Citroen Berlingo 1.4i multispace 

Having had this car for nearly a year now we are still as happy with it as the day we bought it. Being our first proper family vehicle (previous being a Fiesta!) we were unsure what to look for other than space. I believe the Berlingo has it all.

Standing in the showroom the car that stood out was the Citroen Xsara Picasso, after bypassing the Berlingo and running straight to the shining Picasso, I thought we had our car. However after taking a second look at the poor Berlingo I could see a great car emerging.

- The boot space is second to none with a roller blind style flexible shelf. There is no problem slotting almost anything in the boot alone.
- Rear seats can all be folded and pushed back to provide the most amazing amount of space. A 3 seater sofa is one of the many things we have transported.
- Sliding rear doors. How did I live without them? Combined with the increased head room getting a child in and out of a car seat is a doddle!
- Overhead storage really useful obviously for maps and general rubbish.
Also back seat under feet box storage (these are concealed and your car mats cover the opening. I never use these to be honest as my kids muddy foot prints puts me off wanting to touch the floor altogether.

A number of people have commented about the ventilation in Berlingos if you have no air con...In my opinion the vents works fine, they maybe are a little fiddly but I have no sunroof, Modutop or air con and just rely on the standard vents and opening a window. The space above you allows the air to flow quite freely in the vehicle.
Side window openings in the rear passenger seats have to be operated by an adult as they are fiddly to open and shut but I have never really found the need to have them open and plus it stops my kids from messing around with them.

Along with the fact that the fuel consumption is excellent, in fact I cannot see a noticeable difference between this and my old 1.3i Fiesta.
In my opinion this car handles really well, being higher up than the average car gives a feeling of safety for some reason. Electric windows, CD player (optional) colour coded bumpers/mirrors make this vehicle more than the 'van' people describe it as being.
My husband being an ex-courier and actually owing a van confirms this fact.

Options for the Berlingo include:
--- The Modutop roof storage system at £450 which include vent ducting and glass panels. However we declined to have this option as we found the car had more than enough space already and the modutop gave the car a 'top heavy' feel.
--- Air con at £600 which includes heat reflective windscreen
--- Fully retractable electric sunroof (vinyl) £450
---Styling pack consisting of 15" alloys and front fog lamps at £450
--- Pearlescent paint at £275
---Safety pack, front passenger airbag, side airbags, ABS at £650
---Comfort pack with front seat armrests and rear seatback trays with a handy Modubox shopping trolley at £60 this feature comes in very handy.

Oh and the other obvious plus side is the price, approx £8600 depending what deals you can wangle with your dealer.
So after a full year with my Berlingo, would I swap....NO we love it.

The one downside is on day trips with friends/family everyone wants to be travel in our car.

UPDATE 02/06/04: After having my car over a year now, we have noticed on the inside handles on especially the driver's door has become a little worn, the paint covering the plastic handle has rubbed off revealing the black plastic. It is noticeable and you can actually scrape it all off!