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Hugely practical motor that Jeremy Clarkson said ‘rides more smoothly than a Jaguar’ can be yours for less than £3k
The motoring legend described it as a 'plumber in a tux'
A MOTOR which Jeremy Clarkson says "rides more smoothly than a Jaguar" can be yours for less than £3,000.
The Grand Tour star heaped praise on the model's storage space and fuel economy, all for an astonishingly low price even when it was new.
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Reviewing it for in 2008, Clarkson dubbed the Citroen Berlingo a "good car for bad times" thanks to its affordable and practical platform.
Back then it cost just £11,000 for the base model, which is equivalent to about £17,000 today.
And you got plenty for your money thanks to its hefty size, innovative roof box and comfortable drive.
Clarkson wrote: "Prices start at less than £11,000, which is very low for something with this amount of interior space.
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"It rides more smoothly than a Jaguar XJ8... and it is the first car ever to come with a loft.
"There is an internal roof box into which, I'm fairly certain, you could fit a pair of modern-day skis.
"And that's just the start...There are so many cubbyholes and oddment stowage boxes that you could hide a priest in there and never find him again."
Today, though, the Berlingo is available at even better bargain rates despite the ringing endorsement from the ex-Top Gear man.
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One listing on offers a 2008 Berlingo with 127,000 miles on the clock for just £2,750.
The ad states that it "starts and drives amazing" and has experienced "no issues at all".
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Plus it sits in a pretty low road tax bracket and in insurance group four, taking annual running costs down close to £1,000.
However, Clarkson was less complimentary of the Berlingo's design, saying: "The old one was just a van with windows and it struck a chord.
"Sadly, with the new version, they've tried to disguise the window cleaner origins with chrome this and flared that.
"What they've ended up with is a plumber in a tux.
"It looks and feels completely wrong."
Yet he added that it would be a "mistake" to rule out buying one on that basis and said: "It's a good car, the Berlingo. And in these difficult times, it makes even more sense than usual."
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