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By Jonathan Crouch
Introduction
The Ford Tourneo Custom the brand sold between 2013 and 2023 is a smart-looking, well-equipped and economical People Carrier that can seat eight or nine. If you've progressed beyond the normal seven-seater MPV, this could be the perfect left-field choice.
Models
5dr large MPV (2.0 EcoBlue diesel/1.0 EcoBoost PHEV petrol)
History
Back in this century's second decade, Ford had a reputation for making some of the best people movers in the business. B-MAX, C-MAX, S-MAX and Galaxy all had their firm adherents but sometimes there's just no substitute for size. Size beyond what even a Galaxy full-size MPV could deliver. If you're doing some heavy hauling and need a vehicle to fit that particular bill, the Tourneo Custom launched in 2013 could be the answer.
This offers generous space and reasonable comfort for up to nine people beneath an exterior that while not doing too much to disguise its commercial vehicle roots, at least looks as if it's been designed rather than arrived at. This Tourneo Custom was designed to be cost-effective for business use or as a safe, luxurious way of carrying family, friends and all their stuff and you can even opt for an L2 long wheelbase version if you've never really got round that 'people or luggage' predicament. There was a light facelift in 2018. After which this Tourneo Custom sold in this form until early 2023, when it was replaced by a second generation design shared with Volkswagen.
What You Get
This Tourneo Custom was the first in a series of Ford commercial vehicles that used design cues from the 'Kinetic Design' school that in the 21st century's second decade informed the look and feel of so many of Ford's passenger cars. The ethos of these clean lines was to create a strong sense of movement, even when the vehicle was stationary. The sharply rising window line of the Tourneo Custom is far from the class norm and helps distinguish it from the usual crop of fenestrated vans from this period. Likewise, the bold trapezoidal grille and sharp wheel arches also give it a distinctive style.
The interior is a long way from the sort of brittle elephant-grey plastics and building site utility that some of these vehicles tend to exhibit. While the dash looks hard wearing, it's nevertheless quite attractively styled. You can have your Tourneo Custom configured as an eight or nine-seater. Either way, you can also choose an L1 (short wheelbase) or an L2 (long wheelbase) version. The L1 version is 4.97m in length, while the L2 is 5.34m. The L2's extra 370mm translates into extra luggage space behind the third row of seats. As a result, with all the rear seats removed, it offers up to 6.8 cubic metres of luggage space, compared to the L1's already generous 6.0 cubic metres. Because it's less than two metres in height, the Tourneo Custom fits within most car park limits. There are also two or three trim levels in each body style, plus a bunch of equipment options.
What You Pay
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What to Look For
This Tourneo Custom generally has a strong reliability record, but our ownership survey did throw up a few issues to look out for. The interior isn't the last word in sophistication but it is hardwearing. This Tourneo is built to be extremely tough, and has benefited from many years of continual development. Check for damage to locks, tired rear suspension, rogered clutches and brakes and make sure that the load bay tie-downs aren't bent or broken. As usual, look for a full service history;, with vehicles as recent as the Touneo Custom, there's little excuse for skipped servicing or scrimping on maintenance.
Look out for rusting rear door hinges and check the outer CV joint rubber boot covers for splits. They wear and if they let water in, the CV joints will wear quickly. On the test drive, listen for whistling during gear changes which references problems with the intercooler pipe. It splits where it rubs against a nut near the alternator. Underneath, check for oil leaks - there have been reports that the crank oil seal can let oil out between the engine and the gearbox. With the diesel engine, there are reports of noisy idler pulleys, and adjustment needed to the belt tensioner.
Replacement Parts
(approx prices, based on a 2020-reg PHEV 1.0 EcoBoost ex VAT) As with most Ford models, spare parts are reasonably priced and very plentiful. You'll pay £8-£12 for an oil filter and £24-£27 for an air filter. It's £8-£52 for a wiper blade. Front brake pads are in the £25-£67 bracket. A pair of rear brake discs is around £110. A headlamp is in the £177-£259. A tail light is in the £127-£165 bracket. A water pump is around £50; a thermostat around £28. A shock absorber around £80-£98.
On the Road
In almost all Tourneo Customs, if you pop the bonnet you'll be greeted by a 2.2 litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine, mated to a six speed manual transmission and driving the front wheels. So far, so simple. After this it gets a little more involved but nothing that'll require homework. There are three power levels to choose from: a 100PS power output with 310Nm, or you can step up to 125PS/350Nm, with the 155PS/385Nm guise really suited to heavy duty hauling. Whichever you decide upon, both torque and torque delivery are excellent. Engine refinement at idle isn't class leading but you'll never be kidding your passengers that they're in a Lexus anyway. At the end of the production run, a few 1.0-litre PHEV petrol models were sold, but these are very rare.
The chassis has been meticulously tuned for British conditions with beefy front and rear axles, bringing excellent levels of stability and control. The ultra-stiff body structure allows the suspension to do its work effectively without the usual van-like intrusions. There's even Torque Vectoring Control which reacts to the road surface 100 times per second. Using this information, it balances the amount of power delivered to each of the two front wheels, maximising grip and sharpening handling. And you thought all that was just for sports models.
Overall
Vehicle manufacturers often seem so intent on finding minuscule pieces of white space between niches that they sometimes take their eye off what can be a neglected but potentially lucrative existing sector. Perhaps Ford has been guilty of that in the past, but with this 2013-2023-era Tourneo Custom, it more than made up for that. Before this model arrived, if you needed something that was bigger than a Galaxy but didn't want to spend big money, you needed to land a well-finished Volkswagen Caravelle or Mercedes Traveliner or V-Class-type vehicle; there wasn't really much else above humble crew bus fare. The Tourneo Custom changed all that, offering a vehicle with a bit of style and, for those that wanted it, some decent interior appointments.
There's no shortage of space and with low ongoing running costs and the reassurance of typical Ford build quality, it's hard to see a used Tourneo Custom disappointing. For big families it could be the answer they never knew existed.
