5 ms·

For me, European multipurpose vehicles (sprinter vans?) were a revelation. An old Renault Kangoo is cheap to buy, cheap to drive and cheap to maintain. It's a s

by nicbou 4y ago

For me, European multipurpose vehicles (sprinter vans?) were a revelation. An old Renault Kangoo is cheap to buy, cheap to drive and cheap to maintain. It's a small, simple car that drives and parks like a small sedan, but carries as much as a small pickup truck. I can fit a bed, 3 months of luggage and a bicycle in mine. In a pinch, it's a brilliant microcamper. It's a big box on wheels. You can do what you want with it. It's not a nice car, but it was designed to serve real user needs. That's why they're everywhere from Morocco to Poland.

quarantine 4y ago
The Citroën Berlingo really is one of the best cars they made
- lm28469 4y ago
  The c15 is an icon too, such a classic, produced from 1984 until 2006, it can carry almost as much as it weights. And it was designed to fit a full euro palette in the back https://images.caradisiac.com/images/0/9/8/4/190984/S0-route-de-nuit-c15-683978.jpg https://images.caradisiac.com/images/0/9/8/4/190984/S0-route...
  - sofixa 4y ago
    There is this amazing Twitter thread comparing the Citroen C15 (a design from the 1980s) to a modern American pickup and a modern British SUV, with the Citroen blowing them out of the water in most scenarios: https://twitter.com/jmaris_/status/1570889945551863808 https://twitter.com/jmaris_/status/1570889945551863808
    - lm28469 4y ago
      Aha that's amazing. It would be nice to retrofit them with electric engines, but I doubt that would be commercially feasible, as much as I love them I wouldn't want to crash in that above 20kph
      - sofixa 4y ago
        Yeah, Stellantis just need to release a new one. They quote the C15 in the "more than 90 years in utility vehicles" press releases for their new (optionally electric) Citroen utility vehicles: https://www.media.stellantis.com/ch-fr/citroen/press/citroen-passe-a-l-offensive-electrique-sur-sa-gamme-vu https://www.media.stellantis.com/ch-fr/citroen/press/citroen...
rtpg 4y ago
This made me realize why I see so many Kangoos in Japan, despite them not really being cheap here! A bit of a nicer version of a Kei truck, without being a full minivan!
- fomine3 4y ago
  Kangoo buyers in Japan also cares fashion. Japanese vans like Toyota Townace are too boring for them but Kangoo is cute.
  - freetime2 4y ago
    Yup Kangoos are quite expensive in Japan. They start at JPY 3.8M [1] The Toyota Sienta, which starts at JPY 2M, seems like a much better value for a passenger car - and I think they borrowed from the Kangoo's styling a bit for the latest iteration [2]. Or for business use a Town Ace, NV200, HiJet, etc. [1] https://www.renault.jp/car_lineup/kangoo/gps/index.html https://www.renault.jp/car_lineup/kangoo/gps/index.html [2] https://toyota.jp/sienta/ https://toyota.jp/sienta/
  - rtpg 4y ago
    Yeah, sure. If you're running some successful bakery in Kagurazaka having the nice-looking truck feels like a "fine" decision. My mental image is that Townaces are bigger, but maybe that's just my impression from the Kangoo's curves
    - freetime2 4y ago
      L/W/H for Kangoo is 4490/1860/1810 vs. 4065/1665/1930 for the Town Ace. So probably quite a bit easier to park/maneuver the Town Ace.
porphyra 4y ago
Vans are really much more practical. * protects your goods from weather * more cargo volume * better forward visibility without a long hood * easier to load and unload due to being lower * can park it without people being able to walk up to it and taking your tools and equipment out of the exposed truck bed
- bink 4y ago
  I think this is true unless you're hauling something that you really don't want in a closed space with you. Lawn equipment, motorcycle, fertilizer, that sort of thing.
  - Symbiote 4y ago
    In that case you have a dropside van, based on the same cab and chassis but with sides that fold down for easier loading and unloading. In use: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bairon-FR-08-chantier_2021_petite_digue-08.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bairon-FR-08-chantie... https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercedes-Benz_Sprinter_513_CDI_%C3%A0_Palaiseau_le_19_juillet_2013_-_2.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercedes-Benz_Sprint... (Can an American tell me what these vehicles are called in the USA?)
    - georgeoliver 4y ago
      > (Can an American tell me what these vehicles are called in the USA?) Flatbeds.
    - wpm 4y ago
      I think in America we'd just call that a "flat bed truck" or something, which is a catch all for those that do indeed have flat beds as well as these with short sides around the bed.
      - Symbiote 4y ago
        That got me there with a little extra searching. "Flatbeds with side gates." Here they are very common on construction sites for the messier work (building roads, railways, walls, roofs, forestry etc) but normal vans with a roof are more common for the cleaner work (plumbing, electrics, painting, carpentry etc).
bombcar 4y ago
The US equivalent is a minivan; which everyone seems to agree is absolutely impossible to admit buying unless you’re a housewife with small kids. But they’re incredibly practical.

by nicbou 4y ago

quarantine 4y ago

The Citroën Berlingo really is one of the best cars they made

lm28469 4y ago
The c15 is an icon too, such a classic, produced from 1984 until 2006, it can carry almost as much as it weights. And it was designed to fit a full euro palette in the back https://images.caradisiac.com/images/0/9/8/4/190984/S0-route-de-nuit-c15-683978.jpg https://images.caradisiac.com/images/0/9/8/4/190984/S0-route...
- sofixa 4y ago
  There is this amazing Twitter thread comparing the Citroen C15 (a design from the 1980s) to a modern American pickup and a modern British SUV, with the Citroen blowing them out of the water in most scenarios: https://twitter.com/jmaris_/status/1570889945551863808 https://twitter.com/jmaris_/status/1570889945551863808
  - lm28469 4y ago
    Aha that's amazing. It would be nice to retrofit them with electric engines, but I doubt that would be commercially feasible, as much as I love them I wouldn't want to crash in that above 20kph
    - sofixa 4y ago
      Yeah, Stellantis just need to release a new one. They quote the C15 in the "more than 90 years in utility vehicles" press releases for their new (optionally electric) Citroen utility vehicles: https://www.media.stellantis.com/ch-fr/citroen/press/citroen-passe-a-l-offensive-electrique-sur-sa-gamme-vu https://www.media.stellantis.com/ch-fr/citroen/press/citroen...

rtpg 4y ago

This made me realize why I see so many Kangoos in Japan, despite them not really being cheap here! A bit of a nicer version of a Kei truck, without being a full minivan!

fomine3 4y ago
Kangoo buyers in Japan also cares fashion. Japanese vans like Toyota Townace are too boring for them but Kangoo is cute.
- freetime2 4y ago
  Yup Kangoos are quite expensive in Japan. They start at JPY 3.8M [1] The Toyota Sienta, which starts at JPY 2M, seems like a much better value for a passenger car - and I think they borrowed from the Kangoo's styling a bit for the latest iteration [2]. Or for business use a Town Ace, NV200, HiJet, etc. [1] https://www.renault.jp/car_lineup/kangoo/gps/index.html https://www.renault.jp/car_lineup/kangoo/gps/index.html [2] https://toyota.jp/sienta/ https://toyota.jp/sienta/
- rtpg 4y ago
  Yeah, sure. If you're running some successful bakery in Kagurazaka having the nice-looking truck feels like a "fine" decision. My mental image is that Townaces are bigger, but maybe that's just my impression from the Kangoo's curves
  - freetime2 4y ago
    L/W/H for Kangoo is 4490/1860/1810 vs. 4065/1665/1930 for the Town Ace. So probably quite a bit easier to park/maneuver the Town Ace.

porphyra 4y ago

Vans are really much more practical. * protects your goods from weather * more cargo volume * better forward visibility without a long hood * easier to load and unload due to being lower * can park it without people being able to walk up to it and taking your tools and equipment out of the exposed truck bed

bink 4y ago
I think this is true unless you're hauling something that you really don't want in a closed space with you. Lawn equipment, motorcycle, fertilizer, that sort of thing.
- Symbiote 4y ago
  In that case you have a dropside van, based on the same cab and chassis but with sides that fold down for easier loading and unloading. In use: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bairon-FR-08-chantier_2021_petite_digue-08.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bairon-FR-08-chantie... https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercedes-Benz_Sprinter_513_CDI_%C3%A0_Palaiseau_le_19_juillet_2013_-_2.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercedes-Benz_Sprint... (Can an American tell me what these vehicles are called in the USA?)
  - georgeoliver 4y ago
    > (Can an American tell me what these vehicles are called in the USA?) Flatbeds.
  - wpm 4y ago
    I think in America we'd just call that a "flat bed truck" or something, which is a catch all for those that do indeed have flat beds as well as these with short sides around the bed.
    - Symbiote 4y ago
      That got me there with a little extra searching. "Flatbeds with side gates." Here they are very common on construction sites for the messier work (building roads, railways, walls, roofs, forestry etc) but normal vans with a roof are more common for the cleaner work (plumbing, electrics, painting, carpentry etc).

bombcar 4y ago

The US equivalent is a minivan; which everyone seems to agree is absolutely impossible to admit buying unless you’re a housewife with small kids. But they’re incredibly practical.