Citroen Relay review

[Jobbo]

I hired a van this weekend to shift some stuff before the removal people do their job in March. I booked a Vauxhall Vivaro or equivalent and when I collected, it was broken so Enterprise gave me a free upgrade. I didn’t want the high-roof lwb Transit so had the slightly smaller Citroen. Still way bigger than I needed today.



Vans have moved on a bit since I last hired one. Central locking and electric windows were sort of anticipated. Heated electric mirrors were a nice bonus. Rear parking sensors are invaluable though spoilt me because I quickly thought a reversing camera would be more useful. Cruise control and CarPlay were welcome; had to bring my own USB lead though. Overall the improvements are worthwhile.

The big difference was that it’s quicker now. A non-turbo diesel Transit was a slug that needed to be caned everywhere. 6-sp gearbox on the dash (not as nice a change as a Civic Type R) and torque steer were surprises.

The high roof seems to be more so you don’t have to stoop when you’re loading than because people really want to stack boxes up to the roof. Can quite easily see why they’re often used as courier vans anyway.

But while it was objectively better than vans 20 years ago, it didn’t have the same sort of fun vibe that I got from van driving in the past. Might try a Transit next time.

[mik]

Last van I hired was a Vauxhall Vivaro, and I loved every second. There is enjoyment to be found in driving anything, and it’s always good to practice your clutchless gear changes in case you ever have to use the technique.

[V8Granite]

Ooh we love a van.

The 2020 VW transporter T6, this was the 5 speed so I believe about 2hp as it struggled more than my donkey defender did on many hills around Bridgnorth.
The rear door was a large swing up type which meant reversing in anywhere was a pin, he side door regularly told me it was open.
Very few tie down spots, horrid throttle action, it had CarPlay by wire but kept cutting in and out and would freeze all the time.
Engine was pointless as it had to be revved when you even had a little load in the back. Averaged just about 30mpg.

2021 Toyota hi ace, engine was great on diesel, handled awfully, sat on its bum with a 500kg cylinder head in so was gladly given back after a few days.
The lack of CarPlay was noticeable as the stereo arrangement was terrible.

2021 Transit 6 speed, bloody loved this van and was sad to hand it back. An eye as the Transporter but just shy of 40mpg. The gearbox was smooth and throttle felt nice, no big delays etc.
The brakes were quite sharp but when you really got it moving on the front end would tuck in and you could really throw it about, if you were heavy on the brakes in the wet you could feel the back getting loose which was good fun.
It also had loads of tie down points, good lighting in the back and wasn’t overly affected by being fully loaded.

So, Transit still the king.

Dave!

[Beany]

But while it was objectively better than vans 20 years ago, it didn’t have the same sort of fun vibe that I got from van driving in the past. Might try a Transit next time.

I hired a Mk7 Transit for clearing out my late fathers place, and a vauxhall...I wanna say vivaro biturbo (which I thought was biofuel, and single turbo, but apparently are actually twin turbo?) for the house move to Pudsey, and the transit impressed me, but the vauxhall shocked me.

The transit felt way more modern and easy to drive than I expected after spending years throwing a 00s' Citroen Dispatch non-turbo diesel around north yorks backroads, desperately trying to maintain speed - although it wasn't exactly comfy. Still, it was nippy and tractable enough for traffic, electric windows and mirrors, air con, etc. It was what you might expect from a panel van, a compromise, but on the good side of that.

The Vivano had a fucking touchscreen, and was quiet (As these things go), had cruise control - cruise control! - was generally quite refined and felt legit pretty punchy, particularly below 70mph (I didn't go above that as the paperwork suggested it was tracked) - it did the some 300 miles back and forth between scarborough and pudsey a few times over a weekend with absolute ease, was a doddle around town thanks to all that torque, etc. This was some eight years ago so no carplay etc, though.

Modern vans are really pretty nice.

[Mito Man]

I’ve never driven a van. Still not sure if I should add it to the bucket list. Maybe a tranny.

[Beany]

Everyone should get in a tranny at some point in their lives, it'll change your perception of things.

[DeskJockey]

Used to drive a VW Transporter T4 quite a bit when I worked at the dive school. It never complained, easily taking a full load of kit, tanks, weights and whatnot.

It was the non-turbo diesel, so was rather slow, but very low geared which was annoying as it would bounce off the limiter in fifth at motorway speeds (130kph-ish). It made the usual 40 mile motorway trek to one of our preferred sites quite arduous and noisy.

[Jobbo]

I think the lack of need to work the engine hard to go anywhere is a shame. There’s a lot of fun to be had from making progress in something underpowered. I always said with non-turbo diesel vans that you wear your heaviest boots, put your right foot flat to the floor and leave it there

The Citroen has really good brakes but the wheels being right out at the corners makes it a little unwieldy. And made me nervous over one very hump-backed bridge over the canal.

[Sundayjumper]

I had a T4 and it kept going wrong expensively. Clutch slave cylinder twice, water pump.

I later had a Vito, bought with some issues that I fixed quite easily. It was much better to drive than the T4.

Next time I buy a van it’ll be another Vito.

[John]

Unfortunately the latest Transit is very unreliable, wet belt problems and injectors failing are pretty common. Ford have recently halved the service time for the belts but seem unable to cure the injector problems as replacements are also failing.

[Jimmy Choo]

I hired a van this weekend to shift several tonnes of car magazines before the removal people do their job in March.

EFA?

[tim]

If there's an Enterprise Car Club in your area, join that (often the council will provide a cheaper membership - mine did), they do vans and they are crazy cheap.

I took the biggest Transit they had to move 1 single mattress just for the lols.

[Jobbo]

I hired a van this weekend to shift several tonnes of car magazines before the removal people do their job in March.

EFA?

Actually no - the car mags have to go to the tip by car because vans aren’t allowed. And the van wouldn’t fit through the arch to our rear driveway so I wasn’t going to carry the ones I’m keeping all the way to the garage. Did them this morning by car

It was to move a sofa mainly; the removers are doing the main job but there was still a sofa at my old (old) house to get.

[nuttinnew]

the car mags have to go to the tip

[Jobbo]

Not all of them - keeping all the Evos and all of my Performance Cars and the other monthlies from the 80s. Now I have an Autocar digital sub I have access to their full archive online.

A friend’s son has had a lot of 90s ones. He’s making nice framed extracts from them.

[jamcg]

I have a Vauxhall vivaro at work. 1.6l single turbo but still shifts. The bi-turbos have issues with turbo oil seals failing, they throw oil in with the air which engine happily burns, then doesn’t switch off when you cut the ignition, revs off the limiter, burns all its oil and seizes solid. New engine required- so it’s not just tranny wet belts that can fuck you over as a tradesman

We also have a 2014 Renault master, which is pretty decent but like a drink and a 20 year old rust bucket of a master- when we came back to work after the first Covid lockdown this was the only can to start it’s horrible, smelly, has a steering wheel straight out of a London routemaster bus but it’s never broke down in 20 years. An absolute workhorse

[Swervin_Mervin]

And the van wouldn’t fit through the arch to our rear driveway

Oh how the other half live

[DeskJockey]

And the van wouldn’t fit through the arch to our rear driveway

Oh how the other half live

Low to the ground?

[Rich B]

And the van wouldn’t fit through the arch to our rear driveway

Oh how the other half live

pegging?

[Swervin_Mervin]