ROOMY, RAUCOUS AND RELIABLE
Page 36
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Our long-term test van has proved very reliable and is blessed with superb load volume but lacks comfort and is rather noisy.
• Like some veteran infantryman, our Renault Trafic long-term test van has come through its nine-month, 35,000km ordeal with us, battle-scarred but faithful.
During the past two years we have had the Renault, a Volkswagen Transporter and a Bedford CF, on long-term test, and only the Renault has completed its stint without a breakdown.
Every morning the engine burst happily into life after the pre-heat. It has suffered from excessive oil consumption, attributed by Wilson's of Epsom variously to a split oil pipe, a faulty hose clip and a loose sump nut, but mechanically, the Trafic has proved totally dependable.
Unfortunately, we have accumulated a total of 28 year's bad luck with the Trafic because its wing mirrors have developed a pathological hatred for parcel vans, and on three occasions they have suffered the consequences. On the fourth occasion the shattered remains of a wing mirror, the sad result of a collision with a loose pipe on an oil tanker, maintained its predeccesor's tradition by finally selfdestructing against a White Arrow van.
Al] of which cost us almost £72 (exVAT), in addition to the cost of routine servicing, which has been handled by Wilson's of Epsom, a modern car and van dealer. Our early experience with Wilson's was not particularly good: they charged us for servicing the plugs and cleaning the carburettor (our test van is a diesel). With time, the service from Wilson's has improved, though it is not always easy to contact the company by phone after 4.30pm.
Total cost of servicing (including mirrors) over 35,000km (20,000 miles) has worked out at 2525.85 including VAT. The equivalent cost for our Volkswagen Transporter was £256.79.
DISSATISFACTION
Most of the people who have driven the Renault have reported some dissatisfaction with the seating position. As in most Renault cars, the foot pedals are offset to the left, causing several drivers to complain of cramp. The gear lever is also positioned too far from the driver, demanding the adoption of two seating positions. When travelling in town frequent gearchanges force the driver to double up in an indigestion-inducing lean. On the open road, where gearchanges are less frequent, a more normal driving position is possible.
Our Trafic's driver's seat has attracted comments ranging from "comfortable" to "diabolical". It certainly lacks the lumbar support and adjustment of the excellent seat in the Ford Transit.
Instrumentation is clear, as far as it goes, but several controls, including the hazard warning switch, the rear foglight and the heater, are not illuminated. This is not helped by the fact that the interior light switch cannot be reached by the driver when wearing the seatbelt. The indicators also cancel rather too easily.
Our final quibble about the driving position concerns the fit of the driver's door. Despite adjustments by Wilson's, the door continually pulls away from its frame when travelling at speed. This causes a draught which has induced backache in a couple of drivers (ironically both of whom were impressed by the easy loading qualities of the Renault's design).
Directing the Trafic in town is very easy: the steering is light compared with most vans in its class, providing just about the right feel for the road. The design of the van, with the front wheels set well forward, helps manoeuvrability particularly in tight parking spaces.
At speed, the steering feels woollier, and this is not helped by the large side area of the high-roof van. There is also some understeer on corners, which increases when the Trafic is loaded. This is never a problem, however, serving merely to moderate the speed of the over-ambitious.
The Trafic's braking has attracted a few comments: it has always proved sufficient, if sometimes a little ponderous. The park brake does not inspire great confidence, but has never let us down.
The Trafic's swift gearchange, low gearing and flexible 2,000cc diesel engine allows it to pull away briskly, but when fully loaded, it can feel a mite breathless and at speed becomes very noisy. The optional bulkhead would doubtless do much to reduce the noise levels.
Renault's managing director Loic Caperan has revealed plans to introduce new engines, and we hope they will be more fuel efficient than the venerable twolitre indirect-injection wet-liner unit. In our first six months with the van we recorded average fuel consumption of 1E63 litres/100km (24.3mpg). Since then the consumption has improved to 9.86 litres/100km (28.65mpg), to give an overall figure of 10.99 litres/100km (25.7mpg). The equivalent figure for the long-term Volkswagen Transporter test van was 9.28 litres/1001un (30.43mpg).
Most operators buying the Trafic are probably attracted by its low loadbed and high cube. The strength of the original design gives the Renault a secure niche in the market, where loading versatility is at a premium. During the test we used our Trafic to move everything from fridges, wardrobes and double beds to motor parts and surfboards. It took everything in its stride.
Our one reservation about the loadspace concerns the side door which can easily swing round to collide with the passenger door and damage the paintwork.
Where the Trafic's white paintwork has been damaged by stones, rust is beginning to appear, and on one of the rear doors there is a rust spot about the size of a 50p piece. Clearly, owners should watch out for, and rectify, paintwork damage, but we certainly did not expect to see so much rust after only nine months.
The high-roof Trafic is a practical vehicle with a superb load volume for the money. It is less comfortable and noisier than we would like, but is well suited to urban traffic and has proved very reliable. If good manoeuvrability, easy loading and bags of cube are high on your list, the Trafic should be too.
1=1 by Richard Scrase