Ford Transit Custom VS Vauxhall Vivaro - Pre-Loved Medium Van Comparison

The Ford Transit Custom and Vauxhall Vivaro are two of the best-selling medium vans on the UK market today - they make up the bulk of the mobile backbones of businesses of all sizes, from sole traders to household names. With the global behemoths of Ford and the Stellantis group fighting for supremacy, it’s no surprise that these medium vans keep on being improved.
Modern medium vans are more car-like than ever in the cab environment, making the transition to driving a van for someone only familiar with a car so much easier - and these two vans are perfect examples of these attributes. The Vauxhall Vivaro is made in the UK and it’s almost unique in that regard. Meanwhile, the Ford Transit Custom is regularly Britain’s best selling vehicle (even including cars). What they have in common is that, as medium vans, they combine a great loadspace, a high payload and practicality.

The Ford Transit Custom has been around since 2012 and was an instant success - I’d call its launch the defining moment for medium vans, when they truly came of age. There’s only been one major facelift so far (although there have been a number of ‘tweaks’ along the way) and the 2018 refreshed Customs can easily be identified by their lozenge style front grille. Ford took this opportunity to totally redesign the dash, too, and integrate more of their famous cupholders and connectivity into the vehicle.

Until 2019 the Vauxhall Vivaro shared the same platform as the current Renault Trafic and Nissan Primastar. With the British brand then coming under the ownership of the Stellantis (formerly PSA) Group, it made commercial sense for Vauxhall to use the van design already proven by the success of the Peugeot Expert and Citroen Dispatch. This turned out to be a master stroke, the new Vivaro quickly meeting with approval from both loyal customers and those new to the brand.

There’s no ‘one size fits all’ in the medium van segment, customers have different needs and a van that is a bit too big or too small will always be a compromise. The Transit Custom is available in two lengths and two roof heights. Things are a little more restrictive on the Vauxhall Vivaro as there’s no high roof option but, you’ve still a choice of two lengths.
If you’re looking for a van with additional passenger carrying capacity, the vans are available as a multi-purpose ‘Doublecab’ in the case of the Vivaro, or as a ‘DCIV’ (Double Cab in Van) Custom. With a bulkhead separating the passenger compartment from the load bay, these vans offer excellent flexibility. The seats in the Vivaro can be collapsed against the back of the front seats, bringing the bulkhead with them, recovering much of that loadspace when those seats are not in use.

Whether you’re a fleet buyer wanting the economy offered from an engine with a modest output, or an enthusiast looking for power combined with a slick automatic transmission, both manufacturers have you covered.
Taking the Transit Custom first, you can specify the 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel engine at outputs of 105PS, 130PS, or 170PS, and although those numbers are important, just as critical in the real world for van operators is the amount of torque available and Ford is rightly proud of the capability of this efficient Euro 6 unit. Even the 105PS engine produces 310Nm of torque, and an excellent 390Nm is available from the 170PS version. There’s a 6-speed automatic transmission option with all but the 105PS unit. There’s currently no all-electric Transit Custom available, but the Custom PHEV (Plug In Hybrid) has an electric powertrain with the battery being charged by a ‘range extending’ on-board 1.0-litre petrol engine. Combining low emissions with the driver never having to worry about running out of charge, the Custom PHEV is an option for those wanting to prove their green credentials in their business operation. As for the Vivaro, there’s a fair bit of choice offered by Vauxhall. Its 1.5-litre diesel engines come in 100PS and 120PS guises (with respective torque outputs of 270Nm and 300Nm) and 2.0-litre units producing 145PS (340Nm) or 180PS (400Nm) are also available. An 8-speed automatic transmission can be specified with the 145PS engine, and is fitted as standard with the 180PS unit. The Vivaro Electric has won a number of industry awards, managing to achieve the perfect balance of a realistic payload (more on that later) combined with an excellent range from a full charge. There’s a choice of a 50kWh or 75kWh battery pack – opt for the larger one and you’ll get an official WLTP Combined cycle range of up to 205 miles. While I’d always warn that in the real world these figures are unlikely to be achieved, independent tests have shown that with the Vivaro Electric it’s possible to get reasonably close.

Although the external measurements are reasonably similar, let’s delve into how the Custom and Vivaro compare at the business end. When it comes to access, the Custom has a standard configuration of twin rear doors and a single side loading door with the option of a rear tailgate and an additional loading door on the driver’s side. The Vivaro scores an advantage by having that second side loading door as standard equipment, while also having twin rear doors (unless a tailgate is specified).
I’ve put these numbers into a table to make comparing the vans easier. These relate to standard van versions, not the double cab versions, and I’ll cover electric/hybrid payloads separately. So I don’t complicate matters, I’ll just compare the standard height roof vans, as there’s no high roof version of the Vivaro. These vans are both offered in various GVMs (Gross Vehicle Mass), so the payloads refer to the range offered. Vivaro Electric offers a maximum payload of between 1000kg and 1226kg, quite the achievement given the weight of the battery pack (and it can tow a braked trailer weighing up to 1000kg). The Custom PHEV can take a respectable 1195kg in the back, although this van is not approved for towing.

I’ve spent some time behind the wheel of both of these vans and, from a comfort perspective, there’s little to choose between them. Although the Vivaro feels slightly narrower (I’m avoiding the word cramped, because it certainly isn’t) the seats in both vans are well designed, the materials used throughout in the cabs are of good quality, and the dash is modern - dominated in most cases by the centrally-mounted touchscreen. If I had to make a call, I’d say that the Custom has a more modern, upmarket cab, the dash in particular being an excellent piece of design. Having said that, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this environment in the Vivaro, it’s perhaps a little more functional than pretty, but that means keeping it looking clean is far easier.
Comparing trim levels isn’t the easiest thing to do, the Vauxhall Vivaro being offered in three levels of specification, Prime, Pro and GS, whereas the Ford Transit Custom gives the customer a choice of six, named Leader, Trend, Trail, Limited, Active and Sport. For our comparison purposes, let’s take a look first at the Transit Custom Leader and Vivaro Prime. They’re the ‘entry level’ vans from Ford and Vauxhall and the manufacturers list prices are similar, suggesting that they’re pitching themselves directly against each other. As standard, the Transit Custom Leader doesn’t come with too many bells and whistles, but you do get a DAB radio with Bluetooth connectivity, electric windows, remote central locking and lots of in-cab storage. You’ll get all the above with the Vivaro Pro, but Vauxhall has added tech that, at this level at least, gives this van the edge over the Custom. Pro comes with cruise control, air conditioning, a 7-inch multimedia touchscreen and rear parking sensors - all valuable commodities to a busy van driver. I think that the spec on the entry level Vauxhall is more comparable to that found on the Custom Trend, the next up in Ford’s range. This adds an 8-inch colour touchscreen, air conditioning, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and Ford’s legendary ‘Quickclear’ heated windscreen to the equipment found on the Leader. But if you decide to move up a gear in the Vivaro line up, opting for the Pro model will give you additional items that the Custom Trend lacks, such as a fully-integrated sat nav system, Apple and Android smartphone integration and a panoramic rear view camera. If you’re after a van that not only has a good level of equipment but also looks great from the outside, both Vauxhall and Ford have something to offer. Vivaro GS replaces what used to be called the Sportive, but goes that bit further. On the outside, the van boasts spoilers and sill mouldings, 18-inch alloy wheels and a sports-style bumper. In the cab, the seats are covered in full eco-leather trim, and there are enhancements such as climate control, semi-adaptive cruise control and some additional safety and driver aid tech. Transit Custom Limited pitches at a level somewhere between the Vivaro Pro and GS models. Most of the enhancements over Trend are cosmetic, with lots of body-coloured parts added to the exterior and some nice alloy wheels. Spec changes in the cab are minimal. Like the Vivaro GS, Custom Sport is mostly a visual upgrade with the Sport styling kit including skirts, wheel arch extensions, side stripes and 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels. In the cab, there’s partial leather seat trim, a fold-out table, and on the dash the multimedia screen now shows an output from the rear view camera.

Like any medium van, the Transit Custom and Vauxhall Vivaro are ideal for those van users that need a capable load carrier, but with a small footprint making it easier to manoeuvre and park in towns and cities. With the exception of the H2 Custom, being under 2 metres in height means that these vans will be able to access most car parks and other areas which restrict the entry of vehicles over this height.
Tradespeople have found that the Vivaro and Custom are ideal for their work, with loadspaces that are easy to access. Running costs are low, with economical engines and excellent warranties in place. Fleet operators need vans that do a job and have the backing of a strong network of dealers for after-sales support. They also need vehicles that will hold their value, meaning that the whole-life costs remain as low as possible, whether they lease, finance or buy outright. They want vans that the drivers will take pride in and look after, that are well-equipped, comfortable and not tiring to operate on long working days. Both the Ford Transit Custom and Vauxhall Vivaro fulfil all these criteria well.

These vans fully deserve their status as the leading lights in the medium van sector. Experience means that the manufacturers know what the customer wants, and using that knowledge they deliver. Each van has advantages over the other, these might be critical to some, but irrelevant to others. When it comes to body styles, if you need maximum volume above all else, as its dimensions internally are a little greater you’ll probably opt for the Transit Custom, especially if you need height because it has that useful H2 option. Payloads? Both vans offer a great range of payloads with an almost identical maximum.
There’s little to separate the diesel powertrains, there being a similar breadth of power outputs. But, if you’ve decided to make the move over to electric power, the hybrid Custom might not have all the green credentials you’re looking for so, for the time being at least, the Vivaro Electric could be the way to go. If budgetary or other reasons mean that you’re looking at entry-level models, Vivaro Prime certainly has the edge over the Custom Leader in terms of equipment, but if your new van needs to have a little more spec Ford offers a much wider range of options, including the Trail and Active models which are targeted at those needing a slightly different blend of features. Having said that, Vivaro GS is very well equipped, and looks great too. These vans are so closely matched, it’s almost impossible to make a wrong choice when deciding between them – it’s just a matter of making sure you’ve the right bodystyle, weight, power unit and trim level for your job. Make a list of your needs, check it twice, then select your van using this article as your checklist.

You can search for a Ford Transit Custom here or a Vauxhall Vivaro here.