Due to an upcoming change in worklife/career I will be in the market to purchase a van for work in the next 6-12months business growth dependant)

 

I don't have many specific  requirements so open to suggestions but I would like a  vehicle that can be a master of all trades, I would like it to be suitable to support my wifes business/my business and potentially be our family vehicle too, if this isn't possible then I need to be able to seat 2 passengers in my work vehicle. (I don't want too many vehicles at home).

 

Requirements as an all in 1 vehicle - Budget £10k-£15k (thinking VW Caravelle )

* transport upto 7-8 people

* last row of seats must be *removable/fold flat* to give me enough space to fit my tool kit in & space for 1-2 bikes (guessing the size of a golf boot for tool storage as they will be kept in movable tool chests)

* suitable for towing a caravan (approx 1400-1500 towing weight)

* not be too much like a van

* Single rear door or sliding side door

* If sliding side door, the ability to fix an extendable cover/awning

 

If a suitable 'all rounder' can't be found/agreed upon with SWMBO then the SMAX will stay and we will sell her RAV4 to fund my van (and new motorbik, therefore the less spent on a van the more I will have for my bike   )

Requirements for my business only - Budget £1k-£4k

* transport 2 passengers

* sliding side door

* ability to fix an extendable cover/awning

* prefer not to have central locking or the ability to not unlock both the sliding door and back door

 

Ideas please

I'm guessing a minibus with the seats in tracking so they can be taken out as and when is too "commercial"?

I'm guessing a minibus with the seats in tracking so they can be taken out as and when is too "commercial"?

Sadly, 'yes', SWMBO would never drive a minibus

Transit tourneo or vivaro if you don't mind DMF issues or a vw imo

I'd have said minibus too as its a winwin!

I suspect a Tourneo is a tarted up minibus to the OP's other half.

It's still a diesel Ford Transit.

I suspect a Tourneo is a tarted up minibus to the OP's other half.

It's still a diesel Ford Transit.

Ok, it's a Vw, but I'd have said the exact same thing about a Caravelle, despite the OP citing it as an option.

Ok, it's a Vw, but I'd have said the exact same thing about a Caravelle, despite the OP citing it as an option.

 

Yes, but a Caravelle for some odd reason is fashionable and people think they are a cut above typical commercials.

I do get your point though.

It's a van with windows and seats.

I suspect a Tourneo is a tarted up minibus to the OP's other half.

It's still a diesel Ford Transit.

 

 

Ok, it's a Vw, but I'd have said the exact same thing about a Caravelle, despite the OP citing it as an option.

 

 

Yes, but a Caravelle for some odd reason is fashionable and people think they are a cut above typical commercials.

I do get your point though.

It's a van with windows and seats.

 

You are both quite correct. I doubt she would go for the Tourneo as you are right, to her it will still look like a tarted up transit, the same can be said for the caravelle being a tarted up transporter (I think) but somehow they don't look too van like, they certainly don't look so square/boxy & wide, possibly a little more camper van image.

 

I've been thinking about this for the last couple of months and can't in my mind find anything other than the VW that I think she would go for.  I really don't want 2 vehicles at home when we could get away with 1 but the more I think about it the more I'm convinced she will keep the S-Max and I'll end up with my own van

If the 7-8 seater part is essential, how about a Hyundai i800 ?

If the 7-8 seater part is essential, how about a Hyundai i800 ?

Very similar looking to the Merc Vito, I can't see SWMBO going for it, as I tried to get her to look at the Vito when we bought the S-Max

 

Someone at work has just said the Nissan Pathfinder, I've always had a soft spot for the Navara.  Will have to look at the internal dimensions of the Pathfinder

 

 

 

... edited the title to include commercial vehicles, at the moment any suggestions welcome

Hi Matt,

 

If its of any help ive got a mk7 transit van your welcome to have a drive in. Although its bigger than a car it really does drive just like a car. In some ways I don't like that as ive always had vans and I like a van to be a van lol but I think your Mrs will be surprised how easy it is to drive.

 

The transits are cheap to run/maintain/insure and cheaper to buy when compared to VW vans. For some reason VW vans especially the model you are looking at always command a premium and IMO its not justified.

 

If you end up keeping the smax I can recommend a place to buy a van that will suit your needs and budget. Vans are even more of a minefield then cars. They are usually higher mileage had a much harder life and values don't compare to what you are used to with cars.

 

Happy to help in any way so please get in touch if you want to.

 

P.S. I will buy the Smax if its for sale

 

Forgot to say ive had a number of different vans over the years and there's a reason i've bought 3 x transits and only one of everything else. Ive had Nissan, LaylandDaf, Merc, Vauxhall, VW and even a sooty van at some stage lol. My brother also runs 2 x vans one of which is a Renault traffic the other a transit and the Renault has had 3 x times more spent on it than the transit. Hes also had a peugeot and that wasn't great either.

 

I tell you what I was impressed with when we had a hire van for a few weeks - Citreon traffic. Weve also had a Hyundai on loan to tempt us to buy one but I wasn't impressed with it at all and it was very dated.

Very similar looking to the Merc Vito, I can't see SWMBO going for it, as I tried to get her to look at the Vito when we bought the S-Max

Someone at work has just said the Nissan Pathfinder, I've always had a soft spot for the Navara. Will have to look at the internal dimensions of the Pathfinder

... edited the title to include commercial vehicles, at the moment any suggestions welcome

Uncle had one which he really wasn't impressed with!

VW Touran 7 seater is the only thing I can think of which isn't really a van and gets close to the criteria. I'll be getting one soon and getting rid of the terrible hidden costs/drawbacks associated with commercial vehicles.

VW Touran 7 seater is the only thing I can think of which isn't really a van and gets close to the criteria. I'll be getting one soon and getting rid of the terrible hidden costs/drawbacks associated with commercial vehicles.

But like other similar vehicles has effectively no boot with the extra seats up.

At the OP VW Caravelles tend to have a lot of electrical bits to go wrong which they tend to in ones in your price range.

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But like other similar vehicles has effectively no boot with the extra seats up.

At the OP VW Caravelles tend to have a lot of electrical bits to go wrong which they tend to in ones in your price range.

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OP stated that the last row of seats should be removable / fold flat for tool storage.

OP stated that the last row of seats should be removable / fold flat for tool storage.

I understand that. I just wanted to point out that with 7 people in the car you have enough boot space for maybe 2 carrier bags. With back seats in the floor you have a lot of space.

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We have a vw transporter for work and it's great, very nice to drive and good value for money if not purchased new!

Certainly the best to drive and look at compared to the vauxhall and ford.

The Touran isn't a contender, we currently have an S-Max which is bigger but still not big enough to cover all 3 roles.

I'll throw this one in, although possibly too small for your needs.

 

Nissan NV200.  Renault 1.5dci engine.  90ps (5 speed) or 110ps (6 speed)  Towing capacity 1100kg.

7 seats.  Middle line of seats fold and tip forwards, rearmost seats fold upwards to side of van.

I'm thinking of converting one of these into a small Tech1e van.

 

http://www.nissan.co.uk/GB/en/vehicles/lcv/nv200-combi.html?cid=psmywfffywK_dc

T5 combi instead of a caravelle?

T5 combi instead of a caravelle?

Less to go wrong, just make sure its registered as an MPV not a van so you don't have to drive slowly.

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Mercedes vito. It can be be made to look better than it truly is. A director at work had one with all the drl leds, sparkly chrome bits and running boards. Also had brabus alloys, it did look smart.

Mercedes vito. It can be be made to look better than it truly is. A director at work had one with all the drl leds, sparkly chrome bits and running boards. Also had brabus alloys, it did look smart.

So can most vans you can really smarten up these transits! And Vauxhall combos

Yup, vauxhall do a VXR kit.