contents
- Which van is the cheapest?
- Are 7-seaters also cheap?
- Where are sliding doors in?
- Which van runs on electricity?
- Which van costs the least per month?
- Conclusion
Butter by the fish: which van is the cheapest?
A “status symbol for everyone who doesn’t need a status symbol” – at least since ex-soccer player Mehmet Scholl advertised the brand with the attached cheap image, Dacia has become socially acceptable. The Romanian manufacturer uses the technology of the parent company Renault and thus creates acceptable alternatives for the smaller purse. This is also the case with the Dacia Lodgy. the according to the manufacturer “the cheapest family van in Germany” is now – mainly because of many extras now offered – no longer on the cheapest level. Compared to its competitors, the Romanian Renault subsidiary is often still ahead.
The compact van, which has been built since 2012, will be available in 2022 Basic equipment for €18,390.00. And since 2019 also with modernized engines. Diesel is only one to choose from, but it’s not that bad. 115 hp and a combined consumption of between 4.2 and 4.4 liters are impressive. If you opt for a petrol engine, you have to live with efficiency class C. The Lodgy then reaches a top speed of 194 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 in 9.3 seconds.
Of course, the choice of materials suffers somewhat from the price. The interior is dominated by hard plastic and the Dacia look is not necessarily famous for its style from the outside either. But, which car from this type segment can you say that about – a pragmatic “form follows function” applies here. Variability is more important here than iconic design: This is how the rear seats in the Dacia Lodgy can be removed, converted asymmetrically, the body is slightly raised and the roof only falls down slightly at the back. This gives passengers in the rear just as much headroom as in the front.
The trunk volume is decent, especially with the 5-seater, which is considerable 827 liters of cargo space offers. If you want the Lodgy as a 7-seater, you have to do without a large part of the loading volume, because in the large family version it shrinks to a paltry 207 liters and thus to about the same level as a sports car – not necessarily suitable for family holidays, but still just about right for the weekly shop in the supermarket sufficient.
The more, the better: are 7-seaters also cheap?
If you need space for more than two or three children, you will quickly find yourself in the high-priced campervan segment. VW Californias in all variations have been piling up in front of schools and kindergartens for years, but they also require an extra deep dip in your wallet. Pleasing: 7-seaters are also cheap – the proof flexible high-roof station wagons like the Toyota Proace City Verso Shuttle. The Japanese version is available as a 1.2-liter turbo petrol engine with 110 hp for €24,750. If you prefer it as a diesel, you pay €26,370.
But inside there is felt to be endless space – especially in the front, the sense of space is very generous, and the rear seats are also quite airy. In the driver’s seat the legroom is sufficient for people up to two meters, in the rear at least for passengers up to a size of around 1.85 meters. In terms of headroom, the Proace City Verso even goes one step further: even two-meter giants don’t come into close contact with the headliner.
trunk volume the Japanese also offers plenty as a 7-seater: 2,693 liters including the seating area. Despite its generous amount of space, the high-roof station wagon from Toyota, nicknamed “City”, is still handy enough in the city – even if the width of 1.85 meters is just under the dimensions of a campervan. Unconditional independence from the identically constructed PSA Group twins Peugeot Rifter, Opel Combo or Citroen Berlingo was not at the top of the list when developing the Proace City Verso, but at least they were The Japanese’s front looks the snappiest of all four versions.
Extra wide, extra cheap: where are sliding doors in?
There is (almost) nothing that does not go in here: According to the manufacturer, the Renault Kangoo has the widest sliding door opening on the market. And that even in the basic version, for which the customer pays €24,450. Teenagers with a traveler backpack or grandma and grandpa with walking aids can easily get in and out of the 1.45m wide opening without getting caught. How it works? When designing the Kangoo, the French manufacturer boldly dispensed with the B-pillar. When it comes to stability and safety, Renault customers don’t have to make any compromises: Reinforcements are integrated into both the sliding door and the passenger door to offer protection in the event of a side impact.
The Renault Kangoo can also score points high seating comfort and well thought-out ergonomics: in addition to the height and depth adjustment, the driver’s seat also has a lumbar support that can be adjusted in height and depth. The space available in the front area is considerable, the legroom on the driver’s seat is sufficient for people up to 1.95 meters tall, the headroom – purely theoretically – even for people up to 2.50 meters tall.
The trunk volume of the Renault Kangoo holds a decent 519 to 2,031 liters. The maximum loading volume when fully loaded up to the roof, it measures 3,500 liters thanks to the impressive interior height of 1.11 meters. And the tank capacity of the Kangoo is also surprising: at 54 liters, the Frenchman holds a decent amount of fuel. With the economical diesel engines in particular, it gets you really far.
In terms of interior design, the latest version of the Kangoo has taken a step forward and away from commercial vehicle flair. The cockpit looks much higher quality compared to the previous model. elements in Wood or aluminum design significantly upgrade the dashboard and set the Kangoo apart from the hard plastic look that customers often expect in the high-roof station wagon segment.
Electric and still affordable: Which cheap van runs on electricity?
Fully electric and fully practical: Opel is expanding the drive range of its Combo in the fifth generation with an electric motor with an output of 100 kW. The top speed is 135 km/h. According to the manufacturer, the Opel Combo e-life drives purely electrically up to 280 kilometers at a time. Opel does not offer any other engine variants for the e-life. With 136 hp and an acceleration that takes the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.7 seconds, you are quite well served in the high-roof station wagon segment.
Attention spoilers: people are still looking for really cheap electric drives in the van segment. With a starting price of €38,850, the Opel Combo is still significantly cheaper than its competitors ProAce City Verso Electric, Peugot e-Traveller or Citroen e-Spacetourer, all of which are around the 50,000 mark. After deducting the Environmental bonus of €9,000 quite acceptable € 29,850 remain.
Another plus – the short loading time: The 50 kWh lithium-ion battery should be charged up to 80% in about 30 minutes. Because the battery pack sits flat on the floor, the Opel Combo-e Life also has good road holding. By default, the model comes with a length of 4.4 meters. If you need more space, you can order the “XL”, which brings it to 4.8 meters. With the electric drive, however, the extension also results in a shorter range.
The customer can choose between four trim levels Select. Standard includes lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, air conditioning and drowsiness detection. In the “Edition” version there is a rear parking aid, air conditioning, steering wheel remote control and cruise control system. As “Elegance”, the Opel Combo-e-Life comes with sliding doors on both sides, a rear window that opens separately, a leather steering wheel, LED daytime running lights and 16-inch alloy wheels. The top-of-the-range Ultimate comes with front and rear parking aids, a reversing camera, 2-zone automatic climate control and 17-inch alloy wheels.
Inexpensive to keep: Which van costs the least per month?
The cheapest car is of little use in the long term if it turns out to be a sluggard, eats up a lot of money for repairs or is listed in an unfavorable type class for liability insurance. If you choose a used Ford Grand C-Max 1.0 EcoBoost 2013, you won’t go far wrong when it comes to fixed costs: ADAC looked at 20 used vans between €9,000 and €10,000 and checked the total costs. with €312 total monthly cost the Grand C-Max 1.0 EcoBoost from Ford easily beats its competitors, some of which put a strain on household budgets with up to €440 a month.
Responsible for the low costs: A compact three-cylinder engine – developed according to the downsizing principle – which really keeps what it promises. Despite the low displacement, the Ford EcoBoost achieves quite high performance values and needs direct injection and turbocharging economical 5.2 liters per 100 km.
This also convinces the ADAC, which in its used car info gives “a clear recommendation” for the 1.0 l EcoBoost turbo engine with at least 125 hp. The small three-cylinder bring surprisingly good driving performance with low consumption. Also not entirely uninteresting: The engine was repeatedly used for “Engine of the Year” chosen.
Practical: the Grand C-Max, which is longer than the basic model, can transport up to seven people. In addition, the larger version offers sliding doors at the rear instead of normal folding doors. The C-Max can also convince with the good amount of space, especially in the first row. The trunk offers 600 liters above-average storage volume. Even as a 7-seater, the Grand C-Max still holds 475 liters.
Conclusion: It does not always have to be the top dog
If you are willing to move away from the market leaders VW Touran and Mercedes B-Class, you will certainly find what you are looking for in the van segment for less than €25,000, but you do not have to do without important family features such as sliding doors or a third row of seats. Depending on how many compromises you want to make in terms of design, choice of materials and engine, the cheapest van in the new car segment is available for less than €20,000. Good used ones are available from around €10,000. And even electro fans get their money’s worth for less than €30,000.
