Bailes1992

And if so... how bad are the other vans out there?

Today I done 300 miles in this...


Transit T350 2.4Duratorque 115.

I found the driving position totally to cock, my legs were squished and I couldn't reach the steering wheel comftorbly.

The stalks were way to far away from the steering wheel.

It was crap in the wind and wandered around all over the shop.

Kept loosing traction even though I was driving quite sensibly.
1. Comming off a roundabout barley touching the throttle and the TCS kicked in.
2. Comming around a tight bend, again just slowly comming back on the throttle and it tried to spin the inside wheel.
3. Playing Severn Bridge Grand Prix changing from 1st to 2nd gear.

It loved to tell me to change gear, infact it wanted me at such a low RPM it was constantly labouring.

Don't get me wrong, the engine in it is fantastic, and I'm sure this van is faster than my 90bhp 406.
But driving it totally sensibly and I found it totally hard work and uncomftorble.

Are the Transits still the best out there?
Cause if they are I dread to think what other LWB vans are like

focusv8

Mines a SWB, I've done 43,000 in it, with up to 5 hrs without getting out the seat (sat in jams)

Mines got multipoint adjustment on the seat, did you adjust yours fully?

They will be if you can't reach the wheel

Lwb need weight in them all the time

Commercial tyres aren't famed for grip, but my fronts have now done 43000


My ESP flashes quite often off roundabouts, you get used to it

Loads of torque at low revs, you don't need high rpm.

If I had to buy a van myself I'd buy one

CraigJ

Did a lot of miles in our old transits and they were never nice to be in. We got Sprinters 18 months ago. 100K later and there just as shit. More space inside but fucking horrible to drive. No arm rest etc. from the two id rather have the Ford but i will be soon getting a VW transporter. Hope its better.

botters

iTrader: (2)

old shape transits were good then almost every other van on the market caught up and overtook them lol

daz-cos

i drive a range of different vans in my job and i find the tranny one of the best from a drivers pov, at the end of the day its a van it will never be as nice to drive as a car

dojj

iTrader: (3)

transits are the best vans i've driven after the sprinters

Karl 3dr

iTrader: (9)

I work on Transits for a living and think they're a great van when they're running right, the driving position is perfect i think, i'd be quite happy to drive one all day, got plenty of poke too, i do agree that the green gear change light comes on too early, i think that's gonna create problems with the new ones that are coming out now with DPF's on, they're just going to clog up if they don't get a battering now and then.

Mike C

iTrader: (1)

I've rented mk7 transits on a couple of occasions and borrowed from a customer's fleet of 58-reg Sprinters and Vitos and IMO the latest Transit is the best.

The driving position is excellent for a van. At the end of the day it's a working vehicle and it's not going to have the same driving position as a low-slung sportscar. But the adjustability in the seat is excellent.

Again being a workhorse its controls have to be engineered for a hard life.

The ESP light comes on often, again in a commercial vehicle this is no bad thing.

The Duratorq engine is excellent, it's one of the most effortless vehicles I've driven on the motorway.

All vans are obviously slab-sided, and the longer the wheelbase the more so. Obviously this is going to expose them to crosswinds, especially when unladen.

Awesome vans.

gouch1

i used to drive a transit at work i thought it was great to drive ive hire a few of the new ivecos and sprinters and like the ivecos i find them better than the sprinter
drove the transporters slow heavy on fuel uncomfy but look well.
vivaro / traffic bad gearbox slow and cheaply made

botters

iTrader: (2)

thats why i dont like them sick of working on them, due to the nature of my job and being known locally as someone who will rebuild any engine rather than just replace with an unknown second hand motor i tend to get lots of vehicles brought to me with faults that a lot of other mechanics dont see, a lot of them being transits with major engine problems

for example dazc off here works round the corner from me and works on hundreds of transits and has never known one to disintegrate the little end bearings whereas i and my engine machiner have seen and repaired shitloads!

dojj

iTrader: (3)

mind you, mine did leave me in the shit today for 2 hours when the key stopped working and locked me out

and, due to the lack of use in the actual lock in the door, that wouldn't open either

i was fucking cold i tell thee

dakar

iTrader: (1)

Have done over 250,000 miles in a transit and love em to bits, my esp light is always on dont even have to be on roundabouts or bends sometimes and yeah that shift light is on far to early

1.9 xr2 on 40's

i have a swb 115 fwd,
mine also spins but if i give it the boot and its heavy so i can hold a drift really well
my tyres last me 9k tops front and 14 rears again tops
i used my pass side as a cornering aid so the sidewall is not going thru so needs a new un
driving seat is very good, got the heated on (handy fitting aerials in this cold) and sometime si pump it up
mine is fast for its weight but we have transit jumbos that are sooooo slow but they deliver tv's so they need to be slow, and of course they pull in the wind, you are driving something as big as a shop front at 60mph with a 60mph cross wind


go drive a maxis and you will know why transits are rated, vivaros suck too but i did drive one that went well the other day, feels like you are sitting in a bucket mind, and not a good way

Mike C

iTrader: (1)

We've got the latest Iveco Daily with a specially-made 7-metre flatbed and extended chassis. A 3.5ton that's quite a bit longer than 99.9% of 7.5ton wagons, so a bit of weight added and it drives like a dream, the engine is so smooth and pulls like a train. Much better than old Ivecos.

1.9 xr2 on 40's

my old man has a transporter and its a total shed, more like a type2 than a new van
thirsty doesnt come close too!!!

fuzzy

i just got rid of a 60 plate 313 sprinter, by far the best van to drive in with loads of room and surprisingly fast but the build quality was somewhat lacking, 6 months old and the side door track disintegrated rendering it unuseable then the central locking failed but as much as i hate to say it nothings as practical laid out and driver friendly as a transit cabin . my 58 plate 115 transit feels like a rattly old banger compared to the merc but its much more practical with much more storage space for cups of tea and doughnuts.
the merc took £90 to fill it, the transit takes £103 . both returned 370 miles before the red light came on.

stu170

I don't drive vans but crew cab pick ups. the transit is much better made but the vauxhall is much better to drive.

Gazzonator

iTrader: (9)

I'll be getting a new work van in April which will probably be a Transit.

For the past 4 years I've had a Vivaro which I find to be quite nice to drive but it's starting to feel a bit old now! I was out in a 60 plate Renault Trafic (same van) and that was really nice to drive compared to mine.

dojj

iTrader: (3)

did you have cruise and the other fancy bits in the merc then?

and was it limited to 83 mph?

Robs Frst

I found the Transit ok when I owned one also never had any issues as such, To be fair I did'nt have it long.

Beach

Not a Ford i must admit but my Vivaro has been fualtless and its got 123k on the clock, the transit is better for loading the quads as its slightly wider but they rot like there going out of fasion. Ive cleaned my van about 3 times in 3 and a half years and theres not a spec of rust even on places where its been scratched!! My Vivaro does about 38 mpg and im not sure if the Transits use more fuel too. Id love a transit but dont want my van to rot to bits as its a work horse. Its swings and roundabouts though i guess they all have there bad points.......

gtit

couldt reach the stalks or wheel? not compy crampd? bazar, the stalks cant even be six inches away from the wheel! im 6ft 5 and have plenty room have a t260 swb medium roof , wat u expect in the wind? that ones massive mines can spin wheels no bother, b ut not when drivn like a van and not ragin it about

gtit

103 pound fill ?mines took 100 wasnt even at full line put 70 buks in other week and that did me 370 miles and i thot that was bad mines a 54 plate wat was urs fuzzy? i carry all my gear all the time aswell?and a big rif rack! youse to have a corsa combo 1.7dt 53 plate 3 ta 4 years ago and that did touching 700 miles to a tank with no load think i fill was only 50 quid then too , my dad has a mint nissan primastar spotless 56plate 7 thou genuine miles no rust thats the only thing i hate bowt trannys if i ever get a spleet new one it will be schutz afore i took it hame!

Joshy

I drive them a lot with the army and think there great, dont agree with anything the OP said, other than the traction controle light but just turn TC off

langer

iTrader: (1)

The smiley front transits were the best IMO like. But don't think the transits of today are now what they used to call "the backbone of Britain"

stu170

I drive the crew cabs through the mob. means mpg is no problem but i reckon the vaux fleet is better than tranny. car ford wins. rather drive a galaxy than the astra

botters

iTrader: (2)

i like the vivaro's they drive really well and as mentioned above dont rot like fook like transits do, i look after a few of them and have little to no problems with them, people say how the gearboxes go fucked on them but this is only due to water ingress from the scuttle panel and can be prevented by making a small plastic cover to fit above the box to direct water away

Mister G

I'd say best to drive, just not the most reliable.... That said ours never get older then 50k or a couple of years...

anglia105e hinson

I have the same van as that from my firm
Lwb high top 57 plate 115ps
It's lovely to drive I've had it 2 years off my firm now.
The Tcs issue is probably cos of the lack of weight in it .
My van is fully loaded with tools and random shit as im a gas mainslayer.
probably very close to the 3.5 Ton limit. The Tcs hardly ever flashes up going roundabouts.
To be honest I can't fault it.

DAN P

iTrader: (1)

used to a 16 hour non stop drive every week to scotland in my transit was fine that was only a 90 though

Gary F

iTrader: (1)

I love the Transit's and they have to be the nicest van to drive, but I went for for the Iveco Daily which has to be the most reliable van out there.

Rick Astley

You sound as if that is the first time you have ever driven a van and for some odd reason got yourself a little excited.

I think transit vans are superior but having never lived with one for any longer than a long weekend I couldn't swear by then, certainly superior to a sprinter.

TIFF

I used to have a 53 plate Transit SWB......Was a good work horse but very agricultural and noisey.....

Just bought a new van....Had been looking at newer transits but they just seemed the same.....So in the end i went for a LWB Renault Trafic on a 58 plate with the 6 speed gearbox and 115ps engine. Drives SO much nicer than any of the transits i test drove......And being the newer model gearbox it is ment to be alot better.

Goes ok for a van......... but it drives very nice and is alot more "Car like" in the cab i find........

Derby_Gav

I used to have a 100ps mk6 transit and swapped that for a 100ps 08 reg Citroën relay

The Citroën is a million times better! I have got a mk7 transit aswell as a company van and that is a sack of shit compared to the Citroën tbh. It just wallows in corners and just feels unsafe.

I can't comment on t5 transporters but I had a t4 and other than the funky noise it made from it's 5 cylinder engine that was a bit crap too.

Gavin.

Harris.

Are you joking ??? Iveco's are total shite , door hinge's fail and break, the interior is shocking !!!! then wait for the rear axle to fail - £3800 and you have to change it complete. i have a transit and cant really fault it,its now on 130k 07 plate

dojj

iTrader: (3)

having had transits and vivaro's over a number of years as company hacks, the transit absolutely pisses on the vivaro in just about every possible way, it's like going from a merc into a trabant

the main issue though is the lack of anywhere to put stuff in the vivaro, in the transit there are little nooks and crannies everywhere, but not in the vivaro, plus the drinks holders dont' hold drinks because as you drive along they fall out

each to their own but the only reason we've got vivaro's now to replace the transists is that vauxhall charge £20 an hour less on their labour rates when we do have problems, at least the roofs don't fold in when you put a load on them on the transists, yet we've had 38 vivaro's with that fault

TIFF

Dojj

Must admit...they are a bit shit for storage....ive even looked on Ebay to see if anyone has made anything to go in that big huge dashboard that is wasted....

Mike C

iTrader: (1)

Older Ivecos are poor, but the latest Daily is superb.

Ours is spotless, been in nearly 2 and half years constant use, carrying ton loads daily, the seats show no sign of wear, the controls looks as if they've never been used. Only things that have ever been changed are a reverse light and rubber exhaust mount. Fantastic vehicle.

howie1989

At work we only have transits their not looked after most of them are about 7yrs old and tbh i drive one everyday you get use to the wind.
driving position is cushy good long journeys. The one im using atmo mk6 90ps 350 is great barley losses traction easy to drive just transits are a nice work horse.
vitos do rust worse than transits my uncles 55 plate vito is a shed compared many transits

jameswrx

Agree

Yes, as the man says.. They are designed to carry stuff! They don't spin up all the time when loaded, mine is always loaded and it's fine. Only time I get them spinning up is when they're empty.

I drive all the usual suspects and would not swap my 115 6 speed lwb high top for anything else! (ok maybe a 140 transit) I had a vivaro for 6 months, brand new.. I thought I liked it at the time but when I drive them now I realise the transit is better. The brakes on vivaros are enough reason alone not to get one!

I work on all the vans mentioned and as I say wouldn't have anything else. They've all got their faults, sprinter is probably least problematic from what I've seen but I just hate driving them, they feel soulless, and their gear change just feels nasty.