[NWH]

Like you say windowswashed the new Mercs are plain they look like anything else on the road,my van is 180hp loads and loads of torque very rarely need 1st gear. I’m getting better fuel economy than a lot of smaller vans.

[John Mart]

Like you say windowswashed the new Mercs are plain they look like anything else on the road,my van is 180hp loads and loads of torque very rarely need 1st gear. I’m getting better fuel economy than a lot of smaller vans.

I had a Transporter on hire a couple of weeks for moving some equipment and wouldn't rate it as better than a Custom to be honest. Much of a muchness. Both great vans.

[Richard Stevenson]

On the whole the traffic is an unreliable van,you are always going to get the exception all the people I know that’s had them wouldn’t buy another.
It used to be almost a given you’d need a new clutch and gearbox early in its life,the main thing I’ve heard with em other then that is stuck valves.

I am on my 4th vivario. Don't listen to people who have not owned one! Great van

[jonboywalton75]

Don't like Mercs or Vivaro/Trafics etc
My 2.2 ltr Custom is used for everything, even my personal use
Pulls great, 45,000  on the clock, had new battery and tyres and apart from servicing and wiper blades that's it from new.Its a 64 plate
Runs like a dream

[Clever Forum Name]

Transit custom 310/320/330/340

Driven them with a 400L,650L,850L all drive like they have nothing in them.

[NWH]

Don’t listen  lol it’s a fact they are terrible vans google problems with traffic vivaro Nissan primastar,problems it’s well documented they even had to rethink the engine and gearbox because they were going back to dealers like crack heads.

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

old smiley front transit are the best vans buy far , wheel bearing are still a tenner , front pads 11 quid , and no electric rubbish to go wrong on them

[dd]

On the whole the traffic is an unreliable van,you are always going to get the exception all the people I know that’s had them wouldn’t buy another.
It used to be almost a given you’d need a new clutch and gearbox early in its life,the main thing I’ve heard with em other then that is stuck valves.

I am on my 4th vivario. Don't listen to people who have not owned one! Great van

The fact you are on your 4th suggests you don't have enough confidence in them to keep one a long time.

I have only had one van which I bought nearly 13 years ago, and will probably keep it a few more years. (Old shape dispatch).

[NWH]

Buying any vehicle is a gamble but buying one with such a bad reputation is stupidity,I said to 1 bloke your having a new gearbox at 29000 Miles,he said yeah but it’s only 2 years old they’ll give me another new replacement while it’s being fixed lol.
He got such a cheap deal on the lease he went on to get 2 more lol dear me. 

[Smudger]

With regards to vivaro/traffic/primasster anything pre 60 your running a risk as there are lots of bad ones (dodgy  build etc) mines known as the money pit spent more fixing it than it cost to buy 😵

Boxer and relay have been a real eye opener great vans for me

Darran

[NWH]

They’ve got air fields full of em post office use em for a couple years and some poor sod buys 1 thinking he’s got a good deal for a 2-3 year old van only to realise he’s driving a money pit. 
I would much rather have piece of mind,you can’t beat German engineering.

[P @ F]

Not that it has much to do with what you want as you probably dont want a VW T4 , I got one that was 4 year old back in 2005 gleaming white  with 80K on it  , right off a forecourt for £5800 all in ,
I sold it in 2015 with 130K on it  , it was by now BRIGHT PINK and looked its age , I got £1400 off  the first viewer with loads more wanting to see it .
Now that was a good buy on my part 

[windowswashed]

I like the look of the new Ford's, very stylish inside and out, lots of extras but wouldn't buy one for fear of rust issues on them. I've welded in and patched up plenty of floor pans in my time on cars and vans and get to notice which are the worst for rust .  First ever car I bought was a 2.0s capri followed by a Ford escort RS2000 then two Ford escort vans,  but wouldn't buy another Ford until they galvanise the bodywork better.
I found the bigger the engines on vans, the better the fuel consumption.  Smaller engines carrying heavy loads takes it's toll on suspension, tyres and engines. Had a brand new Fiat Scudo when they first came out, it was very reliable, had no electrical problems with it for the three years I owned it but went through tyres and had to keep having suspension redone on the leaf springs owing to carrying a full load with speed bump city in the towns. VDub never had problems with anything, so reliable.

[a900]

I would still go for a VW over the Merc they seemed to have cheapend the look of all the Merc vans not knocking em,the Vdubs just look quality as well as the reliability factor.

I don't like the new mercs, they've got smaller engines and not so torquey. Don't like the shape of the new ones or the interior, think they look plain.  Bought the 639 version with the updated headlights, smarter interior and more  power, got the dualiner version, drives like a car and a lot more oomph than my transporter had. Just fancied a change, still got the VW , turned it into a camper

I have the same Vito 639 as you and it’s a great van. Would have another. Although I would have to disagree that it drives like a car. Done around 120 miles in it today and 70 feels noisy and at the same time like I’m crawling along wishing I was going faster. Where as my 15 year old e class I actually feel like I’m sat in an arm chair. If I want to recover after a long day. I’m better off driving my car than sitting on my sofa with a brew and my feet up. 224 HP brings a smile to my face and reminds me that the van is a  snail. Bottom line

Awesome van. Currently on 226k miles and drives like a brand new van. But it’s still a van and can’t compare to any car like any van.

[Dave Willis]

My Toyota has been hopeless, two rear lightbulbs now and just changed the original batteries (utter crap, they only lasted eleven years and that’s with five years running my pump off them).

[Smudger]

great vans - same they don't make them now

have you seen the price of them second hand  ??

W reg - 250K on the clock £3k.  !!!!!

Darran

[John Mart]

My Toyota has been hopeless, two rear lightbulbs now and just changed the original batteries (utter crap, they only lasted eleven years and that’s with five years running my pump off them).

An 11 year old van is fine for council estate work. 

[Dean ballinger]

I have a merc Vito 109 with a 2 man 500 L set up but need a bigger tank
Does any one no the biggest size tank I could fit in with out it falling through the floor?
My worker meets me at the first road we clean so his weight won’t be added until We have used some water making room for his weight

[Dean ballinger]

And has any one had there suspension tightend so they can carry more weight I dont no if this is an opinion on van ??

[capn sparkle]

My Toyota has been hopeless, two rear lightbulbs now and just changed the original batteries (utter crap, they only lasted eleven years and that’s with five years running my pump off them).

Thank you for that - It's official - Hating someone you've never met. £6,500 on the Vivaro so far, looking forward to the next few years.