So I sat in a new Ford Custom (T7 Transporter) and here's my thoughts.

[Kind of Blue]

Me and our son were very excited to join the Transporter gang, having dreamed about it for a long time. We were driving back from buying our T6 and we got caught up in a motorway jam. Could see a thin streak of deep black smoke over the hill. Realised the congestion was because of a vehicle fire. As we pulled alongside with the traffic still moving (very slowly) we were horrified to see a peach of split screen bug in inferno - due to the wind direction, the front looked untouched, the back end had melted away.

Rest of the journey home was a bit subdued.

So thankful that the engine was saved

 

[Bav]

So thankful that the engine was saved

Unlikely, given the engine sits at the rear!

 

[Kind of Blue]

Unlikely, given the engine sits at the rear!

Someone hid it in the boot! That’s crazy, must be an insurance job.

 

[PlanB]

BUT you don't say what you don't like about it. Only that you don't like it - which you have made abundantly clear. The only reason I am against it is the wet belt consumerism throwaway and replace engine. BUT I haven't driven or even sat in the damned thing.

Heard only yesterday of a 20 plate Custom with 46,000 on the clock that snapped it's belt and lunched on it's own engine.
No good will from Ford as it had been serviced by an independent.

I feel belt anxiety is a heavier weight on Ford owners than range anxiety is on Scalextrix jockeys.

 

[whodat]

An AA person told me that 100k miles was expected. His Transit's belt broke at just over 90k.
Still want to know what they are actually like to drive/sit in etc. Can't be bothered trying it myself as not in the market at the moment and things will change by the time I am back in. Hopefully in a good way.

Most commercial vehicles, strangely enough, are fleet. They are leased for 3 years. No one really gives a toss about a van after that - not the companies' problem any more, and not Ford's problem any more as it is out of warranty.
Worse than that - Ford end up selling more engines and all the gubbins that come with it, after 3 years as belts start snapping on the ex-fleets. Leaving new owners with £15k (?) bills or an expensive paperweight.
Very throw away. Disgusting.

(gone are the days when you would get a secondhand one from the scrappy for £40 and fit it with a mate in a day - and of course the old transit would take an old capri engine)

 

[Kind of Blue]

The best way forward with perusing a new model is not to buy one in the first rush! Sit back a year or more and take note of any negative and positive reports and analysis. Even better to wait for a new model update. Then most of the potential failings will be known and sorted and that any new owner is forewarned and forearmed for new ownership. Mass commercial ownership will test the new model to its limits with minimal and poor maintenance. That way new ownership should be easier and less problematic. New owners can then plan a maintenance schedule that is appropriate for that model on the use they put it too.