Citroen Berlingo Multispace road tests and consumer car reviews

Citroen Berlingo Multispace 1-6 hdi 90 vtr 2009

I purchased my Berlingo on 15/3/11 with 2,589 on the clock. A good car to drive, with the only problem being road noise going over bumps. After doing 2,568 miles the battery died. The car was still under warranty, but Citroen UK refused to replace the battery; you only get 6,000 miles or 6 months warranty on the battery, how’s that for service? I will steer clear of Citroen in the future.

Responses to this review

After contacting Citroen UK, they will refund cost I had to pay to replace battery as a goodwill gesture so all is not lost - Sam Hendry from Lanarkshire

Citroen Berlingo Multispace FORTE 2.0 HDI 2004

Bought vehicle two years ago when I retired. I lecture in maritime subjects around UK and find it ideal as a load carrier, comfortable to drive and economical(53 mpg). I keep it serviced more regularly than operators manual and it’s proved reliable. I changed the tyres to obviate some road noise, but can recommend coating rear wheel arches in bitumen(umpteen coats). No need to remove any trim(just panel where jack is placed)The difference is incredible..all for the sake of one tin of high quality bitumen. If you chose to do this one word of caution; when I drove it to test result, with windows closed, the fumes from the bitumen were overpowering. The smell disappeared within a couple days.

Responses to this review

I own a Citroen Berlingo Multispace 2004 forte 1.9 hdi. I was having flat spots and engine management light coming on and I found out it was only when I used Tesco diesel. My car hates the stuff it plays up. I now use Esso or Texaco 100% improvement. Maybe Tesco aren’t putting enough additives in their fuel - John Champion from Cardiff

I was wondering what tyres you had on that were noisy and what make did you change to that were quieter? - Nigel Lister from Cornwall

Citroen Berlingo Multispace 2008

I bought my first Berlingo in 2005, a used 2002 with 18k on the clock, I traded it in with 108k on the clock and hardly spent a penny on it apart from service etc. A brilliant MPV. I have now bought a 2008 Berlingo with 11k on the clock and just as pleased with it. I just hope it lasts as well as the old one.

Citroen Berlingo Multispace 1.4 2003

I have had my 2003 Berlingo since new and have been very happy with it on the whole. I am now thinking of replacing it with an ultra economically fuel efficient car. Unfortunately, most cars giving more than 70mpg are either much more expensive to buy and considerably smaller and I am not sure if I can compromise on space as it has been very valuable to me over the last 7 years. I also love the high driving position and my mother who is in her 70’s finds it very easy to get in and out of which is another bonus. At the moment I am managing to squeeze an average of between 37 and 42 mpg out of the engine with mixed driving.

Citroen Berlingo Multispace 1.4 Forte 2004

Bought this 12 months ago as I needed a bigger car for my mum’s wheelchair and it was great also for holidays. Unfortunately I bought a dud - it had only done 14500 miles when I bought it - it cost me £1100 in January when I had it serviced and MOT because the head gasket had gone at only 17,500 miles and also a broken radius arm and then another £100 a month later on a shock asborber. Last week I was driving on the carriageway when the car beeped and the engine management light came on and I suddenly lost power and was unable to move the car at all. When breakdown turned up it ran okay but the fault still existed - now coming up indescrible fault and no one knows what’s wrong with it - I hate the beep beep car now. Can’t rely on it - it’s cost me a fortune and I can’t even get rid of the thing either until someone finds out what’s wrong with it. I don’t want to be on the motorway and lose power like what happened before. Anyone come across this before? My brother mentioned a pin was popping out when he checked it recently but the garage has dismissed that. It’s now gone for a software update on the ECU to see if it can be resolved - knowing my luck I seriously doubt it.

Citroen Berlingo Multispace 2009

We have the 2009 Berlingo Multispace and find it very good to drive, it is comfy and has plenty of room. I’m very happy with the performance and the fuel economy. The suspension is a bit noisy and clunky on rough roads but generally smooth. The luggage space is very good - it takes everything we fling at it.

Citroen Berlingo Multispace Forte 2003

Sorry to disagree with another reviewer, but we proved 2 weeks ago that there is enough room for family, holiday luggage, 2 cast iron radiators, a huge towel rail AND A LARGE EARTHENWARE KITCHEN SINK in our 2003 HDI Berlingo, driven mercilessly in 1 day from Aberdeen to Birmingham. Shamefully I chastised the elderly father when he got his first one instead of an A Class, but ended up buying his second one off him. He’s now on his fourth Berlingo and I only turned down buying his most recent trade in because there’s really nothing wrong with our present one. No rust , no real mechanical problems in 6 years. Gripes - be careful if lowering the back seats - inertia reels can jam if you don’t leave some slack when lowering. Sometimes clutch judder (rust from intermittent use maybe?) and rear sliding doors can need a jiggle to unlatch for closing.

Citroen Berlingo Multispace VTR 1.6 HDI 90 Diesel 2008

I bought my first Berlingo in 2004, second in 2006 and the VTR in 2008. I have never had a breakdown in any of them (fingers crossed). The Berlingo 111 is just a great improvement on the earlier versions, and I thought they were brilliant. Load space, economy, reliability, ease of access are all great. Ride is good although road noise when empty can be tiresome on a rough road. This may be due to the fact I opted for the 16" alloy pack with Michelin Primacy tyres. My only other criticism is that when turning right out of a junction visibility is impaired slightly by the windscreen column. If you want a versatile practical vehicle this is the one, it may not be pretty in many peoples eyes but if looks don’t bother you will find it an excellent workhorse. Over the 6000 miles I have covered so far it has returned an average of 47 mpg.

Responses to this review

Hi, We have a Berlingo XTR bought in August 2009, it has a clunking noise coming from the nearside front, we have had a new steering rack put in but feel it still makes a clonking noise on certain roads. Is your vehicle quite noisy on uneven roads? We have the old style berlingo van which is quieter. Our dealer says it is due to the hard suspension! not sure, your comments would be welcome - Sharon Witham

My Berlingo has the same clunk-sound on rough roads when crossing small holes or bumps. Citroen has released a service-instruction on this matter and has put some metal-thing underneath near the front wheels. This has helped a bit but the clunk is still there - Michael Wechter from Denmark

Tell your dealer he needs to be more up to date with things and he needs to upgrade the shocks as this is a common fault. Both of our 2010 Berlingos have had this done one after 7000 miles, the other didn’t make it out of the showroom. Mind you we now have 7 citroens and find them very reliable cars! We use them as taxis and can’t fault the Berlingo; loads of space and customers love them. One more thing, if you run the 1.6 hdi it must have the recommended oil in it. Some garages don’t use low ash oils and this will cause turbo problems and major engine issues - Clive Blakesley from Norfolk

I have just bought a 2009 Citroen Berlingo VTR Multispace petrol with around 6500 miles on the clock.I have only had it for about 3 weeks now, I am generally happy with it apart from the suspension which is very poor on rough or certain types of roads. It’s also very noisy at times even just going over small undulations in road, and sometimes makes a clonking noise from the front drivers side which then seems to reverberate under the footwell and seat or centre of the vehicle towards the rear. It’s very disconcerting, and a bit of a worry, so much so that I’ve now arranged for it to go back to the dealer for an inspection. I have telephoned the dealer already but the person I spoke to at service, although very helpful, said he had not heard of any particular problem with the suspension on this car, but mentioned that one possibility might be a faulty ball joint. I previously owned the old style Berlingo Multispace and never had any similar problems, and found the overall ride to be very good. Has anybody else had any similar problems with the suspension on the new Berlingo? BERLINGO OWNER from Cheshire

I have now had my Berlingo inspected at the Citroen dealer, re the rough suspension and clonking noise on certain road surfaces.I was initially told that there was some play in the front suspension mounts, and since then that the front suspension links were faulty. The dealer has ordered new parts and I await the result of these being fitted in the near future - BERLINGO OWNER from Cheshire

I too have a 2009 hdi xtr which has the dreaded clunk, seems like a hollow metallic clunk over certain surfaces from the front off side. My local main dealer refuses to accept that there is a problem with the front shocks on these vehicles. First visit, control cups were fitted - made no difference at all. Second visit, clamps fitted (not sure what they are) the clunk is still there but the front end is much stiffer which now sometimes causes vibration in the cabin but on the plus side I can now go around bends much faster! Third visit their "master tech" spent two days with the car before deciding that the clunk is a "characteristic" of the Berlingo! I am now going to try to put up with the noise although would be very interested in others experiences - Hamish MacHaggis from Clackmannanshire

I got a 2010 1.6 XTR Multispace and had the clunking from the beginning. This is normally at speeds below 40mph on uneven surfaces, also a knock when braking in reverse, this is also mostly on the front passengers side. Replacement units were fitted to both front suspensions but there was no improvement. The car is in again for more tests. Does anybody know the legal situation in these kind of circumstances? - Kevin Quinn from County Down

I have the same problem with my 2009 Berlingo van clunking when going over small bumps also when reversing/braking. Been back three times, still no fix - Dr Bob from England

Citroen Berlingo Multispace 2005

It may look like Postman Pat’s van but by golly can you pack a lot of stuff into this car. It is the perfect family car ideal for holidays where you can safely pack everything but the kitchen sink in ready for the off. It may not be sporty, good looking or speedy but it has everything else going for it.

Citroen Berlingo Multispace XTR 110Hdi 2008

Having owned the previous 2.0Hdi Desire model for 3yrs and 69000 miles when I saw the new model I just had to drive it and when I did I ordered one. I loved my old one which I used for my 75 miles daily commute to work, carried my two Labrador’s and one Springer Spaniel and also towed my caravan. The economy, reliability and running costs were all fantastic. The new model does all that as well but with more space, equipment and refinement. I love it even more already, and after two months and 4000 miles every time I get in it a big smile comes across my face. I haven’t towed with it yet but I’m sure this new smaller but more powerful engine will be great at it because solo it can be quite quick if you want but drive it carefully and you can get 50mpg. It is more expensive than the old one especially if you have the one I’ve got but it really is worth every penny because it is so much better.

Citroen Berlingo Multispace 2008

Hey guys, it may be a bit cheeky of me putting this road test report in now, however the Berlingo Multispace is a brill car. I have a disability, and this car ticks all of my boxes for getting in and out, wheelchair access, room for my two teenagers, the wife "Och" ect. On my test drive, I thought that it would be like any other car, but I was bloody wrong. The car is smooth, comfortable and quiet. I love this car so much. Thanks to Citroen for making such a good car at an affordable cost.

Citroen Berlingo Multispace 1.6HDi Desire 2007

I have wanted a Berlingo since the restyle in 2003, and eventually got one last year. Overall, very good. Some people don’t like the upright driving position, but I think its great, Visibility is very good, but windscreen pillars are thick. Sliding doors are a big advantage (especially when it is windy !). The modutop is a work of art, with plenty of storage, but I have noticed quite a few squeaks and rattles from the many plastic mouldings. The 16valve HDi engine is a bit slow setting off but is strong from 1500 rpm. I can’t seem to get any more than about 48-50 mpg out of it, but then I don’t do much motorway travelling. It had to go back to the dealers for a valve to be changed on the engine (lack of power), but has been ok since. Now there is a new Berlingo model out. I didn’t initially like the new Berlingo, but when I saw the XTR version in Gold paint, it slowly grew on me until I decided to order one. It has gone a bit upmarket, and has lost some of the ’utility’of the old model, but it still has a sold metal floor in the back, (not some manky bit of hardboard covering the spare wheel, that falls apart after the first week !).The new one drives a bit better, with less road and wind noise. All the advertising says the new model has "more glass area", but it doesn’t, a large proportion of it is blacked out, the clear area is less. Also the new Modutop has lost the two little cupboards that I found useful, but in it’s defence the new model has some extra storage elsewhere to compensate. I will have to see whether it is truly better than the old model after a bit of use.

Responses to this review

I wrote the above review before I purchased a new 1.6 HDI 110hp XTR in 2008. I am now coming up to 21,000 miles. Overall, I am reasonably happy with the car. The best fuel consumption I can get is 45mpg, but I am generally driving urban. The good points: generally a slightly better ride than the old Berlingo, but more roll on corners. The rear seats come out (very useful for big loads), and a bit more width between driver and passenger (the removable storage box between the seats is very good), the automatic windscreen wipers (very useful on a long wet drive). The bad points: visibility from the driver’s seat backwards is worse than the old Berlingo (see above review), the Modutop is a shadow of its former self, the automatic headlamps are blatantly dangerous (they come on too early - I have had other drivers pulling out on me thinking I have flashed them !), and a quite annoying position of the driver’s left footrest - it seems to be too close or is it just me?). I recently drove my dad’s old 2004 1.9 non turbo diesel and I have to say it was nice to be able to have good visibility and even the engine was quieter than mine at speed! I haven’t had any of the front suspension noises mentioned on this forum as yet. Overall, I like the new model mainly for the removable seats and even though the modutop is nothing like as good as the older model, it seems to make up for it with the removable centre storage box and the driver’s dash top storage, both very useful, but if I was buying again, I would buy a more basic version without all the electronic extras. Most of them don’t work well enough to warrant having - Adrian from Lancashire

Citroen Berlingo Multispace 1.6 HDi 92 Desire

When I intially first saw the Berlingo Multispace it was not love at first sight, but with 3 children and 2 old english sheep dogs the practical side of my brain won me over and I’m very glad it did. It’s surprisingly nippy and doesn’t handle at all like a van. Visibility is excellent and fuel economy good. A very nice run around indeed!