T5 Buyers Guide

If you want a large, practical VW you can stamp your mark on and drive daily, perhaps it’s time you look at buying a T5? Here’s what you need to check

- Jimbo Wallace

Often accused of being a temperamental and troublesome purchase if you get the wrong one, the VW Transporter T5 (2004 – 2015) is one of the easiest VW Vans to live with since Ben Pon first scribbled his sketch in the pub (we hope!) that fateful day. As many of the T5s out there have often been used and abused by builders, sparkies, plumbers and plasterers across the globe, it’s possible to get on the ladder for a surprisingly reasonable sum, and high mileage need not necessarily be a concern provided the owner has kept on top of some routine service items and remained ahead of the well-documented T5 weaknesses that have emerged over the years. The only problem you’ll have with owning a T5 is that every T4 owner will be quick to stick the boot in given any kind of reliability issues that arise, and they’ll always be banging on about the gearbox, driveshafts and exhaust manifold issues that seem to afflict the variety of T5 models. Maybe they’re just jealous, but the additional complexity and provisions for NVH make the T5 seem a lot less agricultural than the T4 could ever hope to achieve. If you want a Van that ‘feels’ like a car, there’s absolutely no need to look elsewhere.