The roads are full of them. Thousands of Citroen Berlingos and Renault Kangoos dashing frantically all over the place, cutting off other cars, diving ahead at traffic lights. Occupying the driver's seat is usually some uptight person who just wants to complete his errands and his journey as soon as possible.

The roads are full of them, but how on earth do you classify them? Somebody lovingly labeled them "mini-pickups," but Berlingos, Kangoos and the like are not pickup trucks and thankfully come with many of the trappings of private cars. Neither are they a kind of minivan, although some Europeans claim otherwise.

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With your permission, we will call them "comfy commercials." The nickname hints at their duality: They can carry cargo, but also comfortably transport passengers - as opposed to commercial vehicles and pickup trucks that are characterized by rigid coarseness.

The "comfy commercials" were once an enormous hit here thanks to the generosity of the government, which fully recognized them for the purposes of offsetting VAT. People pounced on the bargain and brought Berlingos, Kangoos and the like, received full participation from the government in car expenses and laughed all the way to the family picnic on Lake Kinneret.

The VAT loophole was closed in mid-2005 and sales dropped from 10,000 to 5,000 a year - a tough, but not mortal blow. The sector is still prominent in the Israeli car market and remains relevant for those seeking a car for both work and family needs at a sane price.

Four models took part in a comparative test: Citroen Berlingo, Renault Kangoo, Ford Connect and Fiat Doblo. The models range in price from NIS 114,000 to NIS 123,000. The Kangoo and the Doblo occupy the lower end of the price scale, and the Connect and the Berlingo place at the top end - the Volkswagen Caddy is out of the range at NIS 150,000. The test was conducted in the spirit of "comfy commercials": Half of the test was conducted with cargo (280 kg of concrete sacs) and the second half without any cargo. The test was conducted over several hundred kilometers in the center and north of the country. Four experienced test drivers sat behind the wheels of four cars; they meticulously filled out questionnaires covering a plethora of details: driving comfort, performance with and without payload, ergonomics, etc.

Citroen Berlingo - a balanced compromise

The Citroen Berlingo came in first place. The veteran French car received the highest weighted score: 8.1 out of 10. Three out of the four test drivers graded it as their preferred car, the one they would personally buy, and gave it a grade of 8.3 out of 10. But the Berlingo we tested was not the common version which comes with an old 1.9 liter engine. The model we tested was a 1.6 HDI, with a modern diesel engine with high pressure direct injection. The maximum output of this engine is 92 HP compared with 71 in the older engine version. The Berlingo came in tops, because it offers the most balanced compromise between family and work needs. The Berlingo can carry 300 kg of concrete sacs, but also offers its passenger cargo comfort, and even gives the driver a touch of driving pleasure. The test began at the Itung factory in the Caesarea industrial zone. We loaded each of the commercials with seven bags of concrete weighing 280 kg in total - roughly half the permitted weight. The Berlingo buckled, and perhaps even let out a little groan, but it didn't lose its breath even going up the steep slopes of the Carmel. Its HDI engine showed great staying power and got the highest grade - 8.8.

But the same engine didn't score well on fuel consumption. The Berlingo HDI drank down diesel at a rate of 13.4 liters per kilometer - an identical result to the Ford Connect; a little better than the Fiat Doblo at 12.5 kilometers per liter, but way below the Renault Kangoo at 16.3 kilometers. The test was conducted mostly on intercity routes and anyone spending their day dashing about town will have to put up with significantly lower fuel efficiency.

The Berlingo is based on the platform of the old Peugot 306 and the Citroen ZX and offers great driving comfort in the traditional French style. The Berlingo outscored its rivals, getting an 8.8 for driving comfort in town and 8.6 for out of town. But the Berlingo doesn't lack shortcomings. The seating position is far from perfect and the driver's seat is too short for those of us with long legs. Its furbishing is below par. The driver's back rest danced back and forth, and the gear stick moved about in a sloppy manner.

Renault Kangoo - fuel efficient

Another French model under the looking glass was another popular old prowler and came in just behind the Berlingo. The Renault Kangoo DCI 1.5 received a weighted score of 7.9 out of a possible 10. The Kangoo is a great family car. It is very comfortable, but there are compromises as far as the payload goes. The Kangoo carries the smallest payload of our four models - 525 kg. Its small 1.5 liter engine with only 82 HP - the weakest of the four - struggled with the concrete sacs and this was clearly felt heading up the Carmel. The flip side, though, is its fuel efficiency. The Kangoo, as we have already noted, was the most efficient model, doing 16.3 kilometers per liter.

Ford Connect - super suspension

The Ford Connect came in third with a weighted score of 7.5 out of a possible 10. The Connect, whose full name is the Ford Tourneo Connect, is slightly more of a commercial car and a little less comfortable. The Connect's suspension has multiple springs suitable for carrying cargo. The price though comes in driving comfort. The Connect, compared with its French rivals, has relatively stiff suspension. It received the lowest score for driving comfort in town - 6.8. Some consolation can be found in the fact that driving comfort wasn't affected for the worse after the concrete sacs were loaded into the car. The engine took the weight in its stride as well. The Ford Connect comes with a healthy engine with the highest torque of the four models - 22.4 kg. The engine may be noisy, but it offers power and flexibility that renders frequent gear changes unnecessary. The Connect also deserves kudos for the quality of its furbishing. The impression of our test drivers was that its plastics could stand up to some pretty rough treatment from heartless drivers.

Fiat Doblo - work horse

The Fiat has undergone a face lift recently with a number of cosmetic improvements, in particular design improvements to its facade. The Doblo has the most powerful engine in town, at least as far as size and output go - 1.9 liter and 105 HP. The Doblo is definitely the work horse of the four. Its maximum payload capacity is 790 kg, giving it an edge of at least 100 kg over its competitors. The Doblo also offers the largest payload volume - 2,800 liters with the back seat down.

The Doblo is the only one of our foursome that offers a hatchback style back door. The others all have two sliding doors. The advantage of the Doblo's back door is its elegant opening and closing. The disadvantage is opening the door requires space so parking in tight quarters can be a problem.

The Doblo's furbishing is of lower quality than its competitors, and this is particularly true of the plastic moldings. The Doblo's driving comfort is nothing exceptional and the car drives a bit bumpily on poorly paved roads.

The four cars are divided into two categories: the comfy and the commercial. The two French models star in the comfy class, but they carry less payload. The Connect and the Doblo stand out in the commercial category with more volume and more output, but at the expense of passenger comfort. If you're looking for a car purely for work purposes, go for the Ford Connect. But if you believe in mixing business with pleasure, choose the Citroen Berlingo.

And another little something: We believe that the "comfy commercials" are suitable not only for plumbers, gardeners and dispatchers - why not go for a Berlingo or a Kangoo instead of a Mazda 3 or a Toyota Corola? These cars are a lot cheaper, they have fuel efficient diesel engines and offer a lot more internal space than any family model. You can pack a stroller in there, a couple of bikes and weekend camping equipment, including a tent and a grill. And if the neighbors laugh at your new family-commercial car, pack them in as well. There's room for everyone.