One of the other types of vehicle which I think tends to get overlooked in online reviews, both written and audio visual, is the humble panel van. I have had the privilege of hiring a few of these over the years, and I imagine many others of my readership will have too. The two types of van most common at hire places seem to be Ford Transits (and variations on the such) and Volkswagen Transporters. The Volkswagens are the longest running type of medium van currently on sale on the European market, and have been going in modified form since 2003.
The T6 Transporter I hired in September 2016 was, supposedly, a fairly new design, but is heavily based on the T5 Transporter from 13 years previously, with some body panels being identical. This is a smart facelift, however, and the T6 certainly feels far from old-fashioned, although this may say more about the quality of the competition than the van itself. Available with both petrol and diesel engines (something of a rarity for a medium van in this country), mine had a 2.0 litre diesel engine with a modest power output of around 100 bhp. This engine is available in a variety of other Volkswagen Group products, and seemed more than adequate for the purpose.
One of the surprising things about the T6 is that is feels very much like a large Volkswagen Polo rather than a van. The driving position, with its dash mounted gearlever and high quality steering wheel, takes little acclimatisation and is very comfortable. The amount of vibration through the pedals, steering and gearshift is commendably low, and it certainly nicer than a Ford Transit Custom in this way. The dashboard also tends to have the later Volkswagen infotainment systems fitted these days, with niceties such as Bluetooth and DAB radio, which makes the whole experience far more pleasant.
The main omission from the spec sheet of this rather basic model was parking sensors (essential in a van which does not have the dual aspect mirrors like a Ford Transit Custom), but otherwise despite its steel wheels and black door handles, it had air conditioning, electric windows, power steering and stability management. The interior also felt high quality and logically laid out. The payload is perhaps not the most in a van like this, which is not available in such a variety of body lengths and heights as the Ford, but for most people's needs it should be more than adequate.
The driving experience was easy and pleasant, with well weighted steering, secure handling, plenty of torque and not too much pitching and rolling from the suspension. Both this and a Transit Connect are much, much better than vans of old, but I slightly prefer the driving experience of the Volkswagen, which gives more of the large car rather than medium van feel. Certainly the passenger carrying versions of the Transporter do feel very luxurious indeed.
The only real downside of the T6 is its price. A comparably equipped Transit Connect or Vauxhall Vivaro costs several thousands less, but if the priority is to feel more like a car than a van, and have smart contemporary styling, then a Volkswagen Transporter is hard to beat.
