Wanna buy a Van

RobHT

Whatever object used it has a huge price right now...
The shortgage is anyway temporary...
If I buy it new, the price is always the same, but used, it's much more than it should be, plus the risk of owning something used as first vehicle, that by default is very expensive in whatever maintenance.
The most annoying thing is that all these Vans are basic inside, no electronics whatsoever... You finish to buy a metal box that runs , it seems from the 90s...

Thesaltmustflow

RobHT said:

Whatever object used it has a huge price right now...
The shortgage is anyway temporary...
If I buy it new, the price is always the same, but used, it's much more than it should be, plus the risk of owning something used as first vehicle, that by default is very expensive in whatever maintenance.
The most annoying thing is that all these Vans are basic inside, no electronics whatsoever... You finish to buy a metal box that runs , it seems from the 90s...

Less to go wrong imo.

Herzlos

RobHT said:

The most annoying thing is that all these Vans are basic inside, no electronics whatsoever... You finish to buy a metal box that runs , it seems from the 90s...

They are designed to haul crap around all day, you don't want anything fancier than a metal box with an engine in it.

AdrianC

Herzlos said:

RobHT said:

The most annoying thing is that all these Vans are basic inside, no electronics whatsoever... You finish to buy a metal box that runs , it seems from the 90s...

They are designed to haul crap around all day, you don't want anything fancier than a metal box with an engine in it.

While there's certainly merit to that argument, it's not necessarily true,

And that's why you can get all the toys in a van...

The OP's said he wants something like a Transit Connect.
https://www.ford.co.uk/content/dam/guxeu/uk/documents/brochures/commercial-vehicles/BRO-New-Transit_Connect.pdf
Turns out you can spec 'em up with reversing camera, nav with live traffic, Android or Apple sync, all controlled by a touchscreen, auto wipers and lights, wireless phone charging, dual zone digital climate, speed limit recognition, adaptive cruise, parking assist, lane assist, active braking, keyless start, blind spot warning... all the pointless fallible brochurew'nk bling you could possibly want...

motorguy

AdrianC said:

Herzlos said:

RobHT said:

The most annoying thing is that all these Vans are basic inside, no electronics whatsoever... You finish to buy a metal box that runs , it seems from the 90s...

They are designed to haul crap around all day, you don't want anything fancier than a metal box with an engine in it.

While there's certainly merit to that argument, it's not necessarily true,

And that's why you can get all the toys in a van...

The OP's said he wants something like a Transit Connect.
https://www.ford.co.uk/content/dam/guxeu/uk/documents/brochures/commercial-vehicles/BRO-New-Transit_Connect.pdf
Turns out you can spec 'em up with reversing camera, nav with live traffic, Android or Apple sync, all controlled by a touchscreen, auto wipers and lights, wireless phone charging, dual zone digital climate, speed limit recognition, adaptive cruise, parking assist, lane assist, active braking, keyless start, blind spot warning... all the pointless fallible brochurew'nk bling you could possibly want...

Theres a lot of that could make your life a lot more pleasant when driving a van.  Vans have come a long way in terms of level of finish than the old days of a basic white transit or escort van.

So theres definitely appeal to a bit of spec on them.  Perhaps understandibly so if you're sitting behind the wheel of one for maybe 25,000 miles a year.

AdrianC

motorguy said:

Perhaps understandibly so if you're sitting behind the wheel of one for maybe 25,000 miles a year.

...and the rest...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/van-details/202107295603754

First reg May 2019.
126,500 miles.
Service book pics show 18k by August, 40k by December, 58k by March - so 60k in the first ten months...

Thesaltmustflow

Had numerous vans over the years (5 from new) before I retired from needing a van and they have indeed come on a long way. My last van was a new Ford transit 350LWB 140 great van, masses of room, loads of power and drove like a car. Problem was I was 'almost' too reluctant to get in it wearing work gear. I sold it at 5 years old with around 180K on clock still running well, shame the guy I sold it to didn't believe in regular oil services, it was scrap within 18 months.