Volkswagen Transporter long-term test: report 3
The VW Transporter has long been a staple of the medium van market, so now we're living with one to see if it can be the perfect photographer's apprentice...
The car Volkswagen Transporter panel van T32 Commerce Pro 2.0 TDI | Run by Max Edleston, photographer
Why we’re running it To see how well Volkswagen’s latest medium-sized van stacks up as a photographer’s apprentice
Needs to Offer more than enough space for all of our kit, long-distance comfort and connectivity to keep in touch with the office
Mileage 5657 Price £48,720 (inc. VAT) Best Price £48,720 (inc. VAT) Price as tested £51,102 (inc. VAT) Official economy 36.7mpg Test economy 36.7mpg
8 September 2025 – Nomad life
Like many van drivers, I sometimes imagine myself to be a bit of a nomad. You see, while lots of workers will go to an office, a factory, a shop or other form of business and stay in the same location for their working day, mine might see me have breakfast in Birmingham, lunch in London and dinner in Dover. I am on the move between shoots almost constantly, and that means my company car needs to function as a mobile office so I don’t miss my next appointment.
An infotainment system that’s easy to get along with is high on my list of priorities, then, but I was a little hesitant to try the Volkswagen Transporter’s setup having just come out of the Volkswagen Passat I ran previously. In that car, you didn’t get any physical controls, so changing the stereo volume, for example, was done with a touch-sensitive slider. And since that didn’t provide feedback, I needed to take my eyes off the road to check I was prodding in the right spot to change the volume. It was frustrating to say the least.
Thankfully, in the Transporter, things have been remedied, and there’s a big friendly volume knob on the dashboard instead.
The rest of the Transporter’s infotainment setup has mostly been impressing me. The system comprises a 12in digital driver’s display – which can be configured to show a wide range of information – and a 13in touchscreen for infotainment. And while I’d ultimately prefer a rotary controller to use the system, the touch-sensitive tiles are at least large, so I don’t have to worry about a mis-placed finger prod. Plus, there are shortcuts below the screen itself, meaning I can choose common features like the driving mode selector, the parking aids and the reversing camera easily.
It is a shame that there are no physical controls for the climate controls, though. To change these I either have to use the voice control, which I’m already finding can be a bit hit and miss, or use the touchscreen.
I’m pleased that the Transporter is quick to connect to my phone for Apple CarPlay. WhatsApp is our chosen method of quick communication between myself and the wider What Car? team, so being able to receive and reply to those messages on the move is a big bonus. So while I might be a nomad, being able to stay in touch with the team helps me to feel closer to home.
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