Used Renault Kangoo MPV 1999 - 2009 review

The Renault Kangoo's huge cabin is light and airy, and even the tallest passengers shouldn't have complaints about the headroom. Legroom is good front and back, too, and the driving position is reasonably comfortable, even though there's no seat or steering wheel adjustment.

Like other cars based on a commercial vehicle, though, there's no getting away from the fact that this is (as it's unkindly dismissed by some) a 'van with windows'.

In some ways, that's good news. For a start, the rear sliding doors and a high-lifting tailgate mean access is easy from all sides. And, with the rear seats folded down, the cargo area extends to an impressive 2600 litres.

However, equipment levels are less impressive, and the interior has a spartan feel, with rubber mats rather than the carpet offered by rivals.

Once on the move, some road noise can be heard from inside, but otherwise refinement is good. Meanwhile, the ride is soft enough to cushion the effect of Britain's road surfaces, but the sift suspension does lead to a certain amount of roll through corners.

It's worth spending as much as you can for one of the later models, which have a more impressive list of equipment as standard.

It won't cost much to keep it on the road, either. Servicing costs are very reasonable.

Should repairs be necessary, they should be quite cheap, as Renault is at the cheaper end of the scale, according to Warranty Direct's survey of labour rates. And, the commercial origins of the vehicle should keep the cost of parts down, too.

Fuel economy is best with the diesels, the non-turbo 1.9-litre achieving 39.8mpg on average compared with the 1.4's 37.7mpg.

The newer 1.2-litre petrol manages 40.4mpg while 1.6-litre petrol's extra performance cuts economy to 35.3mpg on average. Opt for a 1.5-litre diesel for the cheapest overall bills - economy is 53.3mpg.

From launch the Kangoo was available with a 75bhp 1.4-litre petrol (discontinued in 2001) or 1.9-litre non-turbo diesel, and buyers had the choice of basic RN trim or RXE, which added a passenger airbag and three three-point seatbelts in the rear.

Limited-edition versions of the 1.4 were introduced in 2000: Alize added air-con and remote central locking, Helios brought a twin sunroof.

Revisions in 2001 rationalised the trim to one level - Authentique - and changed the engine line-up to a 1.6-litre petrol with 75bhp and an automatic gearbox or an 80bhp 1.9-litre turbodiesel.

The Trekka version introduced in 2002 adds four-wheel drive and alloy wheels. But, it's rather an oddball, and the basic cars give you everything that's good about a Kangoo in a cheaper package.

Anti-lock brakes are standard on all automatic versions, and were introduced across the range from 2004. In the same year a 1.5 dCi engine with 65bhp was introduced.

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