Maybe done to death, but what are van running costs like compared to a Touran/wee sized mpv?
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Touran: averages £1800 per year to maintain (average over 4.5 years ownership) and 40mpg. We do 15k a year. We have wee Toyota for small journeys / commuting to work. Touran insurance is low and tax £160 odd.
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Having spent a week in a Caravelle with Beyond Adventure, I am a bit of a convert to the ‘mid sized van for the family wagon / paddle wagon / bike wagon’ and our wee SWB Transit HR at work is ace… Thinking Transit SWB/high roof or VW or Primastar/Vivaro/Traffic etc…
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Insurance can be the main difference. Tends to cost more to insure a van. All other costs are relative to engine / vehicle size.

£1800 a year to maintain?! jesus… is it bleeding oil?

My Transit Mk7 SWB Mid-top has cost the pricely sum of £0 to maintain this year. Done about 20k miles. I get about 40mpg out of her too.

Personally I don’t like the Traffic/Vivaro as they feel a bit loose to drive, and my mate’s 57 plate has been in and out of the garage since he bought it.

VW Transporters are overrated for me, and overpriced – the main reason for buying the Transit. It’s just as comfy, quiet, refined and fast – and a whole lot bigger inside.

Mid-Top is the way to go, 6 foot height inside, so you can stand up, but feels nippy and very comfy to drive.

You should get 35-40mpg out of van depending on how you drive, if you’re getting 40mpg out of a touran diesl though then expect 35 tops. Insurance might be a bit more but shouldn’t be that much over and tax is around 200 a year or less if you get a van new enough to have a euro4 compliant engine.

No idea what you’re doing to spend 1800 a year on maintenance though!

£1800 a year to maintain?! jesus… is it bleeding oil?

Nah, it is a VW….

Mid top Transit minibus is top of the list at present…Vito LWB close behind

Also – when you insure your van you get concessions for having it:

– Sign written
– Contain racking

As it shows that you take care of your van. So… get some stickers on it, and modify the internals of the rear. These can hold a 10% discount with some insurers.

Vitos are too low for me, you end up bent over when getting changed in the back, we can get two people in the back getting changed all stood up, with two bikes in at the same time.

I run a Vivaro LWB. I get on average 38-40mpg (best is 44) driving at speed limit or just above but this can easily drop to low 30’s if you drive it hard.

And in the 6 years (100k) it’s been on the road, running costs have been less than 2 years worth on your Touran.

VW T4 Transporter 2.5tdi, year 2000;
37mpg averagely ( down to 32 if I drive like a bellend )
£280 insurance.
12mths tax £215.
Great to get back from ride yesterday, switch on the eberspacher heater, and get changed in the warm and dry. Put the bike in the back without removing wheels and drive home. I do have a bike rack fitted, but no need to use it if I’m on my own.

cakefacesmallblock – where do you get your insurance? My t4 is costing an arm and a leg to insure this year!!!!

hmmm, seems that a van insurance quote is fine, even if back seats are not ‘normal’ fit, but a minibus with 9 seats as standard is a difficult thing to insure, even if I have taken out rear three….

if you need 2 rows of seats a swb transit doesn’t have *that much* room any more – you’d get a bike in with wheels on but it’d not be easy

I got a Vito earlier this year, with 5 seats and windows in the back doors, so I don’t pay van prices to go over the Severn. Insurance was slightly more than the Alfa, but fuel consumption is a lot less and it’s as quick but doesn’t corner quite so well 😆

£1800 a year to run! I’d just buy a different one if I had bills that high.

Very, very clean 97 Hiace LWB with genuine 150k miles, normally aspirated 2.4 diesel here …cost me £1600 a couple of months ago with 2 new front tyres, leccy windows, Yale deadlocks on every door, remote central locking, taxed to March ’12 and MOTd for 1 year.

Costs ~£80 at 138.9 / litre (about 13 gallons) to drive 450 miles of mixed but mainly steady 65mph motorway driving = 34ish MPG.

I can’t see it needing £1800 spending on maintenance in the next 5 years never mind per year. I estimate £100 oil and filter service every 20k miles, so that’s 1 per year, timing belt every 60k – once every three years but next due in 30k, plus brake pads, brake shoes, tyres and other consumables.

I hope it’ll be worth £1200 in two years time with another 35-40k on the clock.

It’s as slow as treacle but I kind of like that.

It needs some work doing to insulate and soundproof the back as there’s no bulkhead, but with just two seats up front it’s ace as I don’t need to leave the van to get into the back.

5lab – we have a few at work (2x SWB/mid roof with cages and 9 seats and 3x Tourneo’s – the caged ones are ace and would fit the bikes in – I can move the cage and ‘hang’ them up I think with a roof bar Thule rack I think…, and should the one from our other centre come up for sale next year, I may be tempted….

Buy one with 6 gears and no timing belt.

I bought a Vivaro after telling people how much I didn’t like the look of the front end and how much the interior looks like it’s been designed by Ronald Macdonald. Love it now.

Wanted a VW but hysteric people were over-inflating the price.
Looked at Transits but unless you’re working with them they’re a bit unrefined IMO.Trends are ok.
Vitos are rust buckets with the front seats too low. Not a problem for short trips.
Toyotas…well I know it’s a van but I’ve got some self respect.

Mmmm – self respect isn’t necessarily an indication of either intelligence or common sense though… 8)

@jimbob NFU is the way forward.

£1800???

My car (1.9TDi VAG) cost… about £100 in parts for servicing over the past 12 months (excluding road tax, MOT, essentials, etc).

Mind you, I do the servicing myself on the drive.

J.B Insured with Adrain Flux. Probably worth noting I an the wrong side of 50 now though !