Hello All

[zedhead]

At last, I've got my validation sorted so I can post.

I've been trying to get on here for about six months, since I found it on a google search for 'Berlingo forum'...

Bought myself a Berlingo van last year, but not my first Citroen. Had an AX 1.5 diesel before (that clocked up 150k before getting rear-eneded on the motorway and scrapped) and an ultrareliable C15 van before that, and that had way, way over 150k on it, but the odometer didn't work and was stuck on 140-something thousand miles. that died when I drove it through a flood and it ingested some water and bent a conrod. It still ran fine though, albeit a bit smoky at tickover, but ran clean as a whistle over 30mph, and would still hit over 70mph...

[Guanajuato]

Thought I'd Say 'Hello' too! I've been trying on & off to get reigstered, but the validation emails never arrived. Been a while since I tried and when I clicked the Re-send validation, it duly arrived.

 

Last June (09) we took delivery of a new Berlingo 1.6HDi VTR spec with the family pack option, giving (among other things) an extra row of seats in the back. We also got the opening tailgate window, which is really useful when some wally decides to park an inch from your rear bumper in a car park.

Overall we've been really pleased with it. It's just had its first service and we've had nothing worth mentioning go wrong with it. I did take it back to the dealer when we got a recall notice regarding the rear window stays - they kept popping off because the mounting point twisted. The dealer (Kendal Citroen) even gave the whole car a clean when it was in for that. The other issue we had was the rear passenger window on one side was slightly loose in its mounting. As the dealer had only sold 3 or 4 of them at that time, they had no more idea than me how to get at the fixing screw to tighten it. But we got there eventually. :unsure:

 

The extra seats keep proving really useful, ferrying extra friends around. Without them in, the boot is enormous - I can get my bike in without removing the wheels.

 

Considering the height, its not too bad to drive on the twisty roads around the lake district. It'll never win a handling competition, but its much better than I expected. I've only had the traction control kick in going over a cattle grid in the wet up a steep hill, which is hardly surprising.

I moved from an old Jag XJ6 to this, so comfort is rather down on what I've been used to. But its still reasonable. I've had plenty of hire cars for work that are far worse, vauxhalls in particular. This is the first car where I've been able to find a driving position that's truly comfortable - I usually find I'm either stretching for the pedals of steering wheel. With the family pack, the normal passenger seats are a little further forward than the standard car, and for our eldest who sits on a booster seat, it means her feet are right at the narrowest point between the back and front seats, which isn't ideal. The very back row of seats are much better than most of this kind I've seen - you can get in & out from the hatch or the middle doors and the seats are properly supportive. most others seem to be only a couple of inches of the floor, but these have a good 8-10" of height above the floor . An adult can comfortably fit, although I doubt you'd want to be in for too long. Great for children though.

I still struggle a bit judging where the edges of the car are, but that's normal really.

 

The best bit - Sliding doors. Absolutely BRILLIANT in these days of every-narrowing parking spaces. It just makes getting the smallest into her seat so much easier than trying to hold the door just off the catch so it doesn't spring into the car next to ou, which simultaneously trying to hold the child and the car seat straps.

 

Overall, we're really pleased with it and intend keeping it until its as old as the Jag was when we got rid (we DIDN'T buy that one new!)

[zedhead]

So that's two of us on the Berlingo bit of the forum... :rolleyes:

[zedhead]

Quiet in here innit... :)