caddy vs ford connect - VW Caddy vs Ford Connect for camping - which one is better?

VW Caddy vs Ford Connect for camping – which one is better?

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Both cars offer good size boot and features therefore in order to decide which one is better for a camping conversion, we need to get into the details – especially boot size comparison, but also consumption and other features.

We’ll compare the long and short Caddy models (Maxi Life, Life) and the long Ford Turneo Connect (MPV) and Ford Transit Connect (Panel Van).

VW Caddy vs Ford Connect boot size & consumption comparison:

Attributes
Body type
MPV / Minivan
MPV / Minivan
Panel Van
MPV / Minivan
Make
Volkswagen
Ford
Ford
Volkswagen
Boot height (cm)
126
95
129
113
Boot length (cm)
225
217
215
178
Boot width [wheel arches] (cm)
117
119
124
112
Comfort rating
1
2
1.5
1
Consumption l/100km
7.4
9.7
10.5
7.4
Consumption MPG (UK)
40
29
28
40
NimbleCamper rating (out of max 5)
4
3.1
3.2
3
Average used price, GBP (2015)
11030
10657
Engine type
Combustion
Combustion
Combustion
Combustion
Boot door type
Tailgate
Barn door or a Tailgate
Tailgate
Green points
6 – a clear winner!
3
3
1

The winner: VW Caddy Maxi Life

The VW Caddy Maxi Life scores better in 6 out of the 8 comparable attributes – it offers a longer boot, lower consumption and a tailgate on all models (which is better for camping, see why here). Its boot is only 3cm lower than the tallest boot in this comparison of the Ford Transit Connect – but as this is a panel van, it’s not entirely an apple vs apple comparison. If you don’t mind having only two seats, then by all means go for the panel van – it offers more room and is better suited for a DIY camping conversion. But if you want to use the car also as your everyday car and have at least 5 seats, then Caddy Maxi Life is your best option.

Some owners report that Ford repair costs are cheaper than the VW, although this doesn’t seem to be confirmed by an analysis of 200,000 drivers and repairs of their cars by Whocanfixmycar.com (according to them, VW’s maintenance is slightly cheaper, but there isn’t a big difference after all).

Read more about each car here:

Post author:

Lukas

Founder of NimbleCamper.com, avid traveler and outdoor enthusiast. Car camping and microcamping allows me to keep traveling and exploring with a much greater level of freedom & privacy – to go anywhere and sleep anywhere. I didn’t have 30K to buy a VW Multivan, so found my way to the world of everyday car camping conversions. Here I share my experiences and what I learn.

Check out my thoughts on a balanced life: sensimism.com

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2 Comments

  1. We love the interesting and useful information and advice on your website and blog and spotted this on these two vehicles.
    We researched thoroughly back in 2015 and liked both the VW Caddy and Ford Grand Torneo buying the latter, which we have used for our business, camping and everyday use since.
    So we were interested in this article, but were surprised by your conclusions on the basis of barn doors. The Grand Torneo does have a tailgate and we have never seen one with anything other (in the UK at least) and ours was bought in 2015 when this article is dated. The mpg is far better than quoted too, but maybe this is just regarding the model used for review. There is also the issue of repairs and maintenance costs, which seem to be more expensive for VW than for Ford.
    Anyway, thanks again for the interesting and helpful articles and interesting reads.

    1. Hey, thanks for the feedback! Glad you find the website helpful :).

      I stand corrected – the Ford Turneo comes with both – a tailgate or a barn door depending on the model you select. Have fixed that in the comparison and my data.

      The MPG is an average taken from fuelly.com – your’s might as well be better, if you drive consciously, but the average reflects all kinds of drivers :).

      I’ve added your repairs point into the text.