Vehicle Reviews.

[Evans Electric]

While looking for somehing for my new van I started reading one of the model reviews type Forum for the Vauxhall Combo .

Most people using it to slag them off TBH  but I think its like when some people will say that  a particular car burns clutches out at a terrific rate  , then when you see how they drive like F1 drivers  you kow why.

So one report says " The interior is plastic and the seats are not leather "     ( Hello you twat , its a van not a Roller .)

Others :-

Its the biggest piece of carp I ever owned .        ( So far so good)

The seats are uncomfortable .       ( mine gives good support) 

It leaks .    ( mine doesn't)

I couldn't get this huge piece of equipment in it .         (  No I couldnt get an elephant in mine .)   

It slow ,             (  Its not as fast as a Porche ....it does what it says on the tin) 

Passenger seat is locked in place .   ( True but thats so you can drop the back , open half the guard and lock it into the seat

                                                              to cary longer stuff)

It doesn't have powered windows.         ( Get a life pal)

So what do I think after 14 yrs trouble free with the old Escort .?

This thing drives like a car .

Turbo diesel  drives like petrol.   Quiet enough for a van.   Controls simple and easy .  Nice smooth gearbox bit sticky from 1st to 2nd.

Power assited steering . 

Steering wheel adjustable .

I'm around 5'7"  but have to have a cushion on the driving seat .. it should have some up /down adjustment really.

Good support from the seat though.

Side door is great , saves all that climbing in from the back .

Side mirrors give good rear vision but are so large the driver's one causes a blind spot on islands etc .

Taller than an Escort so I struggle tying stuff on the rack , solved with a two tread plastic stepladder.   No problem. 

Dimmable dash lighting ...can be very restful on the eyes when driving in full darkness.  

I don't need a big van these days so this seems OK . 

We shall see ....so far so good. 

 

[ProDave]

I started reading that thinking the review was about the Escort. Perhaps I'm dumb, but it was only the third paragraph from the end I realised you were reviewing the Combo. :coat

If I look for a review on a vehicle, I don't want to know if the seats are plastic, I can see that.

What I want to know is which bits fail with predictable monotony and cost an arm and a leg.

e.g Wife's VW touran has had all 4 springs replaced because they broke.  One off?  No. a friends Touran only 4 years old and only 28K miles has just had to have it's rear springs replaced.  And there's a list as long as your arm about things that are known to break or go wrong and are expensive to fix when they do break.  THAT is what I want from a review.

So take my Subaru Forester.  Now 10 years old 150K miles, the only thing that has been replaced (apart from consumables like brakes pads, tyres and one new exhaust system, and cam belt changed at recommended service intervals) is the two rear shock absorbers, which unfortunately being self levelling things are only available from Subaru at £300 a go.

Would I buy another Touran. Not unless it was VERY cheap to allow for the expected high repair costs.  Would I buy another Subaru, you bet.

 

[revjames]

I use an Astra van Mr Evans, not a combi granted, the only gripe I have is the lack of a side door for the aforementioned reasons. I have adapted it for my needs with sliding out unistrut racks to avoid having to climb in and out of the back. 1.3 TD engine is OK but has to be revved above 2500 to get useful power and you can get caught out trying to accellerate away from a junction in the wrong gear with traffic bearing down on you and no power at hand. Quite well equipped too with power windows and central locking and a decent stereo. I can't complain. I have had fords for years (cars) and recently - perhaps due to me driving the Astra every day, bought a Vauxhall Insignia which is my first Vauxhall for at least 12 years.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Wife's VW touran has had all 4 springs replaced because they broke. 

Was this due to your wallet being placed over each spring   :slap

 

[ProDave]

Was this due to your wallet being placed over each spring   :slap

I wish.

 

[Evans Electric]

I started reading that thinking the review was about the Escort. Perhaps I'm dumb, but it was only the third paragraph from the end I realised you were reviewing the Combo. :coat

If I look for a review on a vehicle, I don't want to know if the seats are plastic, I can see that.

What I want to know is which bits fail with predictable monotony and cost an arm and a leg.

e.g Wife's VW touran has had all 4 springs replaced because they broke.  One off?  No. a friends Touran only 4 years old and only 28K miles has just had to have it's rear springs replaced.  And there's a list as long as your arm about things that are known to break or go wrong and are expensive to fix when they do break.  THAT is what I want from a review.

So take my Subaru Forester.  Now 10 years old 150K miles, the only thing that has been replaced (apart from consumables like brakes pads, tyres and one new exhaust system, and cam belt changed at recommended service intervals) is the two rear shock absorbers, which unfortunately being self levelling things are only available from Subaru at £300 a go.

Would I buy another Touran. Not unless it was VERY cheap to allow for the expected high repair costs.  Would I buy another Subaru, you bet.

I did say that at the top Dave  :innocent      Must be the Brummie accent.

I can only comment on the superficial things at the moment , but theres a lot of them about .

The ancient Escort leaked at the windscreen , diesel with no turbo so  0 to 60 in 1/2 hour and no zipping off from the lights.

No power steering so shoulders like an ox for parking .

However it always started, never let me down , engine goes on forever, no major parts dropping off or major repairs other than welding new side sections .  

Eventually extensive corrosion under the rear,  corrosion to rear spring shackles.

 

[m4tty]

The plumber who I do alot of work with is 70 next year and just scrapped his old w reg escort van x bt. Like thunderbird it went on forever just needed new glow plugs now and then. Cant beat them escort vans. Hes replaced it with a transit connect x alarm fitters van with 17" alloys proper low profile. Cracks me up seeing him climb out of the pimped up van

 

[NozSpark]

I've just spent hours under my Escort van welding the nearside floor and offside outer sill..... never again.... next time (if there is a next time) its going in for welding..... I was chasing holes everywhere :shakehead

Then again... it didnt cost me anything and only failed on 2 patches, a wiper blade and a number plate lamp

 

[Andy™]

chasing holes can get irritating at times... at least its not too bad witha mig... i hope you were not trying it with a stick!

 

[NozSpark]

:coat

 

[Evans Electric]

The Thunderbird was an N reg  so 1996  I think .   Garage said it would have to go into a body shop for that kind of work  , basically new back end.

Noz ...didn't realise anyone else was driving Escorts on here.   I've had three since working for myself.  

 

[NozSpark]

I was given it by my Dad after my Peugeor Experts fuel pump gave up... he had retired the year before and had kept the van while they were doing up their new house

BTW Its a W plate 1.9 (?) TD 55

Starts first time every time (after I fitted a new battery) and has done <100k

 

[binky]

Would highly recommend a transit connect, they have a potential fault with the wiring to the alternator, but ohter thsn that very good. I bought 2 recently from a farmer bloke near Stoke on trent, only about 40 miles north of brummy land. Both ex Wigan council, and cheap £4200 + VAT  08 plate 40k on the clock.

Have been looking at vams today, was planning on spending £10k on 4 year old Transit or Vito or something like that, when I stumbled upon a brand new Nissan primastor of £12k + VAT brand new. Now worried it's too cheap - there must be a reason why? :^O   (couldn't find a puzzled smilie)

 

[Sharpend]

The Nissan Primstar, Vauxhall vivaro, Renault trafic start from about £10500 +vat new iirc.

 

[steptoe]

Transit connect, same engine as a load of fords,

Depends on common rail or not, can an be really expensive or a simple reprogram,

 

[binky]

simple re-programme to do what Steps. Same engine as ford focus but de-tuned for some weird reason.

Primastaf available for £12k + VAT from my local expensive main dealer.Tenault version £1k dearer, but slightly better spec

 

[revjames]

Best van I ever had was while workin in NZ in the comms/data industry. It was a Toyota Hiace. bags of space, walk through interior and not too high that you couldnt get into basements of hi rise buildings. Just the job. Prior to that I had a Mitsubishi L200 ute (pick up) handy in that it had back seats for the kids but awkward getting things in and out of the back. I think if I was buying a van I would be drawn towards the peugeot/cirtoen/fiat mid size - not sure of model but not the berlingo - bigger, just a bit smaller than transit.

 

[steptoe]

simple re-programme to do what Steps. Same engine as ford focus but de-tuned for some weird reason.

Primastaf available for £12k + VAT from my local expensive main dealer.Tenault version £1k dearer, but slightly better spec

Some of them have a known issue with fuel pumps,

Can cost in the 000s to fix, or can be as simple as a reprogramme of the pump.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Any one with a Transit connect, make a plate to cover the loom on the drivers door as thieves slip a hacksaw blade through the gap and cut the loom unlocking all the doors. It also makes a right mess of the wiring thats tricky to repair.

 

[gutterball]

I've had a combo for about 3 years

good points - reliable, like a car to drive, has bt racking for all my gear,

bad points - it's a 1300 so a bit gutless, racking goes across the van so any long stuff has to go on the roof, (in 2 minds as to take it out or not), drivers mirror is a huge blind spot.

putting stuff on the roof is not a problem you can stand in the doorways.