[Closed] VW Van - Buyer regret

Had a California and deluded myself it was worth it. Sold it and haven't looked back!

I drive an older T5, don't regret it but if buying new I'd go for the Transit. Transit custom wasn't old enough to have dropped into my price bracket when I bought.

does the VW have to be DSG?

had a few hired Transits for work. build quality seemed sketchy. one rattled like crazy (450km on the clock). thought my T5 with 165,000 miles to be a better, more refined drive.

the Pug/Citroens look good from the outside. not been inside one.

#notaVWdubfanboi

I've got a Peugeot Expert and have had a T5 in the past. I'd not have another Expert, it's been reliable enough but is started to drop to pieces around my ears of late, nothing major just little electrical and trim niggles. I'm going Transit next time I think.

NZCol - Member

Had a California and deluded myself it was worth it. Sold it and haven't looked back!

think a Cali is bit different from a workhorse...

Indeed.
I did have a 1.9tdi Transporter. Chucked a driveside driveshaft twice, was the most unreliable 2 year old van ever.
Is that enough balance ?

I've had my t5 for 4 years 56k on the clock

New gearbox, clutch and release br
2 sets of disks for the rear.
I drive like miss daisy but the van is full of work stuff and only just under its limit.
So happy I'm not paying for its upkeep

[I]but they all drive really nicely. The Tranny being the best imo.[/I]

Isn't this the actually answer?

Transit all the way.

I've had a Mk7 for almost 6 years, in that time it's passed every MOT and in the first 5 years only used four tyres and a couple of bulbs.

I drove a Transport T5, really well kitted out, and it felt really bland to drive.

I've got a Caddy too, and the T5 felt like a bigger, slower version.

The new Transit Customs are lovely, the interior is streets ahead of the VWs. Streets.

Get a Transit test drive, I promise you won't want anything else after 😉

I've had my t5 for 4 years 56k on the clock

New gearbox, clutch and release br
2 sets of disks for the rear.

This is what gets me. That just shouldn't happen on something which costs so much more.
Selling a £30K van with pathetic headlights (seems well documented on forums) is also out of order. LED upgrade is nearly £1700. Important for me as I do a lot of dark winter miles.

I'm currently driving an old shape Dispatch. Nowhere near as refined as the newer stuff but overall a good machine.

I'm happy with the way this is going, steering me away from the expensive option. 🙂

Exact thought process as mark90....

Did you test drive the new dispatch/expert? How was it?

The new Transit Customs are lovely, the interior is streets ahead of the VWs. Streets.

I've driven both in the past few weeks. I wouldn't say it was that much better, but yes, it was a nicer place to sit. Even has a nice carpet covered bulkhead!
Heated screen would also be nice.

Did you test drive the new dispatch/expert? How was it?

Yes. Just the 115 version though. It was great. Handling is nice, but the Tranny was a bit quieter. Road noise was better damped.

The grip control option really appeals. More power too, but 130 is plenty for me tbh.
The auto box is relatively new though so not much long term reliability knowledge out there.

Not van to van comparison but, I looked at the price of a new California. Then I looked at the price of a new, top of the range, Jaguar.

I bought a Jaguar.

Indeed. I was quite keen for a 4Motion van as it might be handy from time to time. £40K+ though. 😯

We do this all the time, we've been looking at new vans this week, and have settled on the Citroen Relay L1H1 in 3.3t enterprise version, citroen UK will sell them to us at 11900 +vat, which is crazy cheap compared to analysing else put there!

Guy I know just had a high spec. VW van with DSG box, they've just taken it back, nothing but trouble from the outset.

Transit.

Had Transit, Vito, and VW. Transit...they are better...to drive to run but it is just an opinion

Buy a rotten 1970s VW van to truly experience buyer regret.... 🙂 Love seeing all the folks who bought their 'dream' camper and realised it was cold, slow, small and unreliable.

Vito or a Sprinter would be my goto

72 Westy reporting for duty. Took it out of storage today for a spin. Grin factor10 accomplished

I bought a T5 nearly five years ago and haven't regretted it. It's been almost faultless despite me being really slack with maintenance. I got the 2.5 with the 6 speed box so it pulls pretty hard but also gives good MPG on a run.

But the best thing about having a van is what you do with it. I've been to the Alps in it every summer and I've slept in it all over the UK using it for work and long weekends. Obviously I could do all this in any van.

I'm not currently in the market but I'd jump at the chance to swap for a new Transit.

I've got a 2 year old dispatch which I've looked after from new, it's started falling apart now, clutch slipping at 28k, knocking noises, parts falling off, electrical problems. It's put me right off getting another French van.

I've got an 03 plate T4 camper, bought cheaply off a friend. 228,000 miles, has needed some stuff doing over three years but considering the purchase price I'm happy enough.

If I was buying new, or nearly new then no way would I go VW. I don't see where the money goes when compared with the options you've looked at. We are looking at larger vans for a bigger conversation in a few years. It'll be a merc sprinter for sure.

I have a 2008 t5 with 2.5 and 200hp. Its on 250k miles and a lot of that is laden and towing, and never broken down or nothing gone wrong.

I overhauled it at 230k, and should give me at least another 100k without bother.

T5's are great if you have a good un..

My next bus will be the new Vito as the same spec bus comes in 8k cheaper than the VW

Pepper is that a trade deal on the Citroen - thats a good price - cheaper than I can see anywhere.

Relay L1H1 is a bargain, but Fiat Ducato has a better engine with their 2.3 multijet. At those prices you could buy two and still have change instead of a VW.

My Mk7 transit is the most uncomfortable vehicle I've ever owned!
Our works Fiat Ducato is falling apart at 28k was dirt cheap new though (£12k ish). The one thing the French are good at is galvanising their vans-bodywork wise they are miles better than Merc/Ford
For me if I had the money it would be a Sprinter (just not in white). Boring inside but comfortable and can do mega mileages. Also very good residuals if looked after.

Lwb Sprinter here and loving it. Never seen the appeal if spending so much cash on a tiny vw.

Loads of Transits being broken into as you can buy Transit skeletob keys on Amazon. Lots of connects having the side doors pealed back..

T5 owner (T32 technically) . As much as it's a reasonably versatile workhorse/family wagon, next time I'll be getting a Merc.

Just bought a t6 highline. Really wanted to like the transit custom but just didn't like the cabin/interior. In the end there wasn't much in prices after the trade in

I've got a 2 year old dispatch which I've looked after from new, it's started falling apart now, clutch slipping at 28k, knocking noises, parts falling off, electrical problems. It's put me right off getting another French van.

The dispatch is an italian platform. they were derivitives of the scudo.

my dad had a 14 plate for 2 years. it was a bollocks. New clutch and main seal at 9k new rear axle at 12 and a complete front suspension rebuild with wishbones and all bushes/shocks at 60k.

on the ramp with the breaker bar the whole front end moved in all directions with visible play everywheres...

I certainly dont want a dispatch but im having another berlingo and would love a boxer/relay for a camper conversion.

Lots of [s]connects[/s]vans having the side doors pealed back..

If you are buying for business, isn't the question:

"how does the VW earn me more than the extra that it costs to buy?"

If it is extra cost without any extra benefit, are you happy to work for nothing for the extra time it will take to pay back that 10,000 quid ?

As Cranberry has just said - how will a more expensive van make me more money?

When I looked at my last van I would have to earn another £1000 a year just to drive a Transit over my Renault. Couldn't work out how it was going to earn me that money.

Depends how much time you spend in it really. My Expert is so so in terms of driving etc. But It was cheap, which as I only work local is more important than being comfy for mile munching.

I guess new is a different story.

I've got friends who are tradesmen who use their vans for riding with at weekends. Generally they are low rent, cheap French tat. In every sense. I wouldn't want to spend any amount of time in one. But they are cheap to rent I guess.

Newer transit seems good - It seems to be a noticeable step up in quality.

I'm not sure from a business perspective it makes sense to plough an extra £10k into a VW.

I don't regret buying mine, but I am starting to think leasing is the way forward for the next one.

Also what are you going to be doing with it for work, these VW are fairly snobby about stuff so any dings and scratches are going to hammer your residuals 😉 by residuals I obviously mean deposit that you store in the van rather than in the bank...
Longer term it will be interesting to see if VW how the leisure market changes with these newer vans trickling down and tough times coming up.

Food for thought. I'm just about to press the button on a camper and was all set for the usual T5 based conversion - nearly new so 14 or 15 plate as it will be a daily driver as well so don't want to go for a high mileage older van - they don't seem to be that much cheaper - less than 10k cheaper on a van with over 100k miles more on the clock.

The plan for me is to never own the thing, just finance it, run it for a few years while the kids are young and once we've had our fun out of it sell up and clear the outstanding finance so the better residuals of the T5 seem more attractive. Would prefer a Transit though as they just look better and I know the 2.2TDCi engine is a peach as I've got one in my SMax, but not many around that have been converted and not sure of the residuals.

Are the VW's that much more unreliable than others or is it another classic case of the internet pedalling only one side of the story and losing all context?

If you are buying for business, isn't the question:

"how does the VW earn me more than the extra that it costs to buy?"

Of course the beauty of buying it for your business means that £10k more van for joe public will cost you less than that.

(Transit Custom owner FWIW)

@wobbliscott what's the difference in the finance cost over the time? Does that extra borrowed cost you a chunk of your residuals? If your driving everyday does it make it a high miler when your done?
Residuals (as I said before deposit you keep in the glove box) only work if the conditions are right

Are the VW's that much more unreliable than others or is it another classic case of the internet pedalling only one side of the story and losing all context?

It can be tough sorting the evangelists from the haters at times.

I really fancied a transit custom, but at the time there was not much about for my budget of £12k, only base white models.

A riding buddy of mine has had hellish bother with his custom mind, but I'm sure you'll get many stories about all vans.