Right, time to Wade through bucket loads of “hilarious” fecal matter in the hope of finding a pearl.
Looks like we’ll be needing a new van for work at the end of the season. As I’m the main driver of said van, I want to make sure once got some decent recommendations. The current van is a long wheelbase, high-top Mercedes Sprinter. Around town it’s fantastic, anything up to 90kph it handles with aplomb etc. However about 95% of the driving I do is 130kph on the motorways, where it’s utterly shit. I’ve been overtaken by articulated lorries on some of the steeper inclines.
So, thoughts on vans which are more engineered around long distance motorway driving please.
Also, in before people recommend the Peel P50 or the sodding Trotter van.
I have hired a Sprinter, a Crafter, a Master and a VW Transporter.over the past 18 months or so and used them around towns and on motorways. The Master was the worst. The Transporter was the best and felt like driving a car - I can see why the variants wioth seats are popular. But as a commercial rival to a LWB Sprinter these are not the same proposition. I liked the Sprinter (an XLWB high top) although it was basic in its equipment. Certainly fast enough on motorways. Indeed I had a job keeping it to legal limits and it was loaded with a house move. The Crafter likewise. I wonder if the engine that you currently have is the issue. Are these available with more powerful engines? If I was spending my own money on a van of this type the Crafter or the Sprinter would be at the top of the list - probably the Crafter cos the control layout was just like my Passat and felt the same as that. Very easy to drive and acclimitise to…
I love vans and have driven fucktons of the damned things:
Ford: drives nicely for a van, parts used to be cheaper and easier to get (I’m a few years out of date), but rusts fast.
Iveco: pretty much as above, but pricier/scarcer parts.
All the rest: drive like a pig on a roller-skate IME, rust fast.
Performance on motorways will depend on engine options, obviously, there are tons of those, so spend time fannying-about with a configurator, and then check on relevant commercial vehicle forums if that one engine you really fancy is actually the boat-anchor in the range…
I would especially avoid VW because their vans just fucking suck and are hateful to drive, and anything Korean or Japanese, cos, parts, lol.
