The Berlingo replacement: Motoring Motoring Discussion forum

Motoring Discussion > The Berlingo replacement	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: tyro	Replies: 54

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Fri 31 Dec 10 14:02

The Berlingo replacement - tyro

And in the end, it was, as
PU ("As to replacing it - Another Berlingo ?"),
RF ("Like the dogs trust, there is a berlingo out there wagging its tale just dying to meet you"),
ToMoCo ("Obivious choice would be another Berlingo"),
teabelly ("Just get another berlingo ..."),
movilogo ("Another Berlingo?"),
(and others) said.

I liked the thought of the Forester and the CR-V. Their excellent reputation for being well built and reliable, and their elevated driving position really appealed to me. My wife, however, was concerned about the image of 4x4s. ("They look like you are trying to show off.") We Berlingoistas are not particularly image conscious, but I know what she means. Foresters also have a rather shallow load bay. I did actually have a look at a CR-V at an independent dealer, and while it was very nice, I was rather surprised by how little leg room there was in the front. I was also less than enthusiastic about the side-hinged tailgate (open the boot on a wet day, and it rains in). I'd still like a CR-V or a Forester, but I'd want a Berlingo as well.

Popped into a Honda dealership who told me that they can sell every CR-V and Accord Tourer they can get their hands on, and they had none in stock. He was able to show me a new shape Accord Tourer, but it is sits lower than the old one and has a smaller and shallower boot, and it really didn't appeal at all. And while it may be particularly shallow, it sort of put me off estate cars. (And related to that, there is simply the lack of headroom and the raised seating position.) I've always fancied an estate, but, again, it would have to be in addition to a Berlingo (or Berlingo type vehicle).

I also have this gut feeling that if you are never going to transport 7 people, you shouldn't buy a 7 seater MPV, because those rear seats (even folded) just waste room that could have been used for other things.

In the end, we spent most of our time in Citroen dealerships (Fenlander will approve!).

We looked at the C3 Picasso. A very clever car, with a well thought out, flexible, interior. The load space is not quite as big as a Berlingo, but it is not bad. Front seat leg room is not great, though. Very tempting.

We looked at the C4 Picasso, as Boxsterboy suggested. Very nice, roomy vehicle. Good front seat leg room. Good front seat headroom. Wonderful high windscreen. Good big boot. However, the seats don't fold quite flat. And the lovely fabric covers in the boot suggest that it ought to lead a genteel life, and be protected from the mud of rural life. The boot protector that Citroen sell only protects the boot with the seats up. If you put them down, you need extra protection. Tempting, however.

We'd already had a new Berlingo as a hire car, so we didn't spend long on it. Wonderful load lugger, but it just feels a bit big.

We looked at the Nemo. It's a bit small, and the engines are a bit weedy, but it was likeable - a true working vehicle with rubber floor carpets rather than fabric ones! It also has excellent leg room in the front seat - better than a C3 Picasso, an old Berlingo, a new Berlingo, or a CR-V. In fact, better even, than a C4 Picasso.

And then there was the used, old shape, Berlingo. The only one in Scotland at the moment under the Citroen approved scheme. 1.6 Hdi 92 engine. The previous owners had been doggy people, but it was a nice clean car inside, as even my wife admitted. We gave it a look over. I quite liked the modutop, but must confess that it wasn't quite as special as I had been expecting. I'd have preferred a panoramic sunroof. It also had armrests, but I decided that I would just have to live with them - and if I can't, call in a car surgeon.

We took it for a test drive. It seemed to run well, and I didn't notice any problems - not that I would have. As Cliff wrote, "I think the days are long gone when it was worth going and kicking tyres and listening to the engine and watching the exhaust smoke. All cars are the same and they all work. If this is the one in a hundred with a hidden fault, you won't find it anyway." And of course, the fact that it came under the Used Approved scheme gave me a feeling of comfort and security. And the dealership is a family business that I've dealt with before and that has a good reputation. (It's also very close to home - less than 150 miles, in fact!)

So I bought it. Without test driving another car. Without looking at a Roomster. Without the insurance company having yet looked at my old Berlingo. (It's pretty obvious that it is a write off.) I also reckoned that with VAT going up tomorrow, there was no point in hanging around.

As far as I can see from Autotrader, there it was the only old shape Berlingo for sale within 150 miles of home, and one of only about 15 old shape Berlingos available in Scotland. And in the end, I decided that it was unlikely than anything much better would turn up, and that if I could avoid buying a used car at a distance, so much the better.

I imagine that I'll pick it up within a fortnight.