You will probably find the answers to all your questions there.
The Mazda Bongo was never officially sold in the UK, most were purchased as used vehicles in Japan and imported by dealers for re-sale here.
I have never owned one but have considered it. Most of the diesel ones for sale now were built from 1995-2000 and have or have had corrosion issues. Check MOT history here, https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/ of those advertised for sale and you will see what I mean.
------------- Never argue with fools........They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Can’t help on that,but one of my neibours used to import them into the country and one problem to look for is sun roof frame rusted away. Several when he received them he had to replace them. You can’t see they are rusted until you open the sun roof.
We had a diesel Bongo some years ago. Travelled all over Europe with it. No problems whatsoever, did thousands of miles without a peep and no rust issues. We sold it when we decided to buy a caravan. I was alway sorry we sold it and wished we had kept both. I can't remember how many mpg but it was very thirsty. We could afford to run it then but on today's fuel prices I'm not so sure.
We had one some years ago, and we bought it to replace a Toyota Spacecruiser. Compared to the Toyota it was extremely economical, but if you compare it to a car it is a bit thirsty. I suppose it depends what you are used to. Vehicles like the Bongo are quite heavy and as streamlined as a brick, so if you are looking for economy, forget it. I loved ours though and would have probably kept it for many more years but it got stolen and never recovered.
I have a Bongo and the diesel one is definitely the one to get. The 2.5 petrol is very nice to drive but very thirsty and the 2.0 petrol is fairly pointless as it is both less powerful and less economical than the diesel. I usually get between 25-35 mpg from mine, occasionally more. It has always been very reliable but there are a few things to watch for.
Keep an eye on the coolant level and make sure your temperature gauge works, the Bongo cooling system can be prone to leaks, do not let it overheat. The second problem is rust. Check the sills and wheel arches for rust, holes and filler. If it hasn't been done, get the sills, arches and underside sprayed with underseal. They can also rust under the Auto Free Top. If you have to put the roof down with the "tent" wet make sure you raise the top and let it dry as soon as possible.
Other than that they are great vehicles, very pleasant and easy to drive and with similar running costs to a mid size 4x4. They make for a very nice albeit slightly small camper conversion that is ideal for 2 people while still being a practical vehicle for everyday use. If you are getting a conversion, the full side conversion is by far the best.
Had a 2WD diesel for 12 years, sold a couple of years ago when the rust took over the wheel arches
Loved it though, suited us perfectly as it was my everyday vehicle as well as our camper.
The 2WD is slightly better on fuel then the 4WD but I'm glad I'm not running it on today's prices.
Bongofury is an excellent place to start your research with great advice and an active forum.
They're older vehicles now and like I said, the rust took over and it needed some serious money spending on the body work. However, it never missed a beat and drove like a dream. We looked after it well, and were aware of the bongo cooling issues but never experienced them.
The local garage looked after it and parts were easy enough to source. They're brilliant vans with some great features, just getting old now.
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Topic: mazda bongo
via mobile 27/6/2022 at 8:37am
