PANEL VANS
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SHORTLIST Mazda E2000 Renault Master Renault Trafic Freight Rover Sherpa 350
TESTERS' CHOICE RENAULT MASTER T35
• "We wuz robbed," Freight Rover might say when it learns that only one point separated the winner of this section, the Renault Master T35 longwheelbase, high-roof van, from its Sherpa 350 LWB van. Third and fourth places were filled by the Renault Trafic T13000 long-wheelbase, high roof, and the Mazda E2000 petrol van respectively.
To be honest there was little to choose from between the top two vehicles. While the Sherpa's diesel engine gives it good economy, the Renault's petrol engine gives the Master a faster overall speed. The Renault was slightly noisier, but had better gradeability; the Sherpa had a better gearbox, but its payload was lower. Before the marks for the body were taken into account the Sherpa led by one point, but the Renault's cavernous body, and low load height gave it another two marks, and first place.
Renault UK has been able to improve supplies recently, and is planning to push the van hard this year. There are also rumours of a new diesel engine which should improve its economy.
The Sherpa should also get new diesel engines this year, and the planned Peugeot units should answer a number of the criticisms we have of the Land Rover 2.5-litre IDI diesel unit. The mega-heavy steering is also receiving attention, we understand, which will make it a little more user-friendly.
Third, the little Renault Trafic, is also our long-term test van. With a gross vehicle weight of only 2.7 tonnes it could not match the payload of the 3.5-tonne gross weight Master and Sherpa, but it did score highly for its handling and load bed height. Its acceleration and interior noise, however, did not earn it many marks.
In contrast the Mazda E2000 did very well in the driver appeal section, but its load compartment was narrow and cramped, and its petrol engine was thirsty and highly-stressed. Only 1.5 points separated third and fourth places, and again it was the load compartment that determined the victor.
The Trafic's load space acts as a huge sounding box for the vehicle's engine noise, but it is a great deal larger than the Mazda's, and has a much lower loading height. The Trafic is simply a better commercial vehicle than the Mazda whether it is a nicer vehicle to drive remains a subject for debate.
There were seven vehicles in this section and those not short-listed included the Ford Transit-based Asquith van, the Renault Trafic 4x4 van, and the Bedwas Ford Transit-based parcels van.