You’d think that putting two standard vans around a track to see which is fastest is a pointless exercise, but it isn’t.
Putting any sort of vehicle on the nice smooth tarmac of a circuit and pushing hard reveals how it will behave in an emergency situation on the road, simulating the instance when say you have a lapse in concentration and end up taking a corner faster than you would have liked.
That’s why the head to head track battle arranged by AutoExpress, between the new Ford Transit and a Mercedes Sprinter is quite telling. It’s a relief to see that both are more than capable of taking corners at speed, helped by both their modern running gear and tires, as well as the electronic nannies they come equipped with.
Out of the two, it’s the Transit that’s more planted and rewarding to drive, and, at least in this configuration, faster too. However, both feature safe, predictable handling and didn’t once during the test try to topple over.