Ford’s commercial vehicle line-up did rather well at the inaugural Van Reviewer Awards, scooping up six of the 13 awards.
With wins in the small and medium van categories for both combustion and electric models, as well as two awards for the Ranger, Ford Pro pretty much dominated our first ever awards. But why?
We talk to a lot of van drivers, fleet buyers and rental and leasing companies throughout the year, and it’s almost impossible to avoid a conversation about what vans you should be buying. It’s why we named the Van Reviewer Awards the 'What To Buy Awards', because everyone is always asking - “What van should I buy?”
Given the nature of what I do, testing the very latest vans and trucks, often months ahead of them coming to market, I’ll tell them about the newest models coming to market. They’ll listen, but inevitably they’ll then ask… “but is it better than the Ford?”.
I’ll often have a think, and then (in the case of their small and medium vans, and most pick-up trucks) the answer will be a categorical: No!
It seems that the UK public just can’t get enough of Ford’s vans, and we don’t blame them. The Transit Custom has been setting sales records left, right and centre, while the Ranger has such a dominance in the pick-up truck market it’s almost embarrassing. But there’s a reason for this too. They’re head and shoulders above the competition.
Take the Transit Courier as an example. Ford already has a small van, the Transit Connect, but decided to upsize the Courier away from its almost Fiesta-size proportions to make it a proper little van. The result is a small van which not only treads on the toes of the Connect, but in our opinion walks all over it.
The Transit Courier is comfortable, genuinely great to drive and so well thought out inside that you’d think they’re truly giving you too much. Yet, at £17k it’s not that expensive, and when you then compare the usability of the all-important load space it’s an absolute no-brainer to have one of these over anything else in the segment. It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and a much more practical van than many will realise.
Then, you can say the same all over again for the electric version!
Until recently, electrification has often meant converting diesels into EVs, but the E-Transit Courier was born with both in mind, and it shows.
Sensible 43kWh batteries, with a driveline that actually delivers on its 180-mile range claims, makes it an easy choice for owners wanting to go zero emission because it lives up to its promises while also being affordable like its ICE sibling.
As both a diesel and electric van, the Courier is always a van we’d recommend, and unsurprisingly, when the dimensions or the payload work, people end up buying them.
The same is true of the Transit Custom. I think last year I probably suggested buying a Custom to more than two dozen people, and the majority of them have ended up buying one. I should be on commission (I'm not). But truthfully, in most cases it is the van that many of them were looking to buy anyway.
Social media comments will tell you horror stories about wet belts, but in my experience (and the experience of friends and colleagues who own them) if you look after your van it genuinely won’t be an issue.
Ford sells so many Transit Customs (49,774 in 2025) that there’s bound to be a few instances of things going wrong but it’s very much a case of those shouting loudest getting heard.
For me, and the scores of owners I know who drive them day-in, day-out, the Transit Custom is the safe pair of hands, the sensible choice.
In fact, choice just so happens to be the Custom’s forte. I can’t think of any other brand that offers so many trim levels, from off-road Trail to boy racer MS-RT, there’s a Custom for everyone, which is what draws so many people to it.
But that’s the products. There are also more Ford strengths, and part of the reason behind their awards success (not just here but elsewhere) is the Ford Pro ecosystem.
I’ve driven hundreds of Ford products, some for a few days, many for weeks at a time and some for several months. I’ve been to dealers, I’ve done software updates and I’ve used their connected systems. At every step you’re getting updates, either through the dash or more recently via their apps.
From security alerts, maintenance reminders and even the simple function of remote start or unlocking, the Transit range has been ahead of the curve in delivering this functionality to customers. As an EV customer, if you’ve got one of their wall boxes, you get even more functionality too, including important charging updates and scheduling.
It doesn’t stop with the vans, though. Ford pick-ups are arguably even better.
I feel like I need to get down from my blue-painted soapbox, but I can assure you this is genuinely how I feel about Ford’s Ranger… It is the ultimate vehicle range.
You’ve got working versions like the single cab XLT, there’s sensible mid-range models like Limited and Wildtrak trims, and then there’s the engineering marvel that is the Ranger Raptor.
They’re all great, but for me there are two stand-out performers in the range. One is the Ranger Platinum, a pick-up so smart I’d happily handover the keys for most premium SUVs to drive it, and the second is the brand new Ranger PHEV plug-in hybrid, which slashes your running costs and ups your performance.
So, why are we such big fans of these two trucks? Well, while testing the Platinum we’ve never had such an outpouring of interest in a pick-up, and that includes having the Ranger Raptor. There’s something about the sophistication of the chrome details, and the quality feeling of the interior that makes the Platinum that little bit more special. Yet even with the bling, it's still just as capable as any other Ranger model.
As for the PHEV, well, as much as we love the noise of Ford’s petrol V6 and diesel V6 engines, the 30+mpg average from running a PHEV is far more palatable, and if you’re regularly plugging in to charge that number goes even higher.
The electric driveline has far more torque as well, and it’s absolutely no less capable than a non-hybrid truck, carrying over a tonne and towing 3.5 tonnes.
Best of all, the Platinum will be available later this year as a plug-in hybrid, so you'll be able to get a Ranger PHEV Platinum and have two of our award winners rolled into one!
It's undoubtedly a spectacular result for Ford Pro at our awards, which will of course raise a few eyebrows, but we hope you'll agree with us on why these six models, in particular, are worthy award winners.
See the other seven award winners at the Van Reviewer Awards homepage.
