New van battle: Vauxhall Vivaro vs Ford Transit Custom

British-built versus British favourite

The medium van segment of the market is the most fiercely contested, with big names like the Volkswagen Transporter, Renault Trafic and Peugeot Expert all vying for a piece of the pie. There are at least ten different medium vans available from the major manufacturers, so if you're after a new van - how do you know which one to choose?

In 2018, two of the best-selling medium vans in the UK were the Ford Transit Custom and the Vauxhall Vivaro, which is built in the UK - at Vauxhall's Luton plant. Ok, so the Transit Custom sold over twice as many units as its nearest medium-sized competitor, but the Vauxhall Vivaro still shifted over 20,000 new vans - a testament to the longevity of this now 18-year-old van.

So the figures would suggest that the Ford Transit Custom is out on its own, that the Vauxhall Vivaro doesn't compare to Ford's all-conquering panel van. But is that the case? Let's find out!

New van: Vauxhall Vivaro

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The Vauxhall Vivaro was introduced in 2001 and is now in its second generation. It's available as one of two lengths, with two roof heights and a single 1.6-litre diesel engine. Four power outputs are offered, 95ps, 120ps, 125ps and 145ps. All are compliant with Euro 6 regulations. The Vauxhall Vivaro can carry at least 1075kg no matter which version you're running.

New van: Ford Transit Custom

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Having only come to market at the back-end of 2012, the Ford Transit Custom is barely seven years old. Like the Vauxhall Vivaro it's available as one of two lengths, with two roof heights and a single 2-litre Euro 6 compliant engine that dwarfs the Vivaro's 1.6-litre unit. There are three power output options with the Ford Transit Custom, 105ps, 130ps and 170ps; fewer options than the Vauxhall Vivaro however the Custom's 170ps unit is no competition for the Vivaro's most powerful 145ps engine.

With a range of Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) weights relating to different models, the smallest 250-series model of the Custom carries just 599kg. For a fairer comparison, 270-series models have a payload of 799kg which is some way off the Vivaro's base figure. The Custom can carry over a tonne with 310-series models and above.

New van battle - vital statistics

Now we have the introductions out of the way, let's get into the real nitty-gritty stuff. We're talking dimensions, weights, economy and power.

If payload is a concern, the biggest payload you'll find in either of these vans is 1399kg - which you'll get from the 340-series short wheelbase, low roof version of the Ford Transit Custom. The Vauxhall Vivaro offers a maximum payload of 1280kg but you'll need a long wheelbase version for that. Quite a contrast! We make that 1-0 to the Custom.

Payload: Custom 1 Vivaro 0

Staying with weights, how about towing capacity? Well, the Vivaro's maximum towing capacity with a braked trailer is 2-tonnes, and this applies across the range. The Ford Transit Custom is a little different. Your capacity will depend on your model - 250-series models can tow 2.3-tonnes. The rest split into two - above the 250-series, L1 models can pull 2.5-tonnes while L2 models can tow 2.8-tonnes. This means that all models of the Custom can tow more than the Vivaro, and that makes it 2-0.

Towing capacity: Custom 2 Vivaro 0

The next one surprised us a little, given the Custom's burgeoning reputation for practicality. With a load-through bulkhead, the longest possible load length for the Vauxhall Vivaro is a whopping 4150mm. This is some way ahead of the Custom's 3452mm, which quite frankly pales in comparison. Vauxhall vans pull one back - it's 2-1!

Load length: Custom 2 Vivaro 1

Length is one thing, width is another. So which van comes out on top here? It's the Ford Transit Custom with a maximum loading width of 1775mm and usable space of 1390mm between the wheel arches. The Vivaro's 1662mm and 1268mm are both over 100mm off the Custom's figures, so the Ford van reestablishes a two point lead. 3-1. We should point out that these figures remain the same across the individual ranges.

Load width: Custom 3 Vivaro 1

Both vans offer two roof heights, but which provides more headroom? There's a full 120mm in it - which is enough to make a difference, especially for the taller of us. It's the Vauxhall Vivaro that wins out here, with maximum headroom of 1898mm to the Custom's 1778mm. We're back to 3-2 and it's game on!

Load height: Custom 3 Vivaro 2

We already know that the Ford Transit Custom offers fewer engine specifications than the Vauxhall Vivaro, albeit more powerful. But which offers the best fuel economy? The best combined figure for any of the Custom's engines is 46.3mpg - not too shabby for a van of this size. The Vivaro shades it though, with a top-end economy return of 47mpg. It's all square!

Fuel economy: Custom 3 Vivaro 3

So the Vivaro delivers better fuel economy (by the skin of its teeth) but is more economically efficient too? Again, the answer is yes and again, you could split them with a cigarette paper. The most-efficient Vauxhall Vivaro specification emits just 155g/km to the Custom's best figure of 157g/km. The Vivaro has snatched the lead with just one category remaining

Emissions: Custom 3 Vivaro 4

and that category is torque. As we've already mentioned, the Custom offers more powerful engine options compared to the Vivaro, and as such its maximum torque rating is also significantly higher. The Ford Transit Custom's 170ps engine can deliver 405Nm of torque, compared to the Vivaro's best figure of 340Nm. No contest.

Torque: Custom 4 Vivaro 4

After all that, we're all square. A surprise to some, given the popularity of the Ford Transit Custom - but the Vauxhall Vivaro is a quality van in its own right. Maybe the standard features will help us out .

Included with all Vauxhall Vivaro panel vans is a full bulkhead, passenger bench seat, digital radio, Aux-in, Bluetooth and USB capabilities. Compare this with the Custom, which gets a load-through bulkhead, passenger bench seat, 2x 12v power sockets and Bluetooth connectivity.

But how do the respective top-spec models compare? Vauxhall Vivaro models with Sportive trim include body coloured exterior parts, air conditioning, a load-through bulkhead, mobile office, cruise control with speed limiter, rear parking sensors, fog lights and metallic paint - on top of the features mentioned above. The Ford Transit Custom's Limited trim level includes (in addition to the above) body-coloured exterior parts, air conditioning, cruise control with speed limiter, front and rear parking sensors, fog lights, automatic wipers and headlights, alloy wheels and digital radio.

So which is better? While sales figures may suggest an obvious winner, it's clear that the Vauxhall Vivaro holds its own next to the Transit Custom. Ultimately, it's down to personal preference - but always make sure you have the right van for the job!