cabstars vs canter

[Steve Bullman]

can anyone who has owned/driven both tell me their experiences?

[Tom D]

I thought you were getting a 4x4 Steve.

I have a mate who has a canter, it weighs 3ton empty:sad:

[Steve Bullman]

yeah i got a navara, but my ldv has just been condemned so i need a new 3.5t pronto

[cerneARB]

We have just gotten a canter Steve.Nice to drive, plenty of power even with a big load.Gear stick is a bit funny not the convential layout, it takes a bit of getting used to.Plenty of room in the lockers for kit and easy to open and get kit out.ladder goes inside a rack inside.Out side body work is alumminum alloy, light but dents and scratchs easily.Good turning circle on the steering.Bit of a bugger to check the oil,engine...you have to pull the cab over.

 

Hope that helps im no vecihle geek.

[Steve Bullman]

i wouldnt be getting lockers...i'd like to be able to carry at least 3 bin fulls of chip in the back without going overweight!

[Mesterh]

I wouldnt buy the canter then, they are fairly heavy more than a transit and ldv iirc.

[gibbon]

I have had both. This is my take without going into legal carrying weights.

 

The cabstar is narrower by 6 inches not counting the wing mirrors. I was replacing front shock anually and leaf springs every other year. When loaded up it felt over loaded. Good on fuel, low geared. Cab star seemed like an uprated version of a panel vans with a tipper on.

 

The Canter is really a larger lorry downrated to 3.5t. It hold a good weight much better. Infact doesn't feel much different to drive empty or full. The extra width hasn't bothered me that much and is easier than the transit to back a chipper up a tight drive. It is however very bad on fuel. Don't expect more than 15mpg which is roughly half of the cabstar.

 

I have never been pulled by vosa in 10 years and have driven both 7.5t and 3.5t. Imo most people are over loaded a lot of the time. I know we over loaded the 7.5t leyland when full. Everyone knows a cabstar with highsides and a full load of chip is overloaded. At a glance a canter could be a 3.5t or a 5.5 and most wouldn't know. I hope I would be less likely to be pulled by in the canter as it looks the part. I think you could also uprated a 3.5t canter if you wanted to go down that route.

 

On the whole I would get a canter again over a cabstar handsdown but only to work it as a second or third vehicle. I wouldn't dream of spending a day quoting in it or have it if I was driving to someone elses yard to sub a few days a week.

[bob]

i own a cabstar and really like it mainly down to width though mine is not one of the new ones with the sticky out wing mirrors

it,s biggest downside is room in the cab for all your bits and bobs

both nice to drive

both dear on parts though would think more stuff will be dealer only for the canter

i used to run mine as my car and would not want to do that with a canter

so if not going to be carrying loads of stuff all the time i would buy cabstar but tbh if i was carrying loads of weight i would still buy cabstar

unless i bought the bigger canters

[josharb87]

cabstar-single rear wheel sways like a boat when fully loaded above 45, dual rear wheel handles weight much better, both have tonns of power-good for towing 1tonn plus

 

Canter a much bigger vehicle all over, more load space, more room in cab, only used one when working in ireland for a fortnight

 

both have the tip foward cab to acces the engine

 

out of the two? canter

 

if transit was in the equation, thatd win my vote, more so as the parts are far more common 2nd hand even new (and cheaper)

[gibbon]

You right about the room in the cabstar. If theres 3 of you in there your going to get to know each other.