THIS FAMILY FIAT IS NO TURKEY The Fiat Doblo is made in Turkey and based on a van but don't let that put you off. It’s actually a very good car to ride in - five of us took one down to Cornwall once and found the journey very pleasant. The latest versions of the Doblo even come with seven seats and if all you want, or can afford, is basic transport for a large family then look no further. The Doblo has been around since the summer of 2001 and the real advantages it brings are for those who maybe run a small business and want a van as well as a car. It competes head on with the Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner Combi, and Renault Kangoo and while the Citroen and Peugeot look much better - smoother and more rounded - the Kangoo is just as square and boxy as the Fiat. But the Renault does look better from the front than the Fiat - not that you’ll notice once you are in the driving seat. And of, of course, the unique selling point of the Doblo when compared with these others is its optional seven seat format. In the other ranges you would have to go to a far more expensive and eminently less practical car-based model to get seven seats. I spend a fair bit of time in Scotland - the west coast must be the best holiday destination in the UK - and up there the Scots have really latched onto the Fiat. You see plenty of them where I go to stay. Scots are not mean, as many jokers suggest, but they are a canny crowd and they know a bargain when they see it. That’s why they buy the Doblo. Some taxi and private hire firms have also caught on to the Doblo and increasingly I see them with a high roof and wheelchair conversion, showing the adaptability of the design. In fact, the most recent edition of Glass’s Guide, the trade bible, actually shows Doblo values are rising yet again in the used market which means that people are actively looking out the Doblo. My suggestion is that you get out there and find one yourself but you might have to go north to get it. It may be based on a van, but the Doblo can bring such things as alloy wheels and air conditioning, along with a 60 / 40 split folding rear seat, if you buy the right model. And with prices as low as they are, there’s no excuse for not taking the very best diesel you can buy. There are all sorts of practical advantages in a car like this. For a start, they ride higher and it’s easy to get in and out, useful if you are a bit stiff in the back or legs and don't like getting down into a conventional car. The sliding rear doors also make life easier in car park spaces, which are always too tight for ordinary doors to open easily. Their appeal to small traders means that if you do fancy one of these, or any other van-based car, then it’s worth taking a very serious look at the interior trim, which may have got knocked about a bit in the back. Other than two 1.9 litre diesel engines, the Doblo was also offered with a 1.2 litre petrol engine and, after the 2004 revisions, with a 1.3 litre diesel – an excellent engine and a wise choice for those who are driven by the need for economical running. I’ve just been running the seven seat Family model with this engine and it’s great. Running costs should not be high and all the diesels will give 50 mpg. Service intervals are fixed at 12,000 miles, so nothing onerous there, and insurance starts at Group 3. Even the most luxurious and powerful models only reach Group 6. On an 04 plate, the 1.3 Mulitjet diesel in Active trim is only £5,200 while the seven seater is a snip at £5,600. Even on an 07 56 plate, Glass’s Guide suggests you’ll find the 1.3 diesel seven seater at £8,000. Where else will you get a virtually new MPV for that money? If the budget’s limited, a 51 plate 1.9 D five seater is £,700 but try to aim newer. Maurice Hardy