Have made the decision to replace my much loved ute with a van. so t hought i would ask the experts on seabreeze the pro,s and cons of various types. the vans i am looking at are. the mercedes vito 109 the vw transporter or the i load.any advice/critical feedback appriciated.
VW transporter is the way to go, I don't know about the i load, but definatelym Vito has less equipment than VW. Good sizes of cargo space on both though... 2584mm length is more or less great, but if you decide for lwb its 2940mm...
Ive got a 2006 Toyota Hi-ace (2.7.litre petrol); had it about a year - pretty rapt with it - its pretty nippy for a van. Only negative I can find wrong with it; is that the passenger seat isnt adjustable, and not too good for taller people - otherwise highly recommend.
I got a vito 111 (get the bigger engine not a 109) lwb auto. Goes a treat..What I spent on petrol a week for a 4wd lasts me 3 weeks with the Merc on Diesel.
A 11'2"sup fits up the middle between the front seats. They are amazingly easy to park, and cruise forever at 100, 110kph..Mine was ex demo, had 20,000 km on the clock.
For the same money I could have got a brand new 2009 model vw manual 2 litre petrol....
but a diesel vw and an auto was beyond what I was willing to spend.
things against..its white but you get used to that.
no passengers air bag
the radio was crap so had a more upmarket unit installed.
keep forgetting where the bonnet catch is.
what can I say ..i luv it...could do with some alloys
but I would have got a vw if it had what the Merc had diesel auto etc and the price had been the same..but thats more about nostalga I think
+1 for the vito! here's mine, a 115 extra long. just fantastic to drive, and it looks so much better than the vw
o, and it can carry a ton of gear too
I bought a long wheel base VW transporter T5 earlier this year. I wanted a van I could fit at least 6 boards and sails with a bed and bench seat to get changed on.
There has been some slight changes since the photos below.
Hello, Ratz,
There are many ways of analysing if a certain van is good for you, amongst them:
K.I.S.S.
Cost per cubic metre of storage space
Advertsied unloaded weight divided by advertised maximum power for that engine (has more relevance if you then compare the answer to your current vehicle).
Warranty period and particularly if it covers body rust.
As a general rule, Euro vans are expensive to fix outside the warranty period (I have one). Too early to comment about iLoads.
How close is the dealer to you?
Hope this helps.
I have imported a Nissan Elgrand from Japan. I pick it up in 10 days, but what you get for your money is Awesome.
It cost me $20K (on the road) and the list of features is incredible. I got quoted $600 for insurance from Just cars.
Reverse camera, smart key, keyless start, 2 sliding doors (one automatic), part leather, list goes on and on.....
I first saw Elgrands in Hong Kong. The celebs, movie stars, hanger oners and wannabees get around in them. They are truely impressive looking vehicles. For $20K they probably are a lot cheaper than a comparable second hand Euro van and the parts are most likely just as easy or hard to get.
Are you going to take the seats out of yours or can they be folded out of the way?
If you do fold the seats down, I'd be interested to know the length from the tailgate to the back of the front seats. 
Did ferry duty with a brand new Toyota Hiace commuter van last night. Diesel. Smooth as, both empty or crammed with bods. New cars! get one. You can get them without back seats.
the best way to find out is have a look at what the taxi companies are using, i havent had any problems with my 1997 Toyota commuter and its duel fuel,
