Old V New Custom Sport

[CRM]

My old van was a 14 plate 155 sport in black with no options fitted.
I sold it early 2021 to a pal with 45k on the clocks.
It had only been used as a leisure van rarely with any weight in it apart from the odd motorbike.
The van was flawless and apart from a brief moment in limp mode with a failing sensor - was reliable and well serviced with oils and filters every 5 - 10k intervals.

The new van is a 21 plate Sport Auto in black, with twin side doors, single passenger seat, 230v inverter, Adaptive cruise and 12v in the rear as a factory order
Delivered to me at the end of April, first job was to rip off the tacky pikey stripes front and rear, and then a ceramic coating.
A local company then lined and kitted out the rear, with a single factory glazed option for the near side door, bulkhead window, 2 quick release torneo seats in the rear with raised floor and all finished in a suitable subtle hard wearing flooring with carpeted sides and roof.
This will again be a leisure vehicle mostly used for the odd bike trackday and general daily commute duties with a estimated 7 - 8k a year miles tops.

So how do they compare ???

Visuals,
well i actually like the 14 plate sport, that also had the silver stripes removed and looked more low key and subtle. The wheels did get tatty and looked aged after around 3 years through general brake dust really.
The new van is stunning, again no stupid cheap stripes front and rear only the subtle matt black stripes down the side give a nice menacing clean look with its OE mouldings and stance from the wide axel.

Interior,
The inside of the 14 plate van was nice, a great feel and drive, a few things annoyed like the lack of door pull handle near the glass, lack of storage space on the dash, but all very nice if a little more cosy than the Mk7 it replaced.
The 21 plate van is different again, similar space (helped by the single seats instead of the bench) but quite a bit more dash level storage which is useful however obviously i lose the middle seat back cup holders area now.
Certainly an improvement over the older model

Ergonomics,
Ok so the ford SYNC system i think is a bit sh*t overall. the old one was fairly intuitive of a sorts once you got your head around it, but the new one with more features is a natural progression but with extras bolted on.
One item of real annoyance is the steering wheel and controls, again a bit of a random mis match in typical ford "that will do" manner compared to VW, Audi, Mercedes etc, but it works even if you now lose some radio controls from the wheel and have to touch the big display which leads me on to the next thing.
I don't understand this trend of sticking a big screen for all to knock, steal, smash when it could be moved to somewhere less prone and easier to see or manage - even the new dash like VW and Audi use these days.
The DAB is actually slightly better than the old one with less dropping of stations which was a real annoyance in the old one.
Bluetooth call quality is superb and possibly one of the best i have heard in any car or van.

Engine,
I was naturally wary of going from the tried and tested 2.2 to the new 2.0 engine. hearing lots of horror stories from recovery pals of mine, from engines filling the bottom end with fuel then rodding the blocks, injector issues, sensors packing up etc, but that clearly was something i had no choice with on a new van.
I have to say the new 2.0 engine starts so much easier and is loads quieter and smoother than the 2.2, and ok while mine is a 185 sport and should be quicker, it actually feels stronger everywhere over the 2.2 as you may expect, but its the lack of fuss or noise and drama from it which stands out. The new one is also better on fuel too. The old van saw an average of around 33 - 34mpg, the new one in a like for like use is more like 35 - 36mpg.
Again overlooking fords utterly ridiculous "fleet manager friendly" service schedule, this will get and oil and filter and fuel filter every 5 - 10k max with the first to be done at 3k to get the worst of the engine glitter out of it like the last one had.
Some may say this is overkill, fine, we all have our opinions, when you know what is actually going on inside these things, mechanical sympathy takes over and oil and filters are a small cost compared to turbo's and rods and pistons !! Also this van will be a 10 year plus keeper.

Gearbox,
Going from the silky smooth light 6 speed manual to the Auto "power shift" box was a gamble - and one i feel has not paid off.
I am not actually convinced all is right with my gearbox, coming from the VW / Audi DSG family, this ford attempt is utter shite in a word.
Its clunky, slow, slow witted and generally poor even compared to the old slush box offerings on the old Focus Mk2 1.6 models.
With no predictability when it changes (cold changes are later and slower same as most autos) but very much an elastic band feel between lunging changes that seem to take an age to perform.
Kick down happens quickly and its more than willing to rev, but it feels very old tech and cheap.
Anyone considering an Auto whom is used to modern dual clutch setups or even like a smooth change, test drive first before you commit.
Another thing against the Auto is the drivability. yes for 95% of the time its easier and less hassle, but when you try and get a wiggle on the Auto makes the van a bit of a pig to wrestle around bends and corners losing is driveability and fun, no more dropping into third to power out of the bend for max grip, it now goes in too hot and runs wide out with the lack of engine braking and control - if you know - you know!!! that said - its a bloody van.

Steering,
Ok so the weighting of the steering is different between the old and new van and i am not sure if this is because of the heavy auto box or simply a design thing. the main thing i notice is the difference in weighting as you put more pressure on in a corner, the old van was quite dynamic and weighted up nicely so you could feel the grip better and when you were about to lose grip (when it goes light) on the new van however this feeling is completely gone and you get zero warning as traction breaks away. Winter driving will be fun and i can see more written off new vans as a result.
Again you could argue it just a van, and when would you drive it like that - well again on track you can feel this and it really is noticeable over the older model.

So there we have it, its a great van and not cheap compared to the older first gen sport vans at over 10k price difference in 6 years. The new van is pushing perilously close to the prices of the VW and other premium brands, but i still feel the custom sport is still the best looking of the bunch.
Why didn't i go for a sport clone like a MSRT or what ever they are called this week ? simply because i wanted twin doors, i did not want a converted crew cab, also i wanted a genuine sport and the healthy resale and residuals they maintain compared to the other "sports" which were based on a limited spec van and kitted up. I also really like the subtle sport body mouldings compared to the botox / fish faced wanna be clones - but i will say, not being able to spec a sport van without the stupid stripes ?? WTF they barely lasted a few days before being ripped off.

So a bit of a read, sorry for the waffle, hope it helps someone, and if you agree or don't agree - i really do not care, these are my findings, it's my van and there is no buyers regret here i knew what i was buying when i placed the order.

Before





And after

[woodbutcherbower]

Great write-up and thanks for posting. I have a loaded 67 plate 290 170PS Sport which was (and still is) my dream van. 43k in - and it's been utterly flawless from the day I drove it off the forecourt.

+1 on the removal of the boy-racer stripes (I got the dealer to remove mine before I collected it), and another +1 for avoiding a Limited in a shell suit. I totally get the fact that's only as much as a lot of guys can afford and that we're probably in a more privileged financial position, but at least those buyers aren't content with driving around in a black-plastic-bumpered-poverty-spec van, and at least have the aspirations to make their van look half-decent. Some of the aftermarket mods look pretty OK - so fair play to them I say.

FWIW I also do my oil every 6k. Great to see someone else who 'gets it'. That was easily as good as any pro review.

Enjoy.

[CRM]

Cheers and agreed on some of the sport type body kitted vans - they look great for sure and i can see why so many buy them.
I guess for me, after owing one of the original sports, replacing it with a 2 year warranty clone in a frock was never going to sit right.
Also some try too hard to look mean and menacing where as the genuine sport is subtle and not trying too hard if that makes sense.

Choosing black, after saying never again with black, once i ceramic coated it the van almost cleaned itself in the rain and always looked kinda smart and shiny and never flat or gopping.
Also it was the only colour where the now glazed left hand door is almost invisible and just cant be seen making it even more stealthy.
i will look into changing its tax class once there are no tax burdens with doing it so i am not limited by draconian speed limits for commercials.

one item i did forget to mention - that silver ring around the drivers door lock . . . . . just why ford ? why it stands out like a sore thumb

[woodbutcherbower]

one item i did forget to mention - that silver ring around the drivers door lock . . . . . just why ford ? why it stands out like a sore thumb

Never bothered me. I drove mine straight from the dealer to the locksmith to get some proper locks fitted ....

[Jackanson]

Did you rule out a tailgate for any reason. I specced it for my facelift auto Sport, real handy for wet motocross meets. Don't miss the barn doors but do miss the lid on the cubby on the driver's side which my previous Custom had. I've got a pedal box lock which fits the Auto with a bit of wiggling.

[CRM]

Did you rule out a tailgate for any reason. I specced it for my facelift auto Sport, real handy for wet motocross meets. Don't miss the barn doors but do miss the lid on the cubby on the driver's side which my previous Custom had. I've got a pedal box lock which fits the Auto with a bit of wiggling.

I found loading a bike with the tail lift - i cracked my head on it a few times and preferred the run up while upright with a last min duck as it goes in.
I run a CR250 supermoto and a SXV550 so for light bikes only - the tail lift made more sense, but i also run a few homo specials too, so fitting 2 superbikes in the back the barn doors make loading and unloading easier. hence the twin side doors. too

[Mike]

but when you try and get a wiggle on the Auto makes the van a bit of a pig to wrestle around bends and corners losing is driveability and fun, no more dropping into third to power out of the bend for max grip, it now goes in too hot and runs wide out with the lack of engine braking and control - if you know - you know!!! that said - its a bloody van.

It is a problem with some non performance orientated auto boxes, but left foot trail braking is your friend. It’s a bit of a game though as the engine power gets cut if you get too heavy on the brake…….which makes things worse.

[DeRo]

Delivered to me at the end of April, first job was to rip off the tacky pikey stripes front and rear, and then a ceramic coating.

And looks much better for it too, good job.

Agree about the gearbox, poor compared to the van competition. And agricultural compared to modern car auto boxes. But I'd still rather have it than a manual, done enough clutch pressing since the 1970s... And like you say, it's a van - mine doesn't get driven enthusiastically so it does the job fine.

Biggest annoyance for me is that it needs another ratio. In 6th it revs higher than the manual which makes it thirstier. Needs a 7th gear.

Good review btw, thanks.

[Jackanson]

That's fair enough about a tailgate. I only have wee 125 KTMs

[CRM]

So after 4000 miles a few issues have reared their head. So it was booked into Evans Halshaw Chester for a small service and inspection.
1 - leaking fluid under the brake pedal all over the floor matt. i assuemd it was brake fluid. EH confirmed it was actually waxoil from the bulkhead and corrosion protection. Nice so at least my matts wont rust.
2 - Alarm keeps going off. Turns out its the App, remove the app from your phone, alarm no longer causes issues.
3 - Gearbox is crap, slipping and random as mentioned previously. Technician drove it, confirmed it was crap, checked oil and managed to stick another 1.5l in there. i can confirm its made all the difference and drives far closer to a normal slushbox auto - still not a patch on the Audi / VW S-tronic / DSG system.
4 - Oil and filter changed.

I will report back, but will say anyone who feels their auto box is pants, get the oil level checked or oil replaced for good measure. i suspect i will get mine done at 10k when its in for its next oil and filter and fuel filter.

[CRM]

So a couple of days in and around 150 miles,
When cold it still changes up around 3 - 3500 rpm which i feel is too high - but is this the same as everyone else ?
When warm its keener to get into top gear which is good but does seem to be more eager to kick down with the slightest whiff of throttle.
Is it better ? possibly
Is it smoother ? maybe
does it feel like the elastic band has been tightened between gears - sometimes yes.
It is still however an utterly sh*t gearbox - try before you commit.

I am struggling to actually find out the tech used on these box's. Is it a modern dual clutch setup or is it closer to an old school manual box with electronic hand and foot ?? it feels like the latter if you have ever had the misfortune of owning a Fiat Dualogic system, actually that was possibly smoother.

[woodstock]

i live just off a dual carriageway and take the sliproad when the van is cold, it will rev to 2400 on the flat until it changes, i`m not comfortable with that so i manually change up with the switch on the gearstick whilst still leaving in auto

sometimes when reaching the dual carriageway i need to get a shift on to keep up with traffic and it will not kick down so i hit the switch again

some traffic situations i question what the fk the gearbox is up to but it gets there in the end

regards

[M3Stig]

times like these, i wish audi would make a van

[CRM]

Right so my van is back into EH in Chester for another check of the box.
Since its "top up" it has been better in some areas but actually worse in others.
The whole thing can be best described as driving your VW / Audi constantly in sport mode with a knackered slipping clutch pack.

I still cant get the "master tech" lol to confirm if this box is an old tech slushbox or a modern dual clutch setup - worrying if he doesn't know frankly.
To be fair been waiting for a call since 10am (now gone 3PM) so suspect it may well be going to another dealer for an opinion regardless of what comes back.

If it was a fleet van or hire van, i simply wouldn't care, but its not, its mine and i bought it and plan on keeping it for 10 years so i do not want an exploding box and clutch at 3.5 years old which is the usual way.
I drove another last week and mine is deffo not right i reckon the clutch is bolloxed already at less than 5000 miles with all the slipping.

Ford vans - good vans, let down by lousy after sales support

[CRM]

Ford Master tech confirmed this is based on a high torque slushbox design with the ability to shift gears on the button - but it is not a DCT or Powershift box.
He also confirmed after a 40 mile spin, the box is fine and its me. However there was a stored code from the MAF which was cleared and forced a recalibration which happens constantly over 1000kms or so adapting to bite points and load and driving style.
he also hinted he has seen next to no failures of either the clutch or this box and some have racked up 220k + in miles on the OE clutch and box.
Oddly he hinted changing the engine oil every 10k was a waste of money and 20k is ok, he shook his head when i said its get done between 6 - 8k intervals lol.

So there we go, its annoying but it works and if it stays reliable then fine i can accept it for what it is.
I do like the van though for sure.