samulis
Active Member
Our new family wagon.
Mother in law's summer place is good 5-6h away from Helsinki in Joensuu (used to be 3-4h, but camera's and kid's make life slower), few kilometers from the track where FG winter trashing, drifting and banging has happened few times. Two kid's, a dog, a cat, few chicken's and a lot stuff for whole summer (a lot!) in public transportation was so much fun that I did not look forward to do it again.
I had strong urge to buy joint summer car for mother in law's and my family's use. I went all out and bought 2004 Citro?n Berlingo 1.6.
It fit's all the criteria's, it's cheap, it works, lot's of space and easy to tilt the seats for van moments, there's tow hook, 5 doors, no opening rear windows for kids to play, A/C and it has MOT almost till the end of the year.
Last family car I had was same year facelift Berlingo so it was easy to jump back. I kind of knew what to expect and what it might need. Previous was grey/silver/boring and I had wanted to have black after I saw those on the road and specially with extra moonlight windows. So this one is black, has those 5 roof windows and lots of extra room for small stuff in ceiling. Nice find was that there is two extra 12v outlets, one in both upper boxes (on top of two 12v outlets in front and one in trunk), handy for powering iPad. Extra fan in ceiling for rear seat passenger's will also be nice for those two mildly hot days in the summer.
Do like French family cars, they really seem to know what matters when you have kids. Keeping it simple and user friendly, like having plastic tablets for kids with groove on sides to catch spilled milk, rubber mat in trunk to make cleaning easy, rear door's that are so hard to open that even our 8 years old struggles so no need for kid locks, I don't have to worry about them opening doors while moving or having to jump out for adults who are lock'd in the back.
Instead of VAG tax, there is French car depreciation that suits for me and my wallet very well. In my past life I used to drive bus for living so my ego can take driving around in ice cream van. And it isn't even ugliest of them all, I think it looks rather nice, facelift was really well done. Upright sit position and view over Miata's is nice too. 2.0 HDI would have been nice, but diesel tax is too much for the few driven miles a year, 1.6 in it is more suited for sporty SAXO or 106 than the box, there isn't a much of torque low down but it has some power in upper rev range.
(that folding shopping basket is so French)
It's been driven almost all the way to moon, but it drives quite well. No extra noises or wonkiness. But it needs service in 5tkm and it's cam belt needs replacing last year, so I have my first "to-do" for next weekend.
On the way to school this morning I arrived early, sat in car to wait the doors to open when I saw could of smoke from left rear wheel well. That would have been great start for ownership to stand back and watch it burn, luckily it was hand brake that had stuck a bit and steel wheel was only hot. One more thing for "to-do" list, open rear drum brakes and service them too.
Don't think I will give it any more love than what it needs, no "posaism" to this, there is a bump in rear door all ready and it is missing interior parts so I will let it slide and not go OCD on it.
Ps. I have slight dyslexia and English isn't my first language so I am sorry for missing articles or mis spells, please be kind.
Mother in law's summer place is good 5-6h away from Helsinki in Joensuu (used to be 3-4h, but camera's and kid's make life slower), few kilometers from the track where FG winter trashing, drifting and banging has happened few times. Two kid's, a dog, a cat, few chicken's and a lot stuff for whole summer (a lot!) in public transportation was so much fun that I did not look forward to do it again.
I had strong urge to buy joint summer car for mother in law's and my family's use. I went all out and bought 2004 Citro?n Berlingo 1.6.
It fit's all the criteria's, it's cheap, it works, lot's of space and easy to tilt the seats for van moments, there's tow hook, 5 doors, no opening rear windows for kids to play, A/C and it has MOT almost till the end of the year.
Last family car I had was same year facelift Berlingo so it was easy to jump back. I kind of knew what to expect and what it might need. Previous was grey/silver/boring and I had wanted to have black after I saw those on the road and specially with extra moonlight windows. So this one is black, has those 5 roof windows and lots of extra room for small stuff in ceiling. Nice find was that there is two extra 12v outlets, one in both upper boxes (on top of two 12v outlets in front and one in trunk), handy for powering iPad. Extra fan in ceiling for rear seat passenger's will also be nice for those two mildly hot days in the summer.
Do like French family cars, they really seem to know what matters when you have kids. Keeping it simple and user friendly, like having plastic tablets for kids with groove on sides to catch spilled milk, rubber mat in trunk to make cleaning easy, rear door's that are so hard to open that even our 8 years old struggles so no need for kid locks, I don't have to worry about them opening doors while moving or having to jump out for adults who are lock'd in the back.
Instead of VAG tax, there is French car depreciation that suits for me and my wallet very well. In my past life I used to drive bus for living so my ego can take driving around in ice cream van. And it isn't even ugliest of them all, I think it looks rather nice, facelift was really well done. Upright sit position and view over Miata's is nice too. 2.0 HDI would have been nice, but diesel tax is too much for the few driven miles a year, 1.6 in it is more suited for sporty SAXO or 106 than the box, there isn't a much of torque low down but it has some power in upper rev range.
(that folding shopping basket is so French)
It's been driven almost all the way to moon, but it drives quite well. No extra noises or wonkiness. But it needs service in 5tkm and it's cam belt needs replacing last year, so I have my first "to-do" for next weekend.
On the way to school this morning I arrived early, sat in car to wait the doors to open when I saw could of smoke from left rear wheel well. That would have been great start for ownership to stand back and watch it burn, luckily it was hand brake that had stuck a bit and steel wheel was only hot. One more thing for "to-do" list, open rear drum brakes and service them too.
Don't think I will give it any more love than what it needs, no "posaism" to this, there is a bump in rear door all ready and it is missing interior parts so I will let it slide and not go OCD on it.
Ps. I have slight dyslexia and English isn't my first language so I am sorry for missing articles or mis spells, please be kind.
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