Van Advice

[Mark A]

My dad wants to downsize from his Fiat Ducato to something smaller and more economical, though bigger than a Vauxhall Combo.

I've forbidden him to go anywhere near Fiat, Peugeot or Citroen due to the bad experiences we've had with them in the past (my Doblo has cost more than we paid for it in repairs in the two years we've had it)

From what I've read, this leaves us with the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi, Renault Kangoo Maxi and the Nissan NV200.

Is anyone familiar with the vans I've mentioned?

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Dan.patten]

I have a 1.6hdi peugeot partner van on a 11 plate has done 55k miles and never had a problem with it so i wouldn't automatically write off them, i did however drive the peugeot bipper when my van last went in for a service and that was absolute garbage so would avoid that one.

(Bet my van breaks down tomorrow morning now i have posted this)

Regards

Dan

 

[Jacob]

VW unreliable and expensive to repair. Nice to drive, good build quality, but technically complicated and vulnerable. I knew this when I bought a Passat - I read consumer reports but thought I'd risk it. Vans are no better.
It's been recalled once for new injectors (free) but broken down twice and now needs new turbo (£1400). Big mistake, must have been mad, but it was nice and shiny red. :roll:

 

[Mark A]

I have a 1.6hdi peugeot partner van on a 11 plate has done 55k miles and never had a problem with it so i wouldn't automatically write off them, i did however drive the peugeot bipper when my van last went in for a service and that was absolute garbage so would avoid that one.

(Bet my van breaks down tomorrow morning now i have posted this)

Regards

Dan

Hi Dan

Every Fiat we've owned has been an absolute nightmare so we won't risk it again (that applies to Citroen and Peugeot too as the vans are the same) I calculated my Doblo has been in a garage the equivalent of two days per week since the engine self-destructed while in France last June!

VW unreliable and expensive to repair. Nice to drive, good build quality, but technically complicated and vulnerable. I knew this when I bought a Passat - I read consumer reports but thought I'd risk it. Vans are no better.
It's been recalled once for new injectors (free) but broken down twice and now needs new turbo (£1400). Big mistake, must have been mad, but it was nice and shiny red. :roll:

It's interesting that you say that because I automatically assumed the VW's would be reliable.

Any thoughts on Nissan vehicles in general?

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Lons]

VW unreliable and expensive to repair. Nice to drive, good build quality, but technically complicated and vulnerable. I knew this when I bought a Passat - I read consumer reports but thought I'd risk it. Vans are no better.
It's been recalled once for new injectors (free) but broken down twice and now needs new turbo (£1400). Big mistake, must have been mad, but it was nice and shiny red. :roll:

You must have done something wrong in a past life to get such a pup Jacob. You've been very unlucky.

I had a VW T4 for 4 years and my current T5 for 3 without any reliability problems and repairs amount only to normal servicing and brake disks with one exception of an alarm problem quickly sorted by a main VW dealer at very reasonable cost.

My son has had 2 passats and a scirocco and his wife on her second golf, all utterly reliable and my golfing mate is on his 4th Passat, this one a cc version - no probs.

Everyone is coloured by their personal experiences but your sweeping statement

VW unreliable and expensive to repair. Nice to drive, good build quality, but technically complicated and vulnerable

is misleading IMO. My last Renault traffic was more complicated than my newer VW but the build was rubbish and electrics suspect and with many more gizmos to go wrong. Added to that was the well publicised dodgy gearboxes on the traffic (and clones Nissan and Vauxhall). Mine was replaced under warranty at 60k.
Likewise, VW cars are no more technically complicated than the vast majority of other makes in the same range groupings.

I would buy another VW van without hesitation. Same applies to cars though I'm perfectly happy with my Audi (VW) at the minute.

Bob

 

[Mike Wingate]

Been driving VW's for the last 35 years. Not too many problems. Now running a Golf and a T5, no problems with either in nearly 3 years.

 

[Jacob]

VW have this reputation for reliability but if you look at 'Which' mag tables VWs don't do that well. Top of the list is always Honda, bottom is Land Rover, VW below half way. This is typical here.
Being below half way is OK if the price is right but you tend to pay a lot more for VW on the strength of undeserved reputation, and VW repairs are pricy.
And yes mine sounds much worse than average. I should have bought another Peugeot 405 estate. :roll:

 

[devonwoody]

If I was in business I would have one of those far eastern motor cars with a 6 year warranty and use a trailer and not tell them its business use. :wink:

 

[Harbo]

In the latest WHICH survey the Passatt comes out top for reliability!

Rod

 

[nev]

Ive been driving an ex PO 02 partner for the last 5 years or so. it had 100k on it when i bought it, and has proved a trusty old steed, and never had any issues or problems, and if i were in the market for a replacement would definitely consider another, or on the past history with golfs and polos, a caddy.

 

[thomvic]

Go for a Toyota Hiace - bullet proof I found in my working days.

Richard

 

[Lons]

It doesn't matter what you buy, there will always be winners and losers. just depends how lucky you are.

Modern cars are remarkably robust compared with not so many years ago. We change our cars every 2 to 3 years and I can go back 13 years to the last time I had a major problem which was when the gearbox disintegrated on my 6 month old Vauxhall Omega and that was due to a mechanic mistake whilst curing a minor oil leak :roll:

............and as far as statistics go - well they can mean absolutely anything as it depends on the survey sample taken. I stopped taking Which many years ago as their reports were unreliable. That's just my personal experience of course and I for one would never suggest something is accurate or otherwise just because some review says so :wink: ( A warranty direct survey suggests that all cars are out of manufacturer warranty and therefore over 3 years old at least ).

My van is an 07 plate with 90k on the clock, stands out in all weathers and is idle for days and sometimes 2 to three months at a time while I'm on holiday. It's never failed to start or has let me down and that's all the evidence I need.
Not a single person I know has a bad word to say about VW and it's surprising just how many stay with the brand so it can't be that bad surely.

Bob

 

[Jacob]

.......
Not a single person I know has a bad word to say about VW and it's surprising just how many stay with the brand so it can't be that bad surely.

Bob

But the figures speak louder than words. They are unreliable and expensive to repair. Not that bad but certainly not the best.
I first noticed this in a big way back in the 70s. I was into Bedford CA vans (work, camping, kids transport etc) but a lot of friends/family had VWs. Much nicer looking and more stylish but they all broke down in a big way. It didn't put them off; they thought they were just unlucky and didn't blame VW. They thought Bedford CAs were rubbish. Well they were but they were more reliable by a long way!

Google VW reliability. Toyota probably best option. It's about probability.

 

[beech1948]

I also stopped looking at Which due to the variable quality of their recommendations.

I now use JD Power car reliability index as its a real life score over several hundred thousand motors.

Top 10 places are usually all far eastern and most of these are Toyota.

VW are usually below the middle of the pack with the Passat and the Golfs etc are somewhere to the bottom of the pile and expensive to repair.

French and Italian stuff, Citroen/Peugeot/Fiat are usually veru much towards the bottom of the list ie very unreliable.

Its possible the list is skewed by the more frequent reporting of unreliability rather than the good ones but that is life.

Al
Mercedes driver; its not as reliable as expected, its expensive to repair and your often stuck with the Merc "Stealerships" rather than a quality off brand garage.

 

[Dibs-h]

VW unreliable and expensive to repair. Nice to drive, good build quality, but technically complicated and vulnerable. I knew this when I bought a Passat - I read consumer reports but thought I'd risk it. Vans are no better.
It's been recalled once for new injectors (free) but broken down twice and now needs new turbo (£1400). Big mistake, must have been mad, but it was nice and shiny red. :roll:

I disagree Jacob. Had VAG cars most of my life and whilst the odd issue, these cars are far from complicated and expensive to repair. Being mechanically minded, VAG cars are a dream to work on compared to some Japanses makes or other Euro makes, including BMW & Merc.

The Caddy is basically a Passat in a different bodyshell. Everyone I know, who has one - would recommend them.

But obviously everyone's mileage varies.

Dibs

 

[Lons]

Its possible the list is skewed by the more frequent reporting of unreliability rather than the good ones but that is life.

Exactly!
If you look at the example reviews posted by Jacob, it is by a warranty company and therefore older vehicles. gives very little other information.

If you look at lists such as this one http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/fleet-manage ... ans/41283/

(FN50 companies have a combined fleet of more than 1.2million vehicles, and the reliability survey is the UK’s largest.)

They list BMW as the top car and VW no 1 van for reliability though I haven't seen a 2012 list so might have changed.

As I said, you can read anything into stats. All I know is that every German car and van we've owned in the past 18 years (3 x BMW, 1 x Audi, 2 VW vans, 3 Minis, 2 VW golf ) have been streets ahead of the Renault van, plus Renault, Citroen, Vauxhall and Ford cars over the same period. That dictates where my hard earned gets spent!

Any of us can find a golf or Passat that's reportedly done 200,000 miles without incident as well as the other that fell apart 10 miles after leaving the dealership but that's equally true of any make you care to mention and the argument is just as silly as the 100 fags a day guy living to 90 whilst the non smoker gets cancer at 40.

You pays your money and takes your choice (or should that be chance).

Bob

 

[Dibs-h]

done 200,000 miles without incident..

Sold my last Audi with somewhere in the region of 250 on the clock - me having put over half of that on it. The odd suspension bush and a diesel pump (2nd hand - fitted by me) and the car ran amazingly for anything let alone it's mileage. Sadly sold as it was a saloon & I needed an estate.

My 2p worth

Dibs

 

[Lons]

done 200,000 miles without incident..

Sold my last Audi with somewhere in the region of 250 on the clock - me having put over half of that on it. The odd suspension bush and a diesel pump (2nd hand - fitted by me) and the car ran amazingly for anything let alone it's mileage. Sadly sold as it was a saloon & I needed an estate.

My 2p worth

Dibs

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Didn't expect a real life example Dibs.

Couldn't do that with my current A6 though. It takes half an hour just to get the engine cover bits off and then I wouldn't know where to start as there is more computing power than it took to send a rocket into space (don't take that as fact #-o ).

And before Jacob jumps in and says "told you so - too complicated", it's true of almost every new car on sale today as even the most basic have complex electronic management systems.

Bob

 

[Mark A]

Hi guys,

The VW Caddy Maxi is now my first choice, followed by the Nissan NV200 and possibly the Toyota Hiace, thought I won't be able to search for a few days because I'm off to Santa Pod 8)

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Lons]

Hi guys,

The VW Caddy Maxi is now my first choice, followed by the Nissan NV200 and possibly the Toyota Hiace, thought I won't be able to search for a few days because I'm off to Santa Pod 8)

Cheers,
Mark

Have a great time in Santa Pod mark :mrgreen:

Bob