7 of the most reliable vans

Seven of the most reliable vans you can lease

Time is money, as they say, and your van being a reliable beast can save you both.

There is nothing much worse than your van breaking down when you rely on it for your work. Not only is it annoying, and potentially expensive to fix, but if your business needs the van to transport goods or tools, you could potentially lose money by not being able to work until it’s fixed.

Though you can never be completely sure that your van will never fail you, it’s worth bearing in mind reliability when you’re looking for your next lease van.

Fleet News surveys van owners across the UK each year to find out which vans are the most dependable - so, we’ve mined its data to bring you seven of the most reliable vans on the market, from the small VW Caddy to the huge Ford Transit.

Small vans

Citroen Berlingo

A big fish in the small van market, the Citroen Berlingo is popular in the UK and Europe for good reason. 

Using tech from the Citroen passenger car range, the Berlingo van is easier to drive, comfier to sit in, and more user-friendly than ever before. It’s also a lot safer than previous iterations, thanks to Citroen pulling a lot of its equipment from the C4 SpaceTourer.

All of this adds up to a very good small van indeed. And a reliable one too, with its comprehensive three-year warranty, and the option of adding Citroen’s Extended Warranty for an extra 12 months of cover.

If you opt for a three- or four-year lease, this means you’ll be covered for the duration – giving you peace of mind that should anything go wrong, you’ll be able to claim your money back. 

When it comes to practicality, the Berlingo is up there with the most versatile small vans. The square body means you can make the most of the available space, while you can pick between two different lengths – M and XL – depending on your needs. 

The M bags you 3.3m3 of cargo space, while the XL increase this to 3.8m3.

There are also four different trim levels, starting with the entry-level X. The mid-spec Worker trim is probably the best value for money, and is geared towards being used on building sites. As well as all the usual mod cons, it’s also 30mm higher than other models and gets extra under body protection, as well as Citroen’s Grip Control with Mud & Snow tyres for some off-roading capability.

Where the old Berlingo was very much a simple workhorse, this latest generation adds creature comforts and extra tech that make it an extremely capable van for both work and life.

Volkswagen Caddy

According to the FN50’s study, the Volkswagen Caddy is the most reliable small van on the market, so you know your business is in safe hands if you choose this as your next van lease.

Like its rival the Citroen Berlingo, it’s also considered to be one of the best small vans out there, which is no mean feat when you look at the wider class. And also like the Berlingo, the Volkswagen Caddy Cargo nabs a lot of its tech from the VW Golf car, making it more carlike and easier to drive, as well as giving the Caddy a lot of desirable tech and safety features.

It’s available in two different lengths – a short-wheelbase and a long-wheelbase named the Maxi – and there are three trim levels on offer, starting with the basic Commerce trim and ending with the luxe Commerce Pro.

The Plus trim works out as the most cost-effective when you weigh the tech on offer against the other two, offering climate control, rear parking sensors, storage compartments under the seats and a multi-function steering wheel.

The interior of the cab, no matter which variant you go for, looks modern and well laid-out, and the plastics feel hard-wearing but not cheap. It’s a very nice place to pass the day, especially if you’re covering long distances and need your van to be a bit more than just a box on wheels.

But it’s not just comfortable.

The short-wheelbase model has 3.1m3 of load space and a max 687kg payload, while the long-wheelbase variant increases this to 3.7m3 and 700kg. Not ground-breaking stats, but certainly functional.

If you’re after a very good small van for your business, a Volkswagen Caddy lease should certainly feature on your shortlist. 

Medium vans

Renault Trafic

Heading up into the medium van class, the Renault Trafic is a staple on our roads. It’s been a top offering in the mid-sized panel van market for some time, and doesn’t seem ready to lose its crown quite yet. 

In fact, it ranks alongside the Renault Clio and Captur as one of the French brand’s best-selling models, which is no mean feat when you consider quite how extensive the Renault range is.

But it makes sense when you consider how good the Trafic is at being a van. The cargo area is one of the best on offer in the medium van market, with up to 8.6m3 of space on offer (depending on which model you opt for).  

Even the smallest models in the Trafic line-up can fit three standard Euro pallets, or 11 standard plasterboard sheets.

In terms of choice, you can pick between two lengths, two roof heights, and a few different trim levels. Business+ is likely the best trim, however, thanks to its mix of creature comforts, tech and value for money. 

All Trafic models come with a full steel bulkhead, driver’s airbag, anti-lock braking system with electronic stability control and electronic brakeforce distribution, hill start assist and Grip Xtend to make slippery road surfaces a little easier to navigate.

However, if safety is your priority, you’ll either need to go for one of the highest specs or add an option pack for additional kit.

But as far as practical medium vans go, the Renault Trafic ranks up there for versatility, affordability, and reliability. 

Mercedes-Benz Vito

The middle child of the Mercedes-Benz van range, the Mercedes-Benz Vito is a very good workhorse, designed to withstand heavy use. 

But it’s more than just a practical shed: there’s plenty of tech on board and a comfortable cabin that make it a very good option for daily life as well as work. 

There isn’t a high roof option available, which could be a black mark against the Vito, but if you need more space than the long-wheelbase variant offers, you’ll likely be better off looking to its big brother, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter instead.

And despite the lack of roof options, the Vito is still a very practical box, with load volumes ranging from 5.5m3 to 6.6m3. Big enough to be able to carry a lot of kit, while remaining small enough to be easy to drive and park without too much of a learning curve.

Inside the cab, the story is just as good.

It’s well-built, finished with the sort of quality you’d expect from the German manufacturer. 

Not as luxurious as the passenger car range, but still finished to a high quality and built to withstand plenty of knocks and bashes throughout the working day.

For solidity and reliability, you’d be hard-pushed to beat the Mercedes-Benz Vito for your next medium van lease.  

Large vans

Volkswagen Crafter

The largest van for sale in the VW LCV line-up, the Volkswagen Crafter is comfortable, spacious, and built to last.

Originally launched in 2006, this generation of the Crafter was released in 2018, and with it came an upgrade in technology, safety and driving ability.

It’s designed to maximise load space, and there are three vehicle lengths and three roof heights to choose from to enable this. The biggest model in the range allows you to carry a cool 18.4 cubic metres of stuff, should you need that much room.

But as well as being supremely practical, the Crafter is also an innovative van.

VW have pulled a lot of the Crafter’s new tech from their passenger car range, which has given the Crafter an edge over many of its mammoth rivals. This tech not only includes basics like the touchscreen infotainment system, but also VW’s electromechanical steering system. 

The Crafter is the first van to utilise this system, and it enables Volkswagen to fit more safety kit than you could shake a stick at.

Every model comes with four airbags, stability control, automatic post-collision braking and crosswind assist. Then you get into the optional kit, which is where things get really fun. You can choose to add adaptive cruise control, lane assist, emergency front assist, park assist, trailer assist, and side assist.

If you can be assisted in a manoeuvre, the Crafter is there to help. If safety is top of your priority list, a VW Crafter lease is the one for you. 

Ford Transit

Arguably the most recognisable van, the Ford Transit is the big van we all imagine when someone says the words ‘white van’ to us.

It’s been a staple on our roads for years, and its enduring popularity is a testament to Ford’s ability to continually upgrade the van to keep up with the times. As ever, the Transit is available in numerous configurations, including panel vans, tippers, crew cabs, minibuses and chassis cabs.

When combined with the three wheelbase and two roof height options, Ford claims there are around 450 different ways to order a Transit, so you’re sure to find a configuration that suits your business needs.

In terms of the amount of stuff you can cram into a Transit, you’re looking at payloads between 2.9 tonnes and 5 tonnes, and load volumes between 9.6m3 and 15.1m3. It’s a usable space too, with the design made to maximise the space you can use.

Ford have added little extra details too, like bright LED lights and tough plastic floor covers that extend up the walls to make the Transit the ideal workhorse.

And with such an impressive pedigree, you know that the Ford Transit is one of the most reliable vans out there, with even used vans proving to be dependable for years. 

But if you’re after a brand-new van, a Ford Transit lease is one of the most affordable ways to get behind the wheel and experience the practicality and comfort of the Transit for yourself.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Named the FN50’s most reliable large van for eight years in a row, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a remarkable bit of kit.

Not only is it huge, but the German manufacturer have utilised a lot of their impressive car tech to make the large van feel comfortable and inviting – ideal, if you’re spending an extended length of time each day in the cab.

The Sprinter was even the second model in Mercedes’ whole line-up to get the MBUX infotainment system, which features voice control, high-res graphics and search functionality. It makes life on the road just that little easier, and means you’ll always be connected on the go.

The cab itself is comfortable, and borrows from the passenger car range with the electric seat adjustment and controls on the door to make the interior more comfortable and less utilitarian than previous iterations of the Sprinter.

And the story is just as good when it comes to the practicality of the van.

The Sprinter is, at its heart, a big van with a lot of space. There are four lengths and three roof heights to pick from, as well as various configurations should you need something more specialist than a panel van, including crew cab, tipper, dropside, chassis cab and Luton.

Maximum cargo space comes in at a competitive 17m3, while the maximum payload comes in at just over three tonnes. 

And with a whole host of safety kit available, including adaptive cruise control, lane assist and a driver fatigue monitor, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter lease is the one for you if you’re looking for the utmost in reliability, tech and just generally being a very good large van.