UKC

Hi all,

I am looking at getting my first ever van, would like to have space to sleep and for a bike, but only want a car derived van, and berlingo's are pretty small in this region and VW caddys are a good size just a lot more expensive!

So, my question is- What have you guys got? and what is the best one to get?

In reply to emmswhit:

wont be long before someone suggests a Skoda estate

In reply to emmswhit:
If the reason you want a car derived van is the higher speed limits, note that Berlingos and VW Caddys are *not* car derived vans, rather the car versions are van derived cars.

Car derived vans are things like Astravans - the standard car body with the back windows blacked out. Not many of these about now.

Neil

In reply to emmswhit:

I have just bought a Fiat Doblo with a high top, I believe these are wider than most equivalents but no longer. I'm not sure if it is a van derived car but I've not had to worry about speed limits for it! We got the 1.4 petrol which seems the worst of all worlds, slow and not great MPG. That said its only really top speeds where there is an issue (I.e. it struggles to go above 65) it seems to have better acceleration than I expected around town

In reply to jethro kiernan:


I also have a Mondeo estate which, if you want a main car which you can sleep in occasionally, is brilliant.

In reply to emmswhit:

Car derived van you say? Well the pointless Mini ClubVan will definitely not meet your needs. I cant imagine many folk buying one.

https://www.google.co.uk/images?q=mini+clubvan&hl=en&gws_rd=ssl&...

Most manufactures have stopped bunging a box on the back of hatchbacks in favour of vans first and foremost. Peugeot Expert type van would be my choice for second hand and the new Transit Connect looks good.

In reply to Tyler:
Doesn't so much matter if it's a car type - all the van derived cars (including the really big ones) take the higher car speed limits. No, there's no sense in that, but that's the way it is.

Given the way modern vans are (and given how they tend to be driven anyway) I would think it would make sense to make vans up to 3500kg the same speed limit as cars.

So if the OP is bothered about this, they should perhaps choose the car version of a Berlingo, Doblo etc and just leave the seats down!

Neil

In reply to Neil Williams:
I've got a Peugeot Expert, a 8 seat version of the van, with windows and it's as fast as most cars, 110mph if you can afford the diesel, at legal speeds it like driving a car except for the length and width. If you got the smaller version I'm sure it would be even nippier. Fiat and Citroen make identical versions, just the badge that changes.

In reply to Mr Trebus:

I have one, its fantastic, I dont want to sleep in it, would rather camp, and dont want to put a bike in it..would rather climb!
It sips diesel when needed..and is so quick when you need it!!
Cheers
Nick

In reply to emmswhit:

Often a few Volkswagen Transporter vans parked at Stanage....

In reply to emmswhit:

Try lookin at a fiat scudo. I am.

In reply to emmswhit:

Thought the same about the berlingos but if you put a passenger seat in it from a berlingo van it folds out of the way to leave enough room to sleep in.

I currently have a Mondeo Estate and so long as you buy one that has had the injectors and dual mass flywheel replaced, they are really nice cars (no timing belts to be replaced as they use timing chains). I used to have an octavia estate and I much prefer the Mondeo. It's much faster (130bhp) and I can lay out flat with the back seats down and I'm 6'1. You often see them being sold on 200k-300k miles and that can only be a good thing!

Having said all that, I'm probably going to sell the Mondeo and buy a berlingo HDI because I don't need something so long and so fancy (I have the GHIA X).

In reply to emmswhit:

Caddy's are more expensive ,but worth it IMO .

Mechanically , they are just quality.

I'm picking a new one up in Inverness tomorrow (hopefully)

And giving them my current one to play with.hope they are feeling generous with the trade in.

In reply to Run_Ross_Run:


That's the Fiat version of the one I've got.

In reply to emmswhit:

Nissan NV200?

Thanks everyone! I am only small (5ft) so it really doesn't have to be that big, but the caddy and ford transit connect are probably in the top two of what I want to get.

In reply to emmswhit:

I got my Caddy on Thursday ,and it has a thing called Bluemotion on it,which I did not know much about.

I do now.

Bluemotion is reported to do up to 65 miles to the gallon ,and so far it has.

Felt sluggish at first ,but as I have got over 100 miles on the clock now ,it feels good now.

I am impressed.

In reply to andymac:

Really?! that i didn't know, does it have it on the lower year models?

In reply to emmswhit:
Think it's been around for a few years.

The Golf and Polo will,apparently, do 70 miles to the gallon.