Faults:

Nothing has ever gone wrong with the van.

General Comments:

Bought the Extra in 2013, sorted out the coolant fan, new front springs and MoT. Been driving it all over England for the past 2 years without any issues... 50 MPG, great driver, only issue is water ingress under the driver's floor mat.

Very straightforward to work on, simple CAV injection pump, wind up windows, nothing high tech about these vans.

Faults:

Absolutely nothing.

General Comments:

This car was sitting on a used car dealer lot here in Leicester, marked up at £895 with a fresh MOT. A few months went by and it was sitting in the corner being very unloved. I needed a clean, presentable van as I am a computer repair pro, no heavy loads or massive motorway crunching required, and good space to add my company logo's etc. So I asked the owner to fire it up, battery was dead, jumper box added, it fired up but with a HUGE plume of smoke! After the test drive, it ran reasonably well, a little agricultural gear change but it went well. So for the deal, I went in with my size 10's, and said that my best and only offer of £400, take it or leave it. He took it.

Since that time I have flushed the radiator, which was new, but gunk was in the expansion bottle, my local independent Renault specialist allayed my fears of any impending head gasket failure, £40 for the flush and away I went.

Well, what an absolute joy and the best £400 I've spent in a LONG, LONG time. Parts for the Renault 5 derived van are ridiculously cheap. The F8Q diesel motor is no screamer, but with 65 ish bhp, it returns 50 plus mpg on a run.

No power steering, but it came with alarm, immobiliser and remote central locking.

The vinyl stickers on the van (which is bright red) look good, and does its job of advertising my services.

This year has been really cold, and it starts every time, no cranking, it starts on the button.

My only negative point is the heater on these are REALLY POOR, it's the same for all of them, it eventually warms up, but other than that it has done me proud, and for the money in these difficult times, I really can't complain.

My plan is to keep it presentable and drive it into the ground. The MOT is due in 6 months; I've been driving it for almost 4 months and it serves me well.

Faults:

Leaks water into the cabin in heavy rain.

Slight drip from the radiator, fixed with sealant.

Rear wheel bearing needed replaced.

General Comments:

I bought this wee van to replace my Santana Jeep. Also the lower insurance was a bonus, and I have more use for a van than for a normal car.

Also, they seem to be cheaper than the equivalent models from other manufacturers.

Performance is very good, certainly it has enough torque to leave small hatchbacks at the lights, and even when loaded to over maximum weight, it still feels unstressed, if a little vague. It also seems to prefer biodiesel to normal pump diesel.

Tyre wear is extremely good, and it steers like its R5 brother, nimble if a little heavy.

Unfortunately, the cabin leaks in the rain, through a gap between the door and the shell, and through the windscreen rubber, fixed with sealant and duct tape.

Economy is good despite the cube shape, about 45mpg, giving 400 plus miles to a tank.

Biggest niggle is road noise, it's quite intrusive over 50mph, also the van weaves in side winds.