If you’re a tradesman and are in the market for a van, then you’ll know that this is going to be an important decision to make. Where other people might spend hours a day spent at their desk, you might do the same behind the wheel of your van, so it’s got to be exactly what you need, and you need to be happy with it. Here we’re going to take a look at what might be the best vans available to buy today, based on some of the criteria that tradesmen generally look for.
Most Economical
In times of expensive fuel costs, economy is everything. If you want to cover the furthest distance for the least money, then there’s only one van for you, and that’s the Vauxhall Vivaro / Renault Trafic. Essentially the same vehicle but from two different brands, this van has won awards for efficiency levels nearing 50mpg – rivalling even modern superminis. Long gone are the days when vans were very inefficient and would drain your company account. If saving money is at the forefront of your thoughts take a look at used Vauxhall vans here.
Most Comfortable
If you spend a long time cruising, then comfort will be important to you. Naturally, the winner must come from the only premium van manufacturer, and that’s Mercedes. The Vito is your choice for a medium-sized van, or the Sprinter is the one you need if a large panel van is essential. You’ll get an interior not dissimilar to what you’ll find in Mercedes’ cars, and a very forgiving suspension system, making mile-crunching a breeze.
Most Flexible
Sometimes you need to fit in awkward loads, or want to be able to choose a van that comes in many different combinations. The Ford Transit custom is the one to go for here as it’s a fantastic all-rounder, as you’d expect from the most famous nameplate ever to grace the back of a van. Full of neat little touches and clever ideas to make doing your job a lot easier than it would otherwise be. This is the only model to have a full 5 star Euro NCAP safety rating too, if this is something important to you.
Most Interesting
OK, so this one is a bit of a wildcard, but if you’re an auto detailer or like to make an impression, then you’ll want something that stands out a little bit from the rest of the crowd. If this is the case, then a car that we’ve already mentioned is the choice for you, and that’s the Mercedes Vito. Except that this time you’ll want it in Sport-X trim which adds a body kit and sporty styling, along with a beefy 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine.