Thinking about VW combi van....

[Gazman]

Just been away to Cornwall for the week and was surprised at the number of VW T4/T5 combi vans there are down there. I stopped and chatted with an owner and was impressed with the practicality of the things and also the quote that he would now ever go back to a car now. Since I've been back I keep thinking about them, and how much stuff I could carry around in one, plus the Mrs and little one, anyone else ever had experience with one of these...

[Toxicvrs]

If you're after a fast one try the Sportline Kombi! I've used one and wouldn't go back to a car if I had the money to buy one! Drove like a car but more practical! With 174bhp it goes well for a van

[trundlenut]

Some friends have a T5 Caravelle and their are a lot of electric bits to go wrong on them. They have a 170bhp PD engine in there van and it shifts, but it did eats its own gearbox recently.

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[vrsjub]

Used to work on them at vw and really like them but as above they very much like eating DMF and boxes! But the 174 sportline is an animal! My mate has one as his daily and uses it for moving his race bike around and it's awesome!! We fitted new solid flywheel last weekend as its mapped and running about 190bhp it loves smoking it's tyres and embarrassing a lot of things at the lights!!

If I could afford one I'd get one tomorrow!!

[grr666]

Scene tax though. 

On everything! 

[marcusthehat]

I ud love one, and wistfully looked at buying one in 2010, when we bought the Octavia.

But apart from the purchase cost(which was not particularly unaffordable)

I simply refused to pay the fuel penalty for 18 to 20k private miles per year.

Also drivers seat a tad high for my in-and-out daily routine.

But ab fab seating position (for me) once enthroned.

Sigh, might treat mesel in 10 years when the Octavia had had her day.

Be 65 then, so prob be my last motor!

marcus

[Gazman]

I did notice when looking that they were'nt exactly cheap and the vat's a headache, think I'd go for the 130/140 bhp ones as the newer later model T5's, and especially the sportlines are way to expensive for me. Think I'll have to do a bit more pondering before making any decisions....

[Toxicvrs]

Yeah I'd only ever be able to afford an older sportline

[Perc]

I was always wondering why 5-cylinder T5 drivers drive like their pants are on fire. I got my answer when I got to drive one myself. It's the only diesel I've driven that needs to be revved out to move anywhere, and it sounds really nice when you do. The 170hp version with a remap is also bloody quick, it managed to scare the proverbial out of me. And then again at the first bend, when the brakes and steering on that particular example weren't anywhere near as good as the acceleration.

[Gambo]

A colleague of mine ended up buying a merc van instead of one of these recently, purely because the price was obscene with the scene tax. 

[Toxicvrs]

Vito Brabus?

[Perc]

The first generation (front drive) vito should be avoided like the plague. It doesn't matter what shape it's is or how attractive the price is, it's a genuine piece of crap. All of them. Seriously.

 

The second generation (rear drive) is better, at least in later years. But the first few model years had issues. 

[mark999]

We had the T4 Caravelle 2.5tdi fantastic van very reliable.. Before that we had the Merc V220cdi a complete nightmare from new.

Mark

[domhnall]

I've got a T5 camper , fabulous vehicle. It's just the 102 bhp 2.0 tdi but it drives like a dream.

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[Defenderben]

The main thing to bear in mind is can you live with it and need it everyday?

I know of a fair few T4 & T5 owners down here and the biggest problem as a direct everyday family car replacement is economy & parking in the cities ( if you call Exeter/Plymouth) cities compared to what some maybe used too

Most have either access to works vehicles or another car and mainly use them weekends.

Some are 100% happy with them as a daily driver.

[Perc]

We have the Renault equivalent at work, and I tool around town in it for an hour or two every day. I've probably put 20,000 km on it myself. 

 

 

I can't say I've ever had problems with it being too big - if anything, it's easier to park than a car because you have proper sized mirrors and a really high seating position. The only problem I find with it is that it's wide. A bit too wide for tight parking spaces.

 

The Renault is leaps and bounds more spacious inside than the VW T4 or T5, by the way. I simply can't fit properly behind the wheel of the VW with the normal bulkhead in place. I'm wedged in with my kneecaps pressing against the dashboard. 

 

But I don't think I would want one as my personal daily driver. If I could keep one car for each purpose, then yes. Absolutely. One of them would be a van of some sort.

Edited 19 July, 2014 by Perc

[Toxicvrs]

How about a vivaro sportive Kombi?