best option car-van/box van...

Eurorunner

Recent experiences with the ageing motor i've been running have proven to be expensive so I have decided that once I NCT it in Jan., it has to go and replace with something a good bit fresher.

I'm interested in getting either a 'car-van' ie. Focus/Corolla van or a small box van. Costs come first - so what would be the most economical to run in this class of vehicle?
I do fairly high mileage (3-4 80 mile roundtrips to/from work each week) - would I be better off with a diesel?
I have two people telling me opposing stories on where to purchase...one reckons I would get a better deal in uk/n.i. whilst the other reckons small vans are cheaper in IRL. Which is right?

Do-more

Judging by the amount of Vauxhall Combi vans and the like that are coming in, prices are definitely softer in N.I./UK for small vans, but beware not all vans are €50 VRT most car vans are on the 13% of OMSP VRT rate.

For a bargain check out Wilsons Auctions in the North, they do fortnightly van auctions. Otherwise there is always a good selection in the Autotrader.

You need to be even more careful buying a van than a car, many get a very hard life (White van man is alive and well!) apart from being trashed the whole time, they are often not serviced as regularly as cars (like once every 2 years before the DOE test) and if they have been used for deliveries the passenger side front suspension may be falling out of it from being driven up on kerbs the whole time. "One careful lady owner" is a rare thing with a van!

Eurorunner

Do-more wrote:

Judging by the amount of Vauxhall Combi vans and the like that are coming in, prices are definitely softer in N.I./UK for small vans

Is there any price variation between NI and accross the water. Someone was suggesting to me that they go for less in England?

Do-more wrote:

but beware not all vans are €50 VRT most car vans are on the 13% of OMSP VRT rate.

Glad you mentioned this ...wasn't aware.

What do you think about diesel..would it be best for someone clocking up higher mileage?

Savman

You'll find all the small vans are so similar there'll be very little to sway you either way. The VW's have a bit more poke to them but generally they're all quite reliable, even Fiat's from what I've heard.
You'll get a good price up north or in mainland UK but when you factor in fuel and travel over and back you may not be talking much more than what you'd pay here.
But there are plenty to choose from.

overdriver

The Citroen BarelyGo seems to be a good option. A friend of mine swears by them - he's had 3 or 4.