I doubt most of the opinions posted on the pug expert from experience of the new van. I agree that the new Expert looks great value for money and volume for size. The lack of auto in the combi ruled it out for me in the end.
The 'new' vito is in budget too. I test drove one, but settled on a cheaper 2nd hand van.
The vw costs more due to the badge...Transit or Mercedes-Benz would be my first choices...vw would be way down the list purely down to cost, overpriced compared to everything else.
However, I'm not a van owner and been years since I last properly drove any vans...
It can be tough sorting the evangelists from the haters at times.
Nobeerinthefridge was agreeing with me earlier in the thread, now I'm agreeing with him.
im a vw hater but for balance i also provided a case where a citroen was shit and now ill provide a case where a transit custom has been shit.
my neighbours works supplied custom - one of the early models. has had not just one but 2 replacement wiring looms.
as a result it sounds like an orange 5 riding down the stairs driving down anything other than a motorway.
All vehicles have their flaws... i just want the one that doesnt let me down in aukward places and doesnt cost me 3 arms and a leg to repair when it inevitably does go wrong.
I bought a new T6 Beach in October. Fantastic van so much better than any car for versatility and drives really nicely too. Agree the headlights aren't the best LEDs would be better. I paid for a service package which covers 6 years of servicing (at my low mileage ) and the first MOT. Hoping for low running costs over the next few years.
Be aware though delivery times are horrific, 8 months for mine so maybe best not going VW if you want it before summer.
I had to make a similar decision 2 years ago. I went with the Transit Custom. It seemed to me to be easily the best, and best equipped van on the market at the time, especially when cost was factored in.
I live in the Tweed Valley, so the obvious choice to fit in was a VW product, but I still went with the Tranny 🙂
I ended up selling my car and a pick-up I had as the van does everything I need - it's the only vehicle I own now.
It's not missed a beat in 2 years (as you'd expect), 30K miles first service, and only just replaced the front tyres (after nearly 30K miles). So you can add low running costs into the equation as well.
Don't get a Citreon van, we have a Relay here at work and it is truly the worst van in the world ever. Seats are horrible, it is like sitting at a dining room table and pushing your feet onto the floor to use the pedals. The steering wheel is near flat with the ground, it really does remind me of a bus driver. For some reason it feels really big, even though it isn't. 2nd hand value of these POS's is near nothing, if reselling is of interest.
We previously had a Transit and it was so much better, driving position, etc. VW's hold their value quite well, so I would consider one of those too, but the new Transits look really nice.
Or get an old transit and put that engine in your 'other car' on PH in it. 😉
Vdub owner but mines T4 bought cheap ex AA. Been all over UK Europe in it and has been used as work van. One breakdown which aint bad as 14 years old. Looks wise new Transit custom is way nicer and nice to drive. The cool VDub scene has gone too many people buying them as investment re/sale. The crazy outdoorsy hobos can't afford them anymore and T6's look bland.
Another option along the lines of the dispatch could be a Toyota Proace.
I've got the model based on the old dispatch/expert body style, however Toyota have updated their latest version to look completely different. Seems like there's a 2.0l
Version available so shouldn't be short on power.
We have a few Citroen Dispatch at work and the electrics are shocking. All of them are constantly blowing headlight bulbs. Like once a month or so!
They are on maintenance contracts, so it's not the end of the world, but I would be fuming if I was paying for them myself.
Tried all sorts of different bulbs, nothing lasts longer than a couple of months.
EDIT: I've just been out in our Relay, there is water leaking from the sun visor. 🙄 😆 The wood on the side door has somehow rotted away too.
We have a few Citroen Dispatch at work and the electrics are shocking. All of them are constantly blowing headlight bulbs. Like once a month or so!
It's something that I never fail to notice on my commute, the amount of french cars that have lighting faults, and not always old ones either.
doesn't help that they seem to be particularly bad regarding having to remove parts to get access to change bulbs.the amount of french cars that have lighting faults, and not always old ones either.
TL:DR version...
VW vans... Ok, but very pricey.
French vehicles, poor quality, fall apart at 28k, but they're great value for money if you're running a business
Transit Customer, excellent build quality, cheaper than VW, but more than French vehicles
If you're buying for a business and don't do many miles, get a French vehicle - dispatch, expert
If you're buying for yourself, get a transit
If you're set on a VW and have spare cash, then get one.
Anything I've missed?
It's a shame Toyota didn't update the Hi ace. We ran them for a bit at work and they were utterly bombproof. Servicing costs were tiny and parts were cheap.
Had the drivers mirror knocked off by a truck, went to a Toyota dealer and a new complete mirror assembly was £11 in 2007.
The Transit Customs we use are pretty good but the door hinges can be troublesome. Also a bad tempered slam of the back doors can result in a very bent door.
The Vivaros/primastar/traffics were so unreliable they all got chopped in for transits.
pk13 - MemberI'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
for balance 207,000km....
original clutch and gearbox and most likely original release br (no idea what that is). original everything, although i have replaced the rear discs, but that is not surprising given the weight of the van.
Why would you want an auto?
IIRC the auto gearbox vito is generally considered to be more reliable than the manual.
[i]It's something that I never fail to notice on my commute, the amount of french cars that have lighting faults, and not always old ones either.[/I]
But also linked to the kind of folk that buy old (and cheap) French cars maybe - they CBA to even replace a broken bulb?
"Why would you want an auto?"
the more pressing question being why wouldnt you want an auto in a van.
It hardly ruins the "im nigel mansell racing experiance" the typical british driver exudes superiority over our american cousins while sat in traffic jams on the m25.
new autoboxes are miles away from the old slush boxes. Id have one in my next van in a heart beat.
The old slush boxes are better than a manual too. The slushbox in my wife's BMW 1 series is perfectly fine and much nicer than a manual, especially in traffic. Sure you can confuse it, but that, as with most things, is down to operator error. If you tell the box what you want it to do it does it. Its a machine - its only purpose in life is to obey commands. If you're hesitant or dilly dally about on the throttle you can trick it into doing something you don't want it to do, but that is driver error. You just need to be a bit more deliberate about your throttle inputs and it works a treat.
I've got a 2004 2.5l 130ps T5. It's ok. Drinks oil. Drives like a car. Build quality isn't any better than anything else.
Any plastic trim will come off any car if you pull on it.
Had a 2.3l 120bhp fiat ducato at previous job and it was fine. Great engine. Possibly pulls better than the t5. Keep it simple design inside and in the back. Solid enough. 1.9 100bhp ducato that replaced it was a bit wet loaded up.
Old shape Experts on the fleet were horrid. Soggy clutches abd woolly steering. Fast enough though.
Doblo was fantastic. Beats the Ford connect hands down. No idea about the vw caddy in that size range.
Perfectly happy with my T5. Not worth the extra money though I don't think.
Why auto? Given the choice, I think anyone choosing manual must be bonkers in a modern vehicle. All that tedious clutch nonsense.
Good to see in true ST fashion, the consensus is slightly blurred 🙂
I'm more drawn to the Transit than anything now. I've read about the door hinge issue and they've apparently been changed.
I currently have a Dispatch and it's a good van. Prone to blowing drivers side headlight bulb every six months or so as mentioned above. It's easy to replace though so no biggie.
Milkie - Member
EDIT: I've just been out in our Relay, there is water leaking from the sun visor. The wood on the side door has somehow rotted away too.
Side (rear) windows in Transporters have been leaking since forever too. Maybe vans shouldn't be water tight?
Get an Iveco Daily. Proper van. Never owned one so did not mention it previously. But had a company car as one (I always had vans rather than cars years ago for tax purposes and preferred driving the van and convenience of it). Can't comment on running and service costs as 1 it never broke down in 4 years usage and 2 I didn't pay any service cost's, the company did. But as a daily drive and vehicle it was, in my opinion, better than the other vans I have owned. Transit and Escort VW Caddy and Transporter Mercedes-Benz Vito
Didnt pay to fuel the iveco either 🙂
^^ very true
Iveco daily would be way too big for me. I'd need a ladder to access my ladder.
Can't comment on the T6 DSG (or whatever they call the auto now) but was advised to avoid when I was searching for my T5 as they weren't up to the job (VAG car design)
FWIW you'll find T5 owners who are scathing / evangelical about the different engine choices in the T5 with some rating the 2.5 for the extra power and chain cam while others prefer the reliability of the 1.9.
Would imagine there's going to be similar debates when the T6 starts turning up second hand.
I've also been a T5 Multivan owner for the past ten or so years. Two in that time. We have the facelift version now after our older version got whisked away to Eastern Europe in the middle of the night. We had more problems with the older version (needed new clutch after 30 000km and complete new air con unit) but the 2.5 engine was better at towing our caravan than the 1.9 in the newer one. We have had no major problems with this one apart from Mrs Stern hitting things with it 🙄 and it is approaching the 100 000km mark fairly soon. We are possibly in the market for a new van later this year and TBH I am quite impressed with the Transit. Took one for a test drive and liked the finishing details (rear camera with picture appearing in rear view miror, heated front windscreen etc) but one thing putting me off is a client of mine has 6 Transits as work vans all bought new at the same time and three of them needed new gear boxes one month after the guarantee ran out. I also quite like the look of the Mercedes but there is a bit of a stigma attached to them if you are self employed (Germans think you charge too much if you dive a Mercedes) even if they are actually cheaper than the T6!
There is a SWB Daily
Thread resurrection!
I went for the Pug. 1300 miles in, I'm very pleased with it.
The auto box is great, wafting along on 400 torques. Its very slick, apart from very low speed when it can be a little hesitant.
The van is very much more refined than the previous model - not letting the speed creep up can be an issue as it's so much smoother.
The touchscreen is fairly shite though. I think they got a job lot of processors from old BBC computers to run them.
[img][url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4175/34060426970_05e5d12609_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4175/34060426970_05e5d12609_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/TTNAhS ]
Good luck.
For those of you considering a T6 avoid the 150 DSG. A colleague of mine has one and it's spent more time back at VW than on the road. It's an issue with the adblue system which causes the engine management light to come on. So far after four or five roadside recoveries VW are none the wiser and relying on Germany for diagnosis. He's at his wits end with it.
Nice van fella.
My neighbour has one of the new Peugeot vans like above and ditto likes it, much better than old version, and pretty cheap too. I recently got a t6 dsg 16 plate but it's the older non ad blue engine so hopefully it'll be ok.... couldn't stretch or justify new but a year old black one was £20k inc. next 2 services. My 8 year old t5 it replaced went for £11k so will be reasonably happy if the present one is still worth that in 7 years. Fingers crossed, just hear so many conflicting opinions on reliability. I wish Toyota still made hiaces for the U.K. market, always ran them before, never any issues in years of ownership.
another lovely looking pug.
