Vans - Which would you recommend?

andreac

Hi, im looking to trade in my 307 for a van. I have a big dog that comes with me everyday and the car is getting wrecked from him slobbering all over it, plus a van will be cheaper tax and insurance.
i had the following 3 in mind so would you have any suggestions to what you think is the best
1) Nissan Kubistar
2) Ford Transit connect
3) Opel combo
my car is worth around 8000 so i would probably only get an 04/05 van. trying to get as low mileage as possible.
thanks

peasant

If you don't have a business, you will have to tax your van privately ...so cheap(er) tax is out the window.

Insurances, strangely enough, on the other hand insist that you get commercial insurance ...which of course is usually more expensive than private insurance as well.


Forget about being car-proud and get yourself an old estate car, put the back seats down / out and let the dog ruin it and then throw it away.

Something like this:

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Skoda/Felicia/GLXi/985413/

xt40

peasant wrote: »

If you don't have a business, you will have to tax your van privately ...so cheap(er) tax is out the window.

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Skoda/Felicia/GLXi/985413/

complete rubbish.
all you need is an annual doe cert and valid insurance to tax a commercial vehicle.

bazz26

VW Caddy:
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Volkswagen/Caddy/2.0-Diesel/960831/

Seat Inca:
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/SEAT/Inca/Van-2004/759075/

Renault Kangoo:
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Renault/Kangoo/1.5-60/834921/

Fiat Doblo:
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Fiat/Doblo/Cargo-MJSX/993535/

Peugeot Partner:
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Peugeot/Partner/1.6-HDI/840014/

Citroen Berlingo:
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Citroen/Berlingo/600/896904/

Slidey

xt40 wrote: »

complete rubbish.
all you need is an annual doe cert and valid insurance to tax a commercial vehicle.

+1
I have had several vans, taxed commercially and insured as a car/van. Granted they were all golfs. If you are not using it for buisness use the insurance isn't dear.

peasant

xt40 wrote: »

complete rubbish.
all you need is an annual doe cert and valid insurance to tax a commercial vehicle.

slideways wrote: »

+1

I'm just saying what I was told by the motor tax office / insurance companies when I was thinking about doing the same thing.

If you have actual experience to the contrary, all the better.

gordon_gekko

peasant wrote: »

I'm just saying what I was told by the motor tax office / insurance companies when I was thinking about doing the same thing.

If you have actual experience to the contrary, all the better.

always remember that public servants never ever simplify anything , complicating things gives them more work which means an opportunity to hire more public servants

what the person in the tax office told you is horse ****

Dues Bellator

i drive vans for a living,the transit connect is the best van by miles,ex fuel econ,and a fantastic driver,

the magician

Transit connect ftw, Have had these as rentals in work a few times and I quite like them . Drive similar to a car and have a decent load space. And ford servicing and parts are very cheap.

andreac

thanks everyone. yeah i liked the connect too. just have to find one now around my budget. will prob be a 04/05 with as low mileage as possible. cant afford to pay much extra along with the trade in.

Dues Bellator

i got mine in suburan car sales .itis a 05 with 45000 on the clock,i got it for 7,500

andreac

thanks almanu, where is that place suburban sales?

Dues Bellator

i done a bit of research for you,they use to be in mount pleasant ave,but they have moved to parnell road ,harolds x under the name parnell motor company,i dont know if thats a bit dodgey or not,but i got a good deal and after sales service of them,but you never know,be a bit warey.

Slidey

If you are lookin at a transit connect it might be worth your while doiing a bit of research and finding out when guinness are changing their vans. AFAIK there are on a lease from leaseplan vans and when they got rid of the combo vans the last time they went very cheap. Nice in black too compared to the usual white, and fully maintained

Dues Bellator

to be honest there not really that well maintained mate,a freind had one along with his brother,2 of them fell apart,

Slidey

Oh, it was only the experience i saw with them comin in for the DOE, they always seemed to have had some work done on them and if they failed it was normally for sh1tty little things

Dues Bellator

i guess its the luck of the draw really mate,it depends on the driver that had it aswell,i heard that the vans stay with the same driver,dont know if thats true,if it is id say there are a few good one out there,youre right about them being a bargain aswell

Oilrig

Watch out for dual mass flywheel problems on the Ford, mainly on the Transit but now starting to turn up on the Mondeo etc. Any vehicle with a new starter fitted should be avoided - starter is permanent magnet field coils and the debris from a failing flywheel tends to get sucked in, ie first indication of a problem.

R.O.R

almanu wrote: »

to be honest there not really that well maintained mate,a freind had one along with his brother,2 of them fell apart,

The Guiness Combo's that spent their life in Dublin were all very well maintained, the once that spent their life around Kerry / Cork were in sh1ite. Still see loads around so a lot are still running.

Guinness aren't due to change their Transit Connects until 2010. They are all the LWB High roof T220 models which are probably bigger than the OP needs.

OP - might be worth checking with Northgate van hire. They seem to change their fleet frequently - think they sell them off fron near Blanchardstown. I'd recommend the Transit Connect too.

S.I.R

it all depends on the work your doing...

ford connect is very good but the kubastar fits in well if you run a mordern business ( fashion , style based ) as you cant drive a bangewr of a transit SWB...


berlingo/kubistar/partner would be my pick , just dnt buy fiat

Slidey

S.I.R wrote: »

it all depends on the work your doing...

ford connect is very good but the kubastar fits in well if you run a mordern business ( fashion , style based ) as you cant drive a bangewr of a transit SWB...


berlingo/kubistar/partner would be my pick , just dnt buy fiat

Not sure about the newer ones but i really would stay away from the berlingo/partner vans. Unless you are on really good roads your heart will be broken puttin poxy bushings into them. I see them every day failing DOE tests and the vast majority of times its done to from arm bushes and ARB droplinks. Comfort at a cost.
The connect looks well and is a nice compromise between on the bigger brother tho alot of things annoy me about modern fords.

The fact you have to take the key out of the ignition to open the bonnet,

The way the light buzzer comes on even if the engine is running when you open the door

The fact you cant unlock the back doors using the key fob if the engin is running, and on the newer ones the bloody back doors lock again when yu cross a cartain speed.

I had 1 as a breakdown van and it drove me potty having to knock it off to jump start a machine or getting to a site having already opened the doors in the morning and find them locked...:mad:

Dues Bellator

unfortunatly the buzzin sound you hear when the doors open and engine running is an annoying saftey feature, all motors have to have this stupid stupid system in there production by 2010/2012 depending were u hail from,u can diable it ,i did,but its not worth the hassle ,remove dash and route behind it, a real pain, but i drive 12 hours a day 6 days a week, i was going to bed and could still hear beep beep beep beep beep beep ahhhhhhh.

Fey!

How about one of these; best of both worlds. I drive one for work, and find it excellent.

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/KIA/Sedona/3/915861/

The 2003 ones are better finished in the back than the 2002 (the 2003 usually have aircon seperate in the back, so ideal for the dog). If you take the centre back seat out permanently (which is what we've done), you can clip the 2 back seats in and out easikly to give yourself a second load bay. However, back seat leg space is more child than adult. There is also a lock box in it. There seem to be a good few low mileage ones available.

Best thing, 2.9TD with commercial tax.

Suburban Car Sa

almanu wrote: »

i done a bit of research for you,they use to be in mount pleasant ave,but they have moved to parnell road ,harolds x under the name parnell motor company,i dont know if thats a bit dodgey or not,but i got a good deal and after sales service of them,but you never know,be a bit warey.

Hi
We are still Suburban Car Sales and are on Church Gardens Rathmines . D 6
Regards
Suburban Car Sales

Boots09

xt40 wrote: »

complete rubbish.
all you need is an annual doe cert and valid insurance to tax a commercial vehicle.

+1

Bazzy

Opel Combo for me just make sure you get the 1.3 cdti version excellent bus with plenty of poke and only a 1.3 engine is bullet proof and service intervals are every 50k

AckwelFoley

andreac wrote: »

Hi, im looking to trade in my 307 for a van. I have a big dog that comes with me everyday and the car is getting wrecked from him slobbering all over it, plus a van will be cheaper tax and insurance.
i had the following 3 in mind so would you have any suggestions to what you think is the best
1) Nissan Kubistar
2) Ford Transit connect
3) Opel combo
my car is worth around 8000 so i would probably only get an 04/05 van. trying to get as low mileage as possible.
thanks

I cannot recommed the Opel combo high enough to you.

Ive has 3 of them 04 . 05 . 07 very low on fuel.. very zippy great room and very comfortable.

It has to be the combo!!