I'm looking for an economical, reliable vehicle to transport school pupils - what do you suggest?
I'm the Business Manager of a Special School in Kent. Our older students regularly go out on short trips in small groups to improve their life skills and gain Work Experience. We're looking to purchase two new five or seven seater vehicles to transport them. The vehicles need to be safe, reliable, economical to run and happy to respond to a variety of drivers. The average journey will be about five miles and the average annual mileage will not exceed 4000 miles. I would be grateful if you could provide some suggestions on suitable models.
Asked on 14 November 2017 by Carole Rough
Answered by
Dan Powell
Given the low mileage, you should avoid diesel. Modern diesel engines are not suitable for short runs and you’ll most-likely experience a series of costly DPF problems with average trips of just five miles: www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/miscellaneous/2017-10/ev.../
The all-electric Nissan e-NV200 might suit your needs. It has an all-electric range of 106 miles from a single charge and is available as a combi, with windows and seven seats: vans.honestjohn.co.uk/van-reviews/nissan/env200-20.../
If electric doesn’t suit your needs then something like the petrol Volkswagen T6 Caravelle would be a good fit. It isn't as economical as the electric Nissan, but it is large and refined for seven people: vans.honestjohn.co.uk/van-reviews/volkswagen/carav.../
The Ford Grand Tourneo Connect is also available as a petrol, with seven-seats. It’s not as easy to get in and out of as the Nissan or Volkswagen, but is worth investigating as it’s more efficient than the Caravelle and easier to drive, owing to its compact size: vans.honestjohn.co.uk/van-reviews/ford/tourneo-con.../
The all-electric Nissan e-NV200 might suit your needs. It has an all-electric range of 106 miles from a single charge and is available as a combi, with windows and seven seats: vans.honestjohn.co.uk/van-reviews/nissan/env200-20.../
If electric doesn’t suit your needs then something like the petrol Volkswagen T6 Caravelle would be a good fit. It isn't as economical as the electric Nissan, but it is large and refined for seven people: vans.honestjohn.co.uk/van-reviews/volkswagen/carav.../
The Ford Grand Tourneo Connect is also available as a petrol, with seven-seats. It’s not as easy to get in and out of as the Nissan or Volkswagen, but is worth investigating as it’s more efficient than the Caravelle and easier to drive, owing to its compact size: vans.honestjohn.co.uk/van-reviews/ford/tourneo-con.../
From economical vans to those that have the largest payloads, we have a shortlist for everyone - click to find out which will suit your needs.
Undecided on which van to buy? Our Top 10 shortlists can help...Similar questions
We have four children and are struggling with our Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. We need a secondhand replacement with space and a decent boot, so very few cars are suitable. We do 6000 miles per year with...
I have a great Mitsubishi L200 pickup, which is pre-DPF. I'm now looking to change it, but I only do 5000 - 6000 miles per year, which are mostly short journeys so I don't want a diesel with a DPF. Is...
I'm wanting to buy a small, economic car for my 19 year old daughter to travel between university and our home. I really don't want to pay more than £6000, however, want a safe reliable car that will also...
Related models
Quiet and refined seven-seater with lots of interior space, impressive road handling for its size, strong range of efficient diesel engines.
Elsewhere on 
