T5 VW Transporter - Is it the Best Van Ever In terms of vans people have a favorite, mine will be the T5 VW Transporter but can it be really as good as It is? I have owned my Transporter for five-years and he or she is really as good today as when I first laid down my money.
The British television program Fifth Gear are also pretty impressed with the T5 and chose to put it's faith towards the test in the straight race between it and a new contender the Mercedes Vito X.
vw t5Both vans build up similar to this:
T5: 2.5 turbo diesel pumping out 172 BHP and 400 Nm of torque.
Vito X: 3.0 diesel V6 with 204 BHP and 440 Nm of torque.
The race was held at Snetterton race track in less than perfect conditions but still the race was on. Will be Volkswagen beat the seemingly better Mercedes or was the T5 losing it's grip on the best van title.
Both vehicles feature traction control and so moving away from the fishing line presented no problems to either van however into the race the Volkswagens ASR could possibly be powered down allowing the driver to increase the street holding capacity for the VWs' 18 inch wheels and lowered suspension.
The Vito also offers a switch to turn off the traction control but it only is employed by a short time, a very small amount of time before activating again meaning the Mercedes lost significant power on every corner.
t5 vanIn the first check point the VW was ahead by seven tenths of your second, the pulling power and handling coming to the fore, by the second check point it had gained another tenth.
The Mercedes features a bigger engine, more torque and charges 2000 pound less but everything that didn't save it from the sound thrashing from the Volkswagen, to arrive a full second after it's rival.
I think that justifies my belief that theT5 VW Transporter really is the very best van traveling. I enjoy my T5!