new Company Car (well nearly)... Custom...
Discussion
For the last 3 years I have been tromping around the country in a Volvo XC60. It's done sterling service, but due to an ever increasing amount of kit that I carry I've not seen the back seat over the last 18 months. It's also meant that more stuff is on view than I am entirely comfortable with when I'm overnighting...
When it came for replacement I spent a long time considering different options. SUV's don't have the space. Pickup boot's are not secure, and most of them are Japanese with horrible interiors.
So I slowly settled on a van. gulp. My criteria for a vehicle is quiet, cruise, AC and bluetooth - oh and comfortable.
The Renault/Nissan were ruled out very quickly as they were far too noisy. I also discovered that if I got a double cab I would still be able to use for family trips and would have a seat that could properly recline... The van part is still big enough.
I was pretty set on the Peugeot / Citroen Expert/Dispatch. Comfortable quiet. But only available in a 130hp engine - no automatic and most in basic spec. Then had a drive of a Transit Custom Sport and was surprised at how good it was.
I have ended up with a Custom Sport 172 auto. It looks good (for a van), and is really comfortable. Has lots of gadgets. Noise wise it's fairly quiet. The engine is a bit gruff - especially when it is cold. Automatic gearbox is not particularly sophisticated - but is smooth. It is making a strange noise from the front end - I'll wait a few days to see if it's the brakes bedding in - but suspect it needs to go back in...
van1 by LRPlans, on Flickr.
van by LRPlans, on Flickr
van2 by LRPlans, on Flickr
van up by LRPlans, on Flickr
vanup1 by LRPlans, on Flickr
When it came for replacement I spent a long time considering different options. SUV's don't have the space. Pickup boot's are not secure, and most of them are Japanese with horrible interiors.
So I slowly settled on a van. gulp. My criteria for a vehicle is quiet, cruise, AC and bluetooth - oh and comfortable.
The Renault/Nissan were ruled out very quickly as they were far too noisy. I also discovered that if I got a double cab I would still be able to use for family trips and would have a seat that could properly recline... The van part is still big enough.
I was pretty set on the Peugeot / Citroen Expert/Dispatch. Comfortable quiet. But only available in a 130hp engine - no automatic and most in basic spec. Then had a drive of a Transit Custom Sport and was surprised at how good it was.
I have ended up with a Custom Sport 172 auto. It looks good (for a van), and is really comfortable. Has lots of gadgets. Noise wise it's fairly quiet. The engine is a bit gruff - especially when it is cold. Automatic gearbox is not particularly sophisticated - but is smooth. It is making a strange noise from the front end - I'll wait a few days to see if it's the brakes bedding in - but suspect it needs to go back in...
van1 by LRPlans, on Flickr.
van by LRPlans, on Flickr
van2 by LRPlans, on Flickr
van up by LRPlans, on Flickr
vanup1 by LRPlans, on Flickr
Edited by surveyor on Friday 2nd February 20:24
I'm also not sure about the stripes. I think they may go in time...
Only done a couple of short journeys so far. Very car like - easy to place on the road. Rear View camera very useful. A little gruff in the voice. 172 horses see's it move just fine. Ford's version of DAB is very hard to get used to.
Oh yes - I forgot.. as it's a company vehicle I get clobbered for tax. Because it's a van and I'm 40% rate benefit in kind is £107.66 a month.
Which reminds me - I probably need to tell someone that I have it!
Only done a couple of short journeys so far. Very car like - easy to place on the road. Rear View camera very useful. A little gruff in the voice. 172 horses see's it move just fine. Ford's version of DAB is very hard to get used to.
Oh yes - I forgot.. as it's a company vehicle I get clobbered for tax. Because it's a van and I'm 40% rate benefit in kind is £107.66 a month.
Which reminds me - I probably need to tell someone that I have it!
Edited by surveyor on Friday 2nd February 20:31
jkh112 said:
Interesting choice. Looks good, escpcially the interior. Not sure about the stripes.
How car like does it drive? Keep us updated.
Agreed on the stripes. Makes the van look a bit "council". How car like does it drive? Keep us updated.
I'd be tempted to get the wife's hairdryer out, and lose them. If you leave it too long, you'll have multiple shades of silver all over the bodywork.
I've got one as a hire van at the moment whilst my Citroen Dispatch is being serviced. It is so much quieter than the Dispatch to the point I think I may being getting an NIP in the post! On the motorway, just tootling along - or so I thought! An indicated 85 ish and a camera van on a bridge on the M3 today. lI honestly didn't realise I was going quite so quickly. We'll see though. What will be will be
We've always had Ford vans at work. The latest ones, like yours dont drive like vans and are really nice to do miles in. I drove from the south to leeds to collect and engine and back in a morning and never noticed I had done as many miles as I did , as we just cruised on up and back. Later on, I collected my Westfield kit from Brum and drove a LWB high roof version and was great. Also the benefit of only needing £40 to fill it back up was a surprise as well. Great vans , but trim on the works ones are more fragile that the earlier ones . We have lost a couple of fuel flaps and also addblue needs about 20 ltrs every 3 to 4k miles, so keep that in stock. The only thing I find awkward with them is high brake and clutch pedals . Other than that are great.
Justin S said:
We've always had Ford vans at work. The latest ones, like yours dont drive like vans and are really nice to do miles in. I drove from the south to leeds to collect and engine and back in a morning and never noticed I had done as many miles as I did , as we just cruised on up and back. Later on, I collected my Westfield kit from Brum and drove a LWB high roof version and was great. Also the benefit of only needing £40 to fill it back up was a surprise as well. Great vans , but trim on the works ones are more fragile that the earlier ones . We have lost a couple of fuel flaps and also addblue needs about 20 ltrs every 3 to 4k miles, so keep that in stock. The only thing I find awkward with them is high brake and clutch pedals . Other than that are great.
Dealt with the clutch pedal Interesting marmite replies on the stripes...
I’ve built some racking up today, now strapped in the van with work kit strapped on the shelves.. pleasingly it’s not a rattle fest.
Lots of space left after what would have been a boot full in the Volvo
I’ve also spotted a lack of storage in the cabin. I think I’ll mess a cars centre console and look forward to the first time my paperwork falls off the passenger seat..
inside1 by LRPlans, on Flickr
I’ve built some racking up today, now strapped in the van with work kit strapped on the shelves.. pleasingly it’s not a rattle fest.
Lots of space left after what would have been a boot full in the Volvo
I’ve also spotted a lack of storage in the cabin. I think I’ll mess a cars centre console and look forward to the first time my paperwork falls off the passenger seat..
inside1 by LRPlans, on Flickr
Edited by surveyor on Sunday 4th February 21:14
mdk1 said:
There is a big storage bin above the dash clock housing, push the button above the Perspex to lift the lid.
Looks a really nice van, and I like the strips.
It's not what I'd call big, but enough for shades and stuff. There should be a USB socket in there as well with some recesses around the panel-shut so you can route it to a windscreen-mounted phone-as-GPS.Looks a really nice van, and I like the strips.
Be careful opening the door if you've parked with a tailwind. It will fly open and bend the hell out of the hinges.
Apart from all that I enjoyed driving my work's Transit Custom. Such an easy vehicle to place which was useful for driving up single track roads, and could reverse it up a duck's ahole if needed.
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