Our Friday Five is back this week and it’s all about panel vans! What’s the best and why? Do you currently own a panel van? If so, let us know what by leaving a comment in the box below!
1) Ford Transit
It had to be didn’t it? The king of vans and the most popular of all, the Transit has been revolutionary and the latest model is by far the best yet. The 2012 spec Transit panel van comes with a 2.2 litre TDI diesel engine that manages to dramatically increase the smoothness of the van whilst the noise levels have also been significantly reduced. Furthermore, the steering is more responsive than ever before and van insurance quotes are likely to be very reasonable. The Transit van simply had to be at the top of the tree this week! Prices for the latest model begin at £17,745, so it’s also very reasonably priced!
[image credit - Rudolf Stricker]
2) Mercedes Sprinter
The Sprinter van has long been a reliable, popular choice for van drivers. It’s brilliantly rugged whilst also being one of the most detailed and beautifully built vans on the market today. It also comes available in a large range of configurations and multiple wheelbases. Load volumes can also be as much as 17.0m³ whilst the payload goes up to 2515kg. The Sprinter is also a wonderfully smart looking van and is Mercedes’ flagship model. Prices start around £20,315.
3) VW Crafter
The Crafter van is yet another fantastic and popular van. Perhaps not as smart as the Sprinter van due the larger front grille and the more angular headlights, the Crafter does offer great economy, reliability and durability. The Crafter also offers a load capacity of 17.0m³ as well as a wide variety of configurations and wheelbases. Prices for the Crafter start around £20,800.
4) Iveco Daily
The latest Daily has seen a much improved drivetrain refine the entire van. The Daily can be handpicked in a variety of specifications with a variety of engines, including an economical 3.0 litre diesel that also pushes out 205bhp. This top of the range engine is the most powerful ever in the particular market sector. Prices start around the £17k mark.
5) VW Transporter
With the cheapest base price, at £16,960, the Transporter van has also been an innovative step forward for commercial vehicle technology as it was the first in the world to implement the dual clutch transmission in a light commercial vehicle. The Transporter rightly deserves its place in our Friday Five this week as it does everything a van needs to at the lowest possible price. It’s also very fuel efficient and engines are available up to around 180bhp.
What van do you drive? Let us know below!