5-6 seat Crew Cab - Vauxhall, Fiat, Renault -does it matter?

[weeve]

Any views on here on which is preferred? Criteria are reliability, safety, able to drive around without being completely deafened at 70mph and to pass by unnoticed by the general population . I know I like the look of one of them less than the other two - but otherwise they seem much of much-ness otherwise. Circa 150bhp or little more. Nothing fancy. Will be deisel and a keeper to run into the ground. Needs very few toys, and the less style over substance the better. Low roof, long wb Renault Traffic size

Needs to be an auto as Im old and lazy. If its bought its for for personal use...few long trips but 99% of the time trotting around with sports stuff at weekends and the old bit of furniture buying.

Had a nearly new Caravelle Exec back in 2015 (when they were about half the price) but now it needs to be a van with a bulkhead to hide/dump stuff and race gear. Thank you.

Edited by weeve on Thursday 9th November 15:19

[normalbloke]

Toyota Proace gets you a 10 year warranty.

[ACCYSTAN]

Small size
Peugeot partner XL wheel base 1.2 petrol 5 seater crew van - good value and more coming available daily since Ellesmere Port factory started building them, cheap to insure

Medium size
Ford Tourneo custom 2.0 diesel 6 seater crew van - best medium van to drive, not the most secure but easy to live with

Large - Fiat Ducato electric or diesel - 6 or 9 seats, 5 year warranty and sits at 75mph comfortably

[gazza285]

ACCYSTAN said:

Medium size
Ford Tourneo custom 2.0 diesel 6 seater crew van - best medium van to drive, not the most secure but easy to live with

He wants a keeper to run into the ground, is there a current Transit available with a reliable high mileage engine?

I’d get a Vito.

[weeve]

Thanks. Don’t want the Ford really… and prefer to avoid merc and vws as would prefer to look as low rent as possible whilst getting a nearly new one. Budget isn’t too important (within reason) as it’s a keeper. The renault traffic long with bulk head seems decent on the AT photos size wise … bigger than the Proace I googled but perhaps there is more than one of the latter and I got the dimensions of the wrong one? Really need a decent space and a bulkhead plus seats to seat 4 at a minimum. Any positive views on the Italian/French versions?

[weeve]

I’ve loooked again. Indeed there is one bigger Proace with not too many miles on AT. It’s a manual but will check if they do an auto on their website. It’s more money by looks of it than a Traffic but 10 years warranty sounds good to me if I service with them….
Still interested in views on the continental ones if anyone knows…

[ACCYSTAN]

The Fiat Ducato is a rebadged Peugeot/Citroen but gets a longer warranty

[gazza285]

I’d have a drive in the Proace to see if you can get comfortable first, we have the Vauxhall badged version and it’s the least favourite van for drivers and passengers. There’s just something odd about the pedal positioning, I’ve got the seat as far back as it will go, yet usually drive barefoot as I’m too close to the pedals, and shoes make it worse. It’s also not wide enough for three in the front.

Our Transit Custom is much more comfortable to drive, and goes well, but we don’t keep them past seventy thousand miles due to imminent engine death past that.

We don’t have any Renault vans due to past reliability problems.

I own a Vito myself, it’s not as nice to drive as the Transit, but will last a lot longer.

[5 In a Row]

You need to have a drive of any potential options to see about seat comfort.

I hired a Citroen Relay 3 years ago and had a sore back inside 25 miles. Not good since I was faced with a 2,500 mile drive over 3 days
The passenger seats were even worse!

Various Sprinters and Transits have been much better.

[weeve]

Thanks for this. Actually just seen it now but went to look a bit today. Found the Toyota and a Ford…both manual so not for me but wanted to see what was what. Ford was fine, but seemed pricey for what it was. Better read up on which engine might actually last 10years. With the Toyota I didn’t like the seats at all and there wasn’t a lot of instant joy.. not a deal breaker but bit meh although clearly the warranty deal is good. I will try a Citroen/Fiat in next week or two. I might be eating my words yet and tootle off back to German van sellers, we’ll see…. I did sit in pretty new Land Cruiser for the fun of it as have been to some faraway places in very old ones. Was really rather nice. Just need to resign as Dad Taxi and swop the kids for some land…

[gazza285]

The Toyota is a Citroen, just with a different badge.

[normalbloke]

gazza285 said:

The Toyota is a Citroen, just with a different badge.

But a better warranty…

[s p a c e m a n]

If you're not doing the mileage and only pottering around I'd buy a petrol or you'll probably be sticking a new dpf in it at some point

[gazza285]

normalbloke said:

gazza285 said:

The Toyota is a Citroen, just with a different badge.

But a better warranty…

That doesn’t make it any more comfortable to drive.

[normalbloke]

gazza285 said:

normalbloke said:

gazza285 said:

The Toyota is a Citroen, just with a different badge.

But a better warranty…

That doesn’t make it any more comfortable to drive.

I’d imagine they’re pretty similar to drive, who’d have thunk..

[reddiesel]

weeve said:

I’ve loooked again. Indeed there is one bigger Proace with not too many miles on AT. It’s a manual but will check if they do an auto on their website. It’s more money by looks of it than a Traffic but 10 years warranty sounds good to me if I service with them….
Still interested in views on the continental ones if anyone knows…

Sprinter is the best Money can buy , Ive run a fleet of them for Decades . The Crew Cab has acres of space and even buying at 100,000 miles these Vans with regular filter and oil changes will easily hit 400,000 miles . Always look for one with a Limiter fitted from new , it means it won't have the arse ragged out it by some of the Idiots that post on here . I say Idiots because it never ceases to amaze me how half the Country cant apparently drive a LWB Sprinter from one destination to another without denting it in the process . Astounding ignorance and incompetence by so called "Professional" drivers .

[weeve]

Had to do some real work as opposed to van pontification for a living so not yet sorted. Have sat in most vans on the list though and low and behold (what a surprise) …the lwb/xlwb Merc and VW shuttle (caravelle too short, given up on a bulk head..) are the most desirable (to me). Also the most expensive … i almost bought a Vito from an eager salesman but backed away as was fried from working (and too much cheese) as was proper money and thought I might regret it as it was too nice really. Should do it before the outdoor brigade start buying again for spring though as the kids and stty weather have re decorated the back seats on the daily with various forms of mud and putting bikes on racks is wearing thinner than ever.
I’m going to try a sprinter as per the above advise next. Might be too big for the narrow roads around here (Lakes). Never driven one. My brother has an ancient one which was bought for £1 (really) about 30 years ago. Welded (by him) it un-died and it still carries stuff to his small sailing boat each year and otherwise just annoys the neighbours by glaring at them on his drive….I’m also going to to check out a cheap pick up as an interim measure and just hoof the crap in the back for a bit. Plenty of vans with 3 seats around by me for sale but leaving one child to rattle around in the back is apparently not the done thing …

Edited by weeve on Tuesday 2nd January 22:17