late mk5 or early mk6?

[skidartist]

Hello I'm new here!

I'm in the market for a new van as my old sprinter has reached the end of the road, with me anyway. I'd happily buy another sprinter, but at my price point (£2500-£3500) I have to choose from whats available and there are only one or two sprinters around at that price at any given time (particularly swb ones). However there are a lot of transits about for that price

I've used a lot of mk5 and m6 hire vans and find them great to drive and use. The early mk6 vans are also in my sights budget-wise. However I'm concerned about buying an early example of a mark 6. I've always felt that its better to get last of an old model than the first of a new model, as all the gremlins will have been sorted with late old-model vehicles.

Do people here think that would be the case?

I've read alot about clutch and flywheel problems with the newer transits, do these problems affect the whole range? Are there any other issues I should look out for in a mk6. By the same measure are there any issue relating to the last of the mk5s I should consider.

Go on, tell me everything about transits, you know you want to!

[motorwise]

two words from me .................. mark six

[Guy88]

MK5's rule

I am very sceptical about the first of the new models. Stick with a tried and tested van

[madmark]

thats in your opion mate mine is the mk6 if you want a rust bucket then get a mk5!

[AndyG]

A MK5 with no rust is good for a DIYer

The MK6 is a more modern van, BUT it isn't as DIY friendly

Look out for both and buy what suits YOU

First you'll have to work out what carrying capacity and load space you require
Then, do you need to have FWD or RWD
Engine output
Colours to avoid
The list goes on

[Luke]

have a read of this

http://www.fordtransit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12347

[madmark]

luke how can you go by this there isnt many mk6 owners on here compaird to mk5 ,this is not because the mk5 is a better van its just people cant get a mk6 yet as they havnt come down to the corect price!
if you are running a van for work then the mk6 is the one as it looks more later and pro ,but if you have a low budget and then you need to keep a van on the road then the 3 4 or mk5 is the way to go!

[skidartist]

thanks for all the feedback so far. To help narrow the field I'm looking at bog standard, swb models in either mark. I do a fairly low annual milage and use the van to carry timber and tools (and bikes at the weekend).

Mainly I'm curious about whether any of my worries about problems with early mk6s being founded. I'm finding it hard to find a good comprehensive review. So many of the are just some journo re-hashing the press release and driving it round the block.

But this one
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Ford_Transit__Review_5544251

seemed a more useful review than most, but are experiences like this one typical?

http://www.carsurvey.org/review_74243.html