Car buyers' guide: Small vans with grunt

Toyota Liteace. Photo / Supplied

The dilemma

Dee's developing business means she has to keep on truckin' - or, more precisely, to keep on van-ing.

And the prospect fills her with dread. A couple of years ago, she and a fellow former tertiary student formed a hands-on interior design company; they both do the design and the grunt work. They've used a Honda wagon to carry their gear, furniture, drapes and accessories, but now need something larger and more practical.

But Dee, who has to do most of the driving, doesn't like "large vehicles" and, to her, a typical Japanese van is large. What can she do?

Fortunately, there's a good selection of smaller vans, including the three worthy little workers suggested here.

The budget:

About $14,000

The shortlist

Holden Combo
A version of a light van produced by Opel, the Combo's quite different from typical Japanese vans, with its engine under a traditional bonnet and a small but voluminous cargo area.

It's based on the Corsa car that was sold Downunder as a previous version of the Holden Barina. No wonder it's car-like to drive.

Its 1.4-litre petrol engine is easy on fuel at 6.3 litres per 100km, overall.

There aren't a lot of used Combos on the market, possibly accounting for part of the price premium they seem to attract compared with smaller Japanese vans.
From $13,000

Toyota Liteace
It's a model that's been around since 1970 but has never been offered new in New Zealand, despite being popular in Australia. The 1.8-litre petrol van has its engine under a conventional bonnet, unlike most familiar Japanese vans, and sliding side doors.

Also look for the Townace derivative, originally a people-mover but also imported as a cargo carrier.
From $10,000

Suzuki APV
Suzuki's light van traces its ancestry to a little 1961 truck, the Suzulight Carry. Today's APV (all-purpose vehicle) is an updated version of the Carry Van that had some success in New Zealand.

The 1.6-litre petrol APV is unusual among vans as it has conventional "car-type" doors on the sides, rather than sliders. This may be a disadvantage for loading or unloading some types of cargo. Its engine is also under a conventional bonnet. Owners generally speak well of their APVs, which are manoeuvrable and quite peppy. APVs from about 2006-07 go for about $10,000, but low-mileage examples fetch significantly more.
From $10,000

Driven recommends

Dee may be happiest with the Holden Combo, considering its small-car DNA. She'll have to make sure the cargo area is big enough for the partner's needs. They could also keep an eye out for an older Volkswagen Caddy, which is of similar configuration to the Combo. The APV is a serious contender, but our hands-on decorators may not like those side doors.

Driven can see the pair choosing either of the above, but is going to recommend the best Liteace they can find because it's such a good all-rounder with near car-like driving characteristics.