• Summary

    5 out of 5 5.0

    What does this car say about you?

    Boring & Practical. Either Old or have kids.

    What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

    They seem to like it. Older family members like the ease of access. Younger friends like being able to sit in the boot.

    Would you buy this car again and why?

    Yes. Its just so much car for the money.

    What are you likely to buy next?

    Quite possibly another Berlingo. But no plans at present.

  • Buying experience

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Type of dealer you bought from?

    Franchised

    Did you buy this car new?

    Yes

    What price did you pay?

    £13,000

    When did you buy the car?

    May 2009

    Did you get a good deal and why?

    Excellent trade in - predated the less generous government scrappage by a week. Got £2500 for a car worth ~£700. Options bumped cost up, but we stuck to guns on what we could afford.

    Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

    Cracking trade-in deal on an (almost) dead lemon of a Subaru Forester. Wanted something the other half was confident to drive and would have space for children & friends gubbins.

    What was the dealer like?

    Generally great. Did seem a bit disorganised at times, not helped by the factory in Spain going to a short week just as we placed the order - we wanted specific options, particularly the 7-seat family pack. Took twice as long as expected.

  • Driving it

    4 out of 5 4.0

    What's it like to drive?

    For a van, its actually surprisingly good. Most of my driving is along lake district and dales lanes, and its very chuckable for a big, tall car. I've found Audi & BMW drivers get upset when I keep up with them on the twisties. :->.

    What's it like to park?

    Awkward. We've retro-fitted reverse parking sensors. Even after 4 years of ownership, both my wife & I still struggle a little with judging the front & back. Width is no issue at all - You need to know where the sides are when driving around single track roads.

  • Living with it

    5 out of 5 5.0

    Have you had any problems with the car?

    Not mechanically. The rear window supports (we had the opening rear window option) were replaced as part of a recal. Knocking from the right front suspension was fixed by another recall to fit a slightly redesigned part. Fixed the knocking.

    What's most practical about your car?

    HUGE amount of space. Extra pair of seats in the boot are very useful, but lose a lot of space if they're up. Fitted and folded, the boot is still a good size. Individually removable seats gives loads of flexibility. Can have 3 bikes + 4 adults in the car with ease.

    Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

    Sounds silly, but the tailgate window opening is a HUGE bonus. The normal tailgate is so long, if someone has parked a bit too close or We've reversed too close to a wall, it can't be opened. Opening the window means the boot can still be accessed. The big tailgate is a positive when its raining after a walk on the fells - can sit in the boot to change wet shoes & socks whilst the tailgate keeps the rain off. The other great feature is the sliding doors.