Renault Kangoo?
Discussion
I'm looking for a cheap family hold all. Needs to be bomb proof and super-cheap to run.
On holiday last year we had a rental Peugeot Partner, which is a Kangoo with a false moustache - and loved it. Hillarious handling, slow but nippy (?), used no fuel, tons of room inside. Fun car.
What do you know about the Kangoo?
I know that kudos will be on the floor with this, but does any PHer have ownership experience of the Renault? Good or bad - what should I know?
On holiday last year we had a rental Peugeot Partner, which is a Kangoo with a false moustache - and loved it. Hillarious handling, slow but nippy (?), used no fuel, tons of room inside. Fun car.
What do you know about the Kangoo?
I know that kudos will be on the floor with this, but does any PHer have ownership experience of the Renault? Good or bad - what should I know?
I have a weird aversion to Peugeot as an ownership proposition, since a mates 306 GTI-6, can't explain why
I tried one when I was looking for a cheap holdall plus OAP and wet labrador transport and tried the Kangoo, Fiat Doblo and Citroen Berlingo.
Kangoo was the least roomy and the slowest and generally was not good dynamically. Berlingo was OK but still a bit slow and rolly and had the worst build quality. By comparison the Doblo was a revelation. Roomiest and by far the best drive with a great gearchange. Decent handling and grip and with a 120bhp 1.9 turbo-diesel compared to 85-95bhp 1.5 or 1.6 for the others, it felt like a hot hatch in comparison. Build quality is good and though it's only done 10,000 miles we have had no squeaks or rattles and no problems of any sort. I often choose it in preference to my nicer cars when I have to go somewhere as it averages 46mpg and exceeds 50mpg on runs!
This place sells them very cheaply and you can even get a seven seater unlike the Kangoo or Berlingo.
http://www.fiatsupasaver.com/
Kangoo was the least roomy and the slowest and generally was not good dynamically. Berlingo was OK but still a bit slow and rolly and had the worst build quality. By comparison the Doblo was a revelation. Roomiest and by far the best drive with a great gearchange. Decent handling and grip and with a 120bhp 1.9 turbo-diesel compared to 85-95bhp 1.5 or 1.6 for the others, it felt like a hot hatch in comparison. Build quality is good and though it's only done 10,000 miles we have had no squeaks or rattles and no problems of any sort. I often choose it in preference to my nicer cars when I have to go somewhere as it averages 46mpg and exceeds 50mpg on runs!
This place sells them very cheaply and you can even get a seven seater unlike the Kangoo or Berlingo.
http://www.fiatsupasaver.com/
Don't know about the Kangoo but my wife bought a Berlingo 4 years ago and it has been a great vehicle - really practical, reasonably economical and very reliable. Done over 80k miles in it including many 700 miles in a day trips which it covers in comfort. It got called up at very short notice to take four of us and a trailer tent to LeMans and that was done with one driver almost non stop with no discomfort. The only regret is that we didn't get the HDi as the 1.9D we have is a bit slow and the HDi should be more economical. Next time....
As someone has already said, the Kangoo is a completely different vehicle to the Partner/Berlingo.
There are two engines on the Partner, a 1.9 diesel 70 bhp and a 2.0HDi 90bhp. Another engine has just been added to the range which is the 1.6HDi Euro 4 diesel which I believe is 90bhp. The HDi engines are better on fuel than the old 1.9 IF you don't exploit the extra performance.
Reliability is good; I have run about 130 Partners in the last ten years, some to over 200,000 miles with no real recurring faults.
There was an earlier 1.8 diesel before the 1.9; they had a tendency to drop valve seats without warning at high mileages.
New Partner is due for launch in February/March 2008.
I agree about the Kangoo being rubbish; we bought another company that had two of them. One was off the road at 46K with a blown engine and the other was falling to pieces and was sold immediately.
There are two engines on the Partner, a 1.9 diesel 70 bhp and a 2.0HDi 90bhp. Another engine has just been added to the range which is the 1.6HDi Euro 4 diesel which I believe is 90bhp. The HDi engines are better on fuel than the old 1.9 IF you don't exploit the extra performance.
Reliability is good; I have run about 130 Partners in the last ten years, some to over 200,000 miles with no real recurring faults.
There was an earlier 1.8 diesel before the 1.9; they had a tendency to drop valve seats without warning at high mileages.
New Partner is due for launch in February/March 2008.
I agree about the Kangoo being rubbish; we bought another company that had two of them. One was off the road at 46K with a blown engine and the other was falling to pieces and was sold immediately.
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff