Anyone bought a VW Van recently?
Discussion
We've had a transporter on hire at work for the last month to help with the Christmas rush. We mostly have Peugeots (Boxers and Partners) and to be honest, I prefer them to the VW. It's neither a nice drive or a comfy place to be all day. We've had a few VWs in the past and build quality and reliability have been worth the premium cost, but this latest one didn't stand out as anything special on that front.
Try
https://www.new-car-discount.com/vans
I bought a new shape Crafter trendline XXXLWB (couldn't find any for sale on the used market). I paid a little over £25k + vat for a cancelled order (black paint, led headlights, trendline with business pack so has aircon, CarPlay and F&r sensors and rear camera). When similar ones come up used they tend to be more than i what paid a year ago.
https://www.new-car-discount.com/vans
I bought a new shape Crafter trendline XXXLWB (couldn't find any for sale on the used market). I paid a little over £25k + vat for a cancelled order (black paint, led headlights, trendline with business pack so has aircon, CarPlay and F&r sensors and rear camera). When similar ones come up used they tend to be more than i what paid a year ago.
Thanks to the poster who explained the Vat qualifying issue. I hadnt understood that despite seeing it numerous times.
VW and Ford both seem to have their supporters and detractors. We are coming from an 8 seater Hyundia. Pretty solid reliability but looks like a porpoise and spec is poverty at best.
I dont need but would really like the 9th seat as it would allow me and five kids to going biking and with the LWB Transporter i am thinking with the 3rd row double folded i’d probably be able to get all bikes inside the bus. The Transporter, looks longer than the transit and the Merc options, Vito Tourer look not much higher spec’d than thr Hyundia?
Any thoughts?
VW and Ford both seem to have their supporters and detractors. We are coming from an 8 seater Hyundia. Pretty solid reliability but looks like a porpoise and spec is poverty at best.
I dont need but would really like the 9th seat as it would allow me and five kids to going biking and with the LWB Transporter i am thinking with the 3rd row double folded i’d probably be able to get all bikes inside the bus. The Transporter, looks longer than the transit and the Merc options, Vito Tourer look not much higher spec’d than thr Hyundia?
Any thoughts?
A bit of insider information, well from a few years ago anyway, but I would presume it would be very similar now.
Back towards the end of final version T5 days (2016), you could get huge discounts of the T5 at the time, but you had to know someone in one of two industries to get the discount.
1. Any T5 Commercial Vehicle (i.e. Van/kombi, not shuttle or caravelle). If you were a part of the GTC (Guild of Television Camermen), you could get a whopping 20% off the pre VAT price of a T5. You had to show your membership card to get this. I think Caddy was around 15% and Crafter at the time was similar.
2. Any VW Shuttles (I.e. 8 or 9 seater) BUT not Caravelle. If you had a PCV license (as in taxi, chauffeur etc), you could get a whopping 20% off the pre VAT price. Again, you had to show your licence to get this.
A "few" customers utilised these for their friends/family by purchasing the vehicle in their name using their membership/licence and being registered under their membership/licence name on the V5 etc. Clearly being paid outright. And then as soon as the V5 came through, "technically" sold it to their friend/family member at the same price. You end up being the second owner, but you get a massive saving. At the time, no further checks were carried out by VW to check if the original purchaser still had the vehicle.
Now, of course these discounts were in place many years ago, and I know the GTC scheme is still in place (but the discount levels may vary now). Remember, its not what you know, in this case its who you know. So if you know someone who works for the GTC or has a PCV licence, "technically" get them to buy it for you. The GTC discount only works with one key VW dealership as they are the only one who managed to secure the fleet discount terms between VWUK and with the GTC. Just google VW Commercial Bedfont and you'll know which dealership this is. I don't know if the PCV scheme still exists, however I am fairly confident it would do as VWUK had a huge amount of business via this channel.
So start digging your phone/address books and find someone who is either a GTC member or who has a PCV licence! Good luck!
Also, the above is only on brand new vehicles, not used or pre reg.
Back towards the end of final version T5 days (2016), you could get huge discounts of the T5 at the time, but you had to know someone in one of two industries to get the discount.
1. Any T5 Commercial Vehicle (i.e. Van/kombi, not shuttle or caravelle). If you were a part of the GTC (Guild of Television Camermen), you could get a whopping 20% off the pre VAT price of a T5. You had to show your membership card to get this. I think Caddy was around 15% and Crafter at the time was similar.
2. Any VW Shuttles (I.e. 8 or 9 seater) BUT not Caravelle. If you had a PCV license (as in taxi, chauffeur etc), you could get a whopping 20% off the pre VAT price. Again, you had to show your licence to get this.
A "few" customers utilised these for their friends/family by purchasing the vehicle in their name using their membership/licence and being registered under their membership/licence name on the V5 etc. Clearly being paid outright. And then as soon as the V5 came through, "technically" sold it to their friend/family member at the same price. You end up being the second owner, but you get a massive saving. At the time, no further checks were carried out by VW to check if the original purchaser still had the vehicle.
Now, of course these discounts were in place many years ago, and I know the GTC scheme is still in place (but the discount levels may vary now). Remember, its not what you know, in this case its who you know. So if you know someone who works for the GTC or has a PCV licence, "technically" get them to buy it for you. The GTC discount only works with one key VW dealership as they are the only one who managed to secure the fleet discount terms between VWUK and with the GTC. Just google VW Commercial Bedfont and you'll know which dealership this is. I don't know if the PCV scheme still exists, however I am fairly confident it would do as VWUK had a huge amount of business via this channel.
So start digging your phone/address books and find someone who is either a GTC member or who has a PCV licence! Good luck!
Also, the above is only on brand new vehicles, not used or pre reg.
Edited by ads_4116 on Saturday 26th December 03:08
Had (well use of it was my dads) a VW transporter for 11yrs it was the 2.5 engine and a very good van had no real issues.
He now has a merc Vito again from new this is a 65 plate. We looked at another VW but for same spec as the Vito (seats in back etc) it just was not as finished.
Anyway yes I’d have a VW but the price is very large, having said that so is the merc Vito and he VW keeps its money when you go to sell on.
If you wanna van then the Vauxhall’s vivaro for the money is actually very good, I’ve had 2 now both from new only niggle is once in a blue moon the radio goes off.
As for the ford, the company I work for it seems to have the most issues caused that are not user error.
He now has a merc Vito again from new this is a 65 plate. We looked at another VW but for same spec as the Vito (seats in back etc) it just was not as finished.
Anyway yes I’d have a VW but the price is very large, having said that so is the merc Vito and he VW keeps its money when you go to sell on.
If you wanna van then the Vauxhall’s vivaro for the money is actually very good, I’ve had 2 now both from new only niggle is once in a blue moon the radio goes off.
As for the ford, the company I work for it seems to have the most issues caused that are not user error.
You pay more to purchase but over time the VWs ridiculously minimal depreciation means you're saving once you buy.
I don't think I could have a Transit due to engine and the ongoing security issue.
Quite like the Citroen Peugeot option but I've not driven one so no idea how they perform.
I don't think I could have a Transit due to engine and the ongoing security issue.
Quite like the Citroen Peugeot option but I've not driven one so no idea how they perform.
silver1011 said:
The Transporter has and continues to be plagued with SCR (Adblue) system issues too.
We've had constant adblue request/warning lights. I'm not convinced on the Transporter, it always seems to be a weird snob/mountain bike trailcentre carpark prerequisite.
I'm personally looking at a Trafic or Vivaro. Sadly they only seem to come in 1.6 engine size though and if buying used there is the real chance that they could have been used previously as a private ambulance...the same for Transporters too I guess.
Desiderata said:
We've had a transporter on hire at work for the last month to help with the Christmas rush. We mostly have Peugeots (Boxers and Partners) and to be honest, I prefer them to the VW. It's neither a nice drive or a comfy place to be all day. We've had a few VWs in the past and build quality and reliability have been worth the premium cost, but this latest one didn't stand out as anything special on that front.
Update on this, we had three T6's in total on hire for 3 months. One was replaced by the hire company the first week an less than 500 miles due to a lighting fault that they couldn't fix
Two developed faults in the driver's door handle mechanism, they wouldn't open from the outside, the hire company took them away for a few days to fix this.
All three had intermittent engine management warnings, the first before it reached 1000 miles. The hire company couldn't find the fault so told us just to use them as they were unless they went into limp mode (they didn't).
I think we'll stick to PSA in future.
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