28-05-2013, 11:19 AM
Traded our 2003 Berlingo 1.6 petrol last month for a 2009 1.6HDi 75.
Random thoughts after about a month of driving it.
Economy is amazing. I've done 500 miles on a tank, and that was mainly local trips.
Pretty gutless for overtaking, and seems to run out of steam at 3000 rpm. Maybe that's just the nature of the beast. Had been looking for a HDi90, but somehow ended up with a 75 in the end.
Back door are wider and easier to get the kids in and out, and there seems to be a bit more leg room in the back. The car is wider, and larger all round, BUT, somehow they have made the boot smaller. I haven't got the tape measure out yet, but that's how it seems. Harder to fit my daughter's bike in there for one thing.
Why are those black plastic panels on each side of the boot?
Main gripe is the lack of storage. Bigger car, but nowhere to put anything. No big door pockets, but just tiny, useless ones. Glove compartment is divided up into very small sections and too small. No cup-holders of any use. The flip up storage in front of the instruments is good and is the only place to hold the owners manual etc.
The shelf over the windscreen has been made into a white elephant by not having a decent lip on it. In the old Berlingo I could put lots of stuff safely up there. This one just sends CD cases down onto your nose at any sharp corner. Had to give up on that, but there is nowhere else to put a CD case.
Only other complaint is the noise. Very intrusive road noise, or tyre noise, whatever you want to call it. Thought they'd have better sound deadening insulation.
Was very tempted by a Kia Sedona when looking for Berlingos, so might move on up to one in a year or two. It was mainly the high road tax that stopped us.
Random thoughts after about a month of driving it.
Economy is amazing. I've done 500 miles on a tank, and that was mainly local trips.
Pretty gutless for overtaking, and seems to run out of steam at 3000 rpm. Maybe that's just the nature of the beast. Had been looking for a HDi90, but somehow ended up with a 75 in the end.
Back door are wider and easier to get the kids in and out, and there seems to be a bit more leg room in the back. The car is wider, and larger all round, BUT, somehow they have made the boot smaller. I haven't got the tape measure out yet, but that's how it seems. Harder to fit my daughter's bike in there for one thing.
Why are those black plastic panels on each side of the boot?
Main gripe is the lack of storage. Bigger car, but nowhere to put anything. No big door pockets, but just tiny, useless ones. Glove compartment is divided up into very small sections and too small. No cup-holders of any use. The flip up storage in front of the instruments is good and is the only place to hold the owners manual etc.
The shelf over the windscreen has been made into a white elephant by not having a decent lip on it. In the old Berlingo I could put lots of stuff safely up there. This one just sends CD cases down onto your nose at any sharp corner. Had to give up on that, but there is nowhere else to put a CD case.
Only other complaint is the noise. Very intrusive road noise, or tyre noise, whatever you want to call it. Thought they'd have better sound deadening insulation.
Was very tempted by a Kia Sedona when looking for Berlingos, so might move on up to one in a year or two. It was mainly the high road tax that stopped us.