Prospective Berlingo owner; need advice

[iamtoo]

I am looking to buy a Berlingo, which will primarily be used for short journeys of about 10 miles daily. As many of the journeys will include driving on some forestry style tracks the XTR sounds quite attractive with its slightly raised suspension, underbody protection and traction control.

However, the major considerations are economy and reliability. I am looking to spend no more than about £3,500 which, judging from Autotrader and Ebay, might get me anything from a 2006 up to a 2010 vehicle depending on the mileage.

Is it better to go for a later model with high mileage or an older model with low mileage?

I have noticed a lot of discussion about the reliability of the 1.6HDi, including on this forum. Do these issues apply to vehicles in the 2006-2010 model ranges?

Are there any expensive service interval jobs to look out for like cambelts or diesel particulate filters?

Many thanks in anticipation.