So I traded it on a 2018 Renault Trafic 140 diesel lifestyle pack, and have nothing but good comments to say for it, except that the passenger seat is a bit cramped. With the best range of second hand Renault Trafic vans across the UK, find the right van for you. Renault Formula Edition Trafic… I quite liked the old sit-up-and-beg van driving style so I have the seat adjusted way up high with the back in an upright position. It had to be done, a test of a van/bus/car. Makes you wonder why so many people buy HiAces…. As I am now past retiring age, maybe my younger colleagues could take up the cudgels where I left off. Terms, conditions and fees apply. Even ascending some steep hills hasn’t resulted in the need for that extra little bit of oomph. By this stage on a test, I have usually found a few gripes and moans, but, to be honest, I am struggling to find anything negative to say about the Trafic. We have another four months to talk about the others. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that were I to buy a medium panel van for myself, this is probably the one I would choose – although my purse would stretch only to one of the lesser models, admittedly. The first generation of cars called Trafic appeared in 1980.It includes front-wheel-mounted frame-carrying vans, minibuses, chassis platforms and flatbed If you’re new to the van world, take our word that the Trafic is a significant step forward from vans of old. The tie-downs are sturdy enough for a motorcycle too, and once strapped in, the Vespa didn’t move over more than 100km between stops. Trafic news, reviews, comparisons and videos, Engine and gearbox are both excellent, along with stop/start, Cabin has an enormous amount of useful storage space, Load area is flexible and LED lighting is fantastic, Tiny reverse camera in the rear-view mirror isn't as good as it should be, Visibility is compromised by solid sides, like it is with all vans. When I informed him he could actually buy one like it from the local Renault dealer, he seemed staggered (and envious). Twin, dash-mounted gloveboxes ahead of the passenger also keep valuables safe. Outside, this van screams “look at me!” with gaudy yellow stripes down the sides, yellow foglight surrounds, a sparkly black paint job and black alloy wheels. In this improved version of the third generation design, the Renault Trafic LCV gets a range of more efficient 2.0-litre dCi diesel engines, the option of EDC auto transmission and a smarter cabin with extra technology. Also, a van like this can be used as a carrot to improve the fuel economy of a fleet. You could plug a satellite-navigation unit into that socket, for example, but the proprietary Renault system is good enough that you won’t need an auxiliary unit. In fact, on a couple of occasions, it has more resembled a piece of abstract art rather than a commercial vehicle. So far, much of our mileage has been long-haul stuff, which means the stop-start system doesn’t get to work very often. I took some time to study other van drivers on the motorway and you could clearly see which ones had air-con and which ones didn’t – and I felt sorry for the poor souls sweating their way through a working day in such conditions. Step up into the cabin, and a few things become immediately apparent – firstly, there’s an expansive view forward, and almost none at the rear three-quarter thanks to the solid sides. Like the dual-cab ute sector, the working van sector is an interesting one. With the doors out of the way, it gives you so much more room to manoeuvre something that might require two people to load. The Renault Trafic has a contemporary look and style with a cabin that is clearly aimed at attracting the owner-operators out there. I also found that when loaded with about 900 kg of weight the van struggles. Given how impressive the more powerful variant is that we’ve tested, stump up the extra three grand. Motor blew up within the first 4500 kms and had to be replaced. How grateful I was to climb back into the cool, calm climate-controlled cab of the Trafic. Unless otherwise stated, all prices are shown as Manufacturer's In these days of competent automatics, a manual gearbox (especially in traffic) can get really annoying really quickly. The Trafic arrived with just delivery mileage on the clock, but fuel economy is rising slowly as the weeks pass. The Trafic gets up to highway speed quickly – and stays there – too. With a few more round-town trips we reckon we could well achieve the stated 46.3mpg figure by the end of the test. 2019 Toyota HiAce LWB diesel manual review. If you’re a delivery driver or tradie who needs a larger van, and the lack of an automatic isn’t a deal-breaker, you’re going to love the Renault Trafic. We’ll certainly be sad to see the back of it, as it is about the most striking van we’ve ever had on test at Commercial Fleet magazine. It just about ticks every box. In fact, it’s about as far away as you can imagine. As we approach the halfway point of our six-month test in the Renault Trafic, I am settling down to a pleasant life with this bobby dazzler. Our test figure of 39.8mpg is a little askew as the engine is new and has yet to loosen up so we’ll be keeping you updated on fuel economy as the months pass. My partner has some health issues to contend with and she found long journeys in our last long-termer, a VW Caddy, a trial because she couldn’t stretch out far enough. 211,982 kilometers is driven with this vehicle. Leave a comment for your chance to win £20 of John Lewis vouchers. Read the full review here. Vans like the Renault Trafic are cost-effective, quality options that should be in your consideration set. Now with Car Finance from Trusted Dealers. The storage space in the cabin is the other thing that grabs you – mainly that there’s so much of it. This is the twin turbo version and I thought it would have been much better. Every issue of Fleet News the editor picks his favourite comment from the past two weeks – get involved for your chance to appear in print and win! As the months go by, I am still discovering little extras I hadn’t noticed before, this van being awash with non-standard goodies. Those two gripes apart, this van has constantly surprised and pleased me, both with its superb comfort and its impeccable driving manners on the road. Compare prices of all Renault Trafic's sold on CarsGuide over the last 6 months. Getting behind the wheel for the first time, we soon discovered that beauty was more than skin deep – this was the first panel van to actually drive like a big car. This Renault has a double cabin. They will pay for themselves time and time again, believe me. Fleet News is published every month in print and a digital (pdf) formats. I’d just stepped out of a diesel Land Rover Discovery Sport and the Trafic straight up embarrassed the Land Rover system. Given much of my driving is on motorways, it will be interesting to see whether we can get anywhere near the official figure. CO2 emissions and fuel consumption data correct at time of writing. Suffice to say on a seven-hour trip from my home down to our holiday place recently, I did not suffer one backache. We need not say anything more about the van’s exterior. 6-seater crew versions of the Trafic are expected in Australia in early 2017 and the Sport package is expected to arrive mid-2017. First glimpse of the new vehicle showed it to be so different as almost to be described as space age, with a curious bump in the roof and dashing lines that made it look different from any other van on the road. 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