Used Citroën Berlingo 2018-present review

For what the boxy Citroën Berlingo lacks in suavity and style, it more than makes up for in substance.

It's an MPV with practicality and space at the heart of its appeal, with some affordable buying and running costs sprinkled on top for good measure. It possesses some compelling ingredients, but how do they all come together – and does it make for a fine used alternative to a pricey SUV?

Engines & Performance: There's a decent range to choose from. There's a 109bhp 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel that comes in various states of tune: 74bhp, 99bhp and 128bhp. The petrol is nicely refined and remarkably capable of motivating even the larger seven-seat XL long-wheelbase version (there are two body styles, a regular five-seat Berlingo and a longer and slightly taller XL model), but it will struggle with a full complement of luggage and passengers.

A five-speed manual is fitted to entry-level diesel models, with a six-speed alternative in the petrol and 128bhp diesel. A smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox found in more powerful versions.

Ride & Handling: Take one look at the tall exterior of the Berlingo and it’ll come as no surprise to find that it isn’t the liveliest of vehicles out there to drive. However, grip levels are still sufficient and body control is decent enough that it won’t embarrass itself in the bends by leaning over excessively. The steering is light and pretty quick for this type of car, and makes parking easy – especially relevant when the biggest XL version is 4.75m in length.

Wind noise can be heard at motorway speeds due to the upright windscreen and big door mirrors, but road noise is well subdued. You can even take it on a long distance cruise without regret; the ride is really comfortable without being nauseatingly floaty over crests.

Interior & Practicality: The Berlingo is ideal for families who need to travel with multiple child seats. When we tested the Vauxhall Combo Life (a car to which the Berlingo is closely related) we found that you could fit three separate child seats across the second row. However, the third row on XL models isn’t suitable for a child’s car seat, according to the experts at Euro NCAP. If you need to fit more than three safety seats, consider a Peugeot 5008 instead. Grandparents, meanwhile. should be happy enough in the third row – the seats can be moved forwards and backwards to increase leg room at the expense of luggage capacity.

Speaking of which, the vast space at the back of the Berlingo will be appreciated by parents, as will the boot's highly practical, squared-off shape. On smaller five-seat cars you can get an extra storage locker on the ceiling, along with a transparent bridge that runs from the rear of the car to the front. This provides storage to keep small items, such as sunglasses, safe and out of the way. These extra storage spaces are helpful because there is no traditional glovebox on right-hand drive cars – instead, there's a small storage area in the top of the dashboard where you’d expect the passenger airbag to be. There still is a passenger airbag, but it deploys from the roof lining, if you were wondering.

Trims & Equipment: Equipment levels are generous because even the entry-level Feel comes with air-con, auto lights and wipers, an automatically dimming rear-view mirror, cruise control, an 8.0in infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with safety equipment like lane keep assist, fatigue warning, autonomous emergency braking and speed limit recognition.

Flair adds 16in alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, sat-nav and adjustable lumbar support for the driver’s seat. If you go for Flair, then you might be able to find one with the XTR pack on five-seat Berlingo models that comes with a different alloy wheel design, orange highlights on the exterior and some unique interior fabric on the seats.

Interested in buying a used Citroën Berlingo? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

Prices for a Citroën Berlingo at the time of writing start at £12,500 for a 2018 example with an average mileage for the year and with a full history. Spend £14,000 or more for a seven-seat XL model. Expect to splash out at least £15,000 for a 2020 or 2021 car.

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MPG: Even the petrol version is fairly economical with a combined fuel economy figures of 45.8mpg (WLTP) for the 109bhp car, and 43.7mpg for the 128bhp alternative. Both the 74bhp and 99bhp 1.5-litre diesel achieve 57.4mpg, while the 128bhp version is a tiny bit thirstier at 57.0mpg.

Road tax: All versions of the Berlingo fall under the current road tax system which means they’ll all pay the same flat rate fee. This is currently £180 per year for all petrol and diesel cars.

Insurance and servicing: Insurance groups waver around 10 (out of 50), which is extremely reasonable.

Citroën offers a servicing plan similar to what's provided by rivals such as Seat and Volkswagen. When it comes to replacement parts, though, you can either opt for original equipment items, or for slightly cheaper approved parts if you wish to save some money.

Engine: If you are just interested in an urban school run vehicle, then the 109bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine will suit you best. However, if you regularly take longer trips with family, then you’ll need the 128bhp 1.5-litre diesel for its extra power and torque.

Specification: The regular five-seat Berlingo is far easier to park and you can find them with the excellent glass roof that makes the interior nice and light, but the longer XL has an extra couple of seats and a colossal boot, so it depends upon what your needs are.

Feel is perhaps the best value of the entire Berlingo range because it comes with plenty of standard safety kit and equipment. Top-of-the-range Flair doesn’t add any more safety tech, so isn’t really worth the extra unless you can find one for similar money to a Feel version.

Our favourite Citroën Berlingo: 1.2 110 Feel manual

If you happen to work for Addison Lee, then you might want to look for a Ford Galaxy. Not only taxi drivers will appreciate the Galaxy's enjoyable driving experience, nor its fine engines or third row seats that are spacious enough to take actual people. It doesn't have any clever storage solutions inside, though, and misses out on sliding rear doors, too. There are plenty of them around, though, so finding a tidy one should be easy.

Alternatively, try a Volkswagen Sharan or its virtually identical sibling, the Seat Alhambra. Both of them are huge inside, have well-appointed interiors and the benefit of sliding rear doors that should prevent your passengers from opening them on a car parked next to you.

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Interested in buying a used Citroën Berlingo? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.