Should you buy the Citroen C5 Aircross or the Citroen Berlingo? I’ve lived with both to find out

Of the top 50 most-popular cars on Carwow this year, 70% of them are SUVs. High-riding family cars are all the rage these days, but they’re not your only option if you need something practical for ferrying the family around.

There are still a handful of MPVs on the market, and one of our favourites is the Citroen Berlingo. It’s basically a van with back seats, so it’s hugely spacious and cheap to buy as well.

I’ve spent six months living with a Citroen Berlingo, and I’m now a few months into my time with the Citroen C5 Aircross. These are two hugely commendable family choices, but which should you buy? Let’s compare them to find out.

Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.

Citroen C5 Aircross vs Citroen Berlingo: prices and value

My Citroen Berlingo was the top-spec electric version, meaning it costs £33,900. However, you can save a whopping £9,750 on this car through Carwow at the time of writing, and as standard you get:

• Reversing camera
• Dual-zone climate control
• Cruise control
• 10.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 17-inch alloy wheels

I’ve also got the top-spec Max version of the Citroen C5 Aircross, but it’s fitted with the plug-in hybrid engine. It costs £37,400, and you can save an average of just over £3,000 on one through Carwow. As standard, you get:

• 360-degree camera
• Adaptive cruise control with lane-centreing
• Keyless entry
• 13.0-inch infotainment screen
• 19-inch alloy wheels

So the C5 Aircross may be around £4,500 more expensive than the Berlingo, but you do get a lot more equipment for your money. You could also get the basic version of the C5 Aircross for less than £30,000 through Carwow, and that car still has slightly more kit than the Berlingo.

Citroen C5 Aircross vs Citroen Berlingo: space, practicality and interior

This is the one area where the Berlingo really shines. The Citroen C5 Aircross ranks well in the practicality stakes compared to other SUVs, but the Berlingo’s van-based roots give it a clear advantage.

It has a whopping 775 litres of boot space, compared to 565 litres in the C5 Aircross. It also has a super-low load lip, and you can open just the glass portion of the tailgate if you want to quickly chuck something in.

You also get sliding rear doors in the Berlingo, which I found really handy for loading both my son and my elderly mother into the car. Rear passenger space is better than in the C5 Aircross, as is interior storage.

However, the C5 Aircross is still really spacious, and the interior feels more high-quality. The Berlingo is a commercial vehicle at heart, and it shows in all the dark, hard plastics used throughout the cabin. The C5 Aircross feels more like a car – with an interesting dashboard design and plenty of soft-touch plastics.

Citroen C5 Aircross vs Citroen Berlingo: driving and comfort

The Citroen C5 Aircross is one of the most comfortable cars in its class. There’s nothing sporty about the way it drives, but the suspension soaks up bumps really nicely and the seats are super-supportive,

I found the Berlingo to be impressively comfy over bumps as well, but its brick-like shape and lessened sound deadening make it a bit noisier on the motorway. The seats are also a bit flat, meaning you may get a bit of backache after a while.

It’s a tale of two halves in town though. Our C5 Aircross has surround-view cameras, making tight manoeuvres a bit less stressful, but the Berlingo has better all-round visibility. It has much larger windows, and you sit up a bit higher, making it easier to position on the road.

Citroen C5 Aircross vs Citroen Berlingo: our final verdict

If you value space and practicality over everything else, the Citroen Berlingo is hard to beat. It’s cavernous inside, great value for money and it’s good to drive, but we’d still recommend the SUV instead.

The C5 Aircross isn’t much more expensive than the Berlingo, but it’s got a lot more kit on board. It also feels more premium inside, it’s more than roomy enough for families and it’s more relaxing to drive. That’s why the Citroen C5 Aircross wins this test.

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