what van??..

[Mike GTT]

righty, i've just sold my golf and i'm on the lookout for a van, just for general tool carrying, surf boards, surfing and camping stuff. so its not gonna be for heavy use.

probably gonna for car derived ie vauxhall combo, but upto vivaro SWB sort of size max.

a renault traffic/vivaro gearbox's are apparently made with toffee and assembled by stevie wonder so don't tend to last long.

i'm just wondering if anyone has any opinions on a van that they may drive for work etc..

cheers guys :D

[The new Bill J]

DO NOT, EVER, EVER get a Vauxhall Combo van. We use them at work and they last about 5 mins. All of ours are totally fecked within 10k miles. Driving them you honestly wouldn't believe how new/low miles they are. Replacement engines and gearboxes are common. The trim falls off, both interior and exterior. The seats are like park benches, and they wear out quicker than a pair of silk socks! Electrics stop working for fun. The suspension dies within about 5k miles, unless you're driving on perfect road surfaces at all times.

Oh, and one of ours even tried to kill it's driver a few weeks back. It was pouring exhaust fumes into the cabin, poisoning the driver, who was then off sick for several days! :scared:

We also use Ford Connects, and they're a lot better. They're dog slow though, where as the Combo's are actually quite punchy.

[gtmatt]

:)i think the ford connect is a great little van , we have 1 at work had it 2 years no probs with is but we bought it new .

also i great van is a merc sprinter 208 n/a diesal they are cheap now , u get noisey tappets on them , but best finding 1 with low milage .

i would go for a german van , either vw or merc ,depends on your money

[Mike GTT]

thats confirmed the vivaro problems then ;)

the combo's are going for reasonable prices, i've seen a few ex british gas ones kicking about, but they've have the older 1.7 DI/DTI isuzu engines as opposed to the new CDTi GM engines, but reading some reviews they seem to hold up well.

any have any views on the new engines vs the old ones??

[Mike GTT]

i think the sprinter would be too big, vito could be cool :cool:

i've got 4 k max to work with(cheapest the better) and only cover about 5/6k miles a year :)

[r5 rich]

I use to have a escort 1.8 non turbo diesel van. It was cheap, very reliable and also the mpg was unreal and mine had done 180k when I sold it and the mot tester who donw the last mot for me at ford said the engine was still good for another 100k:eek:

I also use alot a transit connect van alot and thats the diesel. Nice and spacious and got trick bits like the passenger seat folds down completely so that you can get that extra metre for long materials. Also got nice stuff like electric windows as extra I think, dead locks, side door plus it has more poke than the escort due to turbo and still got the same mpg roughly as the escort

[The new Bill J]

the combo's are going for reasonable prices

Yea, for a reason - See my above post :cartman:



, i've seen a few ex british gas ones kicking about, but they've have the older 1.7 DI/DTI isuzu engines as opposed to the new CDTi GM engines, but reading some reviews they seem to hold up well.

any have any views on the new engines vs the old ones??

I don't know which ones have got which engines. I never even pop the bonnet on any of ours, as I don't bother with my engine checks. If it starts, that's good enough for me :D

However, while all our Combos are 07 plate onwards, we have one old "spare" on a 55 plate. The engine in that feels much stronger than the newer vans, and it will not die! Saying that though, one of our newer ones got driven through a hedge once and the radiator popped. The driver never noticed that it had no water in it for three days :laugh:, and it still ran. It did fry the rings though, and it soon needed another engine (the 3rd in 22k).

[r5 rich]

I found in the combo van at high speed it use to make a really loud noise on the sloopy roof and it use to get on my nerves in the end trying to sleep stupid o clock in the morning on the way to a job:laugh:

[gtmatt]

Merc spinter 208 short wheel base ain't that big perfect size IMO vitos are also good as well mate also a vw caddy ? Caddys are good vans as well smaller and fast

[dangerous dave]

a mate had a 2000 reg caddy van 1.9.. gutless and nasty to drive..

i have an astravan 51 reg i think 116k now and still awesome:smokin:

[Mike GTT]

ah whateth to do :scared:

from readin up a little, the '07 onwards vauxhalls have the newer engines in them.

i would go old skool caddy, but the mrs wouldn't approve... happy wife - happy life and all that.

no one's mention a kangoo yet, there seem to be loads about on the roads?? i'm gonna have a look at a combo today, hopefully take it for a test drive :rolleyes: