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hi owners past and present
considering a Berlingo multispace as a replacement for my t5 due to a combination of downsizing and desire for some better fuel economy and features.
before I progress too far down this road can I ask a few questions on peoples experiences with either this or the partner teepee.
reliability- good?
economy- good?
and more importantly
with the flexi seat option could I wheel a fully assembled xl 29 frame in?
Many thanks for for your help, this is the closest smaller car type van I’ve found that ticks lots of boxes but funnily enough I doubt me rocking up with a bike for a trial fit would go down that well.
Assuming a b9 post 2008 then with the flexy seats and one removed an XL bike will fit no bother.
The previous shape an XL won't go in its tight for a large 29er the newer ones a foot 20 cm longer inside.
Mpg is about 45-50 mpg depending on use
Only had this one for 3 months so will report back on reliability in a year or 2. My last 2 have been fine over 10 years.
Probably depend son which seat you remove - I reckon an XL 29er would fit with the middle seat removed and the inner wheel stuck between the 2 front seats.
I absolutely love mine - it fits my 27.5" wheeled bike in no bother - in fact with a bit of jigging around, I can get that, a 24" kids bike and another 27.5" ladies hardtail in the back.
Actually if just 1 bike being moved, then with 2 rear seats removed, the XL 29er will fit no bother.
Only thing I'm really missing on this is cruise control - a reverse camera would be nice, but the parking sensors doe a very good job.
This is our main vehicle and holiday machine - so I fitted a towball and use a bike rack for the bikes if we are going on holiday - the 2 females need to pack a lot of kit, so the car tends to be incredibly full.
For me, bike will go behind the drivers seat and I'll be able to sleep on the other side with all my kit in the back as well.
Economy - I'm getting about 45mpg for my short drives - my commute is only 7 miles each way (or 12 miles each way if I'm on the school run) - it seems to do well. On longer trips I'm getting at least 55mpg. It is a comfy car to drive and I can do a 5 hour drive with a 15 minute stop mid-way for a toilet break and still arrive feeling fresh and ready - cruise control would make the motorway driving 'easier', but it isn't a deal breaker.
(Saying that, I have the cruise control stalk, but haven't got any means of getting the ECU and BSI updated to activate the cruise control - and garages don't seem keen on doing it either)
It is a very practical car, not a looker, not a rocket, but it drives well, carries loads of kit and just works - I can't recommend them highly enough.
This is my second one - first one was second hand 13 years ago and was a workhorse - 1.9 non-turbo'd diesel - I rolled it down a hill and the only bits that weren't damaged was the people sections of the car - we were unharmed, but rest of the car took a pasting - I'm more than happy to know that the people space is definitely as safe as possible.
This one (2014 Puggy Partner Tepee Outdoor) was ex-mobility and the people who had it before us did very very short journeys in it - 14k in the 3 years they had it - the engine developed a problem and the garage couldn't find anything specifically wrong with it but it was clogged up - so they cleaned it and it has been faultless since - they put it down to the very short journeys and not driving it to help clean the DPF and bits and pieces - I've yet to work out how far and hard the car should be driven to make sure this DPF cleaning process actually works, but it seems to be unaffected so far.
Yes would be looking at the outgoing model in the xtr type so flex seat option ahoy.
current t5 needs one of the second row removed to fit Bike in but then there’s stacks of room. However bike time is not as frequent as it once was and other ‘needs’ have come to the fore.
edit
this is really confirming what I’m hearing, for me currently air con would be a luxury so....
How many bikes would you be carrying? Just 1 then it will have plenty of room - will still have room if more bikes are needed, but more than 2 and you may have to get creative i.e. remove front wheels - but that also depends on number of bodies you need to carry as well.
I can get the 3 bikes and the 3 of us and a weekend of kit in with reasonable ease - not so easy if we are away camping though.
What other 'needs' have you got now? Berlingo/Partner will probably be able to handle those as well (unless you are into gliding - doubt you can fit a glider inside it!).
One for the quick ‘chuck it in the back’ ride, anything else would be on Tow bar rack.
at the moment that has been the reason I’ve not flogged the t5, the facility to chuck a bike and kit in and go has been invaluable on those rushed trips out. Sadly the 2.5l lump is getting pricey as a daily drive.
Wheelchair converted one comes with a ramp
I seem to be able to manage a rushed trip in my Honda Jazz. Taking a wheel off and slinging a bike and a wheel in the boot is not very time consuming.
Fiat Doblos are worth a look too and are very capacious.
The ease of operating folding seats is also something to consider and something you can test at a garage. I had a Peugeot 806 people carrier years back that was bas8cally a van with the seats removed. Each seat weighed about 30kg and were a bigger to move and store.
seats in the bingo assuming you ensure you get the flexy seat model and not the 60/40 ..... are really easy to remove , store and put back - how ever we rarely need to take them out
Really suggest you dont buy a wheelchair converted one , they are cheap how ever the way the ramps fitted means the rear boot floor and bumper are cut otu , the rear wheel is relocated into the cab and the exhaust is rerouted to side exit with some expensive replacement parts !
this results it increased road noise and alot of rattles.
friends with a few taxi drivers and they all advised against it no matter how cheap !