CM has already put the Volkswagen Transporter through its paces (CM
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4 November), and it's worth recapping the major points: powered by a 2.0-litre Euro-5 four-cylinder diesel engine producing 138hp; seven-speed DSG automated transmission; /22,750 all in price tag; and 33.2mpg fully loaded to 3.0-tonnes GVW.The roadtest found DSC, unrivalled, despite a fuel penalty over the manual option, with a refined engine and sharp handling.
Since then, CM has added more than 5,000 miles — predominantly between the Home Counties and Cumbria — and the aforementioned conclusions are hard to deny. The engine is responsive, handling is top notch, and the transmission is... well, I'll say it... a dream. There are no gaps in the drivel ine when on the move, hut it does change gears at times you'd prefer it not to. For example, you can occasionally find yourself in sixth between 60mph and 70mph if you ask the engine for more oomph to cope with a bill climb. That'll eat up more fuel, but nevertheless oomph is duly delivered when asked.
'The Transporter is also the only van that might get away with such a garish colour — it's the first thing anyone notices, The driver has a comfortable enough ride, but the passenger's double seat is a little too narrow to justify it being a three-seater. As a day-to-day vehicle, I would urge you to add parking sensors. You need only to get it wrong once to leave a mark or dent, which will cost you to repair.
Speaking of which, the driver's door mirror needed replacing after it was hit by a passing motorist. The work was completed by Hadwins in Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria — although an initial quote of £172 became £202 once completed. So far, fuel economy has been dictated by the motorway, lowering expectations by a few mpg. However, when mixed with A-roads, this has picked up accordingly towards 35.0mpg and above when road speeds have been lower.
A few setbacks were encountered We haven't missed the presence of built-in sat-nay, instead relying on instinct and the Trucker's Atlas 2009 edition to find our way. Oh, and two other things. First, storage isn't great and an attempt to create more by pulling out the bottom section of the double passenger seats is hampered by the fact you can't fit much in it. Second, we encountered one situation the designers probably hadn't considered: while the location of the hazard switch in the centre part of the dash is ideal for quick access, an errant child switched it on with their foot. It was only discovered thanks to a passing motorist drawing attention to it, I should have been more vigilant, but still...
Kevin Swallow