Advice on a van style car

[LadZeppelin]

I'm looking for a spacious van-style car that we can fit everything into for regular weekends away. Needs to fit my wife and I as well as our baby (less than a year old) and medium-sized dog (who can't go in a crate as he's a sensitive soul) as well as all of our luggage/ baby buggy. I'd prefer the dog to be in the boot for child safety too, but I could place him in an open-top pen and still tether items next to him.

I'm thinking something along the lines of a Vauxhall Combo Life/ Ford Tourneo Connect/ VW Caddy and would prefer petrol so that we can also use it for short trips during the week. I have considered MPVs like Ford Galaxy/ Seat Alhambra but I just don't like the look of them and actually prefer something that is more van-like and utilitarian in appearance, but then I'd also like the convenience of having Apple carplay.

Budget is around £15-£16k and the only thing that seems to tick all boxes is the Combo Life but it's not the nicest looking thing. Am I being unreasonable in what I'm looking for? Is there another vehicle I should consider???

[mat205125]

I know you don't like MPVs, but if I wasn't going full van size, then a Ford S-Max looks like a great option.

[snotrag]

Looked at a few of these myself. Much prefer the Tourneo - at 16k you'll be into the final facelift of the previous version. They are available with the 1.5 Ecoboost from the equivalent focus, though rare.

Grand Tourneo is the LWB version, comes with 7 seats but easily removable.

Reasonably decent to drive, plenty of them about, cheap to run and maintain. Powersahift auto box not the best so needs to show signs of it being serviced/looked after. You'll want Titanium spec as a minimum too, to avoid it being too van-like inside.

Perfect camping/canoe/.bike/dog hauling machine though.

[blue_haddock]

I've had a VW Caddy Maxi Life 2.0 TDI dsg for just over three years an 55k and its great, it does everything i need it to do including 3k mile road trips recently to croatia.

It drives just like a golf and in viper green it looks great and gets plenty of compliments.

[Silvanus]

Berlingo would fit the bill, they seem to do the van style MPV thing very well and are generally cheaper than the VW equivalent. Other options could be a nearly new Dacia Jogger, or one of the Japanese imports like a Nissan Elgrand or Mitsubishi Delica.

[Bannock]

Millions of French can't be wrong. Berlingo:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302214...

[Pica-Pica]

Be careful about how you choose a ‘van-style car’. Most will NOT qualify as a car-derived van, and will therefore be subjected to a reduced speed limit. That is to say, when NSL conditions apply they will be
50 mph on a single carriageway
60mph on a dual carriageway

[blue_haddock]

Pica-Pica said:

Be careful about how you choose a ‘van-style car’. Most will NOT qualify as a car-derived van, and will therefore be subjected to a reduced speed limit. That is to say, when NSL conditions apply they will be
50 mph on a single carriageway
60mph on a dual carriageway

Thats incorrect, anything like the berlingo multispace or VW caddy maxi life are classed as MPV's and have M1 classifiction which means they have normal car speed limits.

[snotrag]

Yep, total nonsense. Tourneo Connects, Caddy Lifes, Berlingos, Peugot Rifters etc... are all just 'cars' in terms of taxation and registration (and thus speed limits).

[LadZeppelin]

Thanks all. The Tourneo Connect would actually be my preference but I'm unsure which older models support Apple carplay because they seem to have small screens.

I do like the Japanese imports but not sure I have the mechanical expertise enough to know what to look for.

Berlingo seems decent although my wife doesn't like the look of it!

Anyone had experience of a petrol Combo Life at all?

[blue_haddock]

LadZeppelin said:

Thanks all. The Tourneo Connect would actually be my preference but I'm unsure which older models support Apple carplay because they seem to have small screens.

I do like the Japanese imports but not sure I have the mechanical expertise enough to know what to look for.

Berlingo seems decent although my wife doesn't like the look of it!

Anyone had experience of a petrol Combo Life at all?

I know a lot of the caddy lads buy the android head units off aliexpress etc to get android and apple play so would that be an option?

[Pica-Pica]

blue_haddock said:

Pica-Pica said:

Be careful about how you choose a ‘van-style car’. Most will NOT qualify as a car-derived van, and will therefore be subjected to a reduced speed limit. That is to say, when NSL conditions apply they will be
50 mph on a single carriageway
60mph on a dual carriageway

Thats incorrect, anything like the berlingo multispace or VW caddy maxi life are classed as MPV's and have M1 classifiction which means they have normal car speed limits.

No. What I said was correct. You have mentioned other categories. There are many people who get onto Speed Awareness Courses because they did not understand their vehicle category. (I don’t need to be told about M1, etc categories, thank you, that was my working life). I am saying be very aware of what category (U.K. law not UNECE category) your vehicle is.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I had a 2012 Berlingo. I was unimpressed with its rear length space. Really hard to fit a XL 29er sized mountain bike in with front wheel off. It's got tall/cube space if you like carrying parcels otherwise I didn't rate it.

[Mammasaid]

Pica-Pica said:

No. What I said was correct. You have mentioned other categories. There are many people who get onto Speed Awareness Courses because they did not understand their vehicle category. (I don’t need to be told about M1, etc categories, thank you, that was my working life). I am saying be very aware of what category (U.K. law not UNECE category) your vehicle is.

But you're not, the OP was asking about van derived cars, not car derived vans, and as long as the vehicle is registered as a PLG, it's subject to car speed limits.

For Car derived vans is it more complicated.

Gov.uk said:

If your van is a CDV, it will be recorded as such under ‘body type’ on the vehicle’s registration document (V5C). If there is any other entry under ‘body type’ the vehicle is not registered as a car derived van and will be subject to speeds lower than the national limits.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/car-der...

[Silvanus]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

I had a 2012 Berlingo. I was unimpressed with its rear length space. Really hard to fit a XL 29er sized mountain bike in with front wheel off. It's got tall/cube space if you like carrying parcels otherwise I didn't rate it.

The long wheel base version has a huge boot, especially with the 3rd row removed.

[sunnyb13]

skoda yeti is pretty boxy

[Silvanus]

sunnyb13 said:

skoda yeti is pretty boxy

Tiny boot compared to other vehicles being mentioned. The small boot is one of the very few shortcomings the Yeti has.

[twing]

Ford Courier Tourneo? https://heycar.co.uk/ford/tourneo_courier


I'm driving the petrol van version, Carplay available and averaging 50mph on short, up and down gear trips.

[Ankh87]

Something left field Hyundai i800? Got lots of space and the last row of seats can be removed if need be. Not inspiring to drive though. Will fit in a hell of a lot of stuff in.

I think even maybe those Toyota/Nissan/Honda minivan things might be a good shout. They sometimes come with a boat load of tech to which 90% of the time you won't need.

[OldGermanHeaps]

Brabus Vito sport x