Other LDV reviews
New price range:
£11,744 - £18,663
Used price range:
£200 - £1,722
Cheap and reasonably reliable
Rattly and old-fashioned
If ever there was van which could be labelled ‘donkey’ it is the LDV Pilot. This van sprang from the old Freight Rover Sherpa of the 1970s and struggled along gamely against an ever-increasing line-up of good opposition vehicles until it was replaced by the Maxus in spring 2005. The Pilot very much served the cheap and cheerful end of the market and battled on virtually unchanged over a long period. It was powered by a single engine option – a 1.9-litre Peugeot diesel with a modest output.
Comfort is not exactly one of the Pilot's strong points. Seats are adequate but not overly comfortable while later models were improved with bigger storage bins, a new heating and ventilation system and improvements on NVH (noise, vibration and harshness). At least power steering was fitted as standard, along with a radio/cassette player.
The Pilot was a product of the 1970s and unfortunately drives like one too. The 1.9-litre unit pumps out just 71bhp at 4,600rpm and 88lb-ft of torque at 2,000rpm, so it's a slow mover and rather crude-feeling to drive.