The Ford Transit Custom and the VW Transporter T6 are two of the most iconic and popular vans there are and probably ever will be.

The first Ford Transit MK1 came out back in 1965 but the Ford Transit Custom was first introduced in 2012 and was the most popular van in 2017 and 2018! The first VW Transporter came out in 1950, 15 years before the Ford Transit MK1! But we will be comparing the Ford Transit Custom with the VW Transporter T6 which was first manufactured in 2015 and it is the best-selling van in history with over 12 million units sold worldwide.

They are both credited on their reliability, but which is better?

PayLoad

The PayLoad of a vehicle is essentially one of the most important factors to consider when you are looking to buy a new van. The payload is how much you can load into your van to be within the legal gross vehicle weight (GVW).

Now both vans do have different heights and wheelbases available, but the maximum payloads of each van reveal a clear winner for this category. The VW Transporter T6 has a maximum payload of 1274kg, while the Ford Transit Custom has a maximum payload of 1399kg.

So, the winner for payload is Ford Transit Custom.

Loading capacities

The loading capacities of a van include the load length, height and width. 

Ford Transit Custom: 

VW Transporter T6:

For the VW Transporter T6, there was a medium roof option available, but it was discontinued early 2018 as it wasn’t very popular.

So, looking at the tables above the Ford Transit Custom steals the win for the maximum load width. But the VW Transporter T6 comes out on top for the maximum load length and height.

The winner for loading capacities is VW Transporter T6.

Fuel Economy

When buying a van or any vehicle, fuel economy is always a key factor people take into consideration. But which van offers the best fuel economy, the Ford Transit Custom or the VW Transporter T6?

The Ford Transit Custom delivers 46.3mpg, whilst the VW Transporter T6 delivers 47.9mpg which puts the VW Transporter T6 as the winner right?

Not quite, Ford has now released a Transit Custom Plug-in Hybrid which offers better fuel economy figures. The Hybrid van has fuel economy of 91.7mpg, putting the Ford Transit Custom as the winner for fuel economy, as the VW Transporter T6 doesn’t have any hybrid engines currently but their e-transporter will be released in 2020.

The fuel economy winner is Ford Transit Custom.

Emissions

Going with fuel economy, find the van with the lowest emission levels, especially with growing environmental concerns! Looking at both these vehicles, the Ford Transit Custom clearly is the greenest with an emission level of 165g/km, while the VW Transporter T6 trails behind with levels emitting 174g/km.

Not forgetting the CO2 levels of the Ford Transit Custom Hybrid which has levels of 60g/km, so the winner is clear for this category.

So, the winner for emission levels is Ford Transit Custom.

Engine Sizes/Power

The engine size of a van can be a huge factor for certain people when choosing between vans. Looking at the maximum brake horsepower for each van, who comes out on top?

The Ford Transit Custom on its top-spec delivers 168bhp, while the VW Transporter T6 offers considerably more with 204bhp, which can get the van from 0-62mph in only 8.6 seconds!

Clearly, the winner for this category is the VW Transporter T6.

So, which is the winner?

Looking at all the categories we have gone over, the results are 3-2 and if you haven’t worked it out already the winner is the FORD TRANSIT CUSTOM! It was close and both vans are top quality and reliable, but the release of the Ford Transit Custom Plug-in Hybrid has pushed the Transit Custom to the top as it now offers better fuel economy and emissions.

When picking between the Ford Transit Custom and the VW Transporter T6, consider your own personal preferences because both of these vans have their own strengths and weaknesses.