Small van - Which Van? Help??? | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Mon 28 Mar 2016 10:36

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - pitbull

Hi all,

I am looking for a van for my business. It will cover about 35-40k a year. 80%+ on the motorway. The load space is not relevant as it's cargo will be tiny.

To sum it up, a small van, budget 5.5k, good mpg, preferable long service intervals, an engine that is known to go to 150-200k with minimal trouble.

Initially I thought of a fiesta van, but I am put off by 12.5k service intervals.

Thanks

Neil

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 28 Mar 2016 11:01

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - gordonbennet

As the load is tiny could a small hatchback not do the job just as well, possibly cheaper to buy tax and insure.

The obvious engine choice for me would be the 1.4 PSA Diesel, and you could do far worse than find one in a Citroen C2, the back seat unbolts in minutes and it makes a superb little van.

As for servicing, what's wrong with 12.5k miles (oil changes), infinitely preferable to anything higher.

What would an oil change cost on a 1.4, 4 litres or less engine oil so anything from £20 to £40 unless you buy it in bulk packs at half that, and £6/8 for a decent oil filter and half an hours work, thats cheap as chips preventative maintenance and a fraction of the costs of turbo/engine failure.

The 1.4 can be found in Bipper Nemo (and Fiat stablemate), but i'm given to understand that they don't seem to cover high miles without some problems, happy to be put right if thats wrong, i would suggest that extending oil changes past 10k and closer to 20k is the best way to shorten the life of your engine and its ancilliaries, especially turbo.

Chap i worked with commuted a really long drive every day in his 1.4 Hdi engined C2, averaging between 60 and over 70mpg, last i heard it was on about 170k miles, had a recent clutch but otherwise trouble free, but he was religious about servicing.

Edited by gordonbennet on 28/03/2016 at 11:03

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 28 Mar 2016 11:34

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - daveyK_UK

go for a fiat doblo or fiorino

They are cheap to buy, get the 1.3 diesel that can go upto £150k trouble free providing its been serviced correctly (I have now seen a few with over £200k on the clock).

The fiorino and doblo do suffer from some component failures around 80k onwards - things like the windscreen wiper motor tend to go arond 3/4 years old.

ihad no suspension problems with our fiorino's, but did with the doblo's - its a common issue, cant remember what it was mind! cheap enough to put it right, but something to watch out for if you go for a doblo.

if you cargo is small, i would go for a crew version of the fiorino/doblo, or even the mpv version of the doblo or fiorino (called the qubo).

the crew versions hold their value significantly better, even with mega miles on the clock.

Edited by daveyK_UK on 28/03/2016 at 11:36

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 28 Mar 2016 11:44

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - elekie&a/c doctor

How about a Transit Connect.Engine is an old fashioned 8 valve design with little to go wrong and no dpf.Solid build with plenty of parts available s/hand.I would not want any vehicle to go more than 15K between services,especially oil change.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 28 Mar 2016 13:55

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - pitbull

Okay, so I should be happy with 12.5k intervals. Would the fiesta be better than the transit connect? It needs to be a van for tax purposes. Always been pit off by fiat because of reliability issues in the past, but I guess that might of changed now.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 28 Mar 2016 14:21

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - RobJP

Long service intervals might initially seem cheaper. But it does mean that wear on the engine is greater, especially in the latter part of the time before the oil change. The extended service interval (also ironically called long-life) was created for the fleet market, to reduce leasing costs. Consider that they usually get rid of cars at 3 years old, before the warranty runs out.

A garage owner that I know does an oil / filter every 3 months / 5k miles on his own vans. Make of that what you will.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 28 Mar 2016 15:11

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - Wackyracer

It is worth considering buying a used van from a good auction. My little van cost me £3100 all in at 4 years old with 50k miles on the clock. It's new price was £16,000. It has a good service history and had it's 40,000mile service done at a maindealer with intermediate services carried out yearly at another garage.

If you buy something that is Ex BT or Hitachi they are generally well looked after. I wouldn't buy anything that is Ex Royal mail though.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 29 Mar 2016 16:56

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - Ian_SW

If you're doing that kind of mileage and are looking for a few years old secondhand, an Astra Van is the way to go. Don't get a Kangoo/Combo/Doblo etc as the noise, slowness and discomfort will get to you pretty quickly. I put 20k up and down the motorway for work on a lease Kangoo over about four months and was truly sick of it by the end.

Astra Vans drive properly like a car, and seem pretty much indestructible despite being usually driven to their stereotype (flat out). I've seen many still going strong with over 200k on the clock.

It's just a shame they don't make them any more, the only way to get a new one now is to import the 'commercialised' Astra hatch from Ireland.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 29 Mar 2016 17:26

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - Falkirk Bairn

If the cargo is minimal then my vote would be to buy a small car with an economical engine.

The reason is more comfort (remember 700-800 miles per week) and the car will be worth something when it comes to selling.

Typical vans, of all makes, lack sound proofing & can rust more due to less rust proofing when new. The car will potentially be cheaper to insure and cheaper Road Tax.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 29 Mar 2016 23:28

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - daveyK_UK

skidpan,

do you have a link to the ieish commercial astra van please?

would consider anoither one

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 30 Mar 2016 01:11

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - Avant

(It was Skodalan actually - I'm not sure that Skidpan would have suggested a Vauxhall!)

Last time I drove a van it was a Transit, and I was impressed with its performance and ease of driving. If an Astra van is hard to get, a Transit Connect or Fiesta van would do you very well.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 30 Mar 2016 01:26

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - Wackyracer

I would have thought a low mileage ex BT Fiesta van would suit the OP's requirements.

Plenty to be had at car auctions. I think you may even be able to buy direct from BT Fleet services but, I'm not sure on that.

Edited by Wackyracer on 30/03/2016 at 01:35

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 30 Mar 2016 15:55

Small van - Which Van? Help??? - Ian_SW

Here's a link to the Irish Opel Astra "Van", known as the "Astra 5 Door Van" which never came to the UK (See Page 10).

www.opel.ie/bypass/download/ie/Opel_Van_Range_14_E...f

It was fairly hard to find the reference which I easily came across a couple of years ago, so may now have been discontinued.

It was effectively a car version of the just-replaced 5 door Astra hatch with the rear seats taken out, a dog-guard fitted just behind the front seats, and the rear windows blacked out.

Given how much like a mid-spec astra car it is in the front, it can have only been designed with avoiding company car tax in mind! I don't know how it would fit with UK tax rules though.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Ask Honest John

Sell Your Car

Real MPG

Fuel Calculator