Fiat Doblo long-term test: report 3
Can the Fiat Doblo provide the right amount of space and enough range for a videographer spending life on the road?...
The Car Fiat Doblo L1 Multijet3 1.5 100ps manual Primo Run by Tom Goodban, Videographer
Why it’s here To prove there are compact van alternatives to the Ford Transit, and ones which you should consider alongside it
Needs to Act as a mobile office on video shoots and cover long distances to shoot locations around the country
Mileage 3910 List price £24,040 (exc. VAT) Price as tested £24,573 (exc. VAT) Official economy 54mpg Test economy 46.4mpg
7 June 2025 – Doblo to Devon
Every year, tens of thousands of UK motorists take the A38 south west in the direction of Devon and Cornwall. A lot of those motorists do so in a campervan or MPV, but my girlfriend and I did the journey in something a bit different: my Fiat Doblo van.
There are no prizes for assuming I was probably the only one in a Doblo going there on holiday. That isn’t to say I didn't see any on my journey, because I passed one on the exit of Exeter services. I was met with a friendly wave from the driver – but where he had a ladder on the roof, I had a cargo bay filled (albeit not to the brim) with luggage. Needless to say we were on pretty different journeys.
My Doblo proved to be a brilliant companion down in Devon. The commanding driving position offered perfect visibility on the narrow country lanes, and I completed the 386-mile trip on just three-quarters of a tank. The Doblo averaged 45.5mpg across mostly 50-70mph A-roads, and I think that’s pretty impressive for a van which isn't famed for its aerodynamic shape.
Talking of higher speed driving, my Doblo can become quite noisy at higher speed, and the droning often made listening to our audiobook a struggle. It was nice to drive in other respects, though, having decent composure when tackling twisty bits of road – for a van, at least. On the roundabouts coming off the dual carriageways, for example, it didn't wallow in the way that some other small vans can.
One major drawback of the Doblo is that, regardless of how much you spend, you cannot get it with lumbar support. I very much found myself longing for this during the long drive and can imagine that plenty of van drivers would eagerly opt for it.
Elsewhere, the van's Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring worked perfectly and made for easy navigation. What’s more, the interior’s plethora of cubby spaces meant we never struggled to find space for our phones and snacks.
Ultimately, if you need a vehicle to go on holiday, there are more relaxing machines out there, but as vans go I thought mine coped very well. In other words, don't sleep on the Fiat Doblo. In fact, maybe even sleep in it – something I am keen to try in an upcoming report.
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