WHITE vans are known as the kings of the road. What’s better than driving high up in a van, carrying a load of tools and gear?
Commercial vehicles can often have a hard life, so a low upfront price could help you more in the long run.
If you’re using the van for your trade or business, breakdowns can cost more than repair costs – they can affect your reputation, too.
When buying a used van, you should forget style and focus on the essentials: reliability, carrying capacity and performance.
It pays to do your research before searching for a used van, which is why the experts at Sun Motors have created this guide.
We’ll provide some tips on what to look for when buying a used van and pick some of our favourites for sale on Sun Motors.
What to look for when buying a used van
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but when buying a used van, here are some of the things you should consider:
- Mileage
- Service history
- External condition
- Internal condition
- Previous owners
Mileage
Commercial vehicles can rack up hundreds of thousands of miles, but be wary of super-high-mileage vehicles.
Service history
Commercial vehicles need more care and attention than passenger vehicles, as the higher mileage and hard nature of their service can put an extra strain on essential components like the engine, brakes, suspension and more.
If you can, buy a van with a complete service history and one supported by an independent assessment of its condition.
External condition
Used vans will naturally take a few bumps and scrapes now and again, but significant damage can tell you a lot about how the van has been treated.
Check panels and doors line up, and check online to see if the van has previously been involved in an accident.
READ MORE BUYING A USED CAR
Internal condition
Lots of miles on the road can wear out the internals of any vehicle. Check the seats, steering wheel and gear stick for damage.
These are often great signs of how a van has been used and cared for.
Previous owners
Ask the dealer what the van was used for, and stay away from former hire vehicles or those that have had a hard life.
With all this in mind, it’s time to start looking at some of the best used van bargains for sale today in the UK.
Buying a used vehicle? Find vans for under £200 on Sun Motors here.
Best automatic vans for sale
Who wants to worry about gears when you’re carrying a load of gear? One of our favourite automatic vans is the Mercedez Benz Vito.
Model: Mercedes-Benz Vito
It’s a similar size to the VW Transporter but without the premium price tag.
You can find used automatic Vito vans for under £10,000. Our favourite is this low-mileage example. With just 6,000 on the clock, it’s barely broken in.
While automatic vans are less popular than manual ones, they’re out there. Some of our other favourites include the Ford Transit and the stylish and quirky Citroen Berlingo.
Best used electric vans for sale
Electric vans are a great option for city-based drivers who want a low-emission alternative to dirty diesel.
Model: Volkswagen Transporter
The VW Transporter e110 is a great option that comes with all the confidence you get from buying one from one of the world’s most respected manufacturers.
We reckon electric vans are best suited to those who live in cities and aren’t carrying huge amounts of tools or trade items, as the extra weight can impact battery performance.
Other great used electric vans include the Renault Master E-Tech, Ford Transit E-Custom and Renault Kangoo E-Tech, says Whatcar.
Best used Ford Transit vans for sale
The For Transit is the UK’s most popular van for a reason: it’s brilliant. You can choose from a basic white van for everyday driving to the Electric-powered E-Custom, Transit Connect or tricked-out Transit Custom.
Model: Ford Transit
We’re purists and prefer the classic Ford Transit 350. This 2022 Ford Transit 350 comes fitted with the reliable 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel engine, pushing out an impressive amount of power, while delivering impressive efficiency.
It’s Euro6 compliant, so no worries about ULEZ or other congestion charges.
To be honest, as long as it’s been well cared for and maintained, you can’t go far wrong with any Ford Transit.
Best ULEZ-compliant used vans for sale
ULEZ and other congestion charges are the enemy of commercial traders who worry about getting hit every me they drive in to London (or Bristol, Bath, Birmingham or anywhere else with a clean air zone scheme in place.)
Model: Peugeot e-Partner
All the vans listed here are Euro6 compliant, meaning no charges for driving or parking in the ULEZ zone or any other congestion charging zone.
Our favourite ULEZ-compliant van? All of them! Before buying a used van, you can check whether it’s compliant or not by checking here. (Use this page for all the other UK congestion zones.)
Doing your research before shopping can save you some serious cash. Be aware that regulations can – and probably will – change and that there are no guarantees.
The EU has recently approved the Euro 7 Standard, which will likely come to the UK, too. The reality is that in the future, the only compliant vehicles will probably be EVs.
Best used Ford vans for sale
You may think that the Ford van range begins and ends with the Transit, but it doesn’t. For those who need a smaller van, the Ford Fiesta van is a firm favourite of ours.
Whatcar? loved the driveability, performance and fuel economy of the Fiesta van, and we do too.
It’s a small van that’s perfect for city drivers who need a reliable and convenient van for short trips with small loads.
Best used Renault vans for sale
The Renault Master is an old boy but remains a reliable and affordable workhorse, says car guide Parkers.
Model: Renault Master
At the heart of the recent Renault Masters is a bullet-proof diesel engine that’s Euro 6 compliant (meaning you won’t be charged to drive it in the ULEZ or any of the UK’s other congestion zones).
Despite having a similar carrying capacity to the Mercedez Benz Sprinter, the Renault Master is much cheaper. You can pick up a low-mileage used Renault Master for around £10,0000 (ex VAT) on Sun Motors.
The Renault Master is an ideal van for the cost-conscious buyer who wants a reliable van without worrying about any extras.
It’s pretty basic, but you should get over 200,000 miles out of the engines, says Vehicle Score.
Used van FAQs
Here, we answer some of the common questions buyers have about used vans, including when VAT is charged or not and our favourite used vans for sale.
What does ‘no VAT’ mean when buying a van?
If a van is advertised as ‘no VAT’ that can mean a couple of things. It may mean that no VAT needs to be added to the sale price, which means the sticker price you pay is the total cost.
In other cases, it may mean that VAT needs to be added to the sale price. Vans are often bought by commercial traders who are VAT-registered.
They can claim the additional 20% back in their VAT returns, which means they only really pay the ‘no VAT’ price.
As an example, the total sale price of a ‘no VAT’ van advertised at £10,000 would be £12,000 (£10,000 plus VAT at 20%). The VAT-registered buyer can claim the £2,000 back.
If you’re not a VAT-registered buyer, you’ll need to pay the full £12,000.
What are the best used vans to buy?
Our list above pretty much covers all bases when it comes to buying a used van. The choice depends on what you need a van for, the size, engine, age and a range of other factors.
Model: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Personally, we’re huge fans of tried and tested classics like the Ford Transit or Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
What is the best large van to buy?
Before we give you our choices, you’ll need to define what a large van is? We’re going to assume you’re talking about the type of van you can drive on a full B-category car licence.
If you qualified after 1997, you can legally drive any van weighing up to 3500kg (3.5 tonnes) gross vehicle weight (GVW). These are often called long wheel-base vans.
So, what’s our choice of large van? Again, if you need a traditional van, we’re huge fans of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
There are loads of other options, says tradesperson’s bible Professional Builder. They recommend the Vauxhall Movano, Fiat Ducato and Renault Master.
What are the cheapest vans to buy?
When it comes to vans, there are bargains to be had – but you’ll need to do your research.
Instead of the cheapest van, if you’re using it for your living, think about the most reliable.
At the top of the tree you’ll find the Volkswagen Transporter, but more affordable vans like the Ford Transit, Mercedes Vito and Renault Traffic all perform well, says Autoexpress.
Buying a used car? Check out Sun Motors and find your next vehicle today. Whether you’re looking for automatic, manual or electric, use Sun Motors to decide on your next model.
