Used Ford Transit Custom (2012-2022) Review

The chances are that the Ford Transit Custom is the right van for you, if only because there are so many versions that you're almost guaranteed to find something that suits your needs. 

But variety of range aside, the Transit Custom is hard to beat in many areas. Chief among these is how it drives. Vans are not bought for how enjoyable they are to drive, but it is a real bonus that the Transit Custom is refined and comfortable on the move, yet also handles well for its size.  If it's for personal use, you'll enjoy driving it, while fleet operators will find their employees enjoy it. 

With even the short wheelbase able to take three Euro pallets, and a load-through hatch allowing you to take longer items, it is practical too. It’s hard to think of a big question that the Transit Custom doesn’t answer.

Looking for a used car for van? We've got 100s of Ford Approved Used Cars for Sale for you to choose from, including a wide range of Ford Transit Customs for sale. 

With so many Ford Transit Customs sold you might be forgiven for thinking it was the only option in its class, but all the major manufacturers have an alternative if you are not keen on going down the Ford route.

The Citroen Dispatch, Peugeot Expert, Toyota Proace and Vauxhall Vivaro are the most common rivals, with all four essentially slightly rebadged versions of each other. The Renault Trafic and Fiat Talento are likewise different and are the alternatives to consider if you want a high-roofed version – the Citroen/Peugeot/Toyota/Vauxhall quartet are only available in one height.

The Volkswagen Transporter is the one to look at if you want a slightly posher cabin, while the current version of the Mercedes Vito doesn’t quite offer the levels of luxury that its premium badge promises.

The basic design of the Ford Transit Custom’s cabin remains the same solid arrangement across all models, although you get more styling flourishes as you go higher up the range. There is a load more black on display in the entry-level Leader trim, with the steering wheel, gear lever and air vents all finished in the same monochrome tone.

The step up to Trend brings touches that brighten up the cabin, with chrome surrounds to the gear lever, on the door handles, steering wheel and brake lever. The steering wheel is trimmed in leather, too, while the upholstery is nicer. Limited adds flashes of chrome around the air vents and blanks off the glove box, which remains open in the lower trims, while the gear lever is also finished in leather. Sport doesn’t get a vastly different dashboard, but it does get a bespoke information display and part leather seats.

All models are designed to take a battering, with high-quality materials that feel well put together and capable of taking the odd whack from an errant tool or piece of wood.

If you set aside the budget-focused Leader model, which features a small and basic colour screen for media functions, every Transit Custom gets an impressive looking eight-inch touchscreen.

It's the same system you'll find in the Ford Fiesta and Focus, and can be operated in a manner similar to a smartphone with pinch and swipe gestures needed to navigate between the different menus. Voice control is another feature for those that want to do everything truly hands free.

The navigation itself is easy to follow, and the addition of a few physical buttons to control things such as the volume makes the system easy to adjust at speed without taking your eyes off the road. Some of the menus are a little fiddly to access, but it is gets easier with familiarisation.

If you’d rather use an alternative, such as Google Maps or Waze, then Apple Carplay and Android Auto are both available as part of the Sync 3 system too. Vans certainly weren't anything like this connected a decade ago. 

Every Transit Custom comes with three seats across the front bench, whether it is a diesel model or a plug-in hybrid. The two passengers either side get plenty of head room and a decent amount of legroom – the only exception to this is the slightly large steering column that can impose a little on the driver’s space in the footwell.

The middle seat is slightly narrower than the other two, so while getting three across the front is possible and more comfortable than in smaller models like the Vauxhall Combo/Citroen Berlingo etc, it is still a little tight.

The high-positioned gear lever means that you don’t have to reach in between the middle passenger’s legs to change gear, but it also means that they may well bash their knees on the piece of dashboard that juts out around the lever.

That middle seat passenger might end up tasked with holding your phone if you have it plugged into the USB socket, too, as it’s a shame that there is no little tray to slot it into in the lower part of the dash – it’s ditched to make a bit more leg room. Elsewhere there are plenty of cubby-holes and bottle holders, though, with Ford having added 25 litres of extra storage space in the form of open bins, deeper door pockets and cup holders. Not all of those on the top of the dash are covered, though, with only higher-level models getting a door to the glovebox for example.

The loading bay is one thing that hasn’t changed over recent updates, largely because it does a good job, holding three Euro pallets even in the shorter model. The extra loading length brought about by the load-through hatch is a bonus, too.

Payloads range from just under 700kg to not far shy of 1500kg, which matches the better performers in the class. One notable bonus is that the plug-in hybrid offers the same payload as the equivalent diesel model, at more than 1100kg. The batteries might weigh more but the lighter petrol engine makes this possible.

The engine range in the Ford Transit Custom offers much more choice than is often available in a van range.

The quartet of diesel engines come with a wide range of power outputs, including 105PS, 130PS, 170PS and even a 185PS model. The 105PS model is the more town-centric model and if you plan on having any sort of variety to your driving then it is worth upgrading to the 130PS, which is the sweet spot of the range.

It offers plenty of punch low down, which means it isn’t fazed by hauling heavier loads or pulling off the occasional overtake. Yet it's also relatively economical, and feels effortless on the motorway. 

The 170PS provides more of the same. While the difference in performance is noticeable, it isn’t notable enough to worry about upgrading if you can’t justify it financially. The 185PS model is the preserve of the Sport Van and the Nugget – the Transit Connect’s campervan version. In the former it is a little more indulgent, but it is the only option if you want all the visual bells and whistles that come with the Sport Van. The upgrade seems more worthwhile in the Nugget, though – the percentage increase in cost from the 130PS to the 185PS engine is relatively small on the camper.

The Transit Custom range really stands out for its mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, though. The former is not a full hybrid, as it uses a battery to take a little bit of the strain off the engine, which provides a minor boost in economy but doesn’t have the feel of a full hybrid with electric-only running. It’s more of a silent guide that sits there helping in the background.

The plug-in hybrid is a totally different prospect. It uses a 1.0-litre petrol engine and a battery-powered motor that provides up to 35 miles of electric-only driving. It’s a remarkably smooth setup, with the instant torque at low speeds making for swift getaways from standstill possible. It comes with an automatic gearbox, so is relaxed and easy on the move, and several driving modes. You can switch between EV only, EV Charge, which sends power back to the battery, or EV Auto, which switches between the two forms of power where appropriate. 

The majority of Transit Custom models come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, with a smooth shifting action that makes changes relaxed. In 2017 a six-speed automatic ‘box was added to the majority of the range – it’s an option on all but the 105PS engine.

All of the Ford Transit Customs are refined on the move, but king of them all is the PHEV model. When it is running on electric only there is next to no noise at all, particularly at lower speeds around town. The petrol engine adds a little noise in, but very little. 

There is a touch more noise when the engine is trying to power the van and recharge the battery, but it’s still so much more relaxed than a diesel engine. The automatic gearbox is smooth and quiet, too, but there is no need for any gearchanges at all when it is in electric mode, which makes it even more relaxing.

The diesel models are naturally not as relaxed as the PHEV, but they are still remarkably chilled out for a diesel van. The engine noise is on a par with a family SUV at higher speeds, thanks in part to the improved sound deadening brought in in the 2017 update.

The large door mirrors might kick up some wind noise from time to time, but not enough to make the Transit Custom a noisy cabin in which to cover long distances.

The technology brought about in the 2017 update took the Ford Transit Custom to impressive heights with regards to safety. Side-wind stabilisation is now a standard feature, with the system acting to counter the forces of large gusts of wind that might otherwise blow a van out of its lane. Trailer sway control is also standard, but only if you get Ford’s towing attachments fitted. Hill start assist is the other beneficial standard fit piece of kit.

As is the case with many vans, the other key pieces of safety kit are all available as optional extras. They include a lane keep assist system with driver alert, auto high beam lights and blind spot warning lights.

The best piece of kit is the rear crossing alert, which sounds a warning if you are reversing out of a blind parking spot or a driveway and someone is driving across behind you. 

The Transit Custom’s most recent update wasn’t sufficiently comprehensive to bring about a retest by Euro NCAP, though, so the most recent assessment is back in 2012. At that point it scored a highly impressive five stars, which is made all the better by the fact that its contemporaries at the time managed two or three stars. Of course, it has to be factored in that the test has since got much stricter, but the Transit Custom could only pass what it was presented with at the time.

The PHEV model is officially capable of a 35-mile range on pure electric, but this is going by the old NEDC test and the real-world results are likely to vary depending on a wide range of factors.

Load it up, drive it in the winter and treat yourself to plenty of that instant acceleration and you are likely to see that fall to somewhere around 20 miles, but those who drive carefully and made judicial use of the brake regeneration might get more.

Because it isn’t a full electric model, the Transit Custom PHEV will recharge to full relatively quickly – it takes around five hours on a domestic power supply and around three hours on a 240V 16-amp or 32-amp socket.

The Ford Transit Custom should prove pretty reliable, as Ford has been building these vans for decades and knows how to make them last. We've seen examples with 200,000 miles or more or the clock, so as long as servicing is kept up they should keep on going. 

Ford itself finished in the bottom third of the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. The vast majority of those entries were for passenger cars rather than vans, though. 

The Ford Transit Custom is one of the cheaper medium vans to insure, with groupings starting at 5E. This isn’t quite as low as the previous Citroen Dispatch, which is in a group as low as 3E, or the Renault Trafic, which starts at group 3E.

That low group is for the 105PS in L1 length, but that’s not a one-off special, as the rest of the range are in groups 6E to 9E depending on the exact model you go for.

The Transit Custom qualifies for the commercial vehicle tax bracket, which means that it is eligible for the low flat rate of VED that all van owners pay. It also gets the flat rate of BIK company car tax, so it is cheap to run as a private company vehicle, too.

The sweet spot in the Transit Custom engine range is the 130PS diesel. The more powerful engines are excellent, but the strength of the lesser powered one is such that you don’t really need to upgrade unless you want to.

Likewise, mid-level Trend trim is the one to go for – it adds a few desirable bits of equipment like the touchscreen, air-con cruise control, lumbar support, the Quickclear windscreen and a lockable gearbox.