The end of the VW Transporter?

[119]

This popped up on my YT and a lot seems to make sense.

I could never really get my head around the shared VW/Ford set up but now i do.

It turns out that, as many said, why would you buy an expensive Transporter when it is pretty much a Ford underneath.

According to this, VW agreed to a certain amount of units from Ford production, but because they aren't selling that well, VW are potentially offering massive discounts to move the stock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaNoQCrokZ8

Would you buy a T7 over a Transit?

Not sure i would tbh!

https://vanreviewer.co.uk/news/volkswagen-van-sale...

[V 02]

Apart from the wet belt reliability issues, the Transit has always been by far and away the best van, especially for the last generation. And the new Custom is heads and shoulders above the competition.

Seemingly no one really makes a “new” van anymore anyway, the Toyota/Citroen/Peugeot/Fiat/Vaxuhall vans are all exactly the same, so is the Nissan/Renault van, and the MB Vito model has been around for ten years now.

When i used to have a van for work, I always wanted the keys to the Ford. The Transporter T6 on the other hand looked cool (#vanlife, DUB, scene, etc) but I don’t recall they were particularly reliable or really anything special. So for me to have a Ford van underpinnings and a VW body really makes sense, although I guess they could have used the existing 2.0 TDI in 115ps and 130ps forms.

[stevemcs]

I wouldn't have chosen any VW van over the Transit - so for me i would still have a Transit, althought the new dashboard is a mess.

[119]

I’ll admit I haven’t actually seen either in the flesh yet, but one would assume the Transporter should be above the Tranny in terms of refinement but worth the additional cost?

[Simon_GH]

I think perceived quality is higher. Reliability is usually deemed lower. It wins on appeal (for some) which is reflected in higher resale values (called scene tax).

[Chuffedmonkey]

Having driven a Transit at work in the past for a long time 2017 model and then having a hire VW hire van 2020 model whilst said Transit was being repaired The transit drove night and day better then the VW.

I couldn't wait to get shot of the hire VW as it just was not as nice to drive as the Ford and rattled despite it having lower miles and being newer. I will admit although its not my scene, the VW transporters do look a lot better.

Maybe in a perfect scenario they could have used the driving dynamics of the Ford but with the perceived bullet proof engine of the VW. I would think that would have been a winner.

[Lester H]

Isn’t the Transporter , leaving aside the so-called ‘scene’ , also preferred by some because it’s narrower?

[towser44]

Lester H said:

Isn t the Transporter , leaving aside the so-called scene , also preferred by some because it s narrower?

But surely that impacts load space and the main thing of a van is having usable, decent load space.

[codenamecueball]

119 said:

Would you buy a T7 over a Transit?

Not sure i would tbh!

https://vanreviewer.co.uk/news/volkswagen-van-sale...

If VW sold it to me for less than Ford, sure.

VW dealer is about 5 miles further away, so I'd need to account for that every year.

[Lester H]

towser44 said:

Lester H said:

Isn t the Transporter , leaving aside the so-called scene , also preferred by some because it s narrower?

But surely that impacts load space and the main thing of a van is having usable, decent load space.

Yes, but some traders/artisans have to negotiate narrow roads and, of course, so do campers. Vans are actually too small for camping but motor homes can prove too clumsy.

[119]

Hearing a few reports of rear shocks prematurely failing on the new transits.

[CaptainScarlet1967]

Simon_GH said:

I think perceived quality is higher. Reliability is usually deemed lower. It wins on appeal (for some) which is reflected in higher resale values (called scene tax).

Over the summer I did a fair number of road trips around the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District and North York Moors.

I had never appreciated just how popular for leisure the Transporter actually is as the (camper)van of choice.

If you didn't see them on a twisty, the A-roads had plenty of them, made more prominent when driving past lengthy tailbacks.

Nowhere was free from them. They were everywhere.

Plenty of older models from the 1990s running strong as well. Definitely not just a Northern thing.

I imagine that for scene tax, older models will either retain value better or appreciate in value for purists or those habitually flipping them for a higher price tag.

[gazza285]

Had a T4, it was crap to drive and so unreliable I vowed to never have another.

Now have a Vito after a few Transits, trouble free motoring for the last five years.

[Ed Boon]

I’ve got a Transit, much better than a Transporter and I always make sure to let them know whenever I get the opportunity.

[Ed Boon]

codenamecueball said:

If VW sold it to me for less than Ford, sure.

VW dealer is about 5 miles further away, so I'd need to account for that every year.

The VW is cheaper, also has a 5 year warranty, but it’s fugly and that’s why private buyers won’t touch it and are buying up 6.1’s instead.

VW Dealers infinitely better than Ford dealers, at least in my experience of running a fleet of 80 vans.

[ChocolateFrog]

Ed Boon said:

I ve got a Transit, much better than a Transporter and I always make sure to let them know whenever I get the opportunity.

God can you imagine someone coming up to you to tell you how much better they think their car is than yours.

Do lots of people give you a wide berth?

I can categorically say no one who bought their own Transporter cares what you think.

[toon10]

As the former owner of a low mileage T6 T32 Highline 204, there's no way I'd choose anything from VW over Ford. Literally the least reliable vehicle I've ever owned and I had an old Fiat in the 90's.

I've been looking to get back into a campervan, although the 5.4 - 6 meter ones. I'd rather take a wet belt Ford over a VW!

[Ed Boon]

ChocolateFrog said:

God can you imagine someone coming up to you to tell you how much better they think their car is than yours.

Do lots of people give you a wide berth?

I can categorically say no one who bought their own Transporter cares what you think.

Parrot required

[Ed Boon]

toon10 said:

As the former owner of a low mileage T6 T32 Highline 204, there's no way I'd choose anything from VW over Ford. Literally the least reliable vehicle I've ever owned and I had an old Fiat in the 90's.

I've been looking to get back into a campervan, although the 5.4 - 6 meter ones. I'd rather take a wet belt Ford over a VW!

Conversely, my T6 of the same spec was almost faultless, the few issues I had were resolved swiftly by my local main dealer.

The company fleet had a few Transit customs which on the other hand were mostly garbage, lots of problems and a truly hopeless main dealer.

[toon10]

Ed Boon said:

Conversely, my T6 of the same spec was almost faultless, the few issues I had were resolved swiftly by my local main dealer.

The company fleet had a few Transit customs which on the other hand were mostly garbage, lots of problems and a truly hopeless main dealer.

If you ever have issues with your VW and decide to take it to the VW van center in Newcastle then you'd know what a truly hopeless main dealer is.