New shape Berlingo / Partner / Combo

[105.4]

Just wondering if anyone on here has one?

I ordered a Citroen Berlingo Driver Pro XL with the 130bhp and auto box just before Christmas without even driving one yet.

Just wondered if anyone has any experience of them or working on them? Are they reliable? Are they easy to work on? Are they comfy to sit in all day long?

Any other ownership experiences I should be aware of?

[105.4]

Ussrcossack said:

We've run 2 into the ground.
An 05 and a 66 plate

The 66 is a dog to work on especially oil filter changes

Thanks for the reply.

Here’s hoping the newer shape ones, (2020 onwards), are easier to work on.

How have they been for reliability? What are they like to sit in all day long?

[105.4]

Register1 said:

I got a new 70 reg. Works van, so fuel card, amnd only BP normal fuel. Got it sometime in March 2021

Almost never carry anything in the rear.
I had a new previous shape one also, before this one.
The first difference I noticed was how easy it stalled, pulling away.
The ride is very hard, with correct tyre pressures.
I drop the pressures to 20 psi rear, and 25 psi front.
Just makes it a bit more bearable.
After 2 - 3 hours, the new seats are like concrete, and just no way to get comfortable.
Cruise is good, so on long motorway trips, hit the cruise, and swing legs sideways to passenger door to relieve the aches.
I got 11,500 miles on the clock, so doing 11000 miles per year.
Fuel consumption is good on a long sensible motorway, and can average 65 mpg over a 400 mile trip, at around 65 mph.
In winter, the average fuel consumption, back and forth to work is 47 mpg
I feel the seats are awful, the legroom is too short, I am 6 foot 1 .
The little square steering wheel is OK, but would prefer it to be round.
I had an option of about 4 similar vans, all really similar.and after the Peugeot Partner before it, I went for another.
Reliability, has been faultless.
Auto lights, auto fold mirrors, auto locking,
Can take some good ragging, will put three figures on the GPS Waze, without too much effort, which is about 113 on the clocks.
Its a bit noisy though, but not as noisy as the previous model PP.
The big screen on the dash, doesn't have its own navigation, and needs Android Auto on your phone, and then your phone always needs be plugged into the screen for maps to work.
Might as well just use phone, stood up in the speedometer area.

Many thanks for your comprehensive reply

I looked at Fords, (massive waiting lists for factory orders), and VW Caddy’s, (same issue + expensive), which only really left me with Cit / Pug / VX with an auto option.

I’m spending around 9-15 hours a day in the seat depending on how busy I am, so it’s a bit of a bummer to hear about driver comfort on these, although I am a bit shorter than you at 5ft10”.

I’ll see if I can find someone breaking a passenger-car version of one to get the seats swapped over to something hopefully for comfortable, as that’s my biggest gripe with my current Renault Kangoo.

Fuel consumption wasn’t too much of an issue a year ago, but I’m starting to feel the squeeze now. If it returns 35mpg+ I won’t be too disappointed as that’s what I’m getting out of my Kangoo, with a smaller, (70bhp) engine and a manual box.

I have the van packed full length, floor to ceiling most days, but it’s probably only around 350-400kg.

I’m glad to hear about reliability, but not so happy to hear about them being typically ‘French’ to work on, as I expect this van to last me until I retire, (my current Kangoo is 17 years old and holding up well).

Regarding stalling issues, I’ve gone for an auto as most of my driving is stop-start, (multi-drop work).

As seen as you’ve posted a pic of yours, this is the spec, wheelbase and colour I’ve gone for. Pity about the black wheels, but they can easily be re-powdercoated to silver.





Edited to add; delivery was scheduled for June / July, then got pushed back to July / August, and is now said to be August / September.

Edited by 105.4 on Sunday 17th April 15:53

Edited by 105.4 on Sunday 17th April 15:54

[105.4]

Klippie said:

I've got one a 2020 SWB Professional 1.5 1000.

A guy at work bought the Toyota Proace City (same van) it has a 10 year warranty which is excellent...maybe worth a look.

Thanks for the reply.

I did look at the Toyotas, which like you say are the same van underneath.

I can’t remember why I didn’t go for one of those. IIRC it might have been because they didn’t come with the auto box?

[105.4]

GranpaB said:

A friend of mine recently took delivery of a new top spec caddy van and took me out for a spin and the ride was fking awful. It feels like the rear has no damping at all and really crashes along the road even though all the reviews said it was much more comfortable than previous gens as it is now based on the golf with standard rear shocks and springs. He said it was even worse when he picked it up as it had nearly 50 psi in all the tyres!!

And as a top spec it still lacks aa couple of basics that you would think would be standard these days - No CH/LH lights, no auto wipers, very noisy in the cab and the overall quality is piss poor.

I may be in the market for a similar sized van so might look at the Transit Connect.

It was the eye watering price of the Caddy’s that put me off, and that was before I’d even sat in one.

With the Fords, price was a factor, but the main one was the waiting lists for factory orders. 84 weeks is what I was quoted IIRC. Sod that !

[105.4]

royalmike said:

I ordered a Berlingo Driver 130 Auto LWB 15 months ago still have not received it but dealer did mess up the order and lent me a van beginning January same model but in black.
Good Power auto box very smooth engine for diesel very quite
Think the driver version has different seat padding and more sound proofing has lumber support but do find the seat base cushion a bit short so not the most comfortable.
Averaging 44mpg mostly round town.
LWB has two sliding side doors which is worth having auto box works great and auto parking break saves time.

Windshield washer fluid bottle much to small and no low level warning light

Thanks for the reply Mike. You’ve gone for the exact same model, wheelbase, engine & gearbox as what I’ve ordered.

If your only gripe is that the washer bottle is too small and doesn’t have a low-level warning light, then I think I can put up with that.

I wonder if the same issues about the drivers seat ring true with the MPV versions? I’m assuming that the seats from one to the other would be a straight swap, whether it was Vauxhall, Peugeot, Toyota or Citroen?

[105.4]

Darkslider said:

We have a fleet of 2020 onwards on lease, one of which was mine for a spell and I put about 8k miles on it in 6 months.

The android auto connection and tyre pressure monitoring systems were both flaky and needed constant resetting or reconnecting. Also a good 75% of the vans (all either berlingos or partners) drained their coolant tanks in the first 10k miles so something to keep an eye on there. Other than that mine was a good van and I've nothing else negative to report really.

Thanks for the heads-up on the coolant tanks.

My wife’s MINI has the same affliction, whilst my Kangoo van doesn’t use a drop.

What do you think the problem is? Blowing out of the pressure cap, or leaks elsewhere?

[105.4]

Darkslider said:

All the tanks were very black and dirty, they looked like they belonged on vehicles that had done 120k not 20! Don't know if that's because of systems not being completed sealed or possibly combustion byproducts getting in there, dpf regen could be to blame I guess.

Never had any overheating issues but because the tanks got so dirty so quick they looked 'full' so most went un-noticed until me or another mechanic needed to use them for whatever reason

Thanks for that.

It’s certainly something to keep an eye on.

There’s four things I like to keep on top of. Tyre pressures, coolant, oil and brake fluid.

You mention the expansion tanks getting dirty because of the diesel particle filter. What would be the consequences of me blanking-off that system? Automatic fault codes? Running lean / rich?

I’ve blanked-off EGRs before with no consequences, but all of the vehicles I’ve owned have been too old to have a DPF fitted.