Work provide my vans (they have over 1000 on 4-5yr lease), had a transit custom LWB for 5yrs, did 80k trouble free miles in it (apart from brake pad wear sensor playing up). Great van. Then they switched to transporters, the deal lasted 18mths before the company switched back to Transits due to the high running/repair cost and reliability issues. But I got one during that honeymoon period, nice to drive and comfortable cabin but as a van, not as good at the transit (underpowered 5 gear box, smaller load space, shite mirrors, poor turning circle, expensive to buy/run but hold their money well) Had it 2yrs until I had the opportunity to swap it out for a transit, much prefer it. I’ll have it for another couple years yet but some of the guys are starting to get the new transit, mixed reviews, some preferred the old one. I understand why the VW is so popular, the whole vDub vibe, nice to drive as a daily driver if it’s your “car” but as a working van they aren’t a patch on the transit in my opinion (and the opinion of probably 400 of my work colleagues)
Big money for the Vanio and rare to find a low miler. I tempted to try and buy a Brabus Vito but I’m also always watching my MPG lol.
What I will say is a mate has a 63 plate Vito V6 diesel, and I laughed and said ‘wow mate that must drink fuel’ but on a run he gets near 40mpg which is incredible! Way better than anything I’ve seen on the transporter! 36mpg at absolute best. if you get a T6 Transporter, try to get a Euro 5 one, the AdBlue is a ball ache
I believe all the new shape Mercs are all Renault vans, you can tell if you look at the dashboard compared to the Renault it’s almost identical. The older rear wheel drive vitos were all Merc. infact, I believe they were actually built on an e class chassis
I was looking for a van a while back, for the same reasons, I was considering the Transit Custom and the VW Transporter, when done up nicely, the Transit looks a prettier van, but, it has a major issue with the wet timing belt shedding teeth, causing engine failure, the LWB Transporter is slightly larger than the equivalent transit, and, more importantly, doesn't have the wet belt system that Ford love so much I bought this, LWB Transporter T5.1 with full T6 front end conversion, it also started as a barn door variant, but, that was also changed to a tailgate, it is a 63 plate, with 88k miles when I bought it, paid £14k It is the 2.0 Diesel, 140ps, 6 speed manual transmission, drives lovely, the vans with the 5 speed transmission are lower power, and also sound very revvy when cruising If you go for a transporter, you must at all costs avoid the 180ps BiTid version, they blow up as much as the Ford wet belt engines As can be seen, it can comfortably fit 2 bikes in the back, and a load of other stuff too
Agreed! If you get a Transporter, you must avoid the 180ps diesel engine, it’s absolutely renowned for being a nightmare. infact when you look at used prices they will be several £k cheaper than the 150ps and other variants, all due to a heat exchanger which disintegrates and fills the engine with metal
I have since fitted an awning rail to the passenger side, so I can attach either a canopy or a drive away awning
