CongratulationsThey're slow as hell.
That said, the slowest car in our household is 340BHP, and my motorbike has as much power as a BiTurd, so I may be calibrated differently to others.
Certainly if youve just passed your test or have been fed of a diet of family euro-yawnboxes they might feel brisk, but to anyone accustomed to anything remotely fast all the diesel 'sporters are yawn inducing in the performance stakes. If you don't get out much and still live with mum they might feel quick
some slight hyperbole and leg-pulljng going on here, so don't get worked up!
Buying advice. 2023 BiTDI.
- Thread starter VanMan48
- Start date
It is not about 0-60 bud. It is about being able to make progress uphill in 3rd gear without having to drop into second gear revving its tits off whilst slowing down every pensioner on their way to the garden centre.
I have a heavy 5.1 Cali and 180bhp does help
All in jest my friend! I to am a superbike owner and love and owned and own fast motors!They're slow as hell.
That said, the slowest car in our household is 340BHP, and my motorbike has as much power as a BiTurd, so I may be calibrated differently to others.
Certainly if youve just passed your test or have been fed of a diet of family euro-yawnboxes they might feel brisk, but to anyone accustomed to anything remotely fast all the diesel 'sporters are yawn inducing in the performance stakes. If you don't get out much and still live with mum they might feel quick
some slight hyperbole and leg-pulljng going on here, so don't get worked up!
The vans not about that but to say the bi-turbo is slow is a little misleading! It is quick for a VAN but it’s not all about that. In MOST cases if you want a high spec van then you must have to consider the biturbo as that how most come from the factory.
I’ve owned all variant engines in the T6-T6.1 from 140 up and have all been great. MY personal opinion is I wouldn’t buy a 110 5speed but others are happy!
Again, empty with only me aboard my old 110 skate is just shy of 2.3 tonnes and doesnt struggle or labour, even climbing yhe welsh passes, even with with the family aboard. No revving of tits or screaming of nuts. Its not a ball of fire, but it doesnt feel that its about to have a heart attack and its not holding up milk floats. Its a non issue.
One caveat - a T32 has the potential to add a further half a tonne to that so it might be a different proposition, but certainly with T28 limits theres no problem on the climb or hauling a load of large well built rugbyists.
I do wonder as to the health or state of some of the vans out there for the tales of pain and woe I hear about hill climbing or keeping with traffic, because they bear no relation to my own experience.
Most of my motoring is lower speed or B road, so chose the 5 as the lower gearing makes it better suited to that. Then I went and messed that up by fitting big 18s, knocking the gearing up closer to the 6 anywag (2000 rpm at 66), but even that hasn't really blunted it climbing or hauling ability.
Last edited:
As Sasquatch states "I do wonder as to the health or state of some of the vans out there for the tales of pain and woe I hear about hill climbing or keeping with traffic" I also wonder as our 2016 T26 fully loaded on our trips away have no problems climbing hills or keeping up in any traffic. Perhaps we just got a good one.........
Find mine the same. Little 102 can still overtake some of the cars and other vans struggling up Cornish or Welsh hills. Sure, if some numpty pulls out and slows down in front of you - a Cornish tradition I’ve come to learn, building momentum back up takes an age, but it’s geared like a van - for shifting slightly heavy objects around the globe, so it’s not as slow as the biturbo boys thinks theirs is fast.
If you want fast you don’t want a van to start with.
To me I look at the 204 and see a few things - extra fuel used to cover the same distance, more complexity and, often seen hand in hand… less reliability, more expensive insurance, potentially lower resale vs outlay due to the above (especially as more and more taxes/duties/charges come in based on emissions etc. etc.
I’ll happily leave them for others.
I’ll happily leave them for others.
I think that sums the situation up very adroitly.
What I find most amusing is that AI takes all our comments, opinions, views as hard facts and it spins its own little yarn with them.
I’ve started asking it questions the last couple of days as I keep seeing articles on just how much it messes up so thought I need to see for myself.
I asked it to compare 0-30mph times for the 102 vs 204 and it basically scrapes the forum and comes up with this…
Also is the DSG 7 speed?
“
The 204hp (201bhp) Volkswagen T6 is significantly faster than the 102hp (101bhp) model, with 0–30 mph times reflecting a major disparity in acceleration, especially when carrying heavy loads or with a camper conversion.
- 204hp T6/T6.1: Can accelerate to 60 mph in roughly 8.9 to 9.6 seconds. Its 0–30 mph time is estimated well under 4 seconds, characterized by immense pick-up.
- 102hp T6/T6.1: Takes roughly 16 to 18 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 km/h). Its 0–30 mph time is roughly double that of the 204hp, taking over 6–7 seconds, as it is often considered underpowered, particularly for highway overtaking.
VW T6 Transporter Forum +6
- Torque & Gearing: The 204hp uses a twin-turbo engine (450 Nm) and usually a 7-speed DSG, providing rapid, effortless acceleration. The 102hp uses a single-turbo engine (250 Nm) with a 5-speed manual, requiring constant gear changes to maintain momentum.
- Load Impact: The 102hp is considered unsuitable for heavy camper conversions or towing, as acceleration drops significantly when loaded.
- Top Speed: The 204hp reaches roughly 126 mph, while the 102hp tops out around 98 mph.“
I don’t find the 102 unsuitable at all. My van with full camper conversion (and some kit that stays in there) weighs 2260kg and the van handles that weight fine.
I can see why Russia builds hundreds of ‘news’ websites in all different languages every week - easy to steer the narrative it seems.
Yeh Agree, my 204 pulls like a train and goes off the lights faster then most things. you can see people surprised on how fast it is when you pull away from them!Absolute. Nonsense
I'm struggling with the fact that people think that's fast!
It may be quick compared to Aunty Mavis' Mini Metro, but in 2026 when even cooking spec family cars dash at 8 seconds or considerably less its an odd view to hold.
I think the lesson from all this is to drive one of each before buying (as did I) and see how you get on. If you like the 204 and think its nippy, then absolutely go for it. If you think they all feel like marginally different flavours of slow then choose accordingly. It's a broad church, there's something out there for every van enthusiast regardless of where their personal needle sits on the scale - you won't convince me thats fast any more than I'll convince you it isn't.
Buy what suits YOU, not what someone on a forum says that you must.
Last edited:
I had this problem when researching Roll Royce wheels. I started a thread here on the forum and very quickly, my AI searches started referencing my own thread.
Why does it make a difference it makes!!!! I not interested in how fast my campervan is or if it´s slower than the chap next to me at the lights!!!!!!! I bought my campervan to enjoy life in the slow lane not race from site to site........................
Last edited:
Unless you know the bi sequential turbo engines inside out , as per the dozen or so engine codes listed earlier ,with build dates and even fuel injection systems that are fitted , you're might struggle with wtf you are actually buying.
To the layman in the street , I think the bi, turbos have now just got the universal seal of unreliability stamped all over them regardless of any modifications.
With that comes the odious prospect of failure at any time.
When manufacturers make inherent design flaws like this , it takes a very long time to shake off the sh!t reputation .
All engines can pop , some are more inclined than others
To the layman in the street , I think the bi, turbos have now just got the universal seal of unreliability stamped all over them regardless of any modifications.
With that comes the odious prospect of failure at any time.
When manufacturers make inherent design flaws like this , it takes a very long time to shake off the sh!t reputation .
All engines can pop , some are more inclined than others
Well, while tha's true, it is not that VW has done much to avoid that. Until one liter oil/1000km is still good...
I think there’s a 3 day course in Hannover for the dealership Suits to learn to spout this BS and still keep a straight face.
I’ve got a DAZM engined 204. It’s okay but anyone that thinks they’re fast needs to drive or ride something that is actually fast.
But we don’t buy vans for track days eh? We use them for motorway munching and carting shit about. Well I do
But we don’t buy vans for track days eh? We use them for motorway munching and carting shit about. Well I do
I have no idea why people compare van performance to superbike or even car performance.
It's a van.
It can carry roughly a tonne.
My not very fast T6 can very comfortably keep up with today's traffic without thrashing it.
Last week in a variable speed limit part of the M6 it was as fast as a Ferrari over about 10 miles.
It's a van.
It can carry roughly a tonne.
My not very fast T6 can very comfortably keep up with today's traffic without thrashing it.
Last week in a variable speed limit part of the M6 it was as fast as a Ferrari over about 10 miles.
