2.2 transit custom vs T6

2.2 transit custom vs T6

Author
Discussion

Alrey87

Original Poster:

287 posts

112 months

Friday 24th February 2023
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Considering getting a bigger van and looking at these 2. Transits are pretty good value can find a sport with 50-60k on it for 15-18k FSH. Transporters a bit harder but a few about for 20-22k with similar mileage and FSH. Bit worried about the transits don’t hear much good said about them, did have one when I was employed and ran it to 100k only problem was the braking system getting stuck on a couple of times leaving me stranded. However my current caddy maxi has had 3 hydraulics failures on the clutch and an injector in the last year so VW clearly aren’t the last word in reliability. Would be looking to run either for a few years into the low 100k area.

gazza285

10,186 posts

215 months

Friday 24th February 2023
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I had the same dilemma, ended up with a Vito.

reddiesel

2,473 posts

54 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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Complete junk which is why they are cheap . Mercedes make the only vans worth having and anything else is simply an inferior Product .

DrDeAtH

3,618 posts

239 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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For a bit of balance....

I'm on my 2nd Custom now. Only changing due to ulez.
The previous one only cost me an annual service and the obligatory tyres and brakes.
Other than that, it was faultless in the 60k miles I put on it.

stevemcs

8,989 posts

100 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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I’d take the transit, they drive better and the 2.2 is pretty reliable

Trevor555

4,504 posts

91 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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Up to 2017 transporters had a few egr problems, juddery clutches,but not too much else.

As long as you avoided the bi turbo one I would have recommended one.

Since 2017 theyve become more unreliable. I wouldnt buy one personally now.

Just a few weeks ago I looked at one whilst up on a ramp. Delivery mileage.



Cant be bothered to paint them properly?

Or dont want them to last passed 10 years?

reddiesel

2,473 posts

54 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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DrDeAtH said:
For a bit of balance....

I'm on my 2nd Custom now. Only changing due to ulez.
The previous one only cost me an annual service and the obligatory tyres and brakes.
Other than that, it was faultless in the 60k miles I put on it.
Faultless in 60,000 miles is the point isn’t it ? A Sprinter will be faultless in 160,000 need nothing more than oil and filters whilst still retaining a large part of its value whilst a Transit will be scrap and close to worthless . You have simply got in and out quickly before you lost your shirt .

reddiesel

2,473 posts

54 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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stevemcs said:
I’d take the transit, they drive better and the 2.2 is pretty reliable
What a Transit on a motorway for example is a better drive than a Sprinter ? That’s not what my drivers tell me and not what most on here would say either . Built in Turkey by people you wouldn’t buy a kebab from let alone your livelihood I think your taking out your rear end my friend


reddiesel

2,473 posts

54 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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Trevor555 said:
Up to 2017 transporters had a few egr problems, juddery clutches,but not too much else.

As long as you avoided the bi turbo one I would have recommended one.

Since 2017 theyve become more unreliable. I wouldnt buy one personally now.

Just a few weeks ago I looked at one whilst up on a ramp. Delivery mileage.



Cant be bothered to paint them properly?

Or dont want them to last passed 10 years?
Fair points Trevor , as I buy my vehicle out of my own pocket I get pestered frequently by the VW agent . Earlier Models also were belt driven rather than chain which always put me off as I often run them to 250,000 and don’t want any downtime . The price differential wasn’t that much either depending on what you wanted between VW and Mercedes . Quality I think has been cut in Sprinters since 1998 though others will call it progress . It’s still however the optimum tool for the job

Alrey87

Original Poster:

287 posts

112 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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Now looking at vitos - think the ford is a no go just too many horror stories. If I got a t6 it would be 16/17 plate. Mercedes’ seem to offer 2 years approved used warranty on a lot of their vans which says something as opposed to the 6 months from VW.

Teddy Lop

8,301 posts

74 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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Alrey87 said:
Now looking at vitos - think the ford is a no go just too many horror stories. If I got a t6 it would be 16/17 plate. Mercedes’ seem to offer 2 years approved used warranty on a lot of their vans which says something as opposed to the 6 months from VW.
Mercs from-new warranty is a joke so dunno how bad their secondhand, sorry "approved used" can be! The Vito I had wasn't any better quality than a ford, but it did drive much nicer, I dunno if it had better suspension etc being the V6.

You hear horror stories about all the vans but take a look around, there's about 6 transits for one of everything else I think so there's going to be proportionately more aggro ones. The newer 2.0 euro 6 is the horror unit, which I have, yeh I worry a little now it's out of warranty but if I was that worried I'd insure against it or chop it in for a new one, which I'd do tomorrow if I could be bothered.

Ford's depreciating more goes both ways, on the secondhand market you'll pay more for a scabbier VW.

reddiesel

2,473 posts

54 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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I always advise anyone looking for a van for their Business to choose Mercedes if possible . I say this from a Business point of view as well as the actual quality of the vehicles . I’ve used nothing but Sprinters since their introduction and I have met countless Owner Drivers over the years driving no end of crap and swearing how great they are . It’s different though when it’s your own money involved and you are perhaps struggling to get a small business off the ground when every penny counts
Granted the Sprinter for example is slightly more expensive initially but show me another van regularly clocking up 350,000miles on the original engine and still selling for good money ?There aren’t any

daydotz

1,752 posts

168 months

Monday 27th February 2023
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It's quite impressive how questionbly maintained and badly treated a supermarket sprinter gets yet they seem to survive hehe

Venisonpie

3,647 posts

89 months

Monday 27th February 2023
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I used to run a fleet of 350 vans, a mixed fleet of Merc Vito/ Ford Custom/Transit & a smattering or Renault and Fiat.

I'd only buy a Merc with my own cash.

DrDeAtH

3,618 posts

239 months

Monday 27th February 2023
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reddiesel said:
Faultless in 60,000 miles is the point isn’t it ? A Sprinter will be faultless in 160,000 need nothing more than oil and filters whilst still retaining a large part of its value whilst a Transit will be scrap and close to worthless . You have simply got in and out quickly before you lost your shirt .
Not at all. Bought van at 40k, Ran it until 100k. I'd still have it now if it wasn't for having to venture into the ulez.

It was still tidy and worth good money when I traded it. Hardly a rotten out knackered van.

I ran my previous transit to 160k without any major maladies either.

Maintenance is key....

reddiesel

2,473 posts

54 months

Tuesday 28th February 2023
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Speaking as someone who is Construction like yourself I think there are one or two irrefutable facts that even an apparently dedicated Transit Owner like yourself will probably agree with .
A Mercedes Sprinter is a step above any Transit , a Mercedes Sprinter has greater mileage capability than any Transit , a Mercedes Sprinter will retain a greater proportion of its value than any Transit . Ford Transits since their manufacture being shifted to Turkey from Southampton are universally known within the Trade to have declined in quality . I have read this on many Forums and heard the same from various Business Associates ( one even returned all the vehicles to the Leasing Company as thy were literally falling apart onsite )
I dont disagree that you can happily travel from Watford or Milton Keynes into London with your Transit changing oil and filters as you go but the Sprinter Owner will do the same journey for miles and years longer than you will and have more money out of the vehicle as well as more potential customers when he chooses to sell .

Teddy Lop

8,301 posts

74 months

Tuesday 28th February 2023
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reddiesel said:
Speaking as someone who is Construction like yourself I think there are one or two irrefutable facts that even an apparently dedicated Transit Owner like yourself will probably agree with .
A Mercedes Sprinter is a step above any Transit , a Mercedes Sprinter has greater mileage capability than any Transit , a Mercedes Sprinter will retain a greater proportion of its value than any Transit . Ford Transits since their manufacture being shifted to Turkey from Southampton are universally known within the Trade to have declined in quality . I have read this on many Forums and heard the same from various Business Associates ( one even returned all the vehicles to the Leasing Company as thy were literally falling apart onsite )
I dont disagree that you can happily travel from Watford or Milton Keynes into London with your Transit changing oil and filters as you go but the Sprinter Owner will do the same journey for miles and years longer than you will and have more money out of the vehicle as well as more potential customers when he chooses to sell .
Only dedication i see is for (your Spanish built!) mercs!

For most of us they're tools.. want easy maintenance, parts availability etc... Was amused when the custom was delivered it still was on leaf springs, but then the Vito got through so many broken coil springs crashing over the speed humps/general poor roads here they were almost a service item. Probably not such a problem on ze autobahn.

DrDeAtH

3,618 posts

239 months

Tuesday 28th February 2023
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reddiesel said:
Speaking as someone who is Construction like yourself I think there are one or two irrefutable facts that even an apparently dedicated Transit Owner like yourself will probably agree with .
A Mercedes Sprinter is a step above any Transit , a Mercedes Sprinter has greater mileage capability than any Transit , a Mercedes Sprinter will retain a greater proportion of its value than any Transit . Ford Transits since their manufacture being shifted to Turkey from Southampton are universally known within the Trade to have declined in quality . I have read this on many Forums and heard the same from various Business Associates ( one even returned all the vehicles to the Leasing Company as thy were literally falling apart onsite )
I dont disagree that you can happily travel from Watford or Milton Keynes into London with your Transit changing oil and filters as you go but the Sprinter Owner will do the same journey for miles and years longer than you will and have more money out of the vehicle as well as more potential customers when he chooses to sell .
Yeah.. Turkish quality isn't as good as Southampton.. I admit that. But the van does what it's supposed to do. I had a sprinter for 7 years prior.. it rotted out.

But the sprinter and transits did what I asked of them.

That's all... I get you hate ford's. But don't derail the thread for the OP. I was only offering my experience. If you had a bad ford experience, say so. That's all. Just don't be a dick and denounce anyone else's experience.

reddiesel

2,473 posts

54 months

Wednesday 1st March 2023
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Teddy Lop said:
Mercs from-new warranty is a joke so dunno how bad their secondhand, sorry "approved used" can be! The Vito I had wasn't any better quality than a ford, but it did drive much nicer, I dunno if it had better suspension etc being the V6.

You hear horror stories about all the vans but take a look around, there's about 6 transits for one of everything else I think so there's going to be proportionately more aggro ones. The newer 2.0 euro 6 is the horror unit, which I have, yeh I worry a little now it's out of warranty but if I was that worried I'd insure against it or chop it in for a new one, which I'd do tomorrow if I could be bothered.

Ford's depreciating more goes both ways, on the secondhand market you'll pay more for a scabbier VW.
You are talking out your rear end fella , 3 years unlimited mileage on a new Sprinter bought from a UK Mercedes Dealer so not only do you not know about the second hand warranty you obviously dont know about the new one either . Never mind , at least if you are on here entertaining us with your wit and wisdom at least your Mrs is getting a break .

reddiesel

2,473 posts

54 months

Thursday 2nd March 2023
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DrDeAtH said:
Yeah.. Turkish quality isn't as good as Southampton.. I admit that. But the van does what it's supposed to do. I had a sprinter for 7 years prior.. it rotted out.

But the sprinter and transits did what I asked of them.

That's all... I get you hate ford's. But don't derail the thread for the OP. I was only offering my experience. If you had a bad ford experience, say so. That's all. Just don't be a dick and denounce anyone else's experience.
I dont hate Fords and I didn't derail the thread for the OP either . The OP was the first to mention alternative vehicles not me . Ive never had a bad experience with Ford , what I have had is plenty of experience buying and running vans with my own money and from a Business point of view the OP is better in a Mercedes than a Turkish Ford as the Ford quality is now pretty poor as you yourself admit . Its Social Media chap , nigh on impossible for everyone to agree with each other all of the time . Nobody buys a a Van only for it " to do what I ask of it ", they might buy it for a better resale value when they sell it . Others might buy it because the engine is capable of great mileages . Others may buy it because it doesn't have a cam belt to change and therefore less downtime . Do you understand what I am saying ? Any Horse will stand and crap in a field all day but only one will win the Grand National