[Closed] Should I - new work van content?

If I was in the market for a pickup it would be an Isuzu.

The T5 is good to drive and should do much better on fuel and every day driving. Just obviously won't go off-road like a pickup. The clearance isn't bad though (no idea if sporty ones are lower)

Im having this but looking at much cheeper options, the Izuzu pickups are horrible for everyday driving having had 2, and test driven a new one the other day with my brothers company. They are practicle and reliable yes but the seats I found horrid and everything was made of cheep plastic.

having said that we wern't impressed with the drive of the T5, or the fact that everything was also covered in cheep nasty plastic.

He eventuly went for a new (2011) Ford ranger.

The VW's aren't actually much better on fuel tbh.

And the Isuzu pick-up's are very cheap and nasty - a contractor I work with has the top of the range one and it isn't a patch on my current Navara.

The Ranger is a nice truck but only comes in 2.2l 150bhp (underpowered) or 3.2l 5cyl (thirsty)

L200?

I'm probably coming at it from a different aspect - plastic interiors don't bother me as they just get full of farmyard muck. The higher spec are better equipped though. Towing capacity (3500kg) and warranty are what get my interest. Ford does the same towing and they do look pretty good. Utility companies seem to be using them now which is normally a good sign. Navara just didn't do it for me, it was quite an old one I was using though, then the bottem end of the engine went (too much towing livestock trailers).

Did somerset to yorkshire and back in a day in a hired T5 and was fresh as a daisy when we got back. Seats were budget thought but as long as the shape is right I don't mind and don't have any problems.

L200?

They really are rubbish

Take a look at the van test a month or so ago, the new transit seems to have caught up a lot. Take some for a spin.

Having owned vans and driven pickups the van can be way more practical for carrying. storing, driving etc. with easier access load space (don't have to lift stuff as high, undercover load space and secure load space.

I drive 40k a year though, so things like sat nav, climate control, heated leather, cruise control etc are nice to have - you won't find them in a transit

http://www.ford.co.uk/CommercialVehicles/TransitCustom/Models
Look at the new one, Leather Seats as an option, can't see climate and cruise on this list but it was on the last one. Sat Nav should be in there on the list too.

Cruise and sat nav are options on lower models , on limited or sport cruise is fitted

Heated leather drivers seat on the sport and options on the others.

Fordie sat navs are crap anyway

No climate just ac

If you 40k a year for site work, why not thrash a cheap transit / vivaro van(or smaller if you can get away with it) into the ground every few years and run a 'decent' car for the wife / weekend. - Its the way I went in the end.

Whats the Hi Lux like these days?

You should check out the T5 Rockton, there's a guy asking about one for Forestry Work[img] http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/picture.php?albumid=2444&pictureid=15463 [/img][url= http://www.trailerforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=317594 ]Here[/url]

Not cheap but it would handle site work.

They're a better drive than most PickUps I've owned and I've had or rented the Hilux,the l200, a Chevy version of the Isuzu and I had an Amarok for a while which I wasn't that keen on, I'm back in a T5 now, I get 5-600 miles out of a sub 100 quid fill up, it was a panel van but I had a kombi conversion and wonder why I ever left.

If you 40k a year for site work, why not thrash a cheap transit / vivaro van(or smaller if you can get away with it) into the ground every few years and run a 'decent' car for the wife / weekend. - Its the way I went in the end.

As much as I'd like a nice weekend car - see my M5 thread a few weeks ago - why would I want to drive 40k a year in a nasty transit and only get to drive something reasonably nice at the weekend?

OK, it costs me/the business a bit more a month, but why not do the big miles in somewhere that's nice to be in? That's my thinking anyway.

As it stands, my work vehicle doubles as a family vehicle too (Mrs STR doesn't drive), hence the 5 seats and something with creature comforts.

I'm waiting for my new Ranger to turn up tomorrow. Down side with these is the wait, new orders are about 6 to 9 months! We bought a ex--demonstrator, which seems to be all there is on the market.
The one this is replacing has done well for the last 13 years so seemed like an easy choice over the alternatives.

I could get a new Ranger tomorrow, if I wanted a 2.2 Limited - The 3.2 Wildtrak's have a wait.

I had an old Ranger, which (despite leather & aircon) was basic and agricultural, but very reliable.

The 2.2's are woefully underpowered though and the 3.2's woefully thirsty - at least with the V6 Navara I can still get low 30's mpg with it's 7 speed auto. The Ford seems like a Fiesta on steroids inside the cabin - except with more low grade plastic. Apart from that, I really like it.

Gaffers just gone from a hilux pick up to a vw amorak.
He's very impressed. Never got on with the hilux and said it was uncomfortable full stop. Reckons the vw is really comfy and all round a great pick up type motor. He knows his luxury to be fair as is used up driving round in a range rover.
Only thing I'd say about the "van" is ground clearance if its proper site work?

New amorak parked down the road from me and they do look good. No idea how they drive.

Rockton is lifted and 4motion, inc bash plated underneath. Solid bit of kit.

Hilux don't do it for me and to spec an Amarok up to an acceptable level would be upwards of £35k - not that many people seem to like them either. I drove one before they upped the power from 163-180bhp and it couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding.

Amazoks a quiet ride , drove from amsterdam to den helder in one.

If you think the rangers plasticy then your in for a shock in an amarok , wasnt impressed considering the cost.

Well manored on the road though for a propper truck.

Hiluxes need to be rounded up and culled , they make me sea sick , they ride horrendous.

Perhaps not relevant based on the above but my brother in law has an Amorak, it spends more time on the back of an AA truck and in the VW dealership than his drive.

The Only 4x4 I ever got stuck in was an Amarok, what caused it? Dead Flat ground a bit muddy by the side of a lake. A bitter disappointment that Amarok after ordering it two years prior to eventually picking it up (pardon the pun). It drove OK in a high lux kind of way, but Fuel consumption was the pits and the wing mirrors kept knocking themselves off and cost £250 just to replace the base unit.