Businesses need vans to do the job without costing an arm or a leg. The UK’s cheapest vans should fulfil both criteria...
- The UK’s 10 cheapest vans
- Ford Transit Courier
- Fiat Fiorino Cargo
- Vauxhall Combo
- Citroen Berlingo
- Ford Fiesta van
- Fiat Doblo Cargo
- Mercedes-Benz Citan
- Ford Transit Connect
- Nissan NV250
- Peugeot Partner
If you own a business then you’ll want to keep your costs down and if a van is the very lifeblood of your trade, then finding a highly dependable one for the lowest price possible is crucial. You could buy a pre-registered or nearly new van to potentially save some pennies, but there are a number of brand-new vans available for surprisingly reasonable sums. Take a look at our list of the cheapest vans currently on sale in the UK to get some ideas.
As to be expected, size plays a factor in this list with the majority of cheaper vans being more compact – and able to carry less. However, many of the vans included are still purpose-built compact vans rather than the car derived models which do have very limited capacities. The Ford Fiesta is the only car-based van to make an appearance, meaning that a smaller budget no longer has force a major sacrifice in payload.
On our top 10 cheapest vans list you will find the cheapest vans you can buy in the UK, but be aware that these aren’t necessarily the models that we recommend. You can find out which are the best vans to buy by checking out our articles on the best small, medium, and large panel vans.
That’s not to say that the cheapest vans aren’t some of the best vans around, though. For example, the Peugeot Partner features on the list, and is also one of the best vans in its class. Similarly, even the cheapest van on the list overall, the Ford Transit Courier, is still a great van when you consider its price.
There’s bound to be a cheap van model that will work for your business, although the very biggest vans are, by their nature, not going to feature. Read on to find out what the cheapest vans you can buy are, and what we think of them.
The UK’s 10 cheapest vans
- Ford Transit Courier – from £13,270
- Fiat Fiorino Cargo – from £14,715
- Vauxhall Combo – from £16,388.33
- Citroen Berlingo – from £16,380
- Ford Fiesta Van – from £16,522
- Fiat Doblo Cargo – from £16,725
- Mercedes-Benz Citan – from £16,950
- Ford Transit Connect – from £17,050
- Nissan NV250 – from £17,090
- Peugeot Partner – from £17,555
Ford Transit Courier
- Model: 1.0T EcoBoost 100PS
- Price: £13,270
Well, here it is: the cheapest proper van you can buy (here we’re not counting tiny commercial vehicles that anyone would struggle to call a van). The Ford Transit Courier is the smallest Transit model there is, and it even undercuts the supermini-based Fiesta van, though both use the same platform.
That means it’s mainly aimed at city users who don’t need a huge amount of space, but want an affordable van that’s easy to park. Low-spec models are pretty sparsely equipped but you can get enough useful modern kit by spending a little more. Payloads range from 645 to 660kg, and there are both petrol and diesel engine options.
Fiat Fiorino Cargo
- Model: 1.3 MultiJet II 80hp Standard
- Price: £14,715
The Fiat Fiorino arrived alongside the Peugeot Bipper and Citroen Nemo as all three were pretty much the same van – but these days the Bipper and Nemo aren’t available new, so the Fiorino is the only one left.
The Fiorino is the smallest van the company sells, and is available with two or five seats, the latter being called the Fiorino Passenger. You can fold the seats for more space, which is useful. Petrol and diesel engines are available, and in the back of the 2-seater there’s a decent 2.5 cubic metres of load volume.
You can get it with two sliding side doors, but one is standard, and the Fiat has a maximum payload of up to 660kg, which is pretty good for a small van like this.
Vauxhall Combo
- Model: 1.5 (100PS) Turbo D Griffin
- Price: £16,388.33
With Vauxhall now owned by Stellantis – the parent company of Peugeot and Citroen – the latest Combo shares a great deal with the Partner and Berlingo, but manages to slightly undercut them when it comes to pricing.
The lower price doesn’t make for a lower-quality van, though, as even the cheapest Griffin trim includes an alarm, air conditioning, rear parking sensors, and even a set 16-inch alloy wheels. It’s just as impressive in the back, too, with a payload of up to 1,000kg and a warning system in the cargo area to alert you if you are overloading.
There are an array of options available when choosing a Combo, with both petrol and diesel engines on offer and a choice between the short-wheel-based L1 or the longer L2. A four-wheel-drive option is also available on top-of-the-range models.
Citroen Berlingo
- Model: BlueHDi 75 manual M 650 X Pro
- Price: £16,380.00
A sister van to the Vauxhall Combo, the Citroen Berlingo is another pleasingly capable model for little money.
The Berlingo range is divided into levels that indicate payloads – for example, a 650 will carry up to 650kg – with variants available up to a maximum of 1000kg. Citroen claims that the interior of the Berlingo is designed to work as a ‘mobile office’, with a number of options available that are intended to make your day-to-day work life easier when behind the wheel. These options include a colour heads-up display, a driver attention alert, and a coffee break alert system that informs you when you’ve been driving continuously at 40mph for 2 hours or more.
If you aren’t particularly fussed about all of these extra features, then the base model should prove just fine for most tasks. Also, an all-electric version is now available. It’s pricier but those running costs will be super low.
Ford Fiesta van
- Model: 1.0L EcoBoost 95PS
- Price: £15,170
The Ford Fiesta is a fantastic car as a normal supermini, but it’s pretty niche as a van. It’s the only supermini-based van still on sale, which says a lot: these tiny models are only really useful for the money saving aspect of their commercial vehicle status, because they’re actually less practical than the car versions. After all, you can carry more than one passenger in the supermini.
The small boot opening and odd-shape load space means that loading goods isn’t as easy as in a proper van with a flat floor, and there’s not a whole lot of room inside in the first place.
However, the Fiesta van could still make sense for a small business that’s not focused on deliveries, for example a self-employed cleaner. They’d benefit from the tax savings, low running costs and easy-to-drive nature of the Fiesta van, but wouldn’t be too worried about the small load capacity.
Fiat Doblo Cargo
- Model: 1.3 Multijet II 80HP
- Price: £16,725
The Fiat Doblo Cargo is an older model, so it doesn’t look like great value next to the excellent Peugeot Partner, which is also cheaper. However, it’s still one of the cheapest vans around and still does the job.
There are petrol and diesel engines to choose from, the petrol being the cheaper option but not the best for most uses.There are both short and long wheelbase versions, low and high roof models, versions with five seats and even a pick-up model that’s great for gardeners and outdoor workers needing constant access.
The maximum payload of 1,005kg is rather impressive too, so the Doblo Cargo is still worth a shout even with newer rivals at lower prices these days.
Mercedes-Benz Citan
- Model: 109CDI FWD Van L2
- Price: £16,950
If you are a fan of a more premium badge but are on a tight budget, the Mercedes Citan could just be the answer. This is actually Mercedes’ first small van, but if you think it seems somewhat familiar then do a little digging and you’ll find that it actually shares a great deal with the Renault Kangoo, including the styling.
Surprisingly, the base Citan is actually cheaper than the equivalent Kangoo but don’t let the three-pointed star fool you, it is still a pretty basic small van. Standard equipment includes electronically adjusted and heated mirrors, cruise control, and hill-start assist, but air-conditioning is an optional extra. So while the base Citan isn’t Spartan, it isn’t overly plush either.
The Renault-sourced 1.5-litre diesel engine only requires a service every 24,000 miles, which is better than many rivals. This, along with a claimed fuel economy of up to 65.7mpg, should make for some reasonably low running costs.
Ford Transit Connect
- Model: Leader SWB L1 1.0L Fox 100PS
- Price: £16,730
The Ford Transit Connect is a small van that’s a similar size to the Nissan NV250 and Renault Kangoo. The Transit name brings a lot of expectation, but it’s deserved as the Transit Connect is a great van for a bargain price.
There are L1 and long-wheelbase L2 models, as well as a five-seat Double Cab model. Petrol models are the cheapest but the diesel models are more economical and make more sense in a commercial vehicle unless you only do short city trips.
Nissan NV250
- Model: dCi 80 Visia
- Price: £17,090
The Nissan NV250 is another van that’s very similar to the Renault Kangoo in looks as well as mechanically and, like the Mercedes Citan, it also undercuts its French sibling on price. There are three body styles: a normal van in L1 and L2 wheelbase lengths and an L2 Crew Cab as well. You can choose between two or three seats in the van version, and payloads are 650kg for the L1 and 800kg for the L2.
Diesel engines are available in a range of outputs – the same ones found in the Kangoo. The interior is also very similar to the Renault – it’s basic, but essential kit such as sat-nav is available on the options list.
Rather than going for the NV250 over the Kangoo simply because it’s cheaper, it’s worth checking with your dealer to find out which they can give you a better offer on. As the Kangoo is only a little more expensive, it might end up being more cost-effective overall depending on your circumstances.
Peugeot Partner
- Model: StandardBlueHDi 100 Manual 1000 S Premium
- Price: £17,555
The third sister van of the Citroen Berlingo and Vauxhall Combo, the latest versions of these models are excellent vans while also happening to be very affordable. They’re full of modern kit and drive very well, so we rate the Partner as our favourite small panel van at the moment.
The Berlingo, Combo and Partner are also great as MPVs (the Peugeot changes its name to Rifter there), and are great value for carrying passengers. There’s only one roof height but two wheelbase lengths, and payloads range from 660kg to 1,009kg. There’s also a version of the van model with five seats, which can be folded for extra space.
All versions are comfortable and economical, even the cheapest entry-level model with a 74bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine. The Partner is one of the cheapest vans on sale but also one of the best.
Looking to reduce your carbon footprint? Check out the best electric vans here…
Keyword: Cheapest vans on sale