Also read: Van price part comparison for small vans
Also read: Most fuel efficent medium panel vans
Following on from our comparison of small van parts prices, we’re moving up a sector and comparing the cost of parts and fitting for medium vans. As expected, the prices have increased with the average repair bill now costing £1,248 plus VAT.
We gave each of the manufacturers the same scenario; the front bumper, windscreen, nearside wing mirror and headlight all need replacing, and that we’ve also lost our remote control key. Because labour rates vary nationally, we took a national average by using four set geographic locations, to work out an average fitting cost for each of the manufacturers.
A major contributor to the poor performance of the Fiat Scudo, Citroen Dispatch and Peugeot Expert (all the same vehicle) though, was the fact that they have fog lights fitted as standard into their bumpers, which increased the cost, on average, by £200.
All prices are rounded to the nearest pound and exclude VAT.
9 – Fiat Scudo – £1,516 (£1,298 parts, £218 fitting)
Rather surprisingly, the most expensive manufacturer to buy parts from in the medium van section is Fiat Professional. Ironically, the Fiat Doblo is one of the cheapest vans to buy parts for, but because the Scudo is built by Peugeot and Citroen, Fiat has less control over the pricing.
Read the Fiat Scudo review.
8 – Vauxhall Vivaro – £1,376
Next on our list is the Vauxhall Vivaro. Normally, Vauxhall’s usually aren’t too expensive for parts but the British-built Vauxhall Vivaro comes in at £1,376. The most expensive part, the windscreen, will cost £645 to replace, including fitting.
Read the Vauxhall Vivaro review.
7 – Citroen Dispatch – £1,371 (£1,046 parts, £325 fitting)
French manufacturers have been known for their high repair costs, and this seems the case with Citroen. The Citroen Dispatch is now eight years old, but the parts are still expensive, like the front bumper, which costs (supply only) £517, although this includes the standard fog lights.
Read the Citroen Dispatch review.
6 – Hyundai iLoad – £1,311 (£914 parts, £397 fitting)
South Korean manufacturer Hyundai only ‘dabble’ in the commercial vehicle game, although they look set to take this more seriously in future with the launch of the Hyundai H350 van next year. No part is particularly dear, neither is the hourly labour rate; instead it’s the length of time take (over six hours) which costs the customer.
Read the Hyundai iLoad review.
5 – Peugeot Expert – £1,243 (£885 parts, £358 fitting)
Not much cheaper than its Citroen-badged sibling is the Peugeot Expert. The pricing structure varies quite a lot, with Peugeot cheaper for a spare key, front bumper and windscreen, and the Citroen is best for the headlight, wing mirror and fitting.
Read the Peugeot Expert review.
4 – Volkswagen Transporter T6 – £1,201 (£795 parts, £406 fitting)
In contrast with the Volkswagen Caddy being one of the most expensive in its segment for parts, the Volkswagen Transporter T6 is very good value. What let’s Volkswagen down is the length of time to carry out the repairs; at six hours and 15 minutes, it’s the longest of all the manufacturers.
Read the Volkswagen Transporter T6 review.
3 – Mercedes-Benz Vito – £1,121 (£729 parts, £392 fitting)
Rather surprisingly, Mercedes-Benz came out on top for parts supply, but the high hourly labour rate and length of time taken takes the overall cost up to £1,121 plus VAT. The aftersales service offered by the Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle dealer network is the best in the medium van sector, but with some dealerships in London charging close to £100 per hour, you certainly pay for the privilege.
Read the Mercedes-Benz Vito review.
2 – Renault Trafic – £1,092 (£793 parts, £299 fitting)
There’s very little not to like about the new Renault Trafic; it’’s very productive, it’s comfortable and with great fuel economy and cheap parts, its very cost effective. As with the Renault Kangoo, the Trafic isn’t the cheapest for any particular part, but consistent all-round value means that it earns itself a respectable runner-up place.
Read the Renault Trafic review.
1 – Ford Transit Custom – £1,005 (£820 parts, £185 fitting)
Winning the contest by quite a margin is the Ford Transit Custom. Again, it’s the low average labour rate that wins it for Ford, with the price of fitting half that of most others in the sector. Some of the parts are very cheap too, like the front bumper at just £139 plus VAT.
Read the Ford Transit Custom review.
