikes, 3 blokes no issue 🙂

Mpg = 45 round town, towing the van and laiden like an elephant in Bombay, 30mpg...

I bought a berlingo after getting jealous of my mum's kangoo. There's not much between them, both ugly, both swallow bikes, neither feels quite as van like as I originally feared. I've got a camper conversion which is fab and love the thing despite its looks.

Berlingo is NOT ugly.. let's just get that said...
The Kangoo is slightly narrower iirc, and the Doblo? Now that really is ugly... 🙂

I've taken the double seat out the back of my Blingo and use it pretty much like a van. 1.6 petrol and brilliant. Took myself and two mates biking for 3 weeks in several European countries last year.

Sliding doors are fantastic. You can sleep in it if you're not too long. The axle thing maybe rings true. Mine has always made this funny boing noise over bumps which I think is related to that.
Still, love the car...

With false floor and pull out kitchen for biking roadtrip.
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Camping van(yes, I know my rims are fabulous...)
[img] [/img]

Anyway, I'd have another in a heartbeat...

Xsara Picasso? Cheaper and even uglier

I'm trying to convince myself to be all practical and get shot of my Civic and get a Partner.

They ain't pretty though are they!

We've had a Doblo for 6 years and I'd replace it with the same again. The only thing I've had to do that isn't routine is replace the CAT which was relatively cheap.

This class of car is the car no one wants and everybody needs.

They ain't pretty though are they!

The interior is like something out of Greenwoods? the mens retailer.

Buy a Doblo and it NEEDS to be never washed and covered in dents IMO. Then its cool.

Same with a Panda (offer excludes 100hp model).

Just bought a 2nd Hand Kangoo Van essentially the same as the car but without the back seats and side windows(which can be retro fitted if so inclined).
Compared to my works van (2013 VW Caddy with all the bells & whistles)its cack but has a certain charm to it,amazingly all the electrics still work(just tempted fate there).
Its a 1.5dci with 100k on it but still seems to go alright.

I recently bought a 1.6 petrol Multispace and love it.

Okay, granted, its got nothing in terms of power or handling over my old 1.8T A4 estate, but it can easily take a few bikes (the forks fit nicely over the seats when folded) - I can take me plus 1 bike to sleep, or 2 to sleep and no bikes, as a "multi"space, its really living up to its name!

The roll top roof makes for a fun place to be!

Buy a Doblo and it NEEDS to be never washed

I'll have you know I wash mine once a year whether it needs it or not!

This [s]class of car[/s] doblo is the car no one wants

berlingos/partners/kangoo multispaces are holding their values now that people realise how useful they are - more so in the diesel guises as the petrols were undertorqued for being loaded mostly.soon as i pull up and throw the bike in at the end of a group ride folks instantly start talking about how good they are..... and how ugly....but then im sitting with a brew while they are fighting to get strip their bikes to go in the back and getting changed in the cold.

only thing ill change mine for is a bigger van.

As an alternative Rav4 older models. These you can remove the rear seats and its like a van. We had one (2000 vintage ?) when the kids where little and it's fabulous, small enough to park easily, kids like it as they are high and can see out, I liked it as I used it like a van when I needed to. 4wd for poor road conditions. Toyota reliability.

Downside - they hold their value very well so not cheap. We had an auto petrol which was very slow, manual best.

57plate Doblo 1.9 multijet here, we've done nothing to it apart from MOT's and an A/C regas,
It gets a wash as its MOT treat...

As an alternative Rav4 older models. These you can remove the rear seats and its like a van

only smaller - it has a high boot floor. a riding buddy has one of these on a V plate - bike doesnt fit in unless its on its side or the wheels are off.

and you missed toyota costs when it goes wrong.

the partner i have has been unbelivably cheap for parts its needed - alternator (£50) and a spring (£30)

timing belt kit was 60 and 60 for fitting - and 80 for the waterpump.

Are these van with windows classed as cars then insurance wise ?

I've had silly quotes for vans and really fancy something to just chuck the bikes in.

the multispace is much cheaper than the van to insure with the same engine- thats my one regret buying the van. how ever i got it for a steal and covers the insurance difference for 10 years compared to buying a multispace......

hora - Member

Xsara Picasso? Cheaper and even uglier

I think this is a valid point - if you think that the space is enough and you want something a little more 'car-like'. I love my Berlingo but they are, relatively speaking, quite expensive because they're a bit of a niche vehicle (certainly for good examples they're bloody dear) - OAPs love them, families love them, bikers/dog owners/campers love them but hardly anyone is prepared to pay the new prices so the second-hand market is 'buoyant' to say the least.

We ended up taking a gamble on one that was quite cheap and just getting shedloads of work done on it after purchase. I'm not too fussed, all cars are gambles and cost a fortune in one way or another, but if money is tight then it may take a while to find one that's good without paying a premium.

Our Dobby cost a peanut to insure even though it's the 120bhp version,
I suppose its so fugly even an insurance company struggles to think of reasons why it's desirable or stealable,
But it'll sit at 80/90 all day long while filled to the gunnels with bikes, dogs, canoes and kit so we love it.. 😀

Oh, as a sidenote - the STW forum is to blame for our purchase. After spending three months touring around europe, me and the wife constantly admiring all these practical 'car-vans' driven by retired Dutch/French/German/British campers, we forgot about them. Then I showed the wife a STW thread about the same time as I found employment again and we moved away from the city (therefore wanting a car) - she wouldn't countenance anything other than the top spec belingo/partner with a/c and the modutop thing.

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Purely on the ugly front you should get a Fiat Multipla it would swallow the bikes and really is butt ugly.

Rav4

Four exhaust sensors to go wrong.

Multipla- sooo ugly its actually quite nice.

As of yesterday morning, I'm in the market for a "new" car.

To the guys and girls with Berlingo campy conversions - how does that work? It doesn't look long enough. Is it the roof height making it it look shorter than it is? Pics would be grand if you've got any within a couple of clicks.

Cheers.

"Mine has always made this funny boing noise over bumps which I think is related to that."

boing noise is the brake bias adjuster being stuck/sticky - they cost 300 quid to replace but get some hi pen spray and a pair of molegrips you can free em off.

the axel colapsing is pretty common though - you can tell when viewing if its gone or not as the rear axel looks like one of those stylish beetles you see that look broken.... masses of camber angle

I use the amdro bootjump conversion. Folded up it sits in the boot with the rear seats up (and usually with 2 wheels off bikes and other assorted bits and pieces on them). To convert you take everything off the back seat (we have a drive away awning to dump it all in, if you don’t have too much stuff there are places inside the car it could be stashed), push/tilt the front seats forward, drop the back seats and unfold it. There is enough room to sleep as long as the front seats are far enough forward. You can either have it in “seating area” or “bed” mode, and the stove pulls out from underneath.

I used to drive a Fiat 500 which was seriously impractical for biking. I knew I needed something bigger but hesitated for ages because the Berlingos were just so van like and uncool, but within about three days of owning it you’d have to prise it out of my cold dead hands. The multispace is officially a car and insured as a car.

A this year's petrol Bling here. It's roomy and practical as everyone's said. The bike goes in upright and intact, no more cold hands struggling with a cold and muddy bike.

And it's economical enough as I'm not in any hurry, except motorway hills are a pain. But it overtakes well. Though I've never filled it up.

trail_rat - Member

"Mine has always made this funny boing noise over bumps which I think is related to that."

boing noise is the brake bias adjuster being stuck/sticky - they cost 300 quid to replace but get some hi pen spray and a pair of molegrips you can free em off.

Thanks Trailrat. I'll try that!

"have to prise it out of my cold dead hands"

Just after you've delivered the bread? 😉

dont worry hora - you wont get off the roller rink in your car 😉

Hey its got fifty-four bhp at the wheels. The world spins faster at my traffic light drag race-starts

Go for the middle way - so instantly forgettable you'll wonder where you parked it. Cheap and reliable too, so forgettable in positive ways also.

I present - the Toyota Verso (or Corolla Verso).

I have one. I think?

This thread is very timely! Was pretty set on just getting another Mondeo Estate, but my head has been turned. Off to look at a few options this evening.

Cheers hjghg5 for the info.

I do like the Amdro set up, but given i spent £500 on the van, I am not spending £1500 on the conversion!

I am building my own - more suited to carrying bikes too, will be in two parts, for single and double bed.

The length is good if you push the front seats forwards and have a board that extends over the rear seats a little.

I am 6' and would have no issues sleeping length ways.

Pics as & when I've completed the build!

brassneck - Member

Go for the middle way - so instantly forgettable you'll wonder where you parked it. Cheap and reliable too, so forgettable in positive ways also.

I present - the Toyota Verso (or Corolla Verso).

Got one as well, very, very dull car makes me drive like an oap 😀 I thought of them when I saw this thread, with the rear seats out it's a reasonable impression of a van, but I still have a hankering for a combo van or something similar.

did you spell it out as it looked like more than when you wrote 54 😉

its all about torque anyway 🙂

I think it has sixty-five-pounds (LB's) of gearbox wrecking sheer force. 8)

Bow down to my awesome beast (etc)

Its a good job it weighs the same as plastic cup otherwise I'd be in trouble.

So which is the best one to look for, Berling/Partner or Kangoo and which engine is the best to live with on a daily basis, most reliable, economical?

I too was looking at a mondeo estate but I think I may have be turned 😕

mondeo estate

I have refurbed Fraser Brown rear axle assembly on my Berlingo. I think it was £380, but it has a lifetime warranty. When did you last see that on a car part?

TBH the ride height wasn't correct when first fitted, but it was easily sorted.

What does that do, TW?

I got my rear axle from Fraser Brown too, and mine was set wrong too, I had to get mine changed and while he was happy to exchange it he didn't want to pay what my mechanic charged for fitting, all ok tho as he got one of his lads to do it. How did you get yours sorted TW? I'd still like mine higher TBH.
Mine was £360 but with vat and delivery nearer £500

The axle - is it a common problem?

I believe it is yes, apparently they have no lubricant from the factory and no way of putting any in,Fraser Brown packs his with grease, and fits grease nipples to top it up. And as TW said, he gives them a lifetime warranty.

The garage who fitted it, Stewart & Smart in Milnathort, adjusted the splines on the torsion bar to raise it. George was worried that it would be a PITA, but as it was freshly refurbed apparently it was a doddle. It was the most shiny part of my car for a while... Fraser Brown must have covered the cost, as George didn't charge me. It was raised by 3 splines though. As soon as I saw the car after the initial fitting I could see it was too low at the back, and sitting in the driver's seat felt like I was in a recliner.

Hora: The axle has a life expectancy of around 60,000 miles, and a refurbed unit from FB is cheaper and better than another 60,000 mile unit from Citroen/Peugeot.

02 reg Kangoo here,disability converted, ramp and everything!
Only got 3 seats, bikes fit with wheels and I recently moved house for my son with it.
Cost? £200, 8months MOT but needed front and rear brakes doing which cost another £100 😆

What's not to like?

Cheers how do you spot one on its way out? Speed bumps?

Rear wheels tilt inwards on buggered axles

The collapsing rear axle is common across the older Citroen/Peugeot range. The beam pivots on needle roller bearings inside the tube, eventually water gets in and it's downhill from there. The Pug 205 guys all fit grease nipples to their axles, pump a slug in every now and then and it's not a problem.

Good tip that biscuit - any how toos about it - knowing me id drill too deep or do i have to strip the axel off to do it :/

Never done one myself but I gather it's best to do it when the axle is apart as it's being refurbished, but possible to do it in situ.

There's 2 needle bearings each side, obviously you want to fit your grease nipple in between them.

Ill have a googleroo at work the morn. Got a nice big dirty grease gun for doing ujs on te jeep - what a couple more nipples 😉

This is what FB does. Basically fills the whole arm with grease, so get a LOT of grease, and get pumping...

Think I am probably looking at a 2.0HDI(£50 a year less to tax than the 1.4 petrol!) Partner in an approx 2003 vintage based on my searching so far.

Not sure whether to go older- lower milage, or newer-higher milage, seems plenty around with rocket ship miles so they seem to last but not sure which is the best option

Rav4 - @hora and @trailrat

We had a W reg and with seats out you have a flat floor and bike went in standing no problem with front wheel off. We had ours from 6 months old to 10 years and hardly spent anything. We had the exhaust sensor problem, after one change under extended warranty it came up again and after checking online forums I changed the car battery and never had the problem again. I wish we'd never sold it, guy who has it now says its still going strong.

I could buy a Partner, neighbours has one and it looks a good car for biking/general haulage to the tip/kids to uni etc but if I had the money I'd pay the extra for an old rav4 again.

Thank you- worth noting. One problem with the Rav now is pricing... as its coming upto winter all sellers say 'get ready for winter' etc and pop up their prices sadly. Great time to buy an MX5 though!

We've just got rid of our Berlingo's at work. Rear axles went on both. One had 80k on the clock, the other had 45k.

With all the stuff out the back of it, one of them looked really bad, and since knowing about the problem, the number of them you see with the nearside rear tilting in is amazing. Shame as the rest of the van was tidy and the engine was spot on.

bike will go in a mk3 fiesta with the front wheel out standing up.

with a berlingo 3 large 29ers will go in stood up with nothing removed - dont even have to lower the saddle and no risk of scratched bikes.

My buddys got a v reg rav 4 its painfully small inside comparitively. the boot floor on the blingo is much lower due to lack of drive gubbings under the boot floor.

for any other blingo / partner owners

http://fcf.shalish.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=30148

found that - will have a go at it this weekend or next i suspect once i get the fronteras rear x-member MOT worthy.

Well, I gone and dun boughtened another Mondeo Estate.

Went to Car Giant and sat in and played with a bunch of big estates, and a Blingo.

Most estates just aren't quite as wide inside as the Mondeo, even if they've got the same space - it's handy to be able to blow up a full size double air bed mattress inside. Skoda superb is bigger inside but there's a lip, and a dip to the folded seats, so the space isn't not as usable

The Berlingo was quite nice. It smelled a lot of air freshener and a little of wee - not common to all examples, I'm sure. Not world-class comfy inside, and because you're sitting upright, to moderate the throttle you're lifting your foot off the floor, having your shin muscles constantly working. In a more laid back standard car position and your leg's a lot more relaxed. I'd like a weekend tryout in one, sounds like people are won over by the practicality.

In the end we needed a car in a hurry, we found a nice Mondeo (grey, natch!) for a decent price, 12 month Skoda warranty (part-exed at Skoda dealership), no smell of wee and a towbar - so no mithering about how much to spend on that, and no more carting the trials bike tipped over on its side in the back.

I like the look of the mondeos, but for me (early twenties) insurance would be double that of the berlingo etc.

hopefully will have the money ready and buy one in november

I like quirky cars, a bit of character. A grey-dull car is just like a fridge/freezer. It does a job. You don't think about it until it breaks. I'd rather have something abit odd/different/unusual tbh. They all break the same.

I like something that's nicely thought out, good at what I want it for, comfortable, economical and reliable. Something that does a job, that I don't have to think about until it breaks. It's a benefit that the mondeo is relatively fun to drive. Sometimes things are popular* for a reason, and commonality has benefits (cheap parts, experience).

*ubiquitous/common as muck

Whereabouts are you Wiggles? My Berlingo will be up for sale in a couple of weeks or so.

Newport in south Wales but can travel for the right car, send me a price and some details to Alex.j.probert AT Gmail.com 🙂

Orange crush I could be interested. Rear axle ok? Where are you based?

I'm in Edinburgh if that's of any use.

For the right car I'd get a train anywhere tbh. For me, 8hours of travelling is worth 1yrs of hassle-free/good motoring use.

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Berlingo Multispace. Bike + Bed = sorted.

I've just bought one of these. Yep its uglier but quieter too on long jaunts and it has this load space with removable seats:

http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/used/citroen/xsara-picasso-mpv/pictures/23564-7?mediaId=3479

a nice low short load space there in the picasso.

ill stick to me pope mobile thanks.

i liek that bed - your front seats right forward yeah ?