Discussion
Hey!
Looking for a small van for our sales rep chappy.
Needs to be car comfy (not looking for 5 series comfort though!)
Realised I struggled to think of whats available other than a Berlingo so out to the floor.
What should we be looking at? whats good, whats bad?
Budget 10k MAX (+VAT) but was pleasantly suprised by the Berlingo I looked at today which they reckon is about 8.5-9k depending on spec.
New or nearly new is fine.
Must offer reasonable economy and 2.5 front seats would be a bonus (so I can use it to go camping with mrs and baby seat some weekends.)
Advice?
Looking for a small van for our sales rep chappy.
Needs to be car comfy (not looking for 5 series comfort though!)
Realised I struggled to think of whats available other than a Berlingo so out to the floor.
What should we be looking at? whats good, whats bad?
Budget 10k MAX (+VAT) but was pleasantly suprised by the Berlingo I looked at today which they reckon is about 8.5-9k depending on spec.
New or nearly new is fine.
Must offer reasonable economy and 2.5 front seats would be a bonus (so I can use it to go camping with mrs and baby seat some weekends.)
Advice?
SillyALFALove said:
Hey!
Looking for a small van for our sales rep chappy.
Needs to be car comfy (not looking for 5 series comfort though!)
Realised I struggled to think of whats available other than a Berlingo so out to the floor.
What should we be looking at? whats good, whats bad?
Budget 10k MAX (+VAT) but was pleasantly suprised by the Berlingo I looked at today which they reckon is about 8.5-9k depending on spec.
New or nearly new is fine.
Must offer reasonable economy and 2.5 front seats would be a bonus (so I can use it to go camping with mrs and baby seat some weekends.)
Advice?
I would choose the Transit Connect, similar to the Berlingo but handles so much better. You forget you are driving a van sometimes, gets the thumbs up from me. Only downside is that it is a 2 seater.Looking for a small van for our sales rep chappy.
Needs to be car comfy (not looking for 5 series comfort though!)
Realised I struggled to think of whats available other than a Berlingo so out to the floor.
What should we be looking at? whats good, whats bad?
Budget 10k MAX (+VAT) but was pleasantly suprised by the Berlingo I looked at today which they reckon is about 8.5-9k depending on spec.
New or nearly new is fine.
Must offer reasonable economy and 2.5 front seats would be a bonus (so I can use it to go camping with mrs and baby seat some weekends.)
Advice?
eltax91 said:
That blippa thing? FiL swears by his
A Bipper?No personal experience with anything smaller than a VW Transporter T5...
But these all seem fairly popular!
VW Caddy
Ford Transit Connect
Peugeot Bipper (Royal Mail seem to be moving from the Tansit Connect/Vauxhall Combo to these)
Citroen Nemo (Bipper's sister van)
Fiat Fiorino (Bipper/Nemo)
vit4 said:
Regarding 2.5 seats, I don't think any small van has them?
Obviously not driven any of them, but had a ride in an old model Berlingo and it was jarringly crashy. Don't know about new ones
New Berlingo does:Obviously not driven any of them, but had a ride in an old model Berlingo and it was jarringly crashy. Don't know about new ones
No idea what they're like though, The company i sub-contract from have just started using them but not had chance to have a play yet.
Mr AJ said:
vit4 said:
Regarding 2.5 seats, I don't think any small van has them?
Obviously not driven any of them, but had a ride in an old model Berlingo and it was jarringly crashy. Don't know about new ones
New Berlingo does:Obviously not driven any of them, but had a ride in an old model Berlingo and it was jarringly crashy. Don't know about new ones
No idea what they're like though, The company i sub-contract from have just started using them but not had chance to have a play yet.
Cheers..
2.5 seats - the Berlingo had them but not vary large (having said that though as large as can be expected in the vehicle width) was stunned to see one of the models had A/C and t
t Nav, vans have moved on I think since I last looked at them!
Tranny connect is next on my list to look at and tried to look at a Caddy today but local VW has stopped doing commercials..
Bipper / Nemo / Fiorano thing looks good value but was thinking a little larger though maybe it would suffice..
2.5 seats - the Berlingo had them but not vary large (having said that though as large as can be expected in the vehicle width) was stunned to see one of the models had A/C and t
t Nav, vans have moved on I think since I last looked at them!Tranny connect is next on my list to look at and tried to look at a Caddy today but local VW has stopped doing commercials..
Bipper / Nemo / Fiorano thing looks good value but was thinking a little larger though maybe it would suffice..
I do 1500-2000 miles a week in my 55-pate Connect. Just done a blood run from Bristol - Brum - Liverpool and back to Bristol this evening. Comfy, quick enough (remapped from 75 to 90ish bhp) and handles fabulously. Fuel economy 45-50 mpg being sensible.
Load space is cavernous - will take 2 euro pallets with ease and is very square so can do larger loads than many small vans.
Gearbox is sweet and tight.
New dash layout is great (I want one), parts are dirt cheap and easy to source.
Mine's an ex British Gas van so has PDC, A/C, remote locking plus slam locks and leccy windows. Can also get heated front screen on them.
Never got stuck in the snow we had. Just kept on chugging away.
Tried Combo and Berlingo but not keen on driving positions. Also on 2.5 seat Berlingo you lose the driver arm rest, which for covering miles is a decent accessory to have (I added one in my Connect).
Will likely get another, although VW Caddy has very good cabin...
Load space is cavernous - will take 2 euro pallets with ease and is very square so can do larger loads than many small vans.
Gearbox is sweet and tight.
New dash layout is great (I want one), parts are dirt cheap and easy to source.
Mine's an ex British Gas van so has PDC, A/C, remote locking plus slam locks and leccy windows. Can also get heated front screen on them.
Never got stuck in the snow we had. Just kept on chugging away.
Tried Combo and Berlingo but not keen on driving positions. Also on 2.5 seat Berlingo you lose the driver arm rest, which for covering miles is a decent accessory to have (I added one in my Connect).
Will likely get another, although VW Caddy has very good cabin...
Wayne King said:
I would choose the Transit Connect, similar to the Berlingo but handles so much better. You forget you are driving a van sometimes, gets the thumbs up from me. Only downside is that it is a 2 seater.
And apparently if you plug it into the correct software and accidentally tell it that its a Ford Focus it might go a bit faster.Have to give a good thumbs up for the Connect, it really is a speacial little van. Cheap to repair...when it does, on the rare occasion, fail you and its pretty nippy for what it is depending on the version you buy.
For example one of the connects I brought this year had an injector go wrong which was £8 plus beer money as labour to fix and its just had the bearing go which was £30 plus labour for an hour (yet to get the invoice through)
In the Vans defence though the bearing was due to some numpty driving it over speed bumps at full whack whilst fully loaded, so not the vans fault.
In terms of fuel economy we get around 40MPG fully loaded with 45MPG empty but we drive them like idiots to be honest, so being sensible, that 50MPG is probably very easy to achieve, even when loaded.
I do have to admit that the Berlingo does look sexy...but it's french!
For example one of the connects I brought this year had an injector go wrong which was £8 plus beer money as labour to fix and its just had the bearing go which was £30 plus labour for an hour (yet to get the invoice through)
In the Vans defence though the bearing was due to some numpty driving it over speed bumps at full whack whilst fully loaded, so not the vans fault.
In terms of fuel economy we get around 40MPG fully loaded with 45MPG empty but we drive them like idiots to be honest, so being sensible, that 50MPG is probably very easy to achieve, even when loaded.
I do have to admit that the Berlingo does look sexy...but it's french!
Neighbour has just got 2 new Berlingo vans on a really good deal from Citroën.
His connect was only 9 months old but he was disapointed with it. Noisy and not very economical.
The berlingo looks great, CD,aircon, nav, Bluetooth etc etc.
Says he can't believe how refined it is
I'm quite tempted myself.
His connect was only 9 months old but he was disapointed with it. Noisy and not very economical.
The berlingo looks great, CD,aircon, nav, Bluetooth etc etc.
Says he can't believe how refined it is
I'm quite tempted myself.
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