Hi

Im looking to replace my company car with a van, as it will be a family vehicle im after a crew cab long wheelbase (to fit the bikes in).

Both seem to tick all the boxes and be fairly evenly priced

are they much of a muchness ?

I have a 05 plate Vivaro, mate has a 14 plate vivaro and my neighbour has 14 plate transit custom, all LWB crewcabs.

There are very very much the same at the moment, I would say that the Transit has it just in the front seat comfort, Vivaro has it for the back seat comfort though.

Driving wise they both very very well but I think that the Vivaro has the driving style a little more car like but the Transit has slightly more usable power.

Best thing to do is drive both and choose the one you like best.

(Watch out for issues with the Transit engine though as the diesels seem to going pop at around 18k at the moment and Ford cant get replacements quick enough!)

If you’re looking for a new Trafic or Vivaro (and they are pretty much the same) they are very different to the ‘old shape’ up to ’14 reg ones. Different interior, engines, body, etc, etc….

I would say that the Transit has it just in the front seat comfort

Interesting – my experience was that the seats are a good shape but really pretty hard (a surprise really as the previous tranny’s have really cushy seats). I hired one for a big family outing up the west coast and thought it was broadly great for that purpose and as driver (loads of adjustabillity in the seat) and I was pretty happy but passengers both in the front and back were suffering from bum-ache pretty early on. Thats partly the hard seats but also the whole van felt pretty taught and stiff – almost like there was too much air in the tyres. I don’t know if seat comfort varies with trim levels though.

The swb versions of either is easier to live with/ manoeuvre /park than the LWB but in crew cab guise. FWD LWB vans can be a real barge in small spaces. But in a SWB heres not a huge amount of load space left behind the seats – putting bikes in the back isn’t as straight forward as you’d hope – they don’t go in length ways and don’t really go in all that successfully width ways either. So I’d include a test-load in any test-drive you do.

The vivaro is a smaller van – in either SWB or LWB form, like for like, the Vivaro has less load space than the tranny.

I had a previous generation Trafic, I now have a New Transit Custom LWB “Double cab in van” (Crew cab) for exactly the reasons you want one 😉

Done 17000 miles in it so far and its ace 150ps, LTD Spec, so its got all the toys, and its just like a big car but with a properly usable space in the back

I can get 6 people, 6 bikes in the back with wheels on.

Last week I had 4 bikes in the back, lengthways, wheels on.
3 of them were large frame full sus 29ers, just top and tail them with a bit of foam between them.

Ride and handling – I preferred my traffic, suspension is a bit more sophisticated, but I also think some of the difference is tyres.

Transit is quick though, and new Trafic is 1.6L only, with either single or twin turbos depending on power required.

I get about 30mpg out of mine, mostly dual carriageway commute, and its normally unloaded.
If I drive like my nan, I can creep that up to 35-38mpg but its soul destroying.

I find it comfortable, I think the Renault has more cubby holes etc, but I`ve gotten used to the Transit now.

Go drive them both, see whos offering the best deal. be aware that delivery on both is about 3-4 months.

When I was looking I couldn’t get a Trafic, but TBH the Deal Ford put together couldn’t be touched by anyone else anyway !!

I have no regrets

Had a swb crewcab trafic sport, loved it, had it from new, was great for the first year then the dpf started giving bother and ended up getting low loaded back to the dealer 4 times in 6 months, dealer told me that the warranty wouldn’t cover it any more as my driving style was to blame so it had to go, won’t get another diesel until my driving style changes! Shame as the van was dead handy, when it wasn’t in the garage 🙁

Short term comfort/enjoyment/drivability – Renault
Reliability – Ford

Loading wise an 11 plate standard wheelbase Vivaro crew cab takes 5 bikes across the vehicle with the front wheels off (700c wheeled hybrid bikes at work). If you have a non-biking driver it’s win/win.

Cheers peeps, just what i was after, i have both booked out on a test drive and ill do a load test (but in quietly confident after reading Cr500doms post).

Im not sure what engine ill go for but im on fuel card so fuel economy is not a concern.

I have a 2013 SWB Trafic Sport Panel van and I have loved it very easy to live with day to day.

I have just ordered new 140BHP Twin Tubrbo Trafic sport. I test drove it and its a lot more refined than the old one.

I did however want the Ford Custom Sport but when all the dealing was done it came out 8K more expensive than the Trafic.

Have a chat to the dealers as the list prices may be similar but you there might be a fair gap in what you actually have to pay.

So any update ?
Have you demo’ed either of them yet ?

Have you considered the Hyundai I800 Crew cab?

We hired one recently to go to Swinley and then over to Bike Park wales

4 of us with 4 all mountain bikes on board plus kit.

Loads of room to have the bikes in the back with just the front wheels off.

Passenger space was more than big enough and very quiet due to the bulkhead to the load area.

The 2.5 engine made light work of motorway cruising at 80-90mph

A real joy to drive and a huge surprise.