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Lwb
3 rows of seats
Back 2 rows individual seats that come out so can be configured how I want
2 up front
Euro cat 6
Up and over rear door
I suspect the up and over rear door may be the thing that stops that being an obvious suggestions...I don't remember ever seeing a LWB with an up and over, always been barn doors...
Sounds like a Vito potentially. Although the seats in Vito back are 2-1 and 3. But maybe could be done with variations of it.
Transporter Shuttle gets close, but suspect its more MWB than LWB. Also not 100% if they can be specced with an up and over door
Tourneo Custom LWB comes close but the seats are 2 and 1
LWB shuttle has a 2+1 in the middle row and a 3 in the back. Caravelle could be had with captains chairs throughout so 6 seats in total but never as a LWB
I bet there’s a LWB Mercedes that does what you want
I think you can get what you want with a viano/traveliner.
Definitely two up front and rear up and over and I'm fairly certain you could have the rear done with multiple rails and individual seats. Don't know how popular that option was though, you'll get hammered for ved with it being a viano too.
For euro 6 you're looking at the latest model, the w447.
You can definitely get the layout with the earlier model w639 but that's euro 5.
Edited
T6 would tick almost all the boxes - could find a kombi with twin captains up front, a lot of T6s came with 3x singles on the middle row but then you'd need to compromise with the 3rd row (obviously a kombi doesn't come with a 3rd row!) by retrofitting a bench. Easily done but not 100% what you're after...
'LWB' is a very nebulous term - for some some vans that a slightly bigger Berlingo for others it's a van thats 20ft long.
Might be worth looking at the XLWB versions of the Vito Travelliner (which although is Extra Longwheel Base isnt really that big a van)
Our Caravelle is LWB with the rear up and over. The back row of seats don’t come out, the middle captains chairs do…
Volvo XC90 or Range Rover
Probably better for the planet than a van and nicer place to be ?
FunkyDunc
Free Member
Volvo XC90 or Range RoverProbably better for the planet than a van and nicer place to be ?
You'll still get the best part of 40mpg from a van (genuine question) can those big SUVs get to that with a decent diesel? Been having more van ponderings again too, if a big SUV was an option it would pique my interest although still nowhere near as good for piling in bikes + luggage
Caravelle could be had with captains chairs throughout so 6 seats in total but never as a LWB
The SE model of the T6 Caravelle had a LWB option, they're incredibly rare though as most are Executive SWB.
The back row of seats don’t come out, the middle captains chairs do…
Oh it does, but it weighs >90kg and requires some wizardry. I ended up building a dolly the same height as the velle's floor that I could slide it onto and wheel it away, precariously.
Peugeot traveller / Citroen Space tourer LWB also meets all your requirements. You can buy two for the price of one caravelle!
You’ll still get the best part of 40mpg from a van (genuine question) can those big SUVs get to that with a decent diesel?
you only get 40mpg out of a van if you drive it really slowly. If you drive a big SUV in a similar way, you'll get similar. Official mpg on a caravelle is ~35, official mpg on a xc90 is around 40. A MPV can be way higher than either - zafira sized is up to 70mpg, galaxy-size is 50ish
Bit smaller as a van but Seat Alhambra and Kia Sorento will do this. Renault Espace might too if they still exist.
How do you want to configure the back rows?
Something like LWB Peugeot Traveller might work but seats are 60/40 split
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305107209262?
I think the LWB versions are rare. Electric version is available if you are so inclined (but best for short journeys as range is rubbish).
Tourneo custom lwb does all that I'm sure? I have the swb which has 2 singles up front, so would think the lwb does as well
you only get 40mpg out of a van if you drive it really slowly. If you drive a big SUV in a similar way, you’ll get similar. Official mpg on a caravelle is ~35, official mpg on a xc90 is around 40. A MPV can be way higher than either – zafira sized is up to 70mpg, galaxy-size is 50ish
A modern SUV will probably get close to 50mpg at a guess, but the caravelle isn't that bad on fuel. In my very short time with mine, I've realised that wind direction has a big effect on it. I did 100 miles yesterday out to Goodwood and back, with most 65-70mph motorway driving plus some slower heavy traffic bits. 15-20mph SW wind driving into it on the way there = 35mpg. After the drive home, with the wind, I was up to 40mpg. That's was sitting at 65-70mph on the motorway sections.
That's a 150tdi DSG.
Vauxhall Combo Life XL and the equivalent Peugeot Rifter and Citroen Berlingo do this.
All have what you require, the rearmost seats just lift out.
However these are classed as cars, not vans.... You could easily and fairly cheaply retrofit used seats into a van though.
Renault Trafic may fit the bill in minibus config. AFAIK middle and third row are both 2+1 but should do what you need. We have a 2013 Vivaro which was the same thing (now a Pug/Citroen/Fiat).
Peugeot traveller / Citroen Space tourer LWB also meets all your requirements. You can buy two for the price of one caravelle!
Yep, LWB versions are much more plentiful. They are a lot more basic inside compared to the VW or Ford though, but the seats are much easier to remove. Can't remember exactly but I know both the rear rows are split 2+1, the 1 seat just lifts out and I think so does the 2 seat section.
You gain some spec over the VW/ford rival with pan sunroof, HUD, opening rear window etc, but also lose with no adaptive cruise option (well, technically there is one but it doesn't brake so it's basically useless) and the above mentioned lack of build quality.
Citroen Spacetourer XL, Vauxhall Vivaro Life and Peugeot traveller also come in a LWB with a hatch.
I imagine you can quickly unbolt the 3rd row easily enough.
You'll need to swap the double upfront for a single.
But again, classed as cars.... simple retrofit again to a van though - lots of seat sets on ebay.
Tourneo custom lwb does all that I’m sure? I have the swb which has 2 singles up front, so would think the lwb does as well
Yep, my LWB Tourneo Custom does except the 2nd and 3rd rows are 2+1 rather than 3 singles.
In addition to the Spacetourer, they used to do a more basic combi version of the Dispatch etc. Spec was like this one attached, so fully removeable seats but more basic rubber floor and hardboard side panels rather than fully trimmed.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211031337332
I'm getting 44mpg from a Dispatch Crewvan. That gets you 6 seats in 2 rows (5+1 occasional in reality) but all seats and bulkhead are fixed.
All the XLs are the same wheelbase as the medium one, with the extra length in the rear overhang - so they are a bit more normal to drive than a lwb, and fit in a normal supermarket parking space provided there is a kerb or flower bed to overhang at the back.
you only get 40mpg out of a van if you drive it really slowly. If you drive a big SUV in a similar way, you’ll get similar. Official mpg on a caravelle is ~35, official mpg on a xc90 is around 40. A MPV can be way higher than either – zafira sized is up to 70mpg, galaxy-size is 50ish
An easy 40+ mpg out of my Vito (2013 2.1 manual) more often than not 45+ provided you don't push past 70mph, then it drops off a cliff. very pleased with it's fuel usage and barely worse than the Diesel X type it replaced.
Get a LWB T6 and get a conversion company to put the caravelle seats and rails in. Exploria have done it for me before and will be doing it again in my next van.
I can't get 40mpg out of my 64 plate Viano XLWB 2.2 Auto, even when it's got hardly anything in it on a long trip down to the Alpes. Well I might if I only drove at 50mph but I aint got time for that shit!!
You can have any van design/configuration you want - if your pockets are deep enough.
I can’t get 40mpg out of my 64 plate Viano XLWB 2.2 Auto, even when it’s got hardly anything in it on a long trip down to the Alpes. Well I might if I only drove at 50mph but I aint got time for that shit!!
That's the auto box sadly. If I dropped my speed back to 50 I wouldn't be surprised if it managed 50+ mpg
I was coming in to say Tourneo Custom as having had a good look around that's the answer I've come to. Pretty much bang on brief isn't it?
As for fuel economy, I did a couple of hundred miles in our work Transit Crew Cab, LWB, 2.0 Euro 6 the other week. Re-set the computer at the start as I wanted to find out what the real world MPG was. Around Harrogate/York it was low 40's, Skipton/Bentham mid 30's and showed 39 MPG overall when I dropped it off. Real mixture of journeys and terrain so I think that's pretty accurate.
In comparison that's a touch better than our 2011 4x4 X1, around the same as the 4x4 Kuga we used to have and better than our previous Discovery Sport.
That’s the auto box sadly. If I dropped my speed back to 50 I wouldn’t be surprised if it managed 50+ mpg
Yeah, you're probably right. I do like the Auto box though so will have to take it on the chin. Luckily we have a little petrol Ibiza for round town stuff, so the van is long distance only.
That’s the auto box sadly. If I dropped my speed back to 50 I wouldn’t be surprised if it managed 50+ mpg
whilst not surprising, if I do 50 in our zafira it'll be sitting at close to 80mpg. Vans aren't magic, they're bigger, heavier, less aerodynamic than mpvs and often have less advanced engines. High MPG is simply a result of careful driving.
Vans aren’t magic, they’re bigger, heavier, less aerodynamic than mpvs and often have less advanced engines.
Last point is incorrect, in fact many small / medium vans dicussed here share a engine with a car. (Waits for the obvious joke)
whilst not surprising, if I do 50 in our zafira it’ll be sitting at close to 80mpg. Vans aren’t magic, they’re bigger, heavier, less aerodynamic than mpvs and often have less advanced engines. High MPG is simply a result of careful driving.
As @TheBrick states, more modern vans share the engine across a range of vehicles. The engine in the Vito is used in the sprinter and a lot of Mercedes diesel engine cars.
Whilst 80mpg is great, something that small is no use to me. The van's used for distance work whilst filled with toys and people, something that small won't cope with carrying a couple of dirt bikes a smattering of passengers and related junk and most likely a 1.5 tonne caravan hooked on the back (can manages 26-27 mpg with that lot). It only gets used for fun stuff as I commute by bicycle.
How about barn doors with a little awning?
Need to be able to transport 5 passengers some times - not work
2 * tern gsds - work
Mtbs * 3 plus 2 kids bikes and kit - plus the riders
The 3rd row double seat has been removed from our LWB Tourneo Custom since we bought it new.
We can get 4 29ers with wheels on and 4 adults with all the kit in it easily.
We could get more adults and bikes in with front wheels off but have never had to do it
Exploria actually have their demo van for sale in just that config - obviously theirs is OTT but shows how it can work.
That looks really nice. I wonder what its ULW is as it may fall on the wrong side of the dual purpose vehicle speed limit thresholds.
Looks very nice, but also far too clean and fancy for kit lugging...I reckon that would need more easy-wipe surfaces given how manky I am without trying to be.
You could definitely do all of that with a LWB Transporter. Shuttle or a Kombi with a third row of seats. But you'll struggle with a three individual seats in the third row. Either two individuals, or a 2+1/tripl
That's exploria van is lovely but ridiculous priced for what is essentially a Transporter and I'd feel bad about using it for mucky kit
I can’t get 40mpg out of my 64 plate Viano XLWB 2.2 Auto, even when it’s got hardly anything in it on a long trip down to the Alpes. Well I might if I only drove at 50mph but I aint got time for that shit!!
My 18 plate W447 (7 speed auto) does 42 to 45 at 65mph
Goes over 50MPG at around 50mph.
As @TheBrick states, more modern vans share the engine across a range of vehicles. The engine in the Vito is used in the sprinter and a lot of Mercedes diesel engine cars.
I was curious about this so looked it up. Wikipedia has a good list of the engines in the vito - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_Vito, and you're right, the 2l (OM651) was used in other vehicles. However, in passenger cars it was supersceded by the OM654 5-7 years ago (the difference between model year and production year is foggy), but its still in use in the vito today - only the most powerful vito (240ps) uses the new engine. Likewise the 1.6 engine is available and similar to the one used in cars, however its only available with limited power outputs in the vito to 134 bhp whereas in cars you can get it with 158 and 178 bhp as well..
So the engines are similar, but on the whole I think the state of the vito backs up my assertion that they are less advanced than some engines available in cars (and by forcing consumers into older, larger engines for the same power output, they have lower fuel economy)
@5lab I used to work with Mercedes/Daimler commercial engines (and buying/specifying them in vehicles).
Its not that they are less advanced (potentially the opposite in some cases). But for use in Sprinters, Vitos etc they may take a family of engines also used in a C Class for instance but in the commercial or van version they are specified with far more strenous cooling demands - cooling pack capacity, Sprinters have transmission (and even diff) coolers, larger Air Con compressors which take more engine demand etc etc... There are also other factors such as fuel quality, and service intervals.
Hence it may feel like in the van you get less power and economy for given size, but the van version is in fact designed to take far more abuse than the car. And actually, our typical use of the Vans in the UK and Europe doesnt even get close to what they are tested for.
We tried numerous times to get some of the smaller and higher output engine variants into some lighter duty commercial vehicles but Mercedes would absolutely not entertain it.
Hence it may feel like in the van you get less power and economy for given size, but the van version is in fact designed to take far more abuse than the car. And actually, our typical use of the Vans in the UK and Europe doesnt even get close to what they are tested for.
I don't disagree this is the case - the drivetrain of vans is engineered to be more suitable for the working life of a van. As a result it prioritises abuse handling and price over absolute fuel economy. That's great for DHL who have hooligans getting around their route as fast as possible, the aa when they're towing a car with their T6 and rent-a-van companies trying to cope with noobs abusing everything, but isn't much help when you're just pottering up to a trail centre with 2 kids and 40kg of bikes in the back - for people using vans as family vehicles its pretty much only a negative.
2018 Vito 119D (OM651 7-speed auto) with Pendle remap.
Liverpool to Hull running on V-Power with a dose of Archoil D-6400
