Which van?

dahamsta

Ignoring my other thread for a minute, which LGV would people recommend, with a budget of €5000?

I'd be buying this to transport myself more than goods, so looks would be the primary factor - I don't want to be mike65's white van man - followed closely by fuel economy.

It'd want to be a var can, and even with that I wouldn't be keen on box car vans like the VW Caddy and Opel Combo. The Escort ain't bad though, I guess.

adam

kikel

If you want something that looks good. how about this?


http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=536537

overdriver

The best small van around is the Citroen BarelyGo. But I have to recommend the HIace. I like the look of it, and it's Toyota. What more do you want?

dahamsta

I actually don't think the Almera are that good looking kikel, but you're certainly in the right area.

Unfortunately overdriver read the thread title and nothing else.

adam

Savman

overdriver wrote:

What more do you want?

Good point. If you want a vehicle for looks get a BMW, vans are commercial vehicles so looks are always gonna be less of a priority.

Stylish Car-Vans? VW Caddy or maybe Opel Astra Van. If they don't float your boat, stop looking at vans

overdriver

dahamsta wrote:

I actually don't think the Almera are that good looking kikel, but you're certainly in the right area.

Unfortunately overdriver read the thread title and nothing else.

adam

I read it alright, Adam, but I really feel a van is a practical thing, and sacrificing that praticality for looks leaves the field very narrow. So if you head back the OTHER way, and go for practicality, you may as well go the whole hog, and get a proper van. The carrying space in car-vans is a joke, really, to be fair.

The Berlingos not bad-looking, and I can't stand the way car-vans look anyway. They're such a neither-fish-nor-flesh affair.

So if it's just you being transported, why a van? Commercial tax?

maidhc

Corolla Van (Powered by BarelyGo!)
Focus Van
Golf Van
etc...

overdriver

I wonder could Adam buy a stylish estate, and van-ise ( van-dal-ise ) is by taking out the rear seats and blocking the rear windows with panels? A lot of work, but if looks are so mportant, it could be done. I know there'd be hassle trying to get the tax office to recognise it as such, etc.

Panda Moanium

Its my experience that probably because they typically don't come with bulkheads, car conversion vans are much more noisy and unrefined than purpose built vehicles.

I drove a new Astravan recently and found it to be the most crude vehicle I've driven in a long time. Sound deadening materials don't seem to be part of the spec at all. In comparison biggers vans like the Transit, Sprinter or Crafter are much more civilised places in which to spend time.

I'd agree with overdriver, if carrying yourself is the primary objective, an estate would seem to be a better solution.

dahamsta

VAT for a start. Also better MPG. I don't mean to be rude, but why are you answering questions I very specifically said I didn't want answered? I clearly said I wasn't interested in box vans, yet you recommend the Berlingo and the Hiace; I clearly say that it's for transporting me, yet you insist that I need a so-called 'proper' van. You're just wasting your own time, and mine to boot.

Car conversions are a waste of time btw, the money and time spent on the conversion negate the apparent savings. Plus the materials are usually rubbish. I've driven a Pajero conversion, it was a monstrosity. Finally, since carrying myself is the primary objective, why in god's name would I buy an estate?

Could the next person that's thinking of replying either: a) read the first post in the thread, and post something relevant; or b) not post anything at all?

Sorry again, but seriously, answer the f*cking question that was asked like.

adam

peasant

If its economy and cheap tax you're after, why not have something like

This

dahamsta

Illiteracy is a terrible thing.

overdriver

Adam - I, among others, was trying to help, so don't be arsey - it's unneccessary, ok? The reason people are suggesting things that don't suit you, is your reasons for wanting such a vehicle are a little unusual. And you didn't clarify that at the start either. You said you weren't "keen", which is not quite the same as you're "not interested". Plus you said the Escort wasn't bad.

There's a Renault Megavan which is quite easy on the eye, and cheap enough, too. Any closer the Mark?

http://cars.rte.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carid=548503

This one's in your budget too...


http://cars.motornet.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=103197

Savman

dahamsta wrote:

Could the next person that's thinking of replying either: a) read the first post in the thread, and post something relevant; or b) not post anything at all?

Sorry again, but seriously, answer the f*cking question that was asked like.

adam

There's your problem right there, folks don't like helping pig-ignorant people.
Be happy you're getting responses at all with that snotty attitude :rolleyes:

maidhc

dahamsta wrote:

VAT for a start. Also better MPG. I don't mean to be rude, but why are you answering questions I very specifically said I didn't want answered? I clearly said I wasn't interested in box vans, yet you recommend the Berlingo and the Hiace; I clearly say that it's for transporting me, yet you insist that I need a so-called 'proper' van. You're just wasting your own time, and mine to boot.

You won't get better MPG from a van over a car. Cars generally have more modern and refined engines. Vans for their part tend to have engines that are better able for abuse/lack of servicing. They are also less comfortable, and as another poster mentioned, car-vans are noisy places to be.

If you have to have a van, for VAT and so forth, then just pick a random car-van. They will all be pretty good.

dahamsta wrote:

Car conversions are a waste of time btw, the money and time spent on the conversion negate the apparent savings. Plus the materials are usually rubbish. I've driven a Pajero conversion, it was a monstrosity. Finally, since carrying myself is the primary objective, why in god's name would I buy an estate?

ALL car vans ARE car CONVERSIONS. If you don't want a conversion buy a Berlingo or a Hiace etc. Golf vans etc all started life as 3dr cars.

The point about the estate is you could buy one in england or up north and convert it here before going to the VRO. Get it done properly, and it will look well.

dahamsta wrote:

Could the next person that's thinking of replying either: a) read the first post in the thread, and post something relevant; or b) not post anything at all?

Sorry again, but seriously, answer the f*cking question that was asked like.

adam

!Why be angry?

dahamsta

maidhc wrote:

You won't get better MPG from a van over a car. Cars generally have more modern and refined engines. Vans for their part tend to have engines that are better able for abuse/lack of servicing. They are also less comfortable, and as another poster mentioned, car-vans are noisy places to be.

Sorry, but no. Manufacturers don't develop one diesel engine for a car and another for a van; they use the same engines. The driving experience is less refined simply because there is less "furniture" to deaden the sound in a van. So you will get better MPG from a carvan, since the engines are the same and they have less weight to carry around. On the subject of noise in particular, that's my choice to make. And for the record, I've been in carvans that had better build quality and sound-deadening than their car counterparts. The French are particularly good at building great carvans (XRADs and Supervans; XRADs were a bit industrial, but the car counterpart diesels were often even worse).

If you have to have a van, for VAT and so forth, then just pick a random car-van. They will all be pretty good.

Saying that is like saying all cars will be pretty good. The Renault 19 Supervan was a far superior van to, for example, the Fiesta van. Even in-brand the differences can be enormous -- the original Hiace was a great van, for example; the later ones woeful to drive with a turning circle about the size of India.

ALL car vans ARE car CONVERSIONS. If you don't want a conversion buy a Berlingo or a Hiace etc. Golf vans etc all started life as 3dr cars.

A conversion by a manufacturer and a conversion by a third party are completely different things. Convertibles are conversions too, would you prefer one done by Audi or your local mechanic?

The point about the estate is you could buy one in england or up north and convert it here before going to the VRO. Get it done properly, and it will look well.

Fair point. Pity those suggesting it didn't make it.

Why be angry?

Because I asked a very simple question with very clear parameters, and people read the thread title and not the post, and posted idiotic Father Knows Best answers. Telling me I should choose $this over $that is patronising and arrogant. I know what I want in general, now I'm looking for particular recommendations in that category. Is that really so hard to understand?

The Megane van is a bit closer to my needs, but I wouldn't fancy one. The welded-up back door is a monstrosity. There just don't seem to be a whole lot of good carvans around these days.

adam

maidhc

dahamsta wrote:

Sorry, but no. Manufacturers don't develop one diesel engine for a car and another for a van; they use the same engines. The driving experience is less refined simply because there is less "furniture" to deaden the sound in a van. So you will get better MPG from a carvan, since the engines are the same and they have less weight to carry around.

Well if you take the Berligo, it has a 1.9 diesel engine as was fitted to the old Peugeot 405. The PSA cars however have a superior 1.6HDI engine, which develops more power, and drinks less diesel. I'm sure the HDI is an option in the berlingo, but one rarely chosen.

The Car-vans..e.g. the megavan/focus normally have the base spec diesel engine from the car.

I don't think any converting is done by the manufacturers, but is done locally by the importers. The only other country where I have seen car vans is Italy, and there glass, rather than steel is used on the rear window. The same goes for 4x4s.

In relation to the Megane van, a colleage had one. It did 100k without a bother, and then it just died. It had an electrical problem (EGR valve IIRC), and the dealer told him he couldn't find the problem and it was uneconmic to fix.

Owen

Adam,

I've been white van man. I've driven Transits, Hiackies, Incas, Caddys, and a Super Turbo Daily. The only decent car vans I know of would include the Corolla (A mate in IT swore by his), Focus commerical, and the Pugut range.

dahamsta

I've driven a few meself ned78: Hiaces, Caddies, Pajeros, Couriers, Fiestas, Transits, a Canter box body and even a Volvo FL60 that I probably shouldn't actually have been driving, but none of them really fit my requirements ('cept the Feshty, which is a PoS). Toyotas are great for reliability, but I can't stand the Corolla. It's a taxi. Ain't a whole lot in the Focus line in my price range, and I don't like modern Fords. Not easily pleased, am I?

Is a Pugut another name for Pugs?

Think I'll stick with me original plan, the Opel Astravan. It's not the prettiest and it's not the best, but everything else is even worse as far as I can see. What happened to the XRAD days? Jesus, I remember when vans were cool!

adam

Tony Danza

Did the exact same thing myself. Got a Renault Megane Van (Megavan). Bought the thing for practically nothing, and it was only 600 to insure, considering I'm 22 that was the main reason for doing it and I only really drive to work, so not a huge advantage having back seats in my case.

dahamsta

Precisely Tony Danza. My gf has a saloon, so wtf do I need more than two seats for? Plus of course if I need an extra few feet of space for shifting stuff, I don't need to put seats down or risk damaging my interior. I'll stick the ould 525i in storage and if I need a litle fun, I'll transfer the insurance for a weekend.

adam

overdriver

One of these passed me today, and I thought it was quite good-looking for a car-van. You should get one for your budget privately.

http://cars.rte.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=532881

No welded up back door. How's that grab ya?

This one's in Cork, even:

http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=562677

dahamsta

Hadn't spotted those in my troll of Carzone, they're not bad at all. I'll add them to my want list, thanks.