Van ! Help!

[Spark92]

My situation is the following:
Im currently using my 3dr vauxhall corsa for work. Iv recently had a lil one join my little family. And a small car is doing both mine and my miss's head in. As the boot just ist big enough for my tools and babies stuff, as we do alot of traveling due to girlfriends mum living 200miles away. Im 20 so im still new to the game but i am getting to the stage where im starting to need more tools as my work varies. Bassicaly- im looking for a van (as i am looking to start up my own company this year aswell.

The van needs the following:

* 3seats
* does good mpg because of the travel.
* not too small (big enough for tools and stock for when i do start up)
* smart and looks professional
* avoiding petrol because of costs

They are the main points. Ill prob think of more ina bit haha

Cheers

 

[ruston]

A diesel van or more family practical one of these.

http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/citroen/berlingo-multispace-mpv/summary/25790-7/

 

[Spark92]

Got to be diesel. And its gotta be 3 seats so my girl and son can both get in it when we travel up north... does that make sense lol
Bassicaly more van than a family car.

 

[MDJ]

Get a Toyota Hi-ace haha, that has 3 seats and isn't too large if small wheel base and not too big compaired to a smaller van.

 

[Spark92]

How big is tanks?? Do they do a 2ltr model? As i dont really want to go higher than a 2000cc.

 

[ruston]

Berlingo van is diesel and has three seats, good vans and very very economical.

 

[Spark92]

Berlingo has 3 seats?? I thought they were like the combo and partner with 2seats?

 

[ruston]

No you can sit three in the cab in reasonable comfort.

 

[Spark92]

Might have to have alook. Is vans cheaper on ebay or autotrader??. And would it be better waiting till im 21 in june?? As im getting quotes 1900 for insurance

 

[ruston]

http://www.vanarama.co.uk/van-reviews/citroen-berlingo-review.html

 

[HappyHippyDad]

I've seen a number of Vauxhall Astra vans 1.7DTI with pull up seats in the back, they fold down easily giving you all the room you need for your tools, then up for when you take the boy somewhere.

They do between 50-58mpg (I have measured this quite accurately) and a chap I bump into now and then was selling his 53 plate for £1000 (with fold down seats), that gives you an idea of price. Plus its not too big. Plus its a car derived van so comfyish.

Good luck :driving:

ps.. much cheaper on E-bay usually, but a little more risky perhaps

 

[markc123]

I've seen a number of Vauxhall Astra vans 1.7DTI with pull up seats in the back, they fold down easily giving you all the room you need for your tools, then up for when you take the boy somewhere.

They do between 50-58mpg (I have measured this quite accurately) and a chap I bump into now and then was selling his 53 plate for £1000 (with fold down seats), that gives you an idea of price. Plus its not too big. Plus its a car derived van so comfyish.

Good luck :driving:

ps.. much cheaper on E-bay usually, but a little more risky perhaps

I loved my Astravan 1.7, fast as for a van. Smashed mine to bits though so... lol

 

[NickD]

Got to be diesel

Are you sure on that? It's well worth working out the numbers to confirm a diesel is more economical for you. Bear in mind some older non-common-rail diesels don't return massively better MPG than some petrol engines. You will pay considerably more for a diesel compared to the equivalent petrol - say you pay £500 more to get a diesel, if it saves you 2.5p a mile that's 20,000 miles to cover before you've broken even. It's often difficult to get non-high-mileage diesels. Look into what effect it will have on your tax and (especially at your age, no offence) insurance. At your age there's a lot to be said for a Group 1 Corsa. Dunno if this is a stupid idea but have you considered a roofbox for non heavy stuff?

I bought a common rail HDi Xantia that did 50MPG and it never paid for itself compared to the 1.3 petrol it replaced - because the few pence per mile it saved were wiped out by higher tax and insurance every year.

Diesels can be horribly expensive to fix compared to petrol. Just check out the price of a replacement injector.

In case not obvious, divide the quoted MPG of an engine by 4.5 to get the miles per litre figure. Then if you divide the cost in pence per litre of the fuel by your miles per litre figure, that gives you pence per mile. So e.g. a 45 MPG diesel is 10 miles per litre and if diesel is 140p a litre that's 14p a mile.

 

[NickD]

For my 2p's worth, have a look at the Mk1 Kia Rio, 2001-2005. Useful small estate car. Massively uncool (Top Gear hate them), therefore stupidly cheap to buy. More of an appliance on wheels than a car. Utterly unattractive to car thieves. 40MPG, low insurance group, 3rd most reliable car brand in the UK, lots of low-miler Grandad-owned looked-after examples about. Might get a low miler 2004 one for a grand, say.

 

[Spark92]

Haha i always thought diesels were cheaper to insure and run than petrols lol

 

[Guest55]

Haha i always thought diesels were cheaper to insure and run than petrols lol

on the whole , they are.

 

[NickD]

It really does depend on your circumstances and mileage. And obviously which vehicle you have in mind. It really is worth checking the figures for what you have in mind (parkers.co.uk is good for MPG and tax figures) and getting quick insurance price comparison quotes. I did the whole "Oh diesel must be cheaper" thing and saved nothing. Back with a petrol now. Looking at LPG conversion, in theory that can save you a small fortune over a few years.

 

[RBreeze]

I'd go for an older model Peugeot partner, it's has a 1.5 person bench so I guess it ideal for your misses and a little one. They are big enough to work out of and keep a decent amount of gear in