Help me find a new (to me) motor

amibovvered

Hoping all you knowledgeable people can give me some advice and useful suggestions - sorry about the long-winded post!

I currently drive a Toyota Yaris Verso, 03 plate which I've had from new, total mileage just under 54,000.

T3 petrol automatic 1299 cc. I get approx 34 mpg.

Excise tax £175, insurance approx £175 with 10 years ncb.

What I'd like is something I can use as a dog carrier, day van and runabout without my running costs being substantially higher than the Yaris.

I like the high driving position of the Yaris (I'm only 5' 2") and the overhead lockers. I've driven an automatic for 15 years now so would tend to prefer another one, but not essential.

Much of the time I drive alone or with 1 passenger, but I'd prefer to be able to carry at least 2 passengers if necessary. I have rather a narrow driveway, further complicated by a gas meter on the side of the house and the 'front' door being on the side of the house anyone going to the door has to get past the car - about 220 cm maximum. Height-wise I have a carport, and would still want to be able to use multi-storeys or car parks with height barriers so must be under 2m tall.

Realistically I think it would have to be a van rather than a car, with the rear section having dog cages fitted (2 medium sized dogs) with perhaps storage above; the middle section will be the day van with maybe a hob, sink and as much storage as can be fitted in; the front section being the 'car' part with ideally 3 seats. I've considered Kangoo, Partner, Doblo etc but I don't think they are long enough for my requirements.

At a quick look round, the Citroen Dispatch / Peugeot Expert / Fiat Scudo seem to fit the bill,with the double passenger seat and ample space behind to do what I want. However, my problem with these is they only seem to be available as diesel and given my annual mileage I suspect you'll all advise me to go for petrol engines rather than diesel.

Do vans have higher excise duty, or is it still based on emissions like cars? How does van insurance compare to a car when you are using it for private purposes? I have a vague idea I read somewhere that no claims bonus accrued on car insurance can't carry forward to a van, anyone know if that is the case?

I did at one time want to get a small camper van but had to abandon that idea as I cannot afford to run two vehicles and wasn't sure how useful a camper van would be if I needed to take a bootful of rubbish to the tip or transport items of furniture, also couldn't have the dogs running round loose while I'm driving and a dog cage would have taken too much floor space. Hopefully the dog cage at the back of a van (with removable centre partition) would still be a useful 'boot'.

If I have to compromise on my ideal vehicle I suspect the day van bit would have to be the bit to lose, but I'd still want storage space between the front seats and the dog part, rather than having rear seats.

Any advice would be very gratefully received.

forgotmyname

A van will probably be £220 tax. Noise and rattles will be far greater than a car. Even the car based ones. Bare metal panels, Colder in the winter also.

Some insurers take a bit on convincing that your using a van solely for private use. All too easy to get asked to pick things up and drop things off.
That can push the premiums up.

Yes mostly diesel.

Why not get a cage for your car?

amibovvered

forgotmyname wrote: »

Why not get a cage for your car?

Because the idea is to get a vehicle in which I can leave my dogs for longer than I usually would. At the moment they are only in the back of the car for say 20 minutes (when parked, I mean) while I get shopping done.

However, my circumstances have changed in the last couple of years, I now live alone so the dogs are being left at home longer than they used to be. I was thinking that I could say take them with me to the gym, leave them in the car/van then take them to the park on the way home. That means they would be in the vehicle parked for nearer an hour. In the summer that would be impossible as there is no shade to park in, and although they get on ok, I think they would appreciate having their own separate space for that length of time.

The Yaris isn't wide enough to allow for that. I also thought it would be better to get a roof vent put in whatever vehicle I ended up with, and as I was planning on replacing the Yaris in the next year or so, didn't think it worth spending much money on it. That just started a chain of thoughts which I agree may not have been the best idea, but that's why I welcome advice. Thanks for your response, anyway!

Back to the drawing board maybe . . .