I,m thinkiking of buying a bongo but heard that they don,t get good mpg, has anyone got one or know what they get to the gallon prob. T.D. Diesel but interested in pet/gas------------Thanks
What they don't know about Bongos isn't worth knowing.
I have researched them thoroughly and from what I can gather mid twenties is about the average. You might want to look at www.elgrand.co.uk as an alternative - good old Nissan reliability. I have been chastised on here recently for saying this but heck, I don't care! I understand from the research I have done that they can be prone to cracked heads and that regular maintenance is essential including oil changes more frequently than the manufacturer recommends.
Hi Tileman, if you're thinking about buying it from a garage in this area then be careful. A garage near me has had a few Bongos for sale this year, and they all had the number plates removed and looked as though they had been resprayed. They looked very smart but were probably fairly old and there was no way of telling their true mileage or condition.
AFAIK these people are well thought of in the Bongo world, they supply nationally too but again check out the bongofury website as I believe they have a section on good and bad dealers.
I had a Mazda bongo for 2 years never let us down and it was 4 wheeel drive 22 miles to the gallon. Air conditioning front and back electric blinds and everything else , the best vehicle i have ever owned. the only reason that I got rid of it was that my father died and I took his dog on and I thought that it was not big enough for camping with wife miself and dog.
We have had a a 2wd Bongo since July and have to admit it's fantastic, the only downside is the mpg (about 25-30) and that is even more of a concern due to the price of diesel. Check out the bongofury website, some owners claim to get great milage out of theirs and some have converted to veg oil!
Yes, there are issues with cracked heads but there are ways around this (you can have a coolant loss alarm fitted) and they are older vehicles (ours is a 95) so there will always be a certain degree of maintenance involved. Ours never misses a beat, always starts first time and runs like a dream, we bought one with low warrented milage.
The bongo makes a great all-round vehicle though and is great to drive. View some, drive some but don't be hasty as there are some dodgy ones out there. Do your reseach and you could own one of the best mpv/vans around.
Hi All ----thanks for the info so far -----------that,s what upsets me is mpg it,s rubbish I drive a ford fusion2 and get 60 mpg and thought I could just hitch on a caravan but not to be--- fusion will only pull 700kg so I was looking for an alternative
I will put my usual twopenneth worth in, agree with what everyone has said above but its must to do your homework on the Bongo and no better resource than the owners club website www.bongofury.co.uk
They are great and I recomend one but take your time choosing it as there are quite a few sheds being brought in as short supply of vehicles,if possible buy from a reputable dealer.
most of all keep your options open but the owners club is a fantastic addition and help to prospective owners
Algys are importing some purpose built campervans now too which might be of interest to you.
Ali
THIS is the route I went down.. I sold my bongo to buy one of these(HIACE ) as I found the bongo to small for me the wife and the kids ... fuel consumption is similiar to the bongo but internal space is seriously bigger....
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Mazda Bongo
