Request opinions on Tiptronic reliability and repair costs.

[Seano]

Hello forum. I joined last night after test-driving a 2001 hi-roof LWB Transit with the Tiptronic transmission yesterday, with the intent to purchase it. It seems like a strange arrangement from what I have known, and I thought it wise to ask for opinions from more knowledgeable Transit owners on the overall value of this semi-automatic tranny compared with a standard manual gearbox regarding general reliability and the expected repair costs if something breaks down.

In essence, what is the general consensus on these Tiptronic transmissions in a 17 year-old model which has harboured a lady driver for the past decade?

Overall the van seems like a well-kept, one-owner kind of second-handie, in better condition than the 2008 model I drove earlier yesterday which had been knocked around by courier drivers at a transport company, so I would age this vehicle at around 10 years old as far as its condition goes, even though it is of an earlier vintage. There are no telltale brown smells in the cab nor under the bonnet so I guess that this particular vehicle has not been very badly abused over its life.

Should I buy a good-cond 2001 Transit with the [Tiptronic[/i] transmission or keep looking for a manual?
Are they considered reliable by the experts?

Thank You.