new vs old

[madmark]

i think after haveing a short wheelbase 100ps for the weekend i was impresed with it! handleing was very good ,and a fair bit of pulling power when you put the foot down, also with the fwd no axle noise the heater was good and would like one but fords are crap on there part ex prices so wont be haveing one for a wile ,but otherwise i would have bourt one!

[WR55]

Have to say i much prefer my Mk6 to my Smiley. Unfortunately, my comparison isnt that fair as my ole smiley had done 100K and was still going strong, bar a lot of rattles and smoke, whereas my MK 6 doesnt even have 2K on it yet. Would have liked to have driven a brand new smiley to appreciate the differences.

I rekon the main difference in the driving experience is that, in a smiley, you know your driving a van, whereas in the 6, on a long journey, occasionaly you forget your piloting such a big lump, mainly due to the pedals coming over from the car range being a lot lighter and closer together, the smaller steering wheel, and how quiet it is when cruising along. (first day out i noticed i could talk to my collegue in the 6 and not have to yell at him over the 2.5 at full chat at 80 mph in the smiley )

Noticed the stalling thing being mentioned. Took a bit of getting used to the 'fly by wire' system, but as mentioned, a blip when pulling away sorts out the few millisecond delay from pedal to throttle!

I think as a passenger, the increased legroom is a masterstroke. Being 6'3, a snooze in the passenger seat on the way home has suddenly become a lot more comfortable. Big plus that is!

So my conclusion? Well obviously im in love with my 6, but im not going to sit here and say its better. Its enevitable evoulution, and at the end of the day, theyre all part of the same family, much like our own familys. Think of the MK1 and 2 like Grandad, sat in the corner smoking a pipe, loved by all the family and only going out now and again, whereas the 6 is the young whippersnapper who knows how to set the video and work an ipod.

Not sure what that makes the Smiley. Probably the dissapproving mother tut tutting at the 6's 135bhp, Traction control and projector headlights, but we know she loves him.

And i have heard rumours that the new baby will be a tad 'ugly stick beaten', so expect it to carry a chip on its shoulder!!

[madmark]

mate what a wonderfull discription there, well i liked the mk6 and as you say on the motorway it was great sitting at 85-90 mph and i could still hear! didnt notice the stalling thing thuogh, but most trasits i have are fly by wire anyway! but all in all a very nice drive ( like a car) and not to bad on derv, but wont be haveing one for a wile so will have to stick with the old rust smiley with its great big chunky steering wheel,and slow and noisey etc!

[cad69]

Deleted.

[WR55]

LOL, i was a little bit tipsy when i wrote that. For some reason i get all poetic. Bit worrying really

[pollag]

I also find the Mirrors to be maybe a small step back and I'll be very careful about pulling up curbs. My old van loved curbs!

Smiley for me,easy for bits(at the mo) and easy to take apart and upgrade.I drove a hired swb mk6 when they 1st came out and i thought it was brillant (empty) but fwd no good for towing Cortina's,being a short arse the controls are more to hand.Hazard light swith-excellent thinking but the mirrors!!a step backwards.After a few months i started seeing Police mk6's in my breaker's yards with the front suspension ripped off,Police drivers pushing up curbs like the smileys-i was told.
My friend who's a van dealer- M&A Autos in Hanwell advised me to buy a swb 125 ps mk6 but to keep it more than50/60,000 miles,not to ragg like my Smiley and avoid towing.He still gets "do as you likeys" in trying to chop mk6's in for the last Smileys,i won't repeat his answer!After a comment like that i have descided to fit my smiley with alloys,power mirrors,c/l and get it painted-it's staying a while.
BT are not buying Transit's now,they were buying (i was told by an enginneer) 25,000 vans a year!That's got to hurt the pocket?BT bought Mk2's in 1985 and totally from 1988 is this a comment on how good or bad mk6's are?
New mk7 due next year,not a redesign a new van i'm told???
Jono

[trigger]

THATS A BETTER OUTLOOK ON THE MK6 THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A MK7 BY THE TIME I COULD AFFORD A MK6

There is a mk7, been around a while now.

[Frag]

This smiley front reliabilty stuff is all in ya noggins

when 95 series came out we had a similar amount of problems

Clutch judders
Brake judder on the 15"
Type 51/53 axle noise
MT75 5th gears spiltting
Cam belt failures
Heater resistors...leading to switch and loom failure
door lock barrel excess wear
front wheel bearing noise due to water ingress
propshaft bearing failure
sump and rear main oil seal leaks
alternator/vacuum pump drive spline errosion
Bosch fuel pump cam roller failure
Bosch fuel pump leaks from the advance piston cover
excessive oil at the top end because of loose fixings on the rockershaft

I could go on.........


Dealers only get full of the vehicles that have gone wrong. For every poorly transit, there are 10 good un's keeping the country moving.

What a backwards step from mk4`s,made more faults than they cured


I`ll keep me K plate,dunt go wrong & if it does gonna cost me nob all to mend.......
Wouldn`t buy a new un unless it was under ford warranty to stand all big bills.

[Dan T]

THATS A BETTER OUTLOOK ON THE MK6 THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A MK7 BY THE TIME I COULD AFFORD A MK6

There is a mk7, been around a while now.

This post dates back to 2005

[sc_BK]

There will probably be a mk8 by the time I could afford a mk7

[Luke]

There will probably be a mk8 by the time I could afford a mk7

There is a mk8, been around a while now.*


*saves me posting that in a few years