1992 Bedford Midi Van 2.0 diesel
Summary:
Decent workhorse, but not the best as a driver's vehicle
Faults:
I bought this from a scrapyard for spares, but it was in better condition than the vehicle I already had, it MOT'd no problem.
The glow-plug relay was knackered, it kept burning out glow plugs. I should have realised the problem by spotting the numerous empty cans of easystart in the passenger footwell.
After replacing the glowplugs it went OK for about 6 months, then I think due to using so much ether to start it the vehicle suffered from a blown piston. Starting it would see vast quantities of blue smoke from the exhaust as it tried to rev itself to oblivion feeding off the sump oil!
If it had been a Transit I probably would have fixed it, but these Midis are not very easy to work on due to the underfloor engine position, and that was the end of her, even though the body was solid.
General Comments:
As a work horse I can see the attraction, although the ride is bouncy and enthusiastic cornering will see the back axle skip across the road. Steering via the steering box is not very precise.
Mine was a 2.0 non-turbo diesel and felt distinctly underpowered, especially on hills. On the flat it would do about 80mph on a good day, but it did have good fuel consumption - close to 40 mpg.
I would have another one, but a turbo diesel next time and would ensure it was in better condition to start with. It would be unfair to blame its shortcomings on the marque in general, given that I bought this one well used from a scrapyard in the first place.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th October, 2004
9th Jan 2016, 14:06
I drove a Midi for an employer for a while, and whilst the column-change gear stick might be off-putting to some people, they are really quite simple to operate, and are actually a better idea than a floor change in my opinion (on the column means they are out of the way of everything).
They don't handle real well when cornering admittedly, probably due to their height (coupled with a small & narrow wheelbase) but then they weren't sold to be rally cars?
Driven normally, sensibly, I would vouch for them being a good little modern looking workhorse, that can carry a surprising amount of weight of either goods or passengers, for such a relatively small vehicle.
I can't be very accurate, but I seem to recall it wasn't particularly good on fuel though... but it was mega-reliable, and to this day I have never heard of any real 'horror stories' or 'typical defects or 'bad points' about the Midi?
Would I own one? Yes, probably.
15th Dec 2022, 16:08
You'd be surprised how many cars you could run eternally cheap back in the day ;)
But not nowadays. Oh dear Lord no.
7th Jun 2006, 18:45
Yes, yes, I know, but it comes from being terminally cheap and an eternal optimist.