[Closed] What small van would you choose?

Vans are a premium at the moment.

I'd probably keep my van going rather than pay a covid tax. I'd wait until next year to see what the market does.

Not sure £5k goes that far at the moment. You might end up with a turkey. At least you know what you have with yours. No hidden problems. 150k miles isn't that far these days.

Was going to say a VW Caddy/Caddy Maxi but I don't think the ones of the age you'd be looking at come with petrol engines (unless you drop a GTI engine into one!).

I think you'd be looking at a Fiat Doblo as they come with petrol engines (but its a Fiat!) or Renault Kangoo type things but not sure either fits the bill in terms of size.

I would probably hold out like said above. Maybe skip petrol and go straight to electric? The electric nv200 should be good size for you but still twice your budget

I was looking at fiat scudos for about 5k a few weeks back, seemed to be non-ulez compliant for anything decent at that price if that matters.

Appreciate the advice. Hard time to buy especially with electric becoming more mainstream. Anything else seems like a waste of money.

I'd get one of those larger Transit Connects or maybe the NV200, but IDK if they do petrol versions.

And I've not driven either, they just look a useful size.

For £5K???

Moon on a stick.

Decide what you wanna compromise on, for sure, as you probably ain't getting all of that.

I am fairly sure that NV200's are only available as diesel or electric. Seems a good candidate for a petrol engine to me.

Ideally I’d have the smallest, petrol engine possible for environmental and economy reasons.

smallest is not necessarily the most economical - the 2.0 litre dispatch is more economical than the 1.6.. the figures are the other way round - with the same engines - in the Berlingo

You want the right engine for the van not the smallest

Ford made a 1.0 turbo petrol version of the Connect L2 for a while. Quite rare, not as economical as the diesels and definitely not around £5k. Apart from those small issues, would be spot on for you. 🙂

Hens tooth answer: There are a few LPG/petrol Connects out there
.
Left feild answer: Is a Landy 110 hardtop big enough inside? Any extra running costs will be more than offset by the lack of depreciation. And of course keeping old cars going is far less bad for the environment than building new ones

Left feild downright stupid answer: Is a Landy 110 hardtop big enough inside? Any extra running costs will be more than offset by the lack of depreciation. And of course keeping old cars going is far less bad for the environment than building new ones

asside from all the obvious reasons why you shouldnt - the fact youd be putting your tools in something even less secure than a transit (and they are not even close to secure) is just fools folly.

Moon on a stick.

Not totally, I've just bought a Peugeot Expert for 5K, 10 years old, 76,000 miles on the clock...but it is an ex-police van(forensics), so it has been well looked after.

But it did take a month or so of searching, and some of the other peugeot/citroen/fiat vans while cheaper, were either relatively high mileage, had the sh*t kicked out of them by builders, or both.

smallest is not necessarily the most economical – the 2.0 litre dispatch is more economical than the 1.6.. the figures are the other way round

The 1.6 in a van that size, once loaded will struggle, and if not well serviced can have explody turbo issues, also coupled with only a five speed gear box meaning it gets worked hard for motorway miles...and fuel economy.

I got a 2 litre with a six gears, and for the mixture of urban and motorway miles I do is good. The six speed makes all the difference to fuel economy.

Is it petrol?

but it is an ex-police van(forensics), so it has been well looked after.

If by well looked after you mean ....got the minimum and thrashed by non owner drivers given a good wash before they ripped out all the additional electrics then yes. Yes your right.

For £5K???

Easy...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/van-details/202010145001620

Is it petrol?

The petrol was an "ideally", OP probably realises it'd highly unlikely now.

Moon on a stick

Not totally....

I think the combination of the price, mileage and size plus the petrol engine preference was the problematical issue. As you say, those first three preferences with a diesel engine isn't impossible by any stretch.

I went for a Peugeot expert 2l hdi with 6 seats and 85k miles, £4800

Left feild answer: Is a Landy 110 hardtop big enough inside? Any extra running costs will be more than offset by the lack of depreciation. And of course keeping old cars going is far less bad for the environment than building new ones

cite your sources - people have been making that statement for decades but I’ve never seen anyone reference any actual facts to back it up.

With 250000 miles on the clock my van will have burnt approx 60,000 litres of fuel since it rolled out of the factory. Without road tax that much energy would cost around £30,000. Seems to make vehicles uneconomical to manufacture if takes more resource than that

I have a SWB Caddy which is great for me as a 'car alternative' but I don't carry big loads, just my bike really, so not sure how it would cope with weight in it.

Comfortable enough and decent fuel economy.

Mine is the 1.6 diesel which are well known t have injector issues across the range. Caddy forums suggest 1,9 SDI or 2.0tdi. My 1.6d has been fine though..... (just cursed it now haven't i....)

LOL!...... "With electric becoming more mainstream....."

OK.... Can someone recommend a viable ELECTRIC van as a direct replacement for my 2002 VW T4?

Must be able to do 500 miles on a single charge and not cost a gazillion quid.

With vans being included in the recent government announcement on electric vehicles, i have a feeling lots of trades people are gonna be stuffed in 10 to 15 years time. Anyone know the range of an electric NV200 with a pallet load of bricks in the back and towing a double axle trailler with a mixer and 20 bags of aggregate?

Ohhh.... And as for "citing your sources......"

Mike Berners-Lee OK for your?

https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/sep/23/carbon-footprint-new-car

Its FAR FAR FARRRRRR more environmentally friendly to keep that old fossil fuelled banger than to buy a supposedly new more frugal electric vehicle but dont let SCIENCE and RESEARCH get in the way of how you FEEL about the internal combustion engine and how it FEELS to have a nice new shiny car in the driveway.

Hard time to buy especially with electric becoming more mainstream. Anything else seems like a waste of money.

Bwahahahahahahaha! 🤣 In another ten years, perhaps, when technology catches up with needs/desires/practicalities in commercial vehicles, along with charging infrastructure.

Its FAR FAR FARRRRRR more environmentally friendly to keep that old fossil fuelled banger than to buy a supposedly new more frugal electric vehicle but dont let SCIENCE

Yes but that's not what we are talking here.

We are talking 5k vans or in Andrews case for some reason unknown to anyone else....a 5k 110(will be a shitbox at that price) ..... It's all much of a muchness they will all be older and pretty bangery

I'm.as much about banger nomics as anyone....if not more given I run a 35 year old land rover as my daily car (Albe it not driven any where close to daily)and have a 15 year old camper. But even I can see the future doesn't lie in the IC engine
...but that doesn't mean throw them away over night. They will naturally expire.

Errr?...... Yes it is what we are talking about.

You ok hun?

 ...as a direct replacement for my 2002 VW T4?

Must be able to do 500 miles on a single charge

Anyone know the range of an electric NV200 with a pallet load of bricks in the back and towing a double axle trailler with a mixer and 20 bags of aggregate?

I'm sure there'll soon be some hot contenders for the long distance, non stop, urgent delivery of small quantities of cheap ubiquitous locally available building materials in ageing vans with a bit of lifestyle cache market segment. 🙂

Almost anything will be more environmentally friendly than the land rover suggested but don't let that get in the way of your irrelevant evidence.

But if we are going on about whataboutery is your daily commute 500 miles towing a double axle trailer hell is that something you do even twice a year ?

Why the f do folk always demand 500 miles on a single charge? How often do any of us drive 500 miles? And even when you do, stop for a break ya walloper!

You lovvvveeee that word dont you!

whataboutery...... Whataboutery!!!!!

LOL!

Mike Berners-Lee OK for your?

That looks more like a thought experiment than cite-able evidence. Its pretty presumptuous that cars would typically be scrapped at 100,000 miles. When I'm looking to buy - typically in the £5k bracket)  I rarely see much that has a milage that low - the last three I bought were 250k, 250k and 170k respectively an I tend to keep stuff for 5-8 years and sell on as viable runners

Indeed, for each mile driven, the emissions from the manufacture of a top-of-the-range Land Rover Discovery that ends up being scrapped after 100,000 miles may be as much as four times higher than the tailpipe emissions of a Citroen C1.

With this in mind, unless you do very high mileage or have a real gas-guzzler, it generally makes sense to keep your old car for as long as it is reliable – and to look after it carefully to extend its life as long as possible. If you make a car last to 200,000 miles rather than 100,000,

It doesn't mater who makes the car last to 200k - If you buy and car and use it and sell it when it no longer suits your purpose, someone else will buy it and use it and probably sell it again.

I've never bought a new car or van, I haven't even bought one thats new-ish. But someone had to buy it new once - even 2002 T4's were bought by someone once and the van it replaced didn't hurl itself into a scrapyard the moment that new van was bought. You buy old cars and vans, I do - seemly everyone on this thread does. Its nothing to congratulate ourselves for - we're not striking some mighty blow for the planet.

If people didn't buy new cars there would be no old ones for us. If we didn't buy old cars there'd be no market for new ones. We're perpetuating the market for new cars whether we buy new or not.

The word I've used once. No not particularly. But it highlights the absurdity and randomness of your requirements of an electric vehicle

If by well looked after you mean ….got the minimum and thrashed by non owner drivers given a good wash before they ripped out all the additional electrics then yes. Yes your right.

Bless.