At Van Reviewer, we live and breathe vans, and unlike other sites who pretend they know about vans, we've been doing this for many years, even supplying reviews to scores of other websites who think they know about vans. Fortunately, they came to us so at least you got an honest driving impression.
But, you've now found the source material right here. The number one place for van reviews.
We've been testing vans for more than 15 years, applying all our knowledge into give you an in-depth review that's honest and fair. For this website alone we have tested more than 125 vehicles, and that number is growing all the time. Over the years, we have tested more than a 1000s different commercial vehicles.
Whatever the van, big or small, electric or diesel, every model we test is put through a rigorous, real-world evaluation designed to tell you exactly how it performs where it matters most, on the job.
Unlike so many others, we're not just looking at the spec sheets. We're driving these vans for days, weeks and even months at a time to get the measure of them.
Our editor is an experienced motoring journalist who has been testing vans all over the world for most of his working life. But we don't stop there. Once we get a van back on home soil we ask around, do some due diligence on the thing with people who own and work vans in all manner of trades.
From builders and carpenters, to plumbers, tilers and scaffolders, all of whom have been plying their trades for years, we ask them what they think of the vans we are testing.
We even ask that courier driver who turns up in the big, shiny, new van what he thinks of not only his wheels but what we're driving too.
We understand that for van buyers, reliability is key, but you also need to consider practicality and the all important running costs. It's not just about horsepower and acceleration times.
That’s why when we say we test vans, we don’t just mean a quick drive around the block. Every van goes through a structured testing process that mirrors how real businesses use them day in, day out.
We drive every van for hundreds of miles over a mix of motorways, A-roads, rural routes and urban traffic to get a true sense of what it’s like to live with. We've got set routes we take vehicles on to truly compare them with the other vehicles we've tested.
Our normal route takes in:
We've found that this gives us the perfect blend of speed, fast flowing roads and stop-and-start traffic. It allows us to see how a van performs at a cruise, in the city and when you simply want to get somewhere fast.
Each vehicle is assessed when fully loaded (100% payload) to gauge the torque and performance, but also the stability and braking ability underweight. Although a lot of other reviews will simply do the weekly shop, we've always gone a lot further, cutting our teeth performing the most comprehensive road tests for commercial vehicles and applying that same rigour to how we test our vans for these reviews.
We'll use GPS to make sure we adhere rigorously to the speed limits, and we'll cover the same 115 mile route each time, in as close to the same conditions as possible. No driving rain or full air conditioning settings. If we're not happy we'll simply do it again.
We consider the comfort, steering response, gearbox usability and noise levels. We'll pack in as many people as a van has seats to find out what they think. We'll take it through the busiest city streets and in the case of electric vehicles we'll even run the battery down to zero to find out how it behaves, and how quickly and easily the van recharges.
Most importantly, our tests are repeated time and time again to the exact standards. It's rinse and repeat, with the same procedures. It's a baseline we know we can deliver over and over again.
Vans aren't just transport these days, we know that they are now your mobile office, your break room and even your bed.
That’s why we pay close attention to seating comfort, visibility, driving position, cabin storage and the overall quality of the materials.
We test infotainment systems for clarity, usability and smartphone integration. We know that many van drivers spend all day behind the wheel, so we look to see if the tech is there to make your life easier, and if it is we check that it works properly, and that it's not distracting.
Payload and cargo space are hugely vital, which is why we measure usable load volume, payload capacity and the dimensions of door apertures. We'll publish the manufacturer's figures, but we'll also measure the van to make sure they're not pulling a fast one on us. It's been done before.
We record everything from step height, tie-down points and bulkhead design to ensure you're getting the most out of the van and our review. If we've missed something it's not because we haven't considered it, it's just not made the final edit. We are just an email away, and happy to answer your questions about anything in our tests.
Durability and reliability matter a huge amount for vans. They have to be able to withstand the daily abuse and punishment you get from a working tool. That's why we're poking, pulling and tearing at our vans to make sure they can last. If we could arrange a toddler's tea party in one, we would. No van could survive the destruction, but we'd tell you what bits came out unscathed.
We'll slam doors, bounce them against their hinges, and push every electrical button repeatedly. Sometimes all at once. It's like a manufacturer's abuse test, with 10,000s of door slams or suspension shocks, except with a more down-to-earth methodology.
We also look for clever, practical touches like fold-flat passenger seats or under-seat storage, the small details that make a big difference in day-to-day use, and items that might at first go un-noticed.
Running costs are a huge part of van ownership, so we analyse fuel economy with a proper measured approach to our real-world driving. We put these vans and pick-ups over the same route and record the results, so that we can confidently say if they are above, below or on a par with the claimed figures.
We look at service intervals and warranty coverage to show what each van will really cost over time, and we also take our commercial vehicles and those of our friends to real life dealers! You won't find anyone else doing that.
We compare and rate every van against what else is on the market. Every van we test is considered within the context of the industry at that moment in time, so you can be sure that the newest reviews are relevant to the best of vans already out on the market.
Importantly we are also first with nearly every single review because we get asked to drive every new van first long before anyone else gets a look in. We get early access because we are the best, but we're sure never to let that cloud our judgement. We maintain full editorial independence and we definitely do not accept payment for positive coverage.
For electric vans, we publish both the official WLTP efficiency (miles per kWh) and our real-world results, along with charge times and how range is affected by payload, temperature and driving style.
We've got an entire section on the battery, range and charging of electric vans because that's how important we know it is.
We'll charge the vehicles up to 100% to see how they behave. It also gives us a chance to see how the vehicle drives without any regeneration (as the battery is too full). We'll then perform the same test routes as any other test. Making notes on where the battery runs down, and where it regenerates.
It all helps to inform our overall testing every time we repeat the same test for electric vans.
When we come to tell you which is the best van to buy we also consider insurance costs, residual values and the latest safety technology, including driver-assistance systems that help prevent downtime and keep businesses moving.
While Van Reviewer may carry adverts and promotions from manufacturers, we are 100% independent. No level of relationship will cloud our judgement on what we think is a good or bad van.
Test vans are accepted from manufacturers only on the provision that we can conduct our own testing, free from interference. There are no conflicts of interest, and if one were to arise we would make you aware of it.
Every van we test is given an overall Van Reviewer rating out of 10, plus individual scores for driving, interior, practicality and value.
If we give a van a nine or a 10 it's a really amazing bit of kit. Consider it as the benchmark for its class.
Sevens and eights are the really good vans you shouldn't turn your nose up at or scratch off your list just because you don't like the badge. They're an excellent choice but we've maybe found a few compromises or things that other vans do better.
Six stars is a solid, average performer. Five is something we'd be happy to drive but we'd want to know that you're getting a steal of a deal and that you actually like the thing.
Three and four star vans are below average. These might be vans that are getting on in their years. They were once perhaps decent, average vans, but as time has moved on they've failed to keep up and now they're languishing at the bottom of the pile.
Two and three star vans are best avoided. We don't give our many of these ratings but rest assured we're not afraid to call a spade a spade when it comes to it. A van this poor isn't worthy of your attention and it's not worth our further time either.
Our job doesn’t stop once a review goes live. We regularly revisit and update every review to reflect pricing changes, specification updates and long-term ownership feedback either from us or from our trusted network of owners and reviewers.
We also run long-term test vans for months at a time to see how they perform under real working conditions.
When a van is no longer on sale, we'll also re-consider it in the secondhand market and evaluate it as a used van review.
At Van Reviewer, we know a van isn’t just a vehicle, it’s your livelihood, and our goal is to make sure you get the best one for yours.
