Best Vans for Work
23rd May 2023
Best Work Vans
Vans are the unsung heroes of our daily lives. They carry everything from tools, parts, supplies, medicine and many other products all over the UK and beyond, and are key factors in many lines of work.
It's almost guaranteed that anything you order online, or any tradesperson you hire will turn up at your home in a van. With so many people therefore relying on a van to conduct their work, we thought we'd put together a general list of the best vans for work.
Discover some of the best vans for work below:
- Ford Transit Custom
- Vauxhall Vivaro
- Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
- Peugeot Expert
- Renault Trafic
- Peugeot Partner
- Citroën Dispatch
- Volkswagen Transporter
- Citroën Berlingo
- Vauxhall Combo Cargo
Ford Transit Custom
First appearing in 1965, the Ford Transit is a household name thanks to its iconic legacy, which has evolved impressively generation after generation.
The Transit Custom is the medium-sized van in the Transit range, and as you've probably guessed from the name, the Custom can be customised quite easily to create your perfect work van.
The Transit Custom has also been the UK's best-selling van year after year, being the textbook choice for individuals and fleet buyers - making it undoubtedly one of the best vans for work. Other highlights are listed below.
- Iconic reputation - 'Backbone of Britain'
- Highly customisable - standard and long bodies and roofs for all types of work
- Neat styling - both in and out
- Typical Ford easy to drive nature
- Petrol, diesel, PHEV (pictured) and electric versions available
- Decent payload of up to just under 1,500kg
Vauxhall Vivaro
With Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroën all being part of the Stellantis group, it's no surprise to see an almost identical van from the trio.
Manufacturers have been sharing van foundations for a while now, and there are a few cars out there that share the same underpinnings and technology too, which is only good news for the customer.
Whatever your view, the Vivaro is of the best work vans on the market. These vans take after Vauxhall cars in being easy to drive and feature a clean and great value package. Other highlights which make them great vans for work are listed below.
- Familiar brands, easy to drive
- Large dealer network support for easy servicing etc.
- Good reputation
- Shared between brands for added peace of mind
- Electric Vivaro-e also available
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Vans are seen as a workhorse, but if you want a van with a more premium vibe, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter fits the bill perfectly.
It's properly reliable too, which is pretty important if you rely on the Sprinter day in, day out. It's therefore a popular choice for courier and worldwide parcel companies, due to its excellent reliability and decent load space.
Being a Mercedes-Benz, it's also a nice place to spend time, which in a van isn't always the case. Other highlights which make the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter great for work are listed below.
- Comfortable - you don't want to be uncomfortable whilst working
- Easy to drive
- Automatic transmission available
- Impressive Mercedes-Benz technology
- Lots of versions available
Peugeot Expert
The sister van to the Vauxhall Vivaro mentioned previous, the Peugeot Expert is almost identical, apart from the obvious name, badges and front grille design.
It's almost identical inside too with a neat and clutter-free vibe, with a central infotainment screen lifting the typical spartan interiors vans are famous for.
There's plenty of load space and pay load, and safety has been taken care of too, with things like Active Safety Brake, ESC with Hill Start Assist and ABS braking and automatic fuel cut-off & door unlocking in event of accident featuring in the range.
Other highlights are listed below.
- Neat design
- Foundations shared with Vauxhall and Citroën
- Electric e-Expert also available
- Shared reputation
- Large aftersales network
Renault Trafic
The Renault Trafic is another great medium-sized van. It did once share the same underpinnings with the Vauxhall Vivaro, but now shares its foundations with the Nissan NV300 - recently renamed the Nissan Primastar.
It's another great van for work, and will all depend on personal preference which will separate it from the likes of the best-selling Transit, and popular Stellantis group trio.
It's another neat affair and boasts a strong load length, beating key rivals, but rivals come back with greater payloads. Likewise, it will all depend on your budget and personal taste, but the Trafic is still one of the best vans for work out there. Other highlights are listed below.
- Decent all round van
- Updated multiple times
- Shared with Nissan
- Decent load area
- Strong dealer and aftersales network
Peugeot Partner
If you're simply after a compact van, you can't go far wrong with another Stellantis offering.
The Peugeot Partner like its bigger sibling the Peugeot Expert shares its foundations with a Vauxhall and Citroën, in the form of the Combo Cargo and Berlingo respectively.
Being part of the Stellantis group means you get another easy to drive vehicle, and the Peugeot Partner offers neat style and plenty of payload for smaller jobs and work duties. Check out the other highlights listed below.
- Neat styling
- Easy to drive
- Part of Stellantis
- Electric e-Partner available
- Comfortable
Citroën Dispatch
The Citroën Dispatch shares the foundations of the aforementioned Vauxhall Vivaro and Peugeot Expert. Again, it features a near identical package, resulting in yet another ideal van for work.
It will all depend on your personal preference, or if you have a certain brand loyalty of either Citroën, Peugeot or Vauxhall.
You can't really go wrong with either, as they are essentially the same bar a few styling and spec differences. A few more highlights are listed below for reference.
- High payloads
- Two body lengths
- Part of Stellantis
- Attractive running costs
- Electric ë-Dispatch available
Volkswagen Transporter
Volkswagen produces some of the world's best selling vehicles. Just like their cars, the vans they make also have a solid reputation.
The Volkswagen Transporter is a great medium-sized van that offers a more premium experience than most other vans in this segment. Some would argue it's perhaps the most premium mid-sized van out there.
You can spec a Transporter to eye-watering amounts, and therefore you do get some really smart sportier versions that not only look cool, but are pretty sought-after too. Other highlights are listed below.
- Perhaps the most sought-after van
- Holds its value impressively
- Great refinement
- Premium look and feel
- Strong engine choice
Citroën Berlingo
The Citroën Berlingo has a great reputation for being a small, compact, workhorse of a van, and with the foundations shared with the aforementioned Peugeot Partner and the Vauxhall Combo Cargo (below), it's another great van for work.
Its small easy to drive nature makes it ideal for couriers and those delivering small parcels. Other good examples of work included brick layers and tradespeople who don't need masses of space but still want a decent compact van for carrying things.
Again, it will all depend on your personal preference in whether you like it more or less than the sibling Vauxhall Combo Cargo and Peugeot Partner.
- Compact and easy to drive
- Great value
- Decent payload
- Shared foundations with Vauxhall and Peugeot
- Electric ë-Berlingo available
Vauxhall Combo Cargo
The sibling to the Citroën Berlingo and the Peugeot Partner mentioned previous. The Combo Cargo is yet another easy to live with compact van.
Like the Peugeot and Citroën there is also a dedicated fully-electric version, which in this case is the Vauxhall Combo-e, which is pictured in a vibrant yellow colour.
Like its siblings it's easy to drive, punches above its weight in what it can hold and presents a comfortable, affordable entry-point into a compact van. Other highlights are listed below.
- Great value
- Shared foundations with Peugeot and Citroën
- Fully-electric Combo-e available
- Strong dealer and aftersales network
- Multiple versions
Discover the best work van for you at Evans Halshaw
Whatever you do, discover the best van for work at your local Evans Halshaw retailer.
We represent a number of the world's trusted manufacturers and our teams are on hand to help you find your perfect van, to help make work that little bit easier.
Also, if you enjoyed this article, why not check out our dedicated blog section for more like this.
