For young drivers, finding cheap van insurance is not the easiest task in the world. Not that it’s particularly the driver who’s just starting out on his journey as a tradesman that’s particularly to blame. Those inexperienced that have gone before him and the boy-racers on the domestic scene have proved time and again that young drivers are more prone bangs and prangs necessitating a van insurance claim than those who’ve been on the roads for some time, up to 48% more likely according to one recent study.
In an article later this week, we will look at the AA’s recommendations for young drivers in more depth (we do have an article of the same ilk from BIBA in our archives for reference in the meantime), but one of the main ways a young driver can seriously cut down their van insurance renewal quote is by buying a used commercial vehicle instead of a brand new one. And that’s purely because the compensation required by your van insurance broker to replace an old van in toto is a lot less than a whole, shiny new one, proven more likely with a younger driver, as statistics have shown time and again.
What are the best used vans on the market?
According to CAP, the best overall used van for last year (2011) was the Volkswagen Transporter T5. From a choice of six commercials that made the shortlist, a six-strong panel chose the model due to its performance in each aspect upon which the vans were being judged. If you are a start-up business, a van that will not only deliver you reasonably cheap van insurance but is a good all-rounder has to be the place to start, as long as it is a suitable size for your business. If you’re delivering bespoke kitchen worktops, for example, it is no good buying a hatchback van; likewise, a Ford transit is hardly the model if you’re manufacturing small quantities of tiny fastening components, no matter how reliable or cheap the van insurance.
However, the T5 pipped its rivals on the six categories applicable to the contest (six shortlisted models, six judges, six criteria – it’s a wonder el Diablo didn’t feature somewhere, eh?), namely
1. It held its value, comparatively to other models in the same group
2. The range available for the model covered a multitude of requirements
3. You could plenty with it as it had multiple options
4. Perceived reliability, the assumption that it wouldn’t break down
5. Branding – the image of the manufacturer and model
6. Aftersales, support and the network of dealers and their relative professionalism
Interesting to see that half of the criteria for the competition were not judged solely on facts and figures, but rather on aspects that could be hard to either prove or disprove. Mmm.
To see if buying a used van dramatically affects the cost of your van insurance renewal quote, please feel free to use our easy to use online form to help save you a packet in minutes.