what van/vehicle?

[lish70]

Why can't anyone manufacture a secure canopy that gives good access to tools and equip? It's the only thing stopping me from going for a pickup..... as well as the lead time of a ranger been so long that the new model will be out before you can get your hands on it and the rep of the navara engine which they currently have a recall on at the mo which in turn is making the lead time very very long. This leaves the Hilux (which I tested this morning and liked) I would have considered a Hilux too (lead time 1 month) Such a shame!

 

[merlinradioltd]

A few guys I know with Navarras have had problems (expensive, but under warranty, problems) with engines and gearboxes and new beefed up (dual mass?) flywheels/clutches. My main concern with my business is a bog standard Escort van.
Use it carefully/SYMPATHETICALLY and no frightening bills down the line when the warranty has dried up.Get's too serious, economically, BIN IT. Also unless you get these super-duper vehicles maintained by dealers and pay through the nose, you might find find out that your warranty is not worth the paper it is printed on, coz you have been skipping a service or used an independant garage. Each to his own as they say.PS GF cabs give great access to thieves !! Fancy leaving one in a cinema car park for a few hours...I wouldn't. I had service manuals and schematics ruined after a drive in the rain. As regards laptops and digi cameras had to use the back seat and cover valuable with a blanket while going for a motorway stop. Meant that the whole pickup section was a swimming pool from time to time. Even new seals made nowt difference. Why did I have take a tube of Mastic and a skeleton gun to something that a manufaturers approved accessory couldn't cope with? Should never have been necessary.

 

[lish70]

Well with only 5 days to go I guess I need to make a decision soon or i'll miss out on some forces discount. With managing to get the price down to £18,721 with an acceptable trade in offer on my vectra the Hyudai Santa Fe it is! I feel it is a good value motor that can do just about everything i need it to; 4 blokes with golf clubs; me her and 2 x labradors and a tailgate I can shelter from the rain while frying eggs on a camping trip or rumaging for a lost spanner and enough room for tools and equip for a self employed electrician. There I've made a definatve and final answer... I think. Will prob end up regreting not gettting a VW transporter (or similar(vito)) but it's a life style choice and I'm gonna spoil myself. Thanks to you all for all your extremely helpful advice. Bill, have you been able to decide which way you're going to go?

 

[merlinradioltd]

Best of luck, I was unaware of these recalls on Navara. Kind of worrying that.

Hohum.....I looked at some older Cherokees and discovered reliability issues and enormous bills on cylinder head problems with diesels and seriously heavy petrol fuel consumption with the 4.0 litre version, autoboxes a drag on consumption as welll. The "other" niggle is Road Tax. A 2000 Freelander reasonabe...one registered after March 2001..OUTRAGEOUS...I did my homework with Toyota RAV's as well and couldn't really commit.

 

[lish70]

Thanks Merlin, Santa Fe 5yr unlimited mileage warranty (though you do need to pay for intervalled inspections) road tax I think is £255 and talking to an owner he said with 4 blokes on board on a trip to wherever and 'tanking it' it returned an impresive 42mpg. Good allrounder, bloody good value, no major faults reported (that I can find) and heaps of space (969lts seats up 2247ltrs down (thanks Bill)) Oh and 0-60 in under 10 secs (just)

 

[merlinradioltd]

Looks like the best going..just the ticket.All the best...just shows what doing the homework turns up and talking to a few people on a forum. My mate got his fingers seriously burned with a 55 plate Navara bought from new. The engine blew up and it took four months of wrangling to get repaired under warranty within year 2. Was eventually repaired and 6 months later...same thing...hole burned in the the top of one of the the pistons. Blamed fuel injectors etc... another few MONTHS off the road and him using a hired vehicle....lawyers letters..the whole 9 yards. He sold it and bought something else. Out of warranty these kind of things run to thousands of pounds. This piston holing in Navaras is not unknown in the trade...God help you if you have bought second hand and no warranty is transferred. I reckon you made a good choice in the end. I always look up reviews on Google...get Honest Sam on the 'net....look up owners forums to get the feel of any potential horror stories out there.
I looked at Fronteras as well but was scared off with engine issues with the 2.2 diesel...seems the best ones have the 2.3 ISUZU engine.....All down to homework.

With me, no matter what, I can repair an Escort van and get parts at reasonable prices so that suits me, but that's a personal choice,depends on your circumstances. Best of luck

 

[accordfire]

Well with only 5 days to go I guess I need to make a decision soon or i'll miss out on some forces discount. With managing to get the price down to £18,721 with an acceptable trade in offer on my vectra the Hyudai Santa Fe it is! I feel it is a good value motor that can do just about everything i need it to; 4 blokes with golf clubs; me her and 2 x labradors and a tailgate I can shelter from the rain while frying eggs on a camping trip or rumaging for a lost spanner and enough room for tools and equip for a self employed electrician. There I've made a definatve and final answer... I think. Will prob end up regreting not gettting a VW transporter (or similar(vito)) but it's a life style choice and I'm gonna spoil myself. Thanks to you all for all your extremely helpful advice. Bill, have you been able to decide which way you're going to go?

Hey Lish

Good for you! The Santa Fe is definitely impressive - and a good all rounder. I don't think you're going to regret going that route over a Transporter the first big rain you have out there, or snow!

You may even get through to customers when your rivals can't! And won't get stuck getting out again! You're also pretty well getting better fuel economy from a Santa Fe than from a Transporter too. And two labs that will appreciate being able to see out the windows, not to mention the girlfriend lol!

As for me......the mix is not simple. I'm stuck for now between the Santa Fe Premium, and something similar - though cost will probably push it into the Santa Fe. I've no great need for 4WD - just space and flexibility of seven seats one minute, and enough room to carry a hefty job kit the next. I really, really, don't want an MPV.

I'm talking to a local garage about the Santa Fe just now, trying to bribe him that it's worth letting me have one for a week to make sure I can live with it. It seems to fit the bill best all round. Just the whole bluetooth thing to work on then. Its essential to me, like brakes, windows, and okay, all the other posh toys

 

[lish70]

I'm not sure what else there is out there that would give you 7 seats and match up with the Santa Fe for value for money. It's a shame that in 2010 they still don't have bluetooth as standard. Peterborough Hyundai pointed me in the directtion of these guys: Car Audio Company in Fengate, Peterborough (UK) - In Car Entertainment Ltd t/a ICE Direct Ice Direct. Apparently they will install one in minutes for around £125. They have all their systems set up so when you go in they can demonstrate all their products. Will be putting my head round the door tomorrow. I'm also getting a bespoke liner made up for £90 that has a flap which folds down over the rear bumper, rises high up the sides and extends all the way forward even protecting the back of the front seats when the back ones are folded flat. Sould give me a large enough area for dumping everything I accumulate. Oh and privacy glass to keep away those prying eyes. They do 5 levels of darkness so went for level 4 which should be dark enough. If you do go for the Santa Fe i've heard a few worrying stories about the automatic failing, they might have fixed it but I went for the manual. Not just because it was cheaper and better fuel economy honest.

 

[accordfire]

I'm not sure what else there is out there that would give you 7 seats and match up with the Santa Fe for value for money. It's a shame that in 2010 they still don't have bluetooth as standard. Peterborough Hyundai pointed me in the directtion of these guys: Car Audio Company in Fengate, Peterborough (UK) - In Car Entertainment Ltd t/a ICE Direct Ice Direct. Apparently they will install one in minutes for around £125. They have all their systems set up so when you go in they can demonstrate all their products. Will be putting my head round the door tomorrow. I'm also getting a bespoke liner made up for £90 that has a flap which folds down over the rear bumper, rises high up the sides and extends all the way forward even protecting the back of the front seats when the back ones are folded flat. Sould give me a large enough area for dumping everything I accumulate. Oh and privacy glass to keep away those prying eyes. They do 5 levels of darkness so went for level 4 which should be dark enough. If you do go for the Santa Fe i've heard a few worrying stories about the automatic failing, they might have fixed it but I went for the manual. Not just because it was cheaper and better fuel economy honest.

Hi Lish -

Yeah, that's pretty well where I've got it to, and will probably just have to live with an after market bluetooth - to be fair, the Parrot stuff is always pretty good, I'd just have preferred a fully integrated system - it's one of the few strong points of the 407 I've been saddled with for now - and that's Parrot too, though Peugeot integrate it fully into their kit.

The boot liner sounds good value - and as with you, it would be privacy glass all the way for this kid.

To be honest, I think I'd probably go for the manual too - not a great fan of autos, for the reasons you mention, as well as personal preference - even though I do a lot of London, I'm still happier with a manual box. A control thing, no doubt, lol.

Well, I'm sure you'll have yours before I finally get round to signing on anyone's dotted line - let us know how you get on with it when it arrives!

 

[lish70]

Will do, thanks again and all the best. Hope you manage to come to a decision soon.

 

[Anonomoose]

Hope this isnt too late. I have a 56 reg Navara with a lockable canopy on the back. Love it to bits. more than enough room in the back if your organised. very good locking system on the back but i always park it up against a wall when at home anyway. Havnt had any problems with the Nav (touch wood) Inside has more comforts than most cars. fuel economy is actually better than my old transit connect. Also in the recent weather i managed to take the wife to work then do work for myself rather than last year where we sat at home twiddling our thumbs. Cant rate it high enough and in a couple of years when this one gets a bit long in the tooth i will be trading it in for a brand new one hopefully.
Hope this helps and isnt too late

 

[Anonomoose]

Oh and enough room with the back seats folded up for my dog. specially glad i got it now as I found out we have twins on the way so the back seats will come in handy!

 

[cbw]

I hate my van.....heater has gone wrong, bumper has fallen off, brake lights playing up, stalls all the time and the battery is fucgone wrong.

Ford Connect

 

[mogga]

just picked up van for new job nice wee surprise VW transported TDI only problem is previous user wasnt the most orginised person no racking n Crap all over the place 3 hrs tomorrow afternoon might make inroads to seeing whats in there

 

[matt456]

im looking at getting a new renault trafic sport, great value for money! Just need to make sure theres enough work to pay for it! Built in sat nav and bluetooth as well.

Ive had a vivaro for 3.5 years now with no problems at all

 

[SirKit Breaker]

im looking at getting a new renault trafic sport, great value for money! Just need to make sure theres enough work to pay for it! Built in sat nav and bluetooth as well.

Ive had a vivaro for 3.5 years now with no problems at all

Don't do it, its French. Buy a good quality van. Buy a decent sat nav and Bluetooth set, both are very cheap these days.

 

[accordfire]

Don't do it, its French. Buy a good quality van. Buy a decent sat nav and Bluetooth set, both are very cheap these days.

Lol! The Vivaro, Trafic and Nissan whateve rit is are all the same van, built on Renault platform and engines. The DCi isn't a bad engine, but go for the bigger horsepower one.

 

[Echo]

Don't do it, its French. Buy a good quality van. Buy a decent sat nav and Bluetooth set, both are very cheap these days.

I have a Peugeot Bipper and its great, i'd definatly buy from peugeot again.

 

[BLBelfast]

What is the mimimun you can reasonably lease for. 1 Year? I know you can do it weekly but the prices are extortionate arent they.

 

[Concept]

Ford Transit Connect TDCI 90PS SWB. I like it drives well, looks good and has been well looked after so reliable too.

CBW, I used to have a 75PS connect and hated it, but as for reliability issues if its stalling then look at the fuel filter but and this comes from a very sound source, have a reputable well known garage do the work for you because they are notorious for knackering up the fuel pumps which are expensive to replace all because of a change of fuel filter so my advice is pay a little extra have a reputable garage do the work that way it goes in as a runner, if it all goes wrong you expect it to be returned a runner at no extra cost to yourself. This advice came from a family friend who is a van dealer and has had bad experiences with the transit connect engines.