Best small van to Buy

sligono1

i have been looking to buy a new van somthing in 07/08 we have a berlingo allready a 1.9d,but im told stay away from the 1.6 hdi

have talked to two mechanics but two different versions on vans,so any advise

im thinking on the lines of a Kangoo,Combo or Doblo im told they are pretty solid but what do people think?

farrellniall

the kango are nt a good van. to light and its nt built well.

the combo is a good van. try and get a 1.7 nt the 1.3 they can give a bit of trouble.

the doblo stay well clear. shore its a fiat. fix it again tmorow.

the berling is a grate wee van.

1.6 hdi can give a wee bit of trouble.

try and get one with full service history and low millage. you cant go rong.

Owen

farrellniall wrote: »

the doblo stay well clear. shore its a fiat. fix it again tmorow.

Never seen so much wrong (Or rong as you call it) in one post.

dgt

farrellniall wrote: »

the doblo stay well clear. shore its a fiat. fix it again tmorow.

Really? Do share this extensive knowledge you seem to have acquired on these particular vans. Infact, do share what you know on Fiat as a brand.

I can't wait to hear it :rolleyes:

Guy:Incognito

farrellniall wrote: »

the doblo stay well clear. shore its a fiat. fix it again tmorow.
.

Is the idea of text speak not to shorten the words rather than using more letters and spelling it wrong?

Alanstrainor

Don't feed the troll:)

farrellniall

just shows how pass remarkable pepole can be. did no one here about dyslexia in this day and age.

its grate to BE PERFECT. !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alanstrainor

farrellniall wrote: »

just shows how pass remarkable pepole can be. did no one here about dyslexia in this day and age.

its grate to BE PERFECT. !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Less grammar more vans.

colm_mcm

farrellniall wrote: »

1.6 hdi can give a wee bit of trouble.

...... you cant go rong.

Pottler

Get the Doblo. It is tougher, more reliable and more comfortable than a Kantgo, a Berlingo or a Combo. A Caddy's not bad either but the price premium over a Doblo is not worth it. A crew I work alongside run Doblos and give them dogs abuse with very few repairs needed and all the lads like driving them. The Connect is also tough, but thirsty and not very comfy. Get a Doblo.Their grate

dr.fuzzenstein

Transit Connect, but the foldable passenger seat is brutal and the stereo is feeble.
Fairly tough after that, get one without bulkhead, the passenger seat folds completely forward and gives fairly long loading space.
Has leaf springs in the rear, so is able for hefty loads. Mate had the VW Caddy, more comfy, more toys, but a softer van and can't take abuse and heavy loads as well.

Ded_Zebra

I think you should get a Fiat Fiorino... I know nothing about them but they are ridiculously cute :D:D

George Dalton

The 1.6HDI does have the potential to give more trouble than the old 1.9D Berlingo but you have to remember that the 1.9 Berlingo is as slow as a wet week and hard on fuel as well if you do any kind of medium to high speed driving.

The 1.6HDI is both more powerful and more economical. It manages this by being a more complex engine (turbocharged direct injection common rail 16v vs old school non turbo indirect injection without even drive by wire) which means it has more potential for things to go wrong.

This is something it shares with all other modern diesel engines. The 1.6HDI engine in the Berlingo is no more troublesome than the 1.5DCI Kangoo or the 1.3JTD Doblo IMO. So ruling out a 1.6HDI Berlingo in favour of the other options doesn't actually make any sense when you look at it logically.

Eric Cartman

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

I know nothing about them but they are ridiculously cute :D:D

mfceiling

I'm driving a 2004 Nissan kubistar. I carry loads of stuff in it and on it.

161,000 miles on it and it's a topper. Failed the DOE on Friday on a worn track road end....other than that and brake pads and discs it hasn't missed a beat.

Mind you I don't drive the sh!t of it...take her handy and I'm hoping she'll last me another few years!!

dgt

My good friend has a Doblo, he uses it for deliveries (car parts form his shop etc) and he loves it. Longest he's had a van, nearly 3 years now! No major problems either, just normal wear and tear

I'm sure most posters are sick of hearing about my carvan at this stage :pac:

Guy:Incognito

mfceiling wrote: »

I'm driving a 2004 Nissan kubistar. I carry loads of stuff in it and on it.

161,000 miles on it and it's a topper. Failed the DOE on Friday on a worn track road end....other than that and brake pads and discs it hasn't missed a beat.

Mind you I don't drive the sh!t of it...take her handy and I'm hoping she'll last me another few years!!

I'm actually surprised farrellniall missed out recommending the Kubistar while pissing on the Kangoo in his cliche-o-rant.:)

ltdslipdiff

Yeah avoid the Kangoo,sure they're totally unreliable,nobody uses them !

http://www.google.ie/imgres?hl=en&biw=1280&bih=662&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=****fiOjfi474M:&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/be216cd1/7203961032/&docid=ffmzhVjXUxPEuM&imgurl=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/7203961032_9bbeb69c7d_z.jpg&w=640&h=426&ei=Rm3MT7b6L4XKhAfw2t3ODw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=419&vpy=161&dur=5253&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=99&ty=199&sig=115864270711650025471&page=1&tbnh=151&tbnw=214&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:70

If you can find a 2010 one within budget it'll have the guts of 3 years/unlimited mileage warranty left on it. Any van if looked after service-wise should give many years of hassle free motoring.

Pottler

ltdslipdiff wrote: »

Yeah avoid the Kangoo,sure they're totally unreliable,nobody uses them !

http://www.google.ie/imgres?hl=en&biw=1280&bih=662&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=****fiOjfi474M:&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/be216cd1/7203961032/&docid=ffmzhVjXUxPEuM&imgurl=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/7203961032_9bbeb69c7d_z.jpg&w=640&h=426&ei=Rm3MT7b6L4XKhAfw2t3ODw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=419&vpy=161&dur=5253&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=99&ty=199&sig=115864270711650025471&page=1&tbnh=151&tbnw=214&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:70

If you can find a 2010 one within budget it'll have the guts of 3 years/unlimited mileage warranty left on it. Any van if looked after service-wise should give many years of hassle free motoring.

They use them for 3 years and then get shut. Try running one long term and you might not have such a good opinion:) Pulleys and belts are a major pain and are almost guaranteed to self-destruct. I'm not a french car hater, I run a Citoen car with close to 330k up and have expert/dispatch vans but Kangoos, nope, maybe I'm just predjudiced but the only one I had(03) shat itself big time as did the 04 a neighbour bought. But I'd be more than willing to change my view if you had compelling evidence to the contrary. I think they are soft, but thats just my experience.

ltdslipdiff

The 03+04 and Kangoo's were old shape 1.9's no? The newer model is completely re-engineered based on the Megane III with discs all round and a much more solid feel. I'm not saying they're the best vans ever but they're certainly worth considering. They're not giving An Post any grief outside of ABS sensors and routine services. You can't argue with that Warranty either! Its all down to how well they're taken care of.

sligono1

thanks all for the help so far,

but it will be a van in the line of an 07/08 model berlingo,Kangoo.Combo or Doblo with a budget of 4.5K Max.

so im only after info of these vans whats the poor points and what to look out for when buying.

Jarren

I'd say you could get that for 4500 Euros

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/commercials/3292918

dr.fuzzenstein

Jarren wrote: »

I'd say you could get that for 4500 Euros

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/commercials/3292918

I can't deny it. It is ridiculously cute.;)

sligono1

not into cute here after all its a van,plus that is small than the vans i had in mind

wonski

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

I can't deny it. It is ridiculously cute.;)

Sorry, but those wheels??? Van itself is ok, but those wheels on it???

dr.fuzzenstein

wonski wrote: »

Sorry, but those wheels??? Van itself is ok, but those wheels on it???

Marmite wheels alright...

osheen

Try a dispatch - bigger van but still fits in car spots and multi stories . I've had one for the last 2 years and 180k km

sligono1

as i said before im sticking to this size of van,im only looking for a bit of advise on these vans nothing more but thanks for your input but its not really relevant

kearney13

Can't go wrong with a Caddy van, great vans, the 04 tdi model can give clutch and flywheel problems over the 120000 mile mark (so I've heard) The caddy or Inca 96-04 are great vans but 01 onwards the ECU can get water damage, weak bracket for the slave cylinder on the clutch pedal, the sdis do take great abuse, tdis don't like it so much

sligono1

again thanks for the input but its a 07 08 van im after

barura

Why 07/08? It's not like there is a different tax system for vans, or am I mistaken? I thought it was 310eur across the board?

Guy:Incognito

barura wrote: »

Why 07/08? It's not like there is a different tax system for vans, or am I mistaken? I thought it was 310eur across the board?

Because he wants newer than 06 and maybe budget doesnt stretch to 09?

sligono1

Thats kind of it Guy:Incognito more or less i am looking for an 07 08 van plain and simple its nothing to do with tax or anything else the only restraint on my search is budget.

I do not want to snap at any one but i am asking a simple question but why do people think they know better,im getting every scenario bar the one im looking for:mad::mad:

sligono1

barura wrote: »

Why 07/08? It's not like there is a different tax system for vans, or am I mistaken? I thought it was 310eur across the board?

if you have nothing to contribute bar a stupid statement why bother getting involved :mad::mad::mad:

Ded_Zebra

sligono1 wrote: »

if you have nothing to contribute bar a stupid statement why bother getting involved :mad::mad::mad:

Don't think this is a "stupid statement" just simply asking a question...

Remember people are trying to help YOU out here and are asking questions so they can do that to the best of their ability :rolleyes:

dgt

sligono1 wrote: »

if you have nothing to contribute bar a stupid statement why bother getting involved :mad::mad::mad:

Do remember that there are people at the other end of the line. People have feelings. He's only trying to help, as are the rest of us (most of us, first page anyone?) as best he can and highlighting an issue you might not have thought of or overlooked. Cut him some slack and have a bit of respect to other posters.

Now, back to the topic. Would you consider a Caddy or Transit connect? As both fetch your max budget for 07 models. Wilsons in Kingswood often auction Transit Connects from various companies for half that amount, even cheaper without the test.

sligono1

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

Don't think this is a "stupid statement" just simply asking a question...

Remember people are trying to help YOU out here and are asking questions so they can do that to the best of their ability :rolleyes:

perhaps i should not have bothered asking in the first place i thought i would have got some informative info,but if you look at the thread i am struggling to gain any info,my point in my last few posts is i was clear in what i was looking for a 07 08 i cannot be any clearer but people are going off in tangents,i dont want to be dismissive but when people are trying to second guess what im looking for and why,its all getting a bit annoying.
i would just like to see the discussion staying on track thats all

sligono1

dgt wrote: »

Do remember that there are people at the other end of the line. People have feelings. He's only trying to help, as are the rest of us (most of us, first page anyone?) as best he can and highlighting an issue you might not have thought of or overlooked. Cut him some slack and have a bit of respect to other posters.

Now, back to the topic. Would you consider a Caddy or Transit connect? As both fetch your max budget for 07 models. Wilsons in Kingswood often auction Transit Connects from various companies for half that amount, even cheaper without the test.

anyway back on topic caddys are tending to be touching outside my budget anything suiting my budget tend to be high mileage or SDi models

and my local postman drive a connect and advised me that they are a very thirsty van but then again it could be the nature of his stop start post round.

i will consider anything that good on fuel and doesn't lead to been unreliable down the line.
but i started this thread to gain other peoples experiences on these sort of vans

Pdfile

sligono1 wrote: »

anyway back on topic caddys are tending to be touching outside my budget anything suiting my budget tend to be high mileage or SDi models

and my local postman drive a connect and advised me that they are a very thirsty van but then again it could be the nature of his stop start post round.

i will consider anything that good on fuel and doesn't lead to been unreliable down the line.
but i started this thread to gain other peoples experiences on these sort of vans

tbh yes thheir bound to be thirsty as all diesels are on short burst journeys...

just ironically keep her as light as possible ( AA membership ) drive smart and i see no trouble ?

i quite like the looks of the conect but driving wise i'd assume the caddy would be slightly nicer... if only slightly.

dr.fuzzenstein

Pdfile wrote: »

tbh yes thheir bound to be thirsty as all diesels are on short burst journeys...

just ironically keep her as light as possible ( AA membership ) drive smart and i see no trouble ?

i quite like the looks of the conect but driving wise i'd assume the caddy would be slightly nicer... if only slightly.

I put a lot of miles on a Connect over the course of a year, nice enough ride, responsive enough, great seating position and generally not bad at all.
When empty they tend to be bouncy on uneven roads due to the stiff rear suspension, but their payload is decent.
Wouldn't know about thirsty, but when you have a fuel card you tend not to care too much.
Good for space and with the foldable passenger seat you can load long objects too.
Stereo will benefit from some better speakers, the set included in the van is sh*t and no other way to say that and because the passenger seat is fold down, it's not the most comfy seat, in fact any passenger will have a miserable time on longer journeys.
Overall I liked it a great deal and would buy one again if I needed a small, though van with loads of room.

Farmer Pudsey

OP berlingo is supposed to be the best however am hearing good stories about doblo, DOE mechanic tells me in his words that none are failing test in other words they must be easy to pass test.
Berlingo one flaw is that the fifth gear is too low so on the open road is heavy on diesel compared to Kangoo/Kubistar.
I know other poster will list loads of flaws about drive/comfort/maintenance.

Last year there was great value to get in the ex post van's but they have gone up in value for same year vehicles

Berlingo will do about 49.5mpg in general run around.

I hear kangoo is much better but are not as reliable

Have not been in doblo but am hearing good stories also may be easier to pick up a good clean example.

DavidWills

sligono1 wrote: »

thanks all for the help so far,

but it will be a van in the line of an 07/08 model berlingo,Kangoo.Combo or Doblo with a budget of 4.5K Max.

so im only after info of these vans whats the poor points and what to look out for when buying.

http://www.buyandsell.ie/search/gen_purpose_search?search%5Bsearch_term%5D=berlingo

Type berlingo into the search box top right, lad on there selling Berlingos 2008 from €3200.

Boscoirl

Not sure, if all Doblos are like this, but the ones we have at work have an internal wall with a window at back of the cab sealing off the back, would make them more comfortable on longer journeys IMO less noise. Have not driven them yet though, will find outnext week.

Have driven the berlingo though, not a bad bus.

The old man drove a connect for a bit, and didn't like it, but he was used to a transit van and transit 16 seater mini bus. Also his own car is a C4 Picasso, so it was a bit small for him

The Pontiac

Was thinking about going to have a look at this Transit Connect.

My only concern is that it doesn't have a sliding door. Is it really necessary? Might regret buying without a sliding door.

Good, tidy connects are not that easy to find for the right money.

bazz26

The only one who can answer that is you. Do you need a sliding side door?

BTW that interior photo is from a Fiesta/Courier not a Transit Connect and make sure that mileage and service history are verified as it's very low for a 7 year old van.

The Pontiac

bazz26 wrote: »

The only one who can answer that is you. Do you need a sliding side door?

BTW that interior photo is from a Fiesta/Courier not a Transit Connect and make sure that mileage and service history are verified as it's very low for a 7 year old van.

Actually the more I think about it a sliding door would be really handy. Will have a look at one and see.

That's odd alright, a Fiesta/Courier interior. Maybe it was a genuine mistake or else the interior is dog rough.

Would prefer an Irish van too. Easier to check history etc. As you say 85k is low mileage for a 2007 van. Might give that one a miss.

bazz26

I wouldn't rule anything in or out from a photo but you just need to be diligent as with any vehicle you are buying.

Farmer Pudsey

Side door is handy but it depends if you really need it. It is handy if you have a lot of bits and pieces in van. No matter what van you put up someone will spot a flaw or issue.

Side door vans are hard to come across and you will generally pay extra for them

The Pontiac

Was going to travel tomorrow to view another Connect (with a sliding door).

Just got a Full Report and it's showing 'Odometer Contradiction'

18/04/2011 145,260 Kms (90,260 Mls) INMR
06/01/2011 131,750 Kms (81,866 Mls) INMR
26/12/2010 103,100 Kms (64,063 Mls) INMR
16/12/2010 130,750 Kms (81,244 Mls) INMR
07/01/2010 93,080 Kms (57,837 Mls) INMR
06/12/2009 90,900 Kms (56,483 Mls) INMR
19/01/2009 63,470 Kms (39,438 Mls) INMR
27/12/2008 62,300 Kms (38,711 Mls) INMR
07/03/2008 35,525 Kms (22,074 Mls) INMR

Probably not fair to put up the donedeal link. The current owner wasn't the owner at the time anyway. So it clocked, or is just a human error somewhere?

colm_mcm

If you look at these 3

06/01/2011 131,750 Kms (81,866 Mls) INMR
26/12/2010 103,100 Kms (64,063 Mls) INMR
16/12/2010 130,750 Kms (81,244 Mls) INMR

And look at the dates, it appears the middle one is a mistake. There's 3 weeks between the first and last and 500 odd km.

I'm guessing they meant to write in 131,000 instead of 103100

The Pontiac

01/03/2007
Private, 1st owner
Duration: 4 years, 2 months

04/05/2011
Private (Consumer), 2nd owner
Duration: 9 months, 5 days

01/03/2007
Private, 1st owner
Duration: 4 years, 2 months

____________________________________________

It seems to me the mileage went wonky a few months before the first owner sold it, after owning it for over 4 years?