We chopped our Galaxy in for a Berlingo. (64 plate Galaxy with 80k miles for 66 plate Berlingo with 2k miles, plus cash our way!)
The Berlingo is way better as a bike and dog hauler. It’s shorter and has better all round visibility so it’s easier to park (smaller turning circle helps too).
Bikes are a wheel in fit with one or more rear seats removed which takes less time than it did to fold the Galaxy seats down. The Galaxy was front wheel off/post dropped (on my gravel bike without dropper) and worry about mucky bits hitting soft trim. The Berlingo has way more wipe clean hard plastic where you want it to be.
The Berlingo is slightly less fuel efficient surprisingly but cheaper to tax. The auto is a bit clunky but you soon get used to it.
No fancy heated screen or seats but I find the touch screen stuff easy to use and it has CarPlay. It’s definitely less plush up front than the Galaxy; you can tell it’s based on a van but it’s not quite as squeaky and flimsy looking/feeling as the Mk1’we has years ago.
Easier in car parks as sliding rear doors not the huge opening ones on the Galaxy.
I have no issues with driving position either and I’m 6’2” with 34” inside leg and size 11 feet.

That sounds positive @mattbee. I’m a similar size, but with shorter legs and slightly bigger feet 🙂

Just hope my insurance doesn’t go up too much now. I’d literally just renewed the Forester at the start of the month for £370 for the year.

Ford Galaxy 06 – 11 version (I think). New shape anyway (ie not the badged Sharan). Loads of room, especially if you’re happy to take the front wheel off. Fold flat seats on back row give you even more options. Drive well, comfortable as hell, reliable (for a big car), and the 2l diesel is all you need. Picked up one with 99k on it for 4k 2 years ago. Put 30k on it and never missed a beat. FWIW don’t buy French or Italian second hand

FWIW don’t buy French or Italian second hand

Why not ? Arguably I wouldn’t buy a 10 year old ford. It’ll be wanting sills welding shortly.

Oh wait I’m stereotyping again…..

Heart’s overruling head again!

I’ve seen a immaculate 1999 Galaxy 2.8i Ghia with 59k on the clock, full service history and all matching Dunlop tyres…

Problem is, it’s worse on fuel than the Forester 🙂

If that’s the sort of thing you’re looking at then consider the Citroen C8/Pug 807.

Look for a later model (post 2006 IIRC) with orange clocks, older green clock models had a drainage issue that meant cam belts were needed every 30k or so! 120hp diesel with no FAP (fuel additive) is another maintainence worry gone (plus Eolys is nasty stuff). Underslung fuel cooler needs care in fields and floods but manageable. Engine is also a pig to work on from the top back thanks to the recessed bay.

On the other hand all seats are easily removable in seconds, the front ones spin in better specced (anything but basic I think) models, they have sliding doors and with luck a working Webasto diesel heater. If an MPV works for you then its under rated even if I do slag them rotten.

I run mine in a 3 seat configuration, load space behind the passenger seats is 2050 x 1370 and the back door is approx 1.1m wide by about 1m tall. I can get my Trailstar (26″ but a lot of stack) in upright with the forks wound down or I can tilt it about and get it by the hatch. Once inside there is loads of head room and it’s a flat floor.

The second generation – which will be the majority on the road now- have a terrible pedal position for taller drivers. But thats the case of all the Citroen /peugeots of that era. Its not a van-based thing its an NCAP thing – all the cars on that platform move the drivers feet back into the cabin and behind the door pillar out of harms way. In the Berlingo that moves your heals back and your knees up but the seat position /shape doesn’t account for that so your thighs are unsupported by the seat base. In their other cars on that platform you can never really find a balance between with the pedals being too close and the steering wheel too far away.

Odd, I’ve driven most of the cars from both Citroen and Peugeot, as well as Ford, Kia, Hyundai, Vauxhall, Mini, BMW, Mercedes, VW, Seat, Audi, Skoda, Smart, Mazda, as well as many of the vans from car-sized up to high-top long wheel-based, and the Partner and Berlingo are the worst driving position of any, apart from some of the bigger commercials.
It’s the very nature of my job to drive whatever turns up, regardless of condition or mods for disability, and those two are by far the worst driving experience I’ve had to endure over the last four years.
Even the gearboxes are crap.