A new (to me) medium van....

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I'm looking for opinions...getting fed up of trying to cram stuff into my car! Last week I was up t'north fitting an mvhr system and just couldn't get any more stuff into my car...ended up forgetting a vacuum and having to buy (yet!!) another Henry.

I think I'm at the stage of needing a medium size van...whatever I choose needs to be ulez (so diesel's post 2015 are likely ok).

I'm not totally against the idea of an EV van ....but the range on them is pretty bad at the moment so most likely I'd go for a diesel. I almost convinced myself to buy a VW I'd buzz cargo....but then I read they don't support VTL which would really annoy me given even my cheap mg4 does 7KWh VTL!!!

Been looking at used Peugeot expert diesels...but should I spend big money on a 2-3 year old van or just buy a high mileage one and accept I'll need to spend big....or just buy it new.

Opinions welcome please...I've no idea on budgets.

Main use case is quite infrequent trips...definitely not a daily driver.

 

[MetalMonkey]

I'm in a similar boat, keep toying with the idea, although ULEZ isn't a concern for me.
Trouble is every time I start browsing somebody I know gets there's done over and their tools nicked, and so I revert back to sticking with a car.
Have you considered an MPV? You get quite a few of those van derived disabled conversions kicking around quite cheap I reckon could make a good stealth van project.

 

[Jackimus]

Could you get away with a Berlingo, a C3 Picasso, something like that? I can speak personally to the C3 Picasso being an absolute TARDIS that you can fit an incredible amount in, back seats fold totally flat and you've got an enormous cargo area.

We actually camped in one around the Burren and the Dingle peninsula. Miles of room, you can fit a double mattress.

 

[fizzy]

I actually prefer big vans! I love the high up seating position and amazing view. LWB Sprinters and Crafters are a pain but they also do a shorter wheelbase version with a slightly lower roof. They can actually carry more weight than the LWB due to a lighter bodyshell. Tend to be much cheaper than the VWT4 or T5. Will do 30mpg even with an idiot like me driving. FWD the ones to go for. I p[refer the Crafter over the Sprinter. And you can use it as a camper with not too much work.

 

[Kayos]

If you find one that is less desirable I can recommend a newer Transporter

While I fail to see the attraction with campers etc my basic spec one (2020) cost me £15k in 2023 and was sold for a very similar amount last month

Flew through every MOT, and never let me down. Was 2.5 years old and had an easy life transporting party stuff, until I got hold of it that was

Handled hundreds of kilos of batteries up the A1 for several projects, seemed to use a lot of Adblue but should be ulez?

 

[winchman]

We had a Nissan NV200 for a few years it was great. I would look at the picasso and just black out the windows, couldn't kill ours

 

[GRW]

Not sure I'd personally go for anything high mileage Euro5 or Euro6. Stuff like Transit 2.2 Euro5 around the 150k mark seems to be where we see cyl heads. Euro6 - pot luck.

 

[dobbslc]

Peugeot Partner, Vauxhall Combo (what I have) Citroen Berlingo and I think even Toyota put a name on these vans, they're all the same barring the styling and infotainment systems.
I have a 2021 (euro 6 I think) long wheelbase with a gutless 1.5 diesel engine. It's taken a thrashing in London and on the M1 for 4 years and 49K only recently has the EML light come on due to sitting in traffic 50% of the time, then a CV joint went doing a spirited 3 point turn

The other chap with the same van has had more EML trouble on three different hire vans at much lower mileage as he never gets above about 40mph most of the time so worth thinking about if you don't go on motorway often.

Drivers seat collapsed and seatbelt played up at about 45K. Vauxhall dealerships are sxxt so don't bother going there unless it's a warranty claim and then expect them to leave various bits of dashboard trim hanging off ready to fall on your feet as you brake coming out of their carpark

If you can find one with a nice slick gearbox and smooth clutch that's been looked after is say worth a shout.

 

[qwakers]

partner etc is a small van. medium would be peugeot expert or vauxhall vivaro. id go for a vivaro, they shrunk somewhat from a full size van to medium around 2019

 

[dobbslc]

The LWB isn't that small though.

 

[qwakers]

My 2024 lwb partner is about the same total length of the latest single cab hilux, which surprised me, as it really is small inside both cab and load area, IMHO.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Had a Peugeot Expert, Berlingo and now have a Fiat Doblo MPV. Expert wasn't very old but high (150,000) miles. It was fine until it needed clutch and PIA to work on so sold it for spares. Berlingo rotted away. The Fiat is current vehicle and I'd have another.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

partner etc is a small van. medium would be peugeot expert or vauxhall vivaro

I thought the same...I've been looking at Peugeot expert and that ilk....but I also considered the partner lwb too.

 

[dieselsamurai]

I sent my 2017 Vauxhall combo to the auction had it 8 years 130k not too many issues but rubbish on Fuel 34mpg for a 1.6 diesel is not good nowadays my old belingo did more , got brand new Caddy 2.0 diesel on hire but not for long as it doesent as standard come with android auto or a Nav system. Contacted VW and cant even be upgraded in the dealership ! Asked for a Transit connect as the same floorplan as the caddy but with everything you would expect nowadays ie a bloody satnav phone connectivity built in !

 

[Anguz]

I got a 20 plate combo with 60k on it.. ex hire seems ok so far... just did 60mpg on a longish run

 

[dobbslc]

I'm getting about 45mpg but that's bombing down the motorway for 15 miles then sitting in stop start traffic, I don't think that's bad.

My 2024 lwb partner is about the same total length of the latest single cab hilux, which surprised me, as it really is small inside both cab and load area, IMHO.

It's weirdly hard to get round tight corners, I think a SWB transit van is easier to drive as it's about the same length but has a much better view of everything.

 

[Nomad]

I've got a 2004 Combo 1.7 TDI (Isuzu engine) in the garage, seems like a very handy machine, a lot more space in the back than I expected seeing the Corsa front end.
Fun fact, it has 666k kms on it (new engine engine has 150k kms), steering wheel is almost worn away but everything else is remarkably fresh, even more so considering the kms on it.

A mate has an older Transit Connect (2010-2014? the tiny thing with a bulkhead fitted), I borrowed it when I moved house - very disappointing.
Extending ladders that would fit inside my Hunter (Escort sized) estate were too long for the Transit so I ended up giving them to my neighbour as a farewell gift.
Until then I wouldn't have believed a Transit could be less practical than a small/medium estate car.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Until then I wouldn't have believed a Transit could be less practical than a small/medium estate car.

That was my other option...just buy a bigger car .

It would seem like a popular requirement to carry long stuff...I don't see many options for clever bulkheads. Even my Volvo could fold the front seat to get longer items into the car for example!

 

[Anguz]

They do a combo with a cat flap and folding passenger seat for longer stuff... but I couldn't find one when I was looking...

 

[Smallfry]

Couldn't advise what modern van to buy, but only for infrequent use, wouldn't hiring be cheaper ? Don't have any maintenance costs, and even if you hire ten times a year, will still be cheaper than the taxes and depreciation.

I don't have a car as a daily now, as they are a waste of time mostly. Have had my Combo for twenty years since it was nine months old. Have even slept in the back a few times. Does easy 60mpg, but is not ULEZ exempt, but for the half a dozen times I drive into London a year, is still cheap and useful motoring.

Bought a Trafic to replace my 06 Master, but it was annoyingly too small in comparison. Couldn't stand up in it, so sold it and kept the Master. Only yesterday went from Kent to Stoke on Trent and back again. 41 mpg. Got a 120 litre tank, so almost 1000 miles range. Bigger van always best !

Another thing to consider if you have a van that is seldom used, is that it becomes a shed/carp repository, so when you want to use it, you can't, because its full of stuff.