Spec me a ..... VAN!

Soldato
Joined
28 Oct 2002
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Location
Hiraeth
I'm looking for a half decent van around Merc Vito size. It needs to have side opening doors on both sides and be able to carry about 1000kg

I've been looking into Vito cans and the more I look, the more I'm put off by them with their rustyness and expense when things go wrong.

Any suggestions and links to examples?
 
Citroen Dispatch - it is Vito sized and has sliding doors on both sides as standard. It's only worth looking at with the 2 litre lump though, the 1.6 is useless.

If a Transit was too big, that is where my money would probably go.
 
I won't go into the door requirements but I will write a short summary about the vans I've driven for work:

I can't really judge the vito, I only drove one once and it was a wreck.

2001 Ford transit - Feels like it's falling apart, annoying long gearstick, the one we have at work has it's mirror taped to the windscreen, doubts about build quality. Only driven it about 5 times before it was disbanded.

2011 Renault trafic ( opel/vaux vivaro and nissan something) = Cheap interior but practical, soft suspention (but takes less abuse than for example a transporter, slams into a speedbump sooner than a VW), loveley seats ( with armrests). No idea what engine I always drive but these pull lovely all the way to 3000 rpm, you have 6 gears, you can easily make wheelspin when shifting from 1 to 2), bit crap basic spec with no leccy windows, Gearbox feels liek cheese BUT is awesome, you can shift very fast, pedals are nice, not too soft, clutch has a great feel to it. Long turning circle compared to a transporter. You get an extra switch on your steering column for audio control. Small annoyance on all of them (I've driven over 10 individual renault trafic vans from 2010-2011, and they all have the problem), if you don't slam the door hard enough ( it's clearly closed when you look from outside or inside) the interior lights will be stuck on. The car doesn't make a great impression reliability wise or build quality wise, but if you onyl have to drive it, these are definiteley the nciest to drive out of the ones I've tried, nicest pedal feeling, steering, and engine power on the basic models.

2007 1.9 tdi VW Transporter and 2010 VW 2.0tdi transporter: Interior looks nicer, especially the facelift with the screen telling your speed digitally and telling you when to shift, but, less comfy chairs, less practical dash, harder (but better) suspension, easier to maneuver becuase of smaller turning circle, Parking sensors **** up after a while ( we have 3 of these and they all have iffy parking sensors), better spec, VERY CRAPPY PEDALS, over sensitive&light clutch, Over assisted brake& extremely soft brake pedal. Small details are often far better, like the windshield wipers, which are crap on the Renaults and great on the VW's Or the 3x indicator if you slightly pull the indicator stalk. Steering wheel itself looks&feels nicer but the Renaults one feels nicer to use tbh. Gearbox is absolute crap, very tight and nearly impossible to shift fast, if you do, the engien gets some kind of shock, I've stalled the engine numerous times trying to shift quickly from 2-3 at about 22 mph... Engine is absolute crap, it struggles or even stalls at low rpm, and loses all power at 2500 rpm, while the Renaults are nice all the way up to 3k. Very narrow power band combined with a crappy clutch and crappy gearbox. In winter this was also more skid happy than the renaults.


I've driven the (2010) VW and the Trafics from new, they only had 230 and 380 km on when I first tried em.

While I personally love the Trafic/Vivaro/nissan blahblah, far nicer to drive than the VW's, they do not make a decent/realiable impression though. The VW's neither ( i mean they also have their faults, but less and not across the range, more individual problems)) but they make a better impression. But I drive em hard and fast, if it was my own and drove more calmly perhaps I'd perhaps think differently, but my opinion is that the Trafic is nice to drive and the Transporter is a chore to drive.

That aside I've only driven smaller vans, eg. Transit connect or Caddy or Kangoo, but you wanted a vito sized one...
 
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Many thanks Snowdog, what do you do for a living then?

I'm leaning more towards the Vivaro if I'm honest as there seems to be a few about, whereas the only reasonable Vitos are covered in rust and are nails.

I've discounted anything by Citroen as I can cite 4 examples of close family/friends who have had HGF or gearbox failure within 30k miles. I saw a 2007 one at the auctions on 42k miles with rust scabs and a very poorly sounding engine.
 
Many thanks Snowdog, what do you do for a living then?

I'm leaning more towards the Vivaro if I'm honest as there seems to be a few about, whereas the only reasonable Vitos are covered in rust and are nails.

I've discounted anything by Citroen as I can cite 4 examples of close family/friends who have had HGF or gearbox failure within 30k miles. I saw a 2007 one at the auctions on 42k miles with rust scabs and a very poorly sounding engine.


Anything at TNT in the collection department @ 4 locations atm.
I've driven their vans for at least once per week for the past year. Some weeks I've been in them for 5 hrs per day 5 days per week ( holidays). Atm only drive once or twice per week because I don't have time in the afternoon, can't work middays except on holidays because I'm still in uni. If the Vivaro is just like the trafic ( I assume it is aside from some trim changes?) they feel very nice to drive, but they look and feel cheap and fragile. But it's not a chore to drive em unlike the other major brand we use ( we have all sorts of brands but only really have Trafics&Transporters on a large scale, eg. only one out of 10 vans of that size are something else.). I can't really speak for new Transits for example but I'd avoid the 2.0 and 1.9 diesel transporters because they're an absolute **** to drive.
 
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Having driven most makes of van at one point or another, from 1998 to mid 2010 when I worked in the transport industy as a multi drop driver for large parts of it, and having owned sprinters, transits, and VW's when I was self employed, I would say, without any doubt, that if its your own money.............

Buy a transit.
 
Nice comparison snowdog comparing vans ten years apart.

We have 2010 merc sprinters and they have loads of problems mainly gearbox related, the 2009 ones were all on their last legs when handed back. Obviously this is all very hard stop start town driving but it gives an indication.

My mates a builder and has a Vivaro and its constantly in the garage being repaired and its not even driven hard.

A couple of the self-employed drivers use 05 transits with over 250k of stop start town mileage on them and they haven't missed a beat.

Ignore interior quality and how fast it goes and get yourself a transit. The 06 onwards ones are fairly nice inside anyway.
 
mejinks, did you get a van in the end?

I have been looking at smaller vans (Transit Connect, Berlingo etc) but gradually coming round to the idea of something bigger like a SWB Transporter, Vito, Transit or Vivaro. My budget is £8k tops, what do you reckon I can find for that kind of money?
 
we had a vito 120 for 5 years, never skipped a beat, crazy fast too, don't dismiss them out of hand it was a hell of a workhorse

I don't want to argue, however do want to my my experience (or not as the case maybe). Plumber I used to work with (I was a Sparky) brought one and bragged about all for ages till he picked it up, had it a week and then started slatting it! He used to winge every day for about 6 months till he got rid, the scary thing is I cant remember any specifics of why he hated it, as it seemed just everything he winged about! this really is a useless post bar to say everyone has different opions so got on the van forums or on a building site and ask the guys what they love and hate.
 
My dad used to run Vitos when he had his business. I really liked them and they never let him down. They were a good size van, a LOT lower than a Transit which feels like you're driving a truck. It was a lot nippier and the gear change on the dash was good. It was a lot quieter and a lot more comfortable.

I've also driven a Renault Traffic which was gutless and I hated. The interior was awful as well.

I've driven Sprinters quite a bit, they were always good if you needed to shift a LOT of stuff because the LWB one is HUGE! It's powerful too.
 
I've driven Sprinters quite a bit, they were always good if you needed to shift a LOT of stuff because the LWB one is HUGE! It's powerful too.

Depends on the engine surely? I drive a LWB high top sprinter and it certainly isn't powerful, infact its gutless due to its 109 bhp engine in such a large van!
 
Dunno, seemed to have a 2.5 turbo diesel or something. It didn't hang around :D
 
Having driven most of the vans around that size, vito, transporter, vivaro transit etc, I'd have the transit every day of the week.
 
mejinks, did you get a van in the end?

I have been looking at smaller vans (Transit Connect, Berlingo etc) but gradually coming round to the idea of something bigger like a SWB Transporter, Vito, Transit or Vivaro. My budget is £8k tops, what do you reckon I can find for that kind of money?

I bought a Renault trafic on the end. I didnt want a large lwb but needed a 1200 kg payload, which the trafic does nicely. Considering its loaded with over a ton of tools, it goes pretty well and it only has a 1.9td. I got a low mile 55 plate for 5k, so not too bad. My only gripe is that its got keep fit Windows and the Seats aren't as comfy as the BMW.
 
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