Fun to drive vans...
Discussion
I've recently got a new job which occasionally involves driving around in a citroen berlingo, and what a hoot that little machine is!!
Way more fun to drive than any van has a right to be and I have a whole lot more respect for citroen now. With no weight in the back it really handles.
Ok so it's still a small van so it has no power and it's still a citroen so the gearlever feels like it's going to come off in my hand any minute, but it's still a much bigger laugh than a good few cars I've driven.
A borrowed and very very battered 1990 transit 2.0 petrol was a right laugh too, especially with no wing mirrors...
So, fun to drive commercial vehicles, what else is out there I wonder?? By the way I'm talking about real vans not estate cars with blanked out windows...
Way more fun to drive than any van has a right to be and I have a whole lot more respect for citroen now. With no weight in the back it really handles.
Ok so it's still a small van so it has no power and it's still a citroen so the gearlever feels like it's going to come off in my hand any minute, but it's still a much bigger laugh than a good few cars I've driven.
A borrowed and very very battered 1990 transit 2.0 petrol was a right laugh too, especially with no wing mirrors...
So, fun to drive commercial vehicles, what else is out there I wonder?? By the way I'm talking about real vans not estate cars with blanked out windows...
I used to drive Vauxhall Combos every day over fairly fun roads, it was an excellent way to earn a living. Surprisingly punchy engine. Adequate handling - very car like to drive, prone to understeer but I found that required you to be 'pushing on' more than you'd expect - alright brakes but handbrake is not good enough for getting the back out, even on gravel roads 
I've also driven Bippers a few times. Faaaaaaar too slow, needs to be thrashed constantly (quite fun to watch the instant consumption hit 11mpg though), sharp but overservoed brakes, steering too light. Footwell is tiny too. Crappy ride, you get jiggled about like mad on anything but glass-smooth tarmac. Loadbay is also pretty s
t (tight turning circle though). Only redeeming feature in my eyes is the (high) driving position which is handy on country roads. More refined than the Combo too as it has a proper bulkhead.
I've briefly driven a Partner, that was pretty handy power-wise, but brakes were even more sensitive than the Bipper. Can't remember much else about it, I was overwhelmed by how clean and new it felt in comparison to the knackered Combos!
Never really driven anything bigger. I'd love a go in a big Transit or Sprinter.
I've also driven Bippers a few times. Faaaaaaar too slow, needs to be thrashed constantly (quite fun to watch the instant consumption hit 11mpg though), sharp but overservoed brakes, steering too light. Footwell is tiny too. Crappy ride, you get jiggled about like mad on anything but glass-smooth tarmac. Loadbay is also pretty s
t (tight turning circle though). Only redeeming feature in my eyes is the (high) driving position which is handy on country roads. More refined than the Combo too as it has a proper bulkhead.I've briefly driven a Partner, that was pretty handy power-wise, but brakes were even more sensitive than the Bipper. Can't remember much else about it, I was overwhelmed by how clean and new it felt in comparison to the knackered Combos!
Never really driven anything bigger. I'd love a go in a big Transit or Sprinter.
My current daily work drive is a 120bhp TDi Astravan 'Sportive'... and it's surprisingly rapid!
Weighs a fair bit less than the Astra car it's based on, handles like a car but soaks up bumps better.. And as it's the optimistically named Sportive model it's got 17" alloys, sports seats, decent stereo and a load of other toys.
I pretty much thrash it everywhere and I doubt I could do journeys any faster in my car. I can just go flat out but without worrying about bumps, potholes and stone chips like I would in my car!
Prior to this I've a Fiesta van, VW Caddy and a Vauxhall Courier and they were all rubbish compared with this... The Astra is truly thrash-o-riffic and its surprised a few people in hot hatches...
Great fun all round... I recommend one
Weighs a fair bit less than the Astra car it's based on, handles like a car but soaks up bumps better.. And as it's the optimistically named Sportive model it's got 17" alloys, sports seats, decent stereo and a load of other toys.
I pretty much thrash it everywhere and I doubt I could do journeys any faster in my car. I can just go flat out but without worrying about bumps, potholes and stone chips like I would in my car!
Prior to this I've a Fiesta van, VW Caddy and a Vauxhall Courier and they were all rubbish compared with this... The Astra is truly thrash-o-riffic and its surprised a few people in hot hatches...
Great fun all round... I recommend one
twazzock said:
I used to drive Vauxhall Combos every day over fairly fun roads, it was an excellent way to earn a living. Surprisingly punchy engine. Adequate handling - very car like to drive, prone to understeer but I found that required you to be 'pushing on' more than you'd expect - alright brakes but handbrake is not good enough for getting the back out, even on gravel roads
I've also driven Bippers a few times. Faaaaaaar too slow, needs to be thrashed constantly (quite fun to watch the instant consumption hit 11mpg though), sharp but overservoed brakes, steering too light. Footwell is tiny too. Crappy ride, you get jiggled about like mad on anything but glass-smooth tarmac. Loadbay is also pretty st (tight turning circle though). Only redeeming feature in my eyes is the (high) driving position which is handy on country roads. More refined than the Combo too as it has a proper bulkhead.
I've briefly driven a Partner, that was pretty handy power-wise, but brakes were even more sensitive than the Bipper. Can't remember much else about it, I was overwhelmed by how clean and new it felt in comparison to the knackered Combos!
Never really driven anything bigger. I'd love a go in a big Transit or Sprinter.
A postman by any chance?I've also driven Bippers a few times. Faaaaaaar too slow, needs to be thrashed constantly (quite fun to watch the instant consumption hit 11mpg though), sharp but overservoed brakes, steering too light. Footwell is tiny too. Crappy ride, you get jiggled about like mad on anything but glass-smooth tarmac. Loadbay is also pretty s
t (tight turning circle though). Only redeeming feature in my eyes is the (high) driving position which is handy on country roads. More refined than the Combo too as it has a proper bulkhead.I've briefly driven a Partner, that was pretty handy power-wise, but brakes were even more sensitive than the Bipper. Can't remember much else about it, I was overwhelmed by how clean and new it felt in comparison to the knackered Combos!
Never really driven anything bigger. I'd love a go in a big Transit or Sprinter.
i will admit the combos are quite fun to drive even in 1.3 cdti form although the fun goes a little when they replace the pirellis with ling longs or some other crap tyre. they are certainly much better in the snow than a vw caddy
wolfie1978 said:
A postman by any chance?
i will admit the combos are quite fun to drive even in 1.3 cdti form although the fun goes a little when they replace the pirellis with ling longs or some other crap tyre. they are certainly much better in the snow than a vw caddy
Yep, briefly!i will admit the combos are quite fun to drive even in 1.3 cdti form although the fun goes a little when they replace the pirellis with ling longs or some other crap tyre. they are certainly much better in the snow than a vw caddy
I have no idea what engines they had, I assumed it was the 1.7 diesel? (I think the Bippers were 1.3s, gutless)
Totally agree about the tyres, most of ours had Kumhos on, but the ones with Triangle or some other s
te understeered dreadfully.Forgot to mention Transit Connects. The one I drove was an utter heap - turn the steering wheel and it might change direction 2 or 3 seconds later after it's taken up all the slack in the system. Poor driving position, massive blindspot, crap engine, etc. etc.!
twazzock said:
Yep, briefly!
I have no idea what engines they had, I assumed it was the 1.7 diesel? (I think the Bippers were 1.3s, gutless)
Totally agree about the tyres, most of ours had Kumhos on, but the ones with Triangle or some other ste understeered dreadfully.
Forgot to mention Transit Connects. The one I drove was an utter heap - turn the steering wheel and it might change direction 2 or 3 seconds later after it's taken up all the slack in the system. Poor driving position, massive blindspot, crap engine, etc. etc.!
the older ones were 1.7 but the newer cdti's were all 1.3's. pretty nippy for such a small unit. i haven't had the opportunity to sample a bipper yet but we have 13 parked up ready to go. agree with you on the connect front too. very dull to drive, no pull from the engine at all and felt crap to drive probably due to height I have no idea what engines they had, I assumed it was the 1.7 diesel? (I think the Bippers were 1.3s, gutless)
Totally agree about the tyres, most of ours had Kumhos on, but the ones with Triangle or some other s
te understeered dreadfully.Forgot to mention Transit Connects. The one I drove was an utter heap - turn the steering wheel and it might change direction 2 or 3 seconds later after it's taken up all the slack in the system. Poor driving position, massive blindspot, crap engine, etc. etc.!
My daily work hack is a mk7 fiesta sportvan which is great fun to drive fair bit of poke and a blast in the bends.
Also now got a Transit Sportvan (one of the red ones). Which is surprisingly quick and the spec on it is very good think they are priced £23k new and we got £7k off. So think its a pretty good bargain. Took it up to Manchester for a job at the weekend and the amount of people commenting on it was ridiculous, it's only a transit with a body kit & alloys.
Also now got a Transit Sportvan (one of the red ones). Which is surprisingly quick and the spec on it is very good think they are priced £23k new and we got £7k off. So think its a pretty good bargain. Took it up to Manchester for a job at the weekend and the amount of people commenting on it was ridiculous, it's only a transit with a body kit & alloys.
I had a Berlingo in work for a while, with the 2.0 HDI engine. It was a hoot to drive, although mine had 160K on it and the suspension was a little tired.
Used to have great fun keeping up with Non-Locals on the twisties!
I've got a new shape bog spec FWD Transit now which actually drives fairly well and holds a fair bit of speed in the corners considering its size. ESP is a little bit sensitive though.
There was a thread on here a while ago with the OP trying to set up a Berlingo Owners Club, I wonder if it ever took off!
Used to have great fun keeping up with Non-Locals on the twisties!
I've got a new shape bog spec FWD Transit now which actually drives fairly well and holds a fair bit of speed in the corners considering its size. ESP is a little bit sensitive though.
There was a thread on here a while ago with the OP trying to set up a Berlingo Owners Club, I wonder if it ever took off!
tercelgold said:
Anyone who says a Vauxhall Combo is anywhere near ok is very wrong in the head. Slow, bad steering, suspension, gearchange can go from 1st to reverse to third
to fifth without any hassle, terrible gear ratios and it will stall in junctions all the time unless you rev the tits off it.
Agreed, the Combo is a nasty little thing. My normal work hack is a 58 plate FWD Transit 2.2 115 bhp version which is OK but I'd never call it fun. A Transit Connect can be a good laugh though, but only when empty.to fifth without any hassle, terrible gear ratios and it will stall in junctions all the time unless you rev the tits off it.
My daily work van is a LWB Vivaro, I know they get a lot of bad press for the chocolate gearbox's and dodgy French electrics, but hand on heart, I've never really had any problems apart from it munching through front tyres and had a couple of bottom arms due to ball joint wear.
They're really fun to drive, handle really well, you can really chuck them about on twisty b-roads, they're far more stable than a few Transit's I've driven. It's only the 100bhp 1.9 but it will easily do a ton on the motorway, not that I do over 70 officer! Also, they seem quicker than the equivalent 100ps Transits too.
Not bad 0-60 either...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH1wM2hf_Ro
They're really fun to drive, handle really well, you can really chuck them about on twisty b-roads, they're far more stable than a few Transit's I've driven. It's only the 100bhp 1.9 but it will easily do a ton on the motorway, not that I do over 70 officer! Also, they seem quicker than the equivalent 100ps Transits too.
Not bad 0-60 either...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH1wM2hf_Ro
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