What's the best van ?

ive got a VW caddy (07 plate), its been pretty good for the 14k its done. dual mass flywheel is probably on its way out now but thats just my driving.

i also liked my old vauxhall combo. wish i still had it TBH. it took 40k of abuse. iirc the only thing it had go was a gearbox.

all our lads with connects hate them and they are tiny in the back.

I asked the local diesel engineers and they say that they never see a Renault Partner in for repair. My Tyota Hiace powervan has done 214,000 miles and has just cost me £85.00 to get MOTed.

I love my Connect! I've had it for 2 years & apart from service parts & a set of disk & pads I've not had to spend a penny on it.
I've got a propper heavy duty roofrack on it which has a roller on the back which is great for loading 8x4' sheets.
Depends how much room you want in the back, any bigger then go for a SWB Transit.
I was a Ford mechanic for 13 years & wouldn't touch any French or Italian ****e with a bargepole!

renault partner for me the engine never missed a beat
bob

GSInot said:

I love my Connect! I've had it for 2 years & apart from service parts & a set of disk & pads I've not had to spend a penny on it.
I was a Ford mechanic for 13 years & wouldn't touch any French or Italian s***te with a bargepole!

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and i hate my connect biggest heap of Sheite I ever owned and as for ford's non existant customer service well that's legendary! it's gone to the garage this afternoon rather bent, did ask them where their skip was, they looked a bit puzzled until I said to put that heap of junk in

my old Renault extra did 120,000 without fault then the cambelt snapped never thought to change it

"my old Renault extra did 120,000 without fault then the cambelt snapped never thought to change it"

Well theres your problem! Regular servicing/preventative maintainance is common sence especially as a van is the main tool for any tradesman.

Connects have won van of the year.....I've lost count how many times!
The old 1.8 engine is bomb proof, its the same engine I had in my old modeo estate, which was still happily chugging along at 200K+!
I've drove the new TDCI Connect & they're much more powerfull but I've never worked on them so can't comment on reliability.

As for Ford customer service...? Dealerships are independant franchises flying the flag for the manufactuer, some are good at what they do & others obviously arn't.
I think if you go into any main dealer with an attitude telling them their product is crap you might not get a great reaction from service reception.

Its the number 1 van in the UK & for good reason....its the best small van, end of story. Thats my opinion, VW Caddy is a nice van too, but pricey & expensive if things go wrong.

I have to ask what the point of buying a new van is? Other than vanity or appearance.

I bought a Fiat Fiorino van (looks a bit like a Corsa Combi) 2 years ago for £500. I did 40k miles in it, never serviced it, although I did put it through 2 mots for the cost of the MOT only. The only repair costs were four tyres at just under £100 fitted and balanced.

I sold the van for £500.

So including all repairs and depreciation the van cost me £400 for 40,000 miles.

The van may have old and ugly, but it never let me down and cost peanuts.

GSInot said:

"my old Renault extra did 120,000 without fault then the cambelt snapped never thought to change it"

Well theres your problem! Regular servicing/preventative maintainance is common sence especially as a van is the main tool for any tradesman.

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yes on that one can't blame anybody but myself paid£6k for it and as far as i'm concerned had my moneys worth from it.

The old 1.8 engine is bomb proof,

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unfortunately this is untrue it has a weakness in the front of the main engine block and my sons garage (he works there rather than owns it) have had several to repair with this problem.

As for Ford customer service...? Dealerships are independant franchises flying the flag for the manufactuer, some are good at what they do & others obviously arn't.

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i'm talking not only about the dealerships but also Glasgow Customer services. so far it has been to 6 different dealerships none have been able to rectify the numerous faults
my van has never been reliable or fault free from day 1 and has had several electrical problems even to the point of the entire wiring loom being changed (new 1 now has exactly the same fault) speaking to an auto electrician a few weeks ago whilst there with 1 of our cars, asked him about the van electrics, he immediately told me what was not working and where the main fault lays, apparently he also has had several for repairs to the electrics

I think if you go into any main dealer with an attitude telling them their product is crap you might not get a great reaction from service reception.

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i never go anywhere with attitude only get that after several trips somewhere and they fail to retify a problem.

if having a wiring loom, a cam belt sensor, an alternator drive shaft, 3 alternators, every door lock changed some twice, a flat battery if you leave the vehicle for more than 2 days, aerial breaking off for no reason, spare wheel carrier breaking the first time its used and numerous problems with the central locking (blip key and receiver changed at least twice) is your idea of reliable then ok but its not mine.

i've had a renault extra, kangoo, master and traffic (6 speed version), bedford minivan, standard transit (new style), fiat scudo, vauxhall vivaro,
iveco daily, and a mercedes vito all have been reliable with one exception traffic's engine mounts broke but it still got to the garage under it's own power even with the engine only hanging on the gearbox

sadly my view on the connect is tainted by my very bad experiences of ford and this particular vehicle. no i would never have another ford connect.

I have a 2006 Merc vito 111cdi big enough to get a sheet of ply /plasterboard in flat, small enough to get in a multi storey car park ! drives better than all the cars i have ever had , always was and still is the best looker on the road ! (86000 on the clock never missed a beat)

I had an old transit circa 1996 very very reliable just kept going and going but it rusted so quick it would make your eyes water.

Then i went for a Fiat Ducato maxi hi top lwb 2002 model -WHAT A MISTAKE!! no rust and sweet powerful engine - shame about the rest of the van! endless problems all related to the weight i was regulary carrying in the vehicle. shocks suspension and handbreak issues over and over again. Heater matrix went twice and had to replace keys and locks quite often. imobilzer issues costing a fortune.

So fed up with losing work hours with the unreliable Ducato i brought a transit again a few months ago lwb hi roof 115 two years old. Same old story very thin paint job - i know its gonna rust so il just have to check paintwork every week and touch up any marks. At least the back of the van isnt dragging on the road when its got a full load on board - unlike the Ducato!

I have a Renault Trafic LWB petrol version, drives like a car and drinks like a fish. Love it though, I use it for big jobs as I can fit 4x8 sheets in the back etc.
I have a Transit Connect 1.8TD (1.8 TDDi engine), which I bought second-hand off fleabay and it has served me well, none of the issues you mention Kevin. It sounds like you got the last one off the production line before a bank holiday weekend. I have also been on a Transit forum and I don't think I have seen anybody with as many troubles as you have had. I don't take any of my vehicles to main dealers (unless they are under warranty), I use local independent mechanics, who are cheaper and will call a spade a spade.
I will give the van of the year two thumbs up!!

danielroofer said:

I had an old transit circa 1996 very very reliable just kept going and going but it rusted so quick it would make your eyes water.

Then i went for a Fiat Ducato maxi hi top lwb 2002 model -WHAT A MISTAKE!! no rust and sweet powerful engine - shame about the rest of the van! endless problems all related to the weight i was regulary carrying in the vehicle. shocks suspension and handbreak issues over and over again. Heater matrix went twice and had to replace keys and locks quite often. imobilzer issues costing a fortune.

So fed up with losing work hours with the unreliable Ducato i brought a transit again a few months ago lwb hi roof 115 two years old. Same old story very thin paint job - i know its gonna rust so il just have to check paintwork every week and touch up any marks. At least the back of the van isnt dragging on the road when its got a full load on board - unlike the Ducato!

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ME too when I had a mid length high roof ducato it nearly sent me under. I worked out it had cost me
(without fuel )an average of £450 a month and that doesn't include the payments on it that's just running costs. It would have been cheaper to have driven it off the marinedrive the day i got it and to have stayed at home isntead of going out to work. I would be better off today if that is what I would have done.

Kenindgas
I have a transit 56 plate MWB 350 and its a pile of sheite
3 safety recalss since new, new turbo at 14k new blip key and reciever.
Air con is asmatic at best.
Ford customer service is carp where ever you go
At least you are not alone.
New van will be either
Renault traffic or VW

merc veto and pug expert both great vans. Avoid anything LDV they handle like a skip on shopping trolley wheels.

Changed from my vauxhall Astra van last year, which was a great little van, just short on space,was always chocca,dont know how I managed with it now, to a VW transporter, really pleased with it up to now, got it all shelved out down one side and across the bulkhead at the front, nice to have a bit of organisation with spares for gas and oil etc....good van up to now, does what its meant to do, its got to last me a good few years now so heres hoping it stays reliable.