The £9k budget is not much these days :-(
I had a Peugeot Traveller on lease for 3 years and was very pleased with it. Yes, its a van with windows but it's on a car platform and drove much better than the VW Transporter that it replaced and the Mercedes Viano that replaced it after it went back at the end of the lease. See also Citroen Spacetourer and later Vauxhall Vivaro Life(?). But even early/high mileage ones are way more than £9k.
It was weird when you lifted the bonnet because the engine is at car platform height - i.e. there's a massive space between the low engine and high bonnet (almost enough for an immigrant or two on those return trips from Europe - JOKE!!).
The Merc Viano was a stop-gap replacement that has lasted 2 years, but it's lack of ULEZ, agricultural diesel and increasing electrical unreliability means it's going next week - to be replaced by a pre-registered petrol auto Berlingo XL. One of the last ICE-engined Berlingos that Citroen has imported (electric Berlingo range not enough for my needs). I normally favour diesel, but you see so many problems with the complex Adblue that modern diesels have to have I've decided to go for the green pump this time.
The rear-most 2 seats fold/remove entirely and the middle 3 fold flat into the floor and the front passenger seat-back also folds. Over 4,000 litres - the biggest estates manage less than half that. Yes, it's also a van with windows but also on a car platform and drives accordingly.
Vehicles are always a compromise - the best compromise depends on one's particular needs/requirements.
|
