Ok, so i have had my Civic Type R almost a year and have loved every minute of it. Except when going riding!
-You cant (legally) fit a towbar to it. (to mount a rack)
-You cant easily fit a boot mounted bike rack (damn spoiler!) and if i did it would probably duff up the paint.
-Its costing me a load in fuel/insurance and tax!

I am thinking about a small’ish van, Vito or transporter etc… Just wondering what the options are in terms of exact models to look for etc. There are so many models i have no idea!

I will have a max of 6k to spend (roughly what i will get for my CTR)

Any opinions?

Transporter t5, should get a 2.5 130bhp for that budget. Great to drive, mine did 40mpg when not gunning it.

Vito = rust and nowhere near as nice to drive.

Consider vivaro/trafic as you’ll get more for your money.

Exact models don’t really work like cars for vans. Best thing is figure out what you want (e.g. air con, electric windows etc) and see what you can find.

Great, thanks for the info steveh. It’s really confusing. I will have a look at the various options.

Economy and tax prices are on the top of the list!

We use a Trafic (Vivaro) out here for transporting bikes/riders. Very nice to drive, economical, not much not to like. Just had to replace the clutch, but it’s done about 90,000miles in the Alps so not too bad really!

ford freda AFT fact

Both Merc Vitos and VW Transporters are really good vans. I would disagree with steveh, having driven both they are much the same in performance and drive. All Mercs seem to suffer from rust if not looked after properly, That said vans do not get as good a paint job as cars do! You can pick up a really good vito with low mileage and good spec for the cash you’v got. You would still get a very good Transporter, but they are more desirable and therefore cost more with possibly not as good a spec! I own a 2002 Vito 112 CDI and its got plenty of power, good to drive, converted it into a surf bus I.E insulated, ply lined, carpeted and fitted LED lighting in the back of the van. Best of all it was really cheap, no rust, 65,000 miles and the price included buying a roof box and camping accessories and getting the conversion done, including windows fitted, total £4300. You can carry bikes in the van or on a tow ball bike carrier (don’t go for barn doors if your doing this)if you want to sleep in the van! It comes down to personal preference really.

have you thought about getting an LPG van – tax is **** all cos of the emissions, and LPG is going for 50p a litre. My mate loves his LPG transit for riding and windsurfing.

talk to me about your civic…

I think the t5 would be your best bet, the swb window van kombi,is ideal as an all round do it all vehicle, reliable, very comfy, fantastic to drive,my 1.9 does 550 miles on a full tank easily, i have done 80000 miles in mine without a splutter, pickin up a newer one tomorrow and the lovely wife gets a very nice hand me down. Good luck.

Why not use the van money to get a new shape type r, lots of space inside for your bike, cant believe how much more practical new model is, some good deals to be had at the moment too.

For tax reasons get a van which is fitted with seats in teh rear. ( these can usually be removed quickly). Taxation class drops to a diesel car. Pure vans are less again but some versions are in teh £400 per year bracket. Big engined T5s can be thirsty and general opionion seems to be that teh T4 is more economical. Have a look for the ex AA T4…..

If your cash is tightish then be aware VW’s are top budget as far as vans are concerned, A Vivaro is by far a more ‘sensible’ option. My T5 80,000 mile service has just cost me £2500 (clutch,flywheel,ps pump,driveshafts,steeringsomething,fullservice….vat) I wouldn’t have paid it if I didn’t think the van was worth it mind you.

Tax is about £190 pa.

My 104ps T5 is about 4mpg more econimical than the 2 T4’s I’ve had previously and nicer to drive.

I was just lent a 130ps SWB while mine was being worked on and it was mighty quick.

Not sure what the prices are like at the moment as it’s been a year since I looked but 6k would get you a reasonable T5 if you can find a private seller with no VAT.

I had a vivaro for a year and to be honest other than being a bit dull and soft to drive it was perfectly fine. Unfortunately though an 8’x4′ sheet of timber won’t fit in the back and as a joiner this is a major upset!

I can’t advise on newer vans but I’d take some serious consideration how much stuff you will want to stick inside it once you’re used to it, don’t think from the perspective of ‘it’s bigger than a car’. I had an old style SWB transit which was great and soon had it filled to the max on trips. Loaded to the roof with bikes and others would drive/fly separately. Also if you ever want to semi convert it to be a camper you might want to consider a LWB.

The transporters or vito’s aren’t that big, smaller inside than my old transit. A mate downsided from his sprinter lwb to a vito and he struggles alittle sticking in MX gear for a weekend, spares etc. If I had 6k to play with I’d be looking into sprinters.

Toyota Hiace, its sadly not the AGNI van. So you cant turn up at the trailhead and grin to all the other ‘lifestyle types’.
6k will buy you many many vans with younger mileage than a T4. Sorry I’m not a fan. If steering/driving is important to you look at the Transit, drives alot better than the T4 does.

You don’t have to worry too much about tax on vans as 90% will be £180 a year. Some newer one with a euro 5 compliant engine are 140 and a small number (V6 Petrol T5 springs to mind) are 400.

If it was my 6k I’d be looking at a 56 plate or newer trafic/vivaro with the new 2.0 115bhp engine. Nice to drive, will still have some warranty left and I reckon I could get you an 07 for your budget.

Thanks for all the info, i will certainly look into the vw/merc’ alternatives. I want to get the most for my cash, not that worried about being trendy, just want something practical and economical!

Oh and there’s also the fact i am an environmental consultant and am coming under fire from the daft people in my office for driving in their opinion a petrol guzzler!

DEL: My CTR is on a 52 plate (currently private, but will be on a 52plate) it’s done under 60k (have to check) it’s standard with only the optional factory rear tints. Front fogs, really nice car. Few scratches etc, but nothing more than any other 6/7 year old car. I really love it, but i have had my fun and need something more hardy and practical (ctr’s dont go down farm tracks to races etc all that well!)

Cheers for the info guys, i am going to look at Vito’s and the Vivaro (i really dont like anything renault!)

A T4 would be nice, but i dont want to pay a premium for what it is.

Thanks!

“Toyota Hiace, its sadly not the AGNI van. So you cant turn up at the trailhead and grin to all the other ‘lifestyle types’.”

unless your in NZ ….go ANYWHERE and the van of choice for the above is the hi ace …. or a variant (ie 4×4 hiace etc)

seem to convert easily , if not a little small on the inside.

You do realise that the Vivaro/Trafic/Primastar are all built in the same factory don’t you?

How about the newer VW Caddy? Decent rustproofing, not too big, car like drive, based on the Golf, 50-55mpg (I think), options like a/c available

Just bought a T4 LWB camper for biking/surf trips, loads of space nice to drive, not sure about the economy yet.
But has already been mentioned, you could get a T5 for 6K, however VW are always going to be more to buy than a Transit,which I am told are better to drive.
My choice would always be for a VW 😀

Integrar Type R

Nice big hatch, fits two bikes and two people easily and is more fun than the Civic

Get a big, fast estate! Much more fun than a van!

Renault Espace?

Didnt realise the vivaro, primstar and trafic were the same!

As for an integra not a chance, not got the budget for a DC5 and why go older? The EP3 is by far the better car, and really not enough gain in terms of size.

I have had a pretty quick estate before, civic aerodeck VTI-s, 180bhp. Again, no real benefit, you cant sleep in it at the races or while tripping it around europe!

I am swaying toward a Vito but i will have to look into it more. I am thinking about getting one with seats like a caravelle so i can have the option.

Cheers

Try and find a van with a tailgate rather than barn doors…much better for sheltering from the rain, and you can throw a tarp over the top as an awning at events 🙂 Normally only found on low roof vans, though if you look really hard you might find a mid roof transit with one.

If you want middle seats you’ll get a lot less for your money, especially if you want three rows of seats rather than just 2.

Make sure you drive a t5 if you’re thinking about a vito. I’ve had quite a few vans and the mk2 vito only lasted 3 months as it was bad to drive and very thirsty. Traction control light always flashing and 32mpg from mine. It was a dualiner (6 seat) in metallic black 04 plate 80k and that went for £6250.

Sod the Transporters: too much scene tax, “‘cos it’s Dub”/”Surf bus, dude” Opt for the Toyota Hi-Ace or Ford Transit instead.

You can fit a towbar to the ITR if that interests you at all. I had one for a while and loved it. But not big enough for me.

Which CTR do you have? The EP3 IS a van, so must be a different model? 😛

I dont get that mtbmatt? I have the EP3 Type R 52 plate. Not interested in an integra, its good they can have a tow hitch though. It definately a van for me now.

I will look at hi-aces….I am thinking of getting a newer VW there’s a couple nice 2005’s about with good miles (60-80k) for around £6k. And trust me it wont be cool, it’ll look like it lives on a construction site! I hate washing cars, it will never be washed and will NOT have any Monster energy stickers anywhere near it!!! LOL

T4’s are good solid vans, i had one until a few months ago but got rid as it wasn’t practical for commuting across dartmoor everyday.

one thing to note is don’t believe what people claim for mpg’s unless you drive like a grandad. given your coming out of a typeR i doubt it. i used to get 30-32mpg out of my T4 2.5 TDI (102 Bhp). when diesel was 1.30 a litre it was hurting and over £100 to fill up….

Just remember that the speed limits for vans are not as high as for a car eh… there are a few plod these days targeting van drivers. Me… I would probably just get a big estate car instead myself.

depends how they are classified on the V5.

I thought the speed limit depended on the vans weight? I forgot to mention earlier, get yourself to a car auction that does commercial vans, you can pick up some brilliant deals on ex fleet vans. All this talk about how it drives, remember its a van at the end of the day! mpg/running costs, reliability and how cheap parts are are the most important things. Hope you find a goodin.

Whilst on this subject, I’ve just inherited a 1999 2.5tdi short wheelbase T4 with 80,000 miles on it. Any idea how much its worth?

Anyone who’s anyone in The Westcountry has a Transporter.

…I’ve got an Escort van.

Jambo 😮

Honestly though. Next on my list of ‘lifes to do’s’ is the hi-ace conversion to weekend traveller (oi!) vehicle.

I drove an old ex-BT diesel Escort van once. I actually liked it even though it was restricted. I’ve owned an old Escort briefly as a rat car and the van version drove exactly like the car. It didnt boom or the rear wander.

If you like driving (Type R etc) I’d say go for a more steery-feel-van than a VAG group or even PAS etc.

Ha Ha, well i am in the westcountry so must get a Transporter then! I am going to look around for a good while to get hopefully a bargain, to too fussed as to what small’ish van yet. I really want a vito or a new shape transporter. I have to go all the b*llocks with the DVLA putting my private plate on retention anyway so that will take probably two months.

I get at best approx 35mpg on the motorway (at best 60miles to £10 of unleaded) but then that’s been rolling roaded at 208bhp standard. Getting around the same out of a 85bhp diesel cant be good…I need serious economy gains to put up with effectively a moving shed!!!

J.

unless the van is based on a car the limit for it on dual carriageways, even those separated by a central reservation, will be 60 irrespective of what it says on the V5.

I actually love my Escort. It’s big enough for me to get a mattress, longboard and bike in, drives and parks like a normal car and gets 50mpg.

If you want a transporter, my mate works at the dealership in Plymouth and might be able to get you a good deal.

YetiboyJay, whereabouts are you?

35 mpg? that much? 😉

If you’re serious about selling the CTR mail me, I’m currently in the process of haggling with a Honda dealer, only they don’t seem to want to play ball, you’d think they don’t need to sell cars.

If it was me I’d look at getting a boring passat estate or some other barge if you want to save some cash on fuel, but seriously look at the mileage you do, you need to be racking up some serious miles to save alot. I do about 6000 a year so 20-25 mpg from my old VTi doesn’t bother me really.