Which van based MPV 'lifetsyle' day-van?
Discussion
I have had 2 Berlingos MPVs , a combo life, a Peugeot Rifter and now back with a Berlingo MPV
They are all essentially the same vehicle different badges with small differences
Vauxhall combo life is definitely the cheap one, it’s small things like sound proofing that you notice
Citroen Berlingo is the mid range one, not quite as nice interior as the Rifter
Toyota also sell a version of this now called the Toyota Proace city verso but it only comes in electric and there’s no option yet on the Toyota to pay extra for a heat pump but you can on the Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroen version although one Toyota dealer thinks it comes as standard in the Toyota but I would want that in writing.
The electric versions are poor in the real world economy
140-150 miles in the summer
110 miles in the winter but the new facelifts versions with the heat pump option may improve the winter range
As mentioned all 4 brand variants of this car have undergone a facelift this year and facelift models are now available
They come in 2 body lengths - M or XL
I have the XL and it’s fantastic for putting bikes in, I take the back 2 seats out and it’s a huge boot, 3 bikes go in easily and I got a good quality rubber floor mat from eBay to save the carpet.
Citroen sell the Berlingo MPV in diesel and petrol BUT it’s classed as a commercial, the electric is classed as a passenger car.
Big difference in price with available discounts between petrol or diesel and the electric when new.
1 year old the electric can be had for around £20k, it loses a lot of money in its first year, that is true for the electric version of all the brands and no doubt it will be true for the Toyota version as well.
The good thing about these vehicles is the insurance, I’ve always had significantly low quotes although I’ve never owned an electric one,
Parts are also a plus, widely available and cheap.
Personally I would go for the petrol Berlingo facelift if you can live with it being a commercial.
I couldn’t because I have too many A and B roads nearby that I use frequently and don’t want the hassle of lower van speeds.
They are all essentially the same vehicle different badges with small differences
Vauxhall combo life is definitely the cheap one, it’s small things like sound proofing that you notice
Citroen Berlingo is the mid range one, not quite as nice interior as the Rifter
Toyota also sell a version of this now called the Toyota Proace city verso but it only comes in electric and there’s no option yet on the Toyota to pay extra for a heat pump but you can on the Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroen version although one Toyota dealer thinks it comes as standard in the Toyota but I would want that in writing.
The electric versions are poor in the real world economy
140-150 miles in the summer
110 miles in the winter but the new facelifts versions with the heat pump option may improve the winter range
As mentioned all 4 brand variants of this car have undergone a facelift this year and facelift models are now available
They come in 2 body lengths - M or XL
I have the XL and it’s fantastic for putting bikes in, I take the back 2 seats out and it’s a huge boot, 3 bikes go in easily and I got a good quality rubber floor mat from eBay to save the carpet.
Citroen sell the Berlingo MPV in diesel and petrol BUT it’s classed as a commercial, the electric is classed as a passenger car.
Big difference in price with available discounts between petrol or diesel and the electric when new.
1 year old the electric can be had for around £20k, it loses a lot of money in its first year, that is true for the electric version of all the brands and no doubt it will be true for the Toyota version as well.
The good thing about these vehicles is the insurance, I’ve always had significantly low quotes although I’ve never owned an electric one,
Parts are also a plus, widely available and cheap.
Personally I would go for the petrol Berlingo facelift if you can live with it being a commercial.
I couldn’t because I have too many A and B roads nearby that I use frequently and don’t want the hassle of lower van speeds.
Edited by ACCYSTAN on Saturday 11th May 09:55
ACCYSTAN said:
I have had 2 Berlingos MPVs , a combo life, a Peugeot Rifter and now back with a Berlingo MPV
They are all essentially the same vehicle different badges with small differences
Vauxhall combo life is definitely the cheap one, it’s small things like sound proofing that you notice
Citroen Berlingo is the mid range one, not quite as nice interior as the Rifter
Toyota also sell a version of this now called the Toyota Proace city verso but it only comes in electric and there’s no option yet on the Toyota to pay extra for a heat pump but you can on the Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroen version although one Toyota dealer thinks it comes as standard in the Toyota but I would want that in writing.
The electric versions are poor in the real world economy
140-150 miles in the summer
110 miles in the winter but the new facelifts versions with the heat pump option may improve the winter range
As mentioned all 4 brand variants of this car have undergone a facelift this year and facelift models are now available
They come in 2 body lengths - M or XL
I have the XL and it’s fantastic for putting bikes in, I take the back 2 seats out and it’s a huge boot, 3 bikes go in easily and I got a good quality rubber floor mat from eBay to save the carpet.
Citroen sell the Berlingo MPV in diesel and petrol BUT it’s classed as a commercial, the electric is classed as a passenger car.
Big difference in price with available discounts between petrol or diesel and the electric when new.
1 year old the electric can be had for around £20k, it loses a lot of money in its first year, that is true for the electric version of all the brands and no doubt it will be true for the Toyota version as well.
The good thing about these vehicles is the insurance, I’ve always had significantly low quotes although I’ve never owned an electric one,
Parts are also a plus, widely available and cheap.
Personally I would go for the petrol Berlingo facelift if you can live with it being a commercial.
I couldn’t because I have too many A and B roads nearby that I use frequently and don’t want the hassle of lower van speeds.
Been watching this thread as I'm thinking of a small van too. I've just looked up the Berlingo and can't find anything that classes the passenger versions as commercials. The Citroen website has the EV and ICE versions listed as cars.They are all essentially the same vehicle different badges with small differences
Vauxhall combo life is definitely the cheap one, it’s small things like sound proofing that you notice
Citroen Berlingo is the mid range one, not quite as nice interior as the Rifter
Toyota also sell a version of this now called the Toyota Proace city verso but it only comes in electric and there’s no option yet on the Toyota to pay extra for a heat pump but you can on the Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroen version although one Toyota dealer thinks it comes as standard in the Toyota but I would want that in writing.
The electric versions are poor in the real world economy
140-150 miles in the summer
110 miles in the winter but the new facelifts versions with the heat pump option may improve the winter range
As mentioned all 4 brand variants of this car have undergone a facelift this year and facelift models are now available
They come in 2 body lengths - M or XL
I have the XL and it’s fantastic for putting bikes in, I take the back 2 seats out and it’s a huge boot, 3 bikes go in easily and I got a good quality rubber floor mat from eBay to save the carpet.
Citroen sell the Berlingo MPV in diesel and petrol BUT it’s classed as a commercial, the electric is classed as a passenger car.
Big difference in price with available discounts between petrol or diesel and the electric when new.
1 year old the electric can be had for around £20k, it loses a lot of money in its first year, that is true for the electric version of all the brands and no doubt it will be true for the Toyota version as well.
The good thing about these vehicles is the insurance, I’ve always had significantly low quotes although I’ve never owned an electric one,
Parts are also a plus, widely available and cheap.
Personally I would go for the petrol Berlingo facelift if you can live with it being a commercial.
I couldn’t because I have too many A and B roads nearby that I use frequently and don’t want the hassle of lower van speeds.
Edited by ACCYSTAN on Saturday 11th May 09:55
We have a Viano 3.0 CDI that we are struggling to find a replacement for. When we bought it we cross shopped it with the VW T6 and the Benz was the better ride (suspension comfort and engine). We have had it for almost 10 years now and exept the fact that it eats tires and brakes it has been very reliable.
Vans are amazing vehicles, once you had one its really difficult to replace it.
From the ones you listred above the Peugeot/Citroen/Toyota versions (Traveller/Spacetourer/Proace) seem to be the more modern developments and may ride a bit better. The above mentioned are based on the EMP2 platform from PSA, unlike most of the european offerings that are commerical vehicles at their core, so they do not compare well in terms of ride comfort against the made for humans minivans that the asian and american markets get.
The VW is nicely packaged, but the t6 really is a very old concept by now .
The V Class Benz is now only a 4 cylinder and has lost its usp, its not as well packaged as the VW and very expensive.
The Toyota Previa may be worth a look as well, especially if you can get a JDM import.
Vans are amazing vehicles, once you had one its really difficult to replace it.
From the ones you listred above the Peugeot/Citroen/Toyota versions (Traveller/Spacetourer/Proace) seem to be the more modern developments and may ride a bit better. The above mentioned are based on the EMP2 platform from PSA, unlike most of the european offerings that are commerical vehicles at their core, so they do not compare well in terms of ride comfort against the made for humans minivans that the asian and american markets get.
The VW is nicely packaged, but the t6 really is a very old concept by now .
The V Class Benz is now only a 4 cylinder and has lost its usp, its not as well packaged as the VW and very expensive.
The Toyota Previa may be worth a look as well, especially if you can get a JDM import.
MDMA . said:
The last van I actually didn’t mind driving was the V6 Vito Sport X we had.
I lusted after one of those for so many years, just not in my budget at the time no matter how hard I tried to justify the costs. This video absolutely nails the target demographic for them! https://esmtb.com/video-mercedes-vito-sport-y-moun...Silvanus said:
Been watching this thread as I'm thinking of a small van too. I've just looked up the Berlingo and can't find anything that classes the passenger versions as commercials. The Citroen website has the EV and ICE versions listed as cars.
Page 4 of the PDF brochure (view price & spec guide tab)ACCYSTAN said:
Silvanus said:
Been watching this thread as I'm thinking of a small van too. I've just looked up the Berlingo and can't find anything that classes the passenger versions as commercials. The Citroen website has the EV and ICE versions listed as cars.
Page 4 of the PDF brochure (view price & spec guide tab)Interested in this topic.
We currently have a 2014 Mercedes Vito sport x with the 3.0v6 diesel and an auto gearbox, been thinking about something newer for a while mainly as I now work in a ulez zone and it’s a pain not really having the option of using the van to commute to work (working a night shift will cost me £25 in charges).
I like the look of the steallantis vans for the kit and they are more reasonably priced, would love a really high spec custom t6.1 Kombi but prices are silly, have also often wondered if a smaller caddy sized van would be big enough for us for trips away, two adults a five year old, two labs, two road bikes and other associated crap to fit in the van
We currently have a 2014 Mercedes Vito sport x with the 3.0v6 diesel and an auto gearbox, been thinking about something newer for a while mainly as I now work in a ulez zone and it’s a pain not really having the option of using the van to commute to work (working a night shift will cost me £25 in charges).
I like the look of the steallantis vans for the kit and they are more reasonably priced, would love a really high spec custom t6.1 Kombi but prices are silly, have also often wondered if a smaller caddy sized van would be big enough for us for trips away, two adults a five year old, two labs, two road bikes and other associated crap to fit in the van
Indecision said:
MDMA . said:
The last van I actually didn’t mind driving was the V6 Vito Sport X we had.
I lusted after one of those for so many years, just not in my budget at the time no matter how hard I tried to justify the costs. This video absolutely nails the target demographic for them! https://esmtb.com/video-mercedes-vito-sport-y-moun...
Silvanus said:
Interesting, can't see that doing their sales any favours. You'd just buy a lightly used model without the mesh bulkhead or one of its sister cars.
If it has windows etc I think it would also qualify as a “dual purpose vehicle” therefore it is possible that car limits actually apply. ED209 said:
If it has windows etc I think it would also qualify as a “dual purpose vehicle” therefore it is possible that car limits actually apply.
Nope it is registered specifically as a commercial N1 category as a way to get around emissions regs.I was looking at one as a replacement for my caddy but they are definitely a commercial, there is no ambiguity whatsoever.
We bought the transit Tourneo as we're a family of 7. Its the 9 seater and does the job really well. Probably the furthest driven has been 600miles in a day - van drivers spend all day in these things - they're easy to drive.
Had it almost 4 years now and no issues at all with it. We tried a VClass before and they feel much smaller inside and the ProAce/Vivaro/Citroen thing seem the same.
The Tranny drives well, hides its size and we never struggle to park it and dont hesitate to jump in it - no parking worries. Only some multistories are off limits.
The rear seats - two rows of twin and single are really, really heavy. The new models with three singles may be better if you want seats in out flexibility. Theres a healthy aftermarket in seats to convert vans and also in single to twin front seats or vice versa. The front twin is too upright to be comfortable so something to think about. The VW has the same problem but you can get an aftermarket bracket to change the VW - nothing for the transit yet.
mpg on the motorway, fully loaded at 75 is 35mpg on the 2.2 derv. Less round the houses...hope this is useful?
Had it almost 4 years now and no issues at all with it. We tried a VClass before and they feel much smaller inside and the ProAce/Vivaro/Citroen thing seem the same.
The Tranny drives well, hides its size and we never struggle to park it and dont hesitate to jump in it - no parking worries. Only some multistories are off limits.
The rear seats - two rows of twin and single are really, really heavy. The new models with three singles may be better if you want seats in out flexibility. Theres a healthy aftermarket in seats to convert vans and also in single to twin front seats or vice versa. The front twin is too upright to be comfortable so something to think about. The VW has the same problem but you can get an aftermarket bracket to change the VW - nothing for the transit yet.
mpg on the motorway, fully loaded at 75 is 35mpg on the 2.2 derv. Less round the houses...hope this is useful?
ED209 said:
Indecision said:
MDMA . said:
The last van I actually didn’t mind driving was the V6 Vito Sport X we had.
I lusted after one of those for so many years, just not in my budget at the time no matter how hard I tried to justify the costs. This video absolutely nails the target demographic for them! https://esmtb.com/video-mercedes-vito-sport-y-moun...Indecision said:
I’ve got a V Class and I love it - drives incredibly well for a big lump, and so practical. Major downside is that it’s not great on fuel; depending on mileage that can really add to your costs against something much smaller (I have the v250 and average 34mpg).
I bought mine before prices went through the roof however; unfortunately you need to be certifiable (or a posh taxi driver) to buy one now. They _start_ at £75k new, and go for crazy money second-hand.
I bought a V250 new in Sept 2016; black, cream interior, plenty of extras and it was £51k.I bought mine before prices went through the roof however; unfortunately you need to be certifiable (or a posh taxi driver) to buy one now. They _start_ at £75k new, and go for crazy money second-hand.
Just a magnificent vehicle.
Sold it just over 2 years ago for £33k with 24k miles about an hour after advertising; I think it's probably still worth that even now.
£70+k now is utterly bonkers.
I've not long bought a 14 plate LWB Transporter Shuttle. My criteria was similar to yours, albeit with a much smaller budget. I've removed the third tow of seats and it'll take a large eMTB straight in the back without being at a jaunty angle. Also successfully slept in it last night. Fairly well spec'd thing... like you, I didn't want an ex builders van so it's got air con (in the rear too) cruise, nav, sunroof, natty spoiler, tinted glass, parking sensors etc etc.
Granted, it's a van, it's not exactly the last word in refinement... but ditching the horrible commercial rated tyres made a huge difference and I'm going to put lower rated springs on soon as it does feel like they're set up for coping with 9 salad dodgers. Size wise, the LWB wasn't part of the plan but I'm glad I got it. It's only about 40mm longer than the Volvo estate it replaces and 15mm wider and is actually easier for loading the kids as it's got twin sliding doors.
I did briefly consider a Transit / Vivaro but the Shuttle just seemed to offer the best package and has the most potential and whilst yes,everybody has one... they seem fairly solid as far as depreciation goes so I'm hoping that's the case.
I'd definitely drive a few options, especially if you have limited experience in a van... but for me, the benefits far outweigh any negatives. Thus far anyway.
Granted, it's a van, it's not exactly the last word in refinement... but ditching the horrible commercial rated tyres made a huge difference and I'm going to put lower rated springs on soon as it does feel like they're set up for coping with 9 salad dodgers. Size wise, the LWB wasn't part of the plan but I'm glad I got it. It's only about 40mm longer than the Volvo estate it replaces and 15mm wider and is actually easier for loading the kids as it's got twin sliding doors.
I did briefly consider a Transit / Vivaro but the Shuttle just seemed to offer the best package and has the most potential and whilst yes,everybody has one... they seem fairly solid as far as depreciation goes so I'm hoping that's the case.
I'd definitely drive a few options, especially if you have limited experience in a van... but for me, the benefits far outweigh any negatives. Thus far anyway.
another vote here for the V Class.
I got a V220D XLWB in full taxi spec back in 2021 - it's not setting the world on fire performance wise, but I came from an old Defender so when compared with that...
It's been brilliant and we were lucky to get it just before prices went mental - would imagine it's not lost anything since buying. I added a Fiamma bike rack to the back which takes 3 bikes with relative ease. You could of course take the back seats out and you'd then fit bikes inside easily, but taking the seats in/out is a pain as they're so heavy so I'm leaving them in for now as they get used regularly enough.
Mine is an 18 plate and I've taken the two year merc warranty (renewed again last year) at about £800 for 2 years. I had it MOTd and serviced at Merc initially but then they took the piss with some basic service items that weren't needed so I've been using an independent since.
gets about 33mpg with more on a run. Eats front tyres, but it's very comfortable as a family wagon.
I live in Cornwall and wanted to avoid the VW 'scene' - I don't think they're a bad buy as they hold their value, but my impression was that the merc was nicer inside and (slightly) more car like drive. I can imagine hanging on to it for a good few years yet.
I got a V220D XLWB in full taxi spec back in 2021 - it's not setting the world on fire performance wise, but I came from an old Defender so when compared with that...
It's been brilliant and we were lucky to get it just before prices went mental - would imagine it's not lost anything since buying. I added a Fiamma bike rack to the back which takes 3 bikes with relative ease. You could of course take the back seats out and you'd then fit bikes inside easily, but taking the seats in/out is a pain as they're so heavy so I'm leaving them in for now as they get used regularly enough.
Mine is an 18 plate and I've taken the two year merc warranty (renewed again last year) at about £800 for 2 years. I had it MOTd and serviced at Merc initially but then they took the piss with some basic service items that weren't needed so I've been using an independent since.
gets about 33mpg with more on a run. Eats front tyres, but it's very comfortable as a family wagon.
I live in Cornwall and wanted to avoid the VW 'scene' - I don't think they're a bad buy as they hold their value, but my impression was that the merc was nicer inside and (slightly) more car like drive. I can imagine hanging on to it for a good few years yet.
MDMA . said:
If I was buying with my own money, probably the only van I’d buy. Everything else is terrible in comparison. The T5/6 obsession is baffling to me. Sales are obsessed with them, I just don’t see it. Not a patch to drive against the older Vito. The only thing I didn’t like on the Vito was the tendency to push forwards slightly when on full lock at slow speed. Not sure if it was our van or a Vito issue in general, but we had it from new and dealer said it was normal and nothing wrong with it. Only really noticed it if you brought it in the building and could swing it round inside on the smooth floor.
Funny because when I had new tyres fitted recently the fitter asked if I had noticed it “skipping” at low speed, he put it down to the floor inside the workshop. The wife however thinks that it means the van is about to explode or something. It’s reassuring to know (after almost three years of ownership) that it’s just an odd characteristic of the Vito. Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff