Transit - FWD vs RWD

[Jakg]

I'm picking some stuff up for work soon, which involves hiring a van. Nothing too heavy - just too bulky for a car.

Never driven a van before and am quite excited (sad, I know!).

Originally I chose a "medium van" which is listed as a Ford Transit 280 SWB FWD Low Roof. I've just realised for an extra £10 I could of gotten a "large van" instead, a Ford Transit 350 LWB RWD High Roof. Both are listed with the 2.2 TDCi 100ps engine.

The high-roof model has slightly worse MPG (32 vs 40) but the companies paying for the fuel anyway.

Is a RWD transit going to be the pinnacle of driving excellence vs FWD, or am I just never going to notice?

[kiethton]

You will not notice a thing...except for the larger turning circle (and extra care) needed with the longer van

[golfer19]

No real difference between the two.
You may be surprised how well a Transit drives.

[Jon999]

FWD is better in the Transit than RWD, especially when unladen.

[Jonny_]

golfer19 said:

No real difference between the two.
You may be surprised how well a Transit drives.

The current (2007ish-onward) model is astoundingly pleasant to drive, even in base model flatbed form with a 90bhp engine. It's light years ahead of the previous one, which in turn was leagues ahead of the 1990s "smiley face" Transits. RWD ones are marginally less refined, I've found, but the difference is very minor.

[abbotsmike]

You can't powerslide the front wheel drive one around a wet roundabout

[Parsnip]

Either way, a rental Transit will be the fastest thing you have ever driven - once you get used to the constant ratio, variable noise gearbox.

[abbotsmike]

And if you do get the LWB, don't do what I've seen so many people do and forget that it has a longer wheelbase and wider turning circle, then clobber it on a car/bollard in the area just in front of the rear wheels.

[grumpy52]

You will be amazed that you will always have another gear to go(6spead box)
The smaller engined models run out of puff when loaded, in the wind, and going uphill.

[LouD86]

With the 100bhp, your a 5 speed. FWD for comfort if it will fit in what you need

[agent006]

Bet they give you an Iveco now.

[951TSE]

Make sure you ask the hirers if there's anything you need to know, like different speed limits for instance.

[mph1977]

kiethton said:

You will not notice a thing...except for the larger turning circle (and extra care) needed with the longer van

however the rwd may have better steering lock than the FWD or AWD ( as iirc there is now a factory AWD Transit)... but that would require someone with a more intimate knowledge of Transit oily bits to comment on the simialrity / differences between the front axles when driven or undriven ...

bigger worry with the longer van may be tail swing ... inside 'cut in' (source of the scrapes in front of nearside rear wheel on vans and ambis) is much the same between FWD and RWD vans

[twing]

Rear wheel drive is much higher to load into as well

[Jakg]

Ended up with an 85 HP FWD Transit.

Suprisingly fun to hustle along (it feels wrong to make something that big travel briskly down a country road), excellent turning circle too which I wasn't expecting. The engine was a bit of a let down on the motorway (75 was about as much as it wanted to do before giving up all pretences of comfort!) but for a few fleeting moments in 3rd felt surprisingly punchy.

[Hooli]

abbotsmike said:

You can't powerslide the front wheel drive one around a wet roundabout

This is the only fact that matters.

[vanordinaire]

Hooli said:

abbotsmike said:

You can't powerslide the front wheel drive one around a wet roundabout

This is the only fact that matters.

I agree

[Jakg]

I should also mention that the rented van came with ESP which couldn't be defeated (press & hold, it switches off, light comes on the dash, but then about 10 secs later went away again).

And I only managed 34 MPG over 500 miles... ooops.

[harrisp]

I've only managed an average of 36mpg in mine over 69,000 miles.
The FWD transits have less passenger leg room.

[Cyberprog]

Just remember that on Dual Carriageways you've got a lower speed limit in a van - 60 vs 70. Easy for you to get a fine if you're new to driving a van and don't realise!