Ford Transit Custom VS Volkswagen Caddy
Ford Transit Custom
Likes
- Practical user-friendly design
- Real-world fuel economy
- GVM/GCM/tow ratings
Dislikes
- No ANCAP rating yet
- Purchase price
- Loose barn-door trim
Volkswagen Caddy
Likes
- Nice to drive – for a van
- Comfortable
- Handy camping additions
Dislikes
- AWD would be nice
- Issues with bed set-up
- Not enough handy camping additions
Summary
Ford Transit Custom
Those looking to buy a mid-sized (2.5 to 3.5-tonne GVM) commercial van are spoilt for choice, as there are currently 11 models from nine manufacturers competing for your business.
Latest VFACTS industry figures show that Toyota’s HiAce continues to dominate this segment with a staggering 46 per cent share of sales, well ahead of Hyundai’s Staria Load, LDV’s G10 and Ford’s Transit Custom in a close three-way fight for second place.
Chasing a larger slice of this pie chart, Ford has launched its all-new Transit Custom range which in Australia is the first new generation of Transit Custom in a decade.
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Ford claims it’s globally popular one-tonner has been redesigned from the ground up, so we recently spent a week aboard to see from a tradie's perspective if it has what it takes to put a larger dent in HiAce sales.
| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.6L/100km |
| Seating | 3 seats |
Volkswagen Caddy
The universal appeal of road-tripping with a vehicle that offers an all-in-one solution to car camping has been growing enormously in recent years.
“What’s car camping?”, I hear you ask. Well, I’m talking about staying overnight or longer in a vehicle that affords you the ability to sleep in, eat in, and perhaps even cook in it.
As such, self-styled camper vans have gained an even bigger foothold in the market in recent years than they had in the years prior to the global pandemic, even though some of these vehicles, like this new VW Caddy California Maxi, don’t offer cooking facilities. That doesn’t seem to faze many (any?) current or potential owners of camper vans, or mini camper vans, or even those who like the idea of car camping, much more than actually ever doing it.
This five-seater van certainly looks the part and fits in with the #vanlife philosophy, but is it worth your consideration in such a variety-packed camper van market? Read on.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | — |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 4.9L/100km |
| Seating | — |
Verdict
Ford Transit Custom8.1/10
Although yet to be ANCAP-rated, the latest Transit Custom LWB offers numerous design features unmatched by the dominant HiAce LWB, along with higher load volume/payload/tow ratings and less frequent servicing. However, those attributes come at a much higher price than its Toyota rival, so only a potential buyer can decide if they’re worth the extra spend.
Volkswagen Caddy7/10
The appeal of a ready-made camper van is undeniable and the VW Caddy California comfortably occupies a niche within a niche.
This van is nice to drive but it also manages to be a functional and comfortable camper, albeit a very basic one.
There’s no getting around the fact that, while it does have a bed and a camp table and two chairs, it’s lacking cooking facilities and a fridge … and the list goes on.
This is perfectly fine if you intend to take the rest of your gear (portable stove, fridge etc) as carry-ons for infrequent nights away, but if your vehicle is going to be your camp for regular multi-day trips away then a lot of other approaches make more sense. You could, for instance, buy a 4WD or AWD wagon and a camper trailer. You might spend a little – or a lot – more than what you’d spend on this van alone, but your opportunities for adventure would be a whole lot more expansive.
In the end, it depends on what you want to do with it. This van is more than fit for purpose and it may well provide a more-than-great introduction to the adventure lifestyle for some.
Design
Ford Transit Custom
Our Trend LWB test vehicle has a 3500mm wheelbase and 5450mm overall length, with both dimensions being 400mm longer than its SWB sibling. Its 1980mm height ensures access to height-restricted areas like multi-storey carparks and underground loading bays.
The new front-wheel-drive chassis platform retains simple and rugged MacPherson struts up front, but there’s a new coil-spring independent rear suspension (IRS) replacing the previous leaf-spring/beam axle for improved ride comfort and handling. Steering is rack and pinion and there’s a quartet of disc brakes.
Its new cargo bay design has a lower floor and new access step for improved ease of loading and unloading. The front wheels and strut towers have also been moved further forward, resulting in a shorter front body overhang to assist when parking and manoeuvring in confined spaces.
This front suspension relocation has also improved cabin floor space and foot rests for occupants, in a user-friendly cabin that allows a driver to easily enter and exit the vehicle from both sides. This ‘walk-through’ function is enabled by a flat floor combined with a flush-fitting electronic parking brake button and column-mounted gearshift stalk to ensure the dash is largely free from protrusions.
The steering wheel is noticeably square in shape, which offers two benefits. The squared-off bottom half optimises space for the driver’s torso, while the top half creates a ‘frame’ around the instrument panel to provide the driver with an unobstructed view.
Our only gripe was a loose plastic moulding that shrouds the wiper motor on the RHS rear barn-door. On numerous occasions, after clicking it back in place, it would become dislodged when closing the doors and tumble into the cargo bay. It could have been a manufacturing fault unique to our test vehicle, but not something we've previously experienced in Transit Customs.
Volkswagen Caddy
VW’s Caddy California looks good on the outside.
Its interior layout and the materials used – durable plastics on the dash etc. fabric seat covers, and sturdy carpet on the floor – are well suited to an outdoorsy lifestyle that will inevitably bring dirt, sand and mud into the interior at regular stages of the vehicle’s life.
The sliding doors either side – and the large opening when the rear tailgate is lifted – make the Caddy California a more versatile camper proposition than vehicles without those ingress points because the interior can be more readily accessed.
The folding bed, which sits behind the second-row bench seat, ready to be unfolded and used, is a handy addition and, as it’s supported on the vehicle body, that supposedly helps to make it easier to set up and pack down than it otherwise might be.
However, I had some difficulty in unfolding it all the way out flat, even with the front seats moved all the way forward. Perhaps with some more time and, dare I say it, patience, I could have managed better.
Also the fold-out struts, on the base of the bed and that are meant to slot into B-pillar recesses, seem a bit too flimsy for my liking, especially if the bed can be reasonably expected to cope with the weight of two adults. The mattress is not a particularly spongy one either – but, hey, camping should involve at least some degree of discomfort. Otherwise, why would some people describe it as “roughing it”? I jest – anyway, you could easily replace the standard mattress with something more substantial if you get the urge.
There are folding chairs and a table provided, although I’d be looking to the Aussie camping gear market for more sturdier examples of this kind of outdoors furniture, especially if you plan to put your equipment through regular and prolonged use.
Practicality
Ford Transit Custom
With its 2016kg minimum kerb weight and 3225kg GVM, the Trend LWB offers a one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1209kg. It also has a big 2500kg braked tow rating and with its generous 5725kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) it impressively can tow its maximum trailer weight while hauling its maximum payload.
The cargo bay is accessed via a standard kerbside sliding-door with large 1030mm opening, plus rear barn-doors that open to 180 degrees. Note our test vehicle has the extra-cost option of sliding-doors on both sides (an optional single-lift tailgate is also available).
The LWB load floor is 3002mm long with 1392mm between the rear wheel-housings. So, it can comfortably carry up to two standard Aussie pallets or up to three Euro pallets, held in place by a choice of eight load-anchorage points.
By opening the hatch at the base of the cabin bulkhead, the floor length extends to 3450mm by utilising spare room under the passenger bench seat. This feature is handy for carrying long lengths of timber, electrical conduit, copper/PVC pipe, rolls of carpet etc.
Its 6.8 cubic metres of load volume is larger than the HiAce LWB’s 6.2 and the cargo bay comes standard with Ford’s ‘Load Area Protection Kit’ comprising a moulded floor-liner plus side and rear door protection. Three internal LED lights provide brilliant illumination in low-light conditions.
Although not fitted to our test vehicle, all MY24.5 models come equipped with Ford’s clever integrated roof-rack system, comprising a trio of hinged racks which lie flat when not in use but can be easily raised and locked into vertical positions. This sturdy design can carry up to 155kg when shared across the three racks.
There’s generous cabin storage too, with each front door offering three tiers of storage with the largest central tier comprising a large-bottle holder and bin.
There’s also small-bottle/cup-holders at each end of the dash and a fold-out small-bottle/cup-holder for the driver lower down, plus a glovebox and on top of the dash two cavernous compartments which negate the need for an overhead shelf.
The centre seat’s backrest folds flat to reveal a small work desk and the bench seat’s hinged base-cushions can tilt forward into a vertical position to access a large hidden storage area beneath. This vast space also serves as the cargo bay’s load-floor extension when carrying long items.
Volkswagen Caddy
The Caddy California is a five-seater: two seats in the front and a three-seater bench seat as the second row.
Upfront, the driver and passenger seats are manually-adjustable for height, with four-way adjustable lumbar support, and tilt-and-depth adjustment on the seat cushion. They are cloth trim but feel adequately supportive and comfortable and have a height-adjustable centre armrest, stowage compartments and two drink holders.
There are storage spaces aplenty – including a dash with multiple stowage compartments, and an illuminated glove box – as well as two USB-C ports.
The digital cockpit is easy enough to use, as is the touchscreen multi-media unit and we had no strife setting up our smartphone for Apple CarPlay, and although the screen is on the wrong side of small, it’s clear and crisp enough to get a decent idea of what’s going on.
The second-row bench seat is a 2/3-1/3 split, and the second row can be folded, double-folded and removed separately. The two outboard passengers also get access to a folding table in each of the front seat-backs.
This second row of seats has ISOFIX child seat anchors in the two outboard seats and there are top tether points on all of these second-row seats.
The rear luggage compartment has a cover and there are storage bags fitted to the interior walls in the cargo area and also a 12-V outlet back there, as well as LED lights in tailgate.
Price and features
Ford Transit Custom
The new Transit Custom range consists of four models, comprising the work-focused Trend in a choice of short wheelbase (SWB) or long wheelbase (LWB) plus the more lifestyle-oriented Sport SWB and Sport Double-Cab LWB.
Our test vehicle is the Trend LWB, which like all variants is available only with Ford’s latest 2.0-litre TDCi EcoBlue four-cylinder turbo-diesel and eight-speed automatic for a list price of $57,590. That's considerably higher than rivals including the Toyota HiAce LWB Barn Door ($51,636), Hyundai Staria Load Barn Door ($46,740) and LDV G10+ Barn Door ($39,537).
It comes standard with Frozen White paint, 16-inch steel wheels with replaceable plastic covers and 215/65R16C tyres with a full-size steel spare.
There's fabric-trimmed seating for three comprising an eight-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, with lumbar support and fold-down inboard armrest, plus a two-passenger bench seat. The two outer seating positions are also heated.
The cabin is separated from the cargo bay by a metal bulkhead which doubles as a cargo barrier, equipped with a central window and load-through hatch (see Practicality). Plus there’s keyless start, USB-A/USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket, Sensico (synthetic leather) steering wheel with ample height/reach adjustment and more.
The dash offers a big 12-inch screen with 7.0-inch colour digital instrument cluster for the driver, plus a 13-inch multi-function colour touchscreen display which controls some vehicle settings and the four-speaker SYNC 4 multimedia system with digital radio, Bluetooth and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
There’s also wireless phone charging, sat-nav and, for the first time in a Ford vehicle in Australia, an embedded 5G modem to optimise connectivity.
Volkswagen Caddy
Before we get cracking, it’s important to note that we tested the 2.0-litre TDI320 variant (diesel); there is a 1.5-litre TSI220 petrol variant available.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Caddy California Max is built off Caddy Maxi people-mover variant on an extended long-wheelbase platform.
Our test vehicle has a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of $54,990, not including on-road costs. As tested our Caddy California was $56,105 because it has Copper Bronze metallic paint, which costs $1115.
As standard, it has five seats (two in the front and a three-seat bench as the second row), a newly designed dash and instrument cluster featuring a full-colour digital cockpit, an 8.25-inch colour touchscreen (with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), two-zone climate control, keyless start, a lifting tailgate, and a stack of other features too numerous to list here. Find out for yourself, do your own research for there’s joy in that.
Driver-assist tech includes adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, lane assist, and park assist and park distance control in the front and rear.
The California package includes a foldable bed, storage bags, a foldable table and two chairs, as well as additional interior lighting and ventilation vents.
There are numerous VW genuine options available, including a panoramic glass sunroof as well as a tent that can be attached to the rear of the vehicle, but it was unavailable at time of writing.
Under the bonnet
Ford Transit Custom
Ford’s latest TDCi EcoBlue 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with AdBlue produces the same 125kW at 3500rpm as its predecessor. It also matches the previous model’s 390Nm of torque, but it's served across a wider torque band between 1750-2500rpm which is also higher in the rpm range.
The new eight-speed torque converter automatic (previously six-speed) is smooth and refined, offering the choice of sequential manual-shifting via a rotating knob on the column-mounted gearshift stalk. There are also four selectable drive modes comprising Normal, Eco, Slippery and Tow/Haul.
Volkswagen Caddy
Our test vehicle – the TDI320 variant of the new Caddy California – has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, producing 90kW at 2750-4250rpm and 320Nm at 1500-2500rpm, and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox DSG.
This is a front-wheel drive van and it’s riding on 18-inch wheels and Bridgestone Turanza T005 (215/55 R17) tyres.
Efficiency
Ford Transit Custom
Ford claims an official combined average of 8.0L/100km and the dash display was claiming a close 8.9 at the completion of our 273km test.
This was mostly unladen city and suburban driving, plus hauling a near-maximum payload on a mix of highways and backroads. The engine’s Auto Stop/Start feature remained on for the duration of our test.
Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was higher again at 9.2 which is still excellent single-digit economy for a van weighing more than two tonnes in real-world use. Therefore, based on our figure, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 760km from its 70-litre tank.
Volkswagen Caddy
Volkswagen lists the official combination fuel consumption as 4.9L/100km, but during our four day test we only averaged 6.2L/100km.
This van has a 50-litre fuel tank and an AdBlue tank.
Driving
Ford Transit Custom
The large front doors open wide for easy access. Multiple seat adjustments combined with a fold-down inboard armrest, ample choice of steering wheel height/reach and a large left footrest ensure a comfortable driving position.
The thick-rimmed steering wheel has a quality feel and there’s clear eyelines to the big door mirrors, in which the lower third of each offers a wide-angle view. This is most appreciated on the LHS given the van’s solid walls and resulting huge blind-spot, with safety enhanced by blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert.
It has brisk acceleration from standing starts, with the eight-speed automatic smoothly upshifting at 2500rpm in each gear to keep the engine operating in its peak torque zone. This ensures zippy performance in city and suburban driving, plus optimum efficiency at highway speeds.
Unladen ride quality and handling are enhanced by the new IRS, although the difference is not as noticeable as you might expect given how well Ford refined the previous leaf-spring/beam axle arrangement.
To test its payload rating we forklifted 975kg into the cargo bay, which combined with our crew of two equalled a total payload of 1155kg that was only 54kg less than its legal limit.
The coil-spring IRS compressed about 60mm under this load, which ensured long cone-shaped jounce rubbers attached to the underfloor engaged with the suspension arms to provided a second stage of load support. This also avoided any harsh bottoming-out over larger bumps on our test route.
Its competent drivetrain also made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, with the eight-speed auto self-shifting down to fifth gear and maximum torque at 2500rpm to easily haul this load to the summit.
Engine braking on the way down was also commendable, given its modest 2.0-litre displacement and the big payload it was trying to restrain, with only one solid brake application required to avoid exceeding the speed limit or reaching its 5000rpm redline on overrun.
Volkswagen Caddy
The Caddy California is 4835mm long with a 2970mm-long wheel-base. It stands 1836mm high (including roof rails) and is 2100mm wide (including the wing mirrors). The TDI320 variant has an unladen mass of 1723kg.
This is not the biggest van around and it manages to feel quite manoeuvrable for something that’s fairly box-like.
Visibility is pretty good from the driver’s seat, with mostly clear vision in all directions.
Steering is suitably sharp and well weighted, which is handy for a camper, especially for one that tends to feel its size a bit through sections of the blacktop that involve lots of twists and turns.
The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine offers reasonable punch – getting the front-wheel drive van off the mark with some pep – and it works well with the dual-clutch auto transmission, resulting in a mostly smooth and unfussed drive.
Ride is well sorted, albeit on the firm side of things and some of that characteristic can be attributed to the van’s dimensions, the fact it was unladen, and it’s shod with 18-inch wheels.
Something people who aren’t used to driving vans should keep in mind: a van’s sides and back-end tend to catch wind gusts in high-wind areas, and that sensation and impact on the van’s behaviour can be somewhat disconcerting if you’re not anticipating them.
This van’s Bridgestone Turanza T005 (215/55 R17) tyres cope adequately with rain-slick bitumen during the recent poor weather.
All-round, this van is well behaved on-road and yields a relaxed driving experience.
Safety
Ford Transit Custom
No ANCAP rating as yet but it offers numerous firsts including a roof-mounted airbag for the passenger which enables the expansive top-of-dash storage. There’s also an exit warning system for the driver, which uses the vehicle’s rear sensors to play an audible alert when an object (such as a bicycle) is approaching while the door is being opened.
The safety menu also includes adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assist with auto emergency braking (AEB) and intersection assist, reverse brake assist, lane-keeping assist, speed sign recognition, parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, rear-view camera with 180-degree split-view and lots more.
Volkswagen Caddy
The VW Caddy California has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2021.
It has front, side, curtain and centre airbags for driver and front passenger, ISOFIX child seat anchors on the outboard second-row seats and top tether points on all second-row seats.
Driver-assist tech includes adaptive cruise control, driver fatigue detection, multi collision braking system, lane change system (including blindspot monitoring), side assist with rear traffic alert and more.
Ownership
Ford Transit Custom
The Transit Custom is offered with a five-year/unlimited km warranty. Scheduled service intervals are 12 months/30,000km, whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing of $499 applies to each of the first four scheduled services across four years/120,000km.
Volkswagen Caddy
The VW Caddy California Maxi is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, a choice of three- or five-year Care Plans (capped price servicing), and a free year of 24-hour roadside assist.
A Caddy’s five-year capped price servicing plan costs $1500 and includes two free services.