What Are The Best Medium Van Models You Can Buy In 2025?

In this guide, we name the best medium van models you can buy for your business in 2025.

Medium-sized vans are the Swiss-Army knives of the van world. Small enough to manoeuvre, big enough to cope.

In this guide, we’ll dive into the best medium vans on the market, exploring our top picks that stand out in the areas that matter most for van operators.

Whether you’re searching for a vehicle that can safely transport all your goods or one that’s the most economical, we’ve got you covered.

Without further ado, let’s help you find the best medium van for your needs.

Vantastec Specialises In Vans And Conversions Of All Shapes And Sizes. Browse Our Full Range Of Medium Vans Here.

How We’ve Decided The Best Medium Sized Van

First, some disclaimers.

This guide is focused towards buyers of brand-new vehicles. If you’re in the market for a used medium-sized van, the information we’re about to present might still be useful.

However, factors such as long-term reliability and common faults won’t be included. Manufacturer’s warranties alleviate most of these worries for new van buyers.

We recommend scouring online forums such as Honest John or Piston Heads for some real-life experiences from users if you have concerns over long-term reliability or common faults.

Second, we will not be comparing subjective factors such as build quality, customer service, brand reputation and general buyer preference.

Comparisons will instead be made by analysing objective data taken directly from the manufacturers’ brochures and websites.

Finally, when presenting data such as fuel economy, payload and load area, we’ll be using the individual derivative that performs best for each specific category.

We’ve analysed how four of the most popular medium sized van models compare in five key areas buyers consider when searching for a new vehicle.

Then, we’ve ranked the vehicles in each category. This gives you a clear indication of the best choice based on your personal buying preference.

Here are the categories we’ll be comparing:

• • Load area: The size of the van’s cargo area
  • Fuel Economy: Which van uses the most fuel (diesel models only)
  • Manufacturer’s Warranties: The standard manufacturer’s warranty is with each model (excludes upgraded or ‘extended’ warranties)
  • Payload: The weight of goods you can legally carry in your van
  • List Price: The list price advertised in the manufacturer’s brochure (total OTR excl. VAT)

With those housekeeping rules out of the way, here are four of the best medium van models you can buy in 2025:

1. Ford Transit Custom

Up first, the UK’s favourite van.

The Ford Transit Custom is a modern icon, instantly recognised by motorists even outside the van world.

First launched in Europe in 2012, the Custom was introduced to bridge the gap between the larger Transit and the smaller Connect.

Many years and facelifts later, the Transit Custom is now the most popular van model in the UK. The newest version, launched in late 2023, is no different, either, comfortably outselling the competition every year since then.

Its inclusion on anyone’s list of the best medium van models shouldn’t come as a surprise. Whatever you use it for – whether it’s a refrigerated van, crew cab van, or camper – if you look after it, it’ll look after you.

Let’s have a look at how the Transit Custom performs in our five categories:

Ford Transit Custom Load Area Dimensions

Length: 2,602 mm (max), 2,394 mm (upper)

Height: 1314 mm rear door aperture height, 575 mm / 593 mm load height from ground

Width: 1,777 mm max, 1,392 mm between wheel arches

Load area: 5.8 m³

Variant used: L1H1 Panel Van

Ford Transit Custom Fuel Economy

Highest Overall MPG: 40.4 (WLTP Combined)

Most fuel-efficient: 280S 2.0L EcoBlue Leader 110PS 6 Speed Manual FWD

Ford Transit Custom Manufacturer’s Warranty

3 years or up to 100,000 miles.

Ford Transit Custom Payload

Maximum payload: 1,407 kg

Best payload: L1H1 320S 2.0L EcoBlue Leader 110PS FWD 6 Speed Manual

Ford Transit Custom Recommended Retail Price

Starting from: £34,204.83 OTR excl. VAT

Cheapest model: L1H1 280 2.0L Leader EcoBlue 110PS FWD 6 Speed Manual

2. Nissan Primastar

Up next, another favourite among our refrigerated van customers.

Nissan’s Primastar – formerly the NV300 – is basically a rebadged Renault Trafic. It also shares a platform with the Fiat Talento, the pre-2019 Vauxhall Vivaro, and the Mitsubishi Express in Australia and New Zealand.

The Primastar does a lot of things right. It’s priced well, looks good, and mixes technology with analogue functionality almost flawlessly.

There’s one key reason, though, why we’ve included the Primastar over the likes of the Trafic and Talento: Nissan vans come with a 5-year / 100,000-mile warranty as standard.

But how does it perform in our five categories? Let’s have a look:

Nissan Primastar Load Area Dimensions

Load height: 1,387 mm

Load length: 2,537 at floor level, 2,250 mm 1 meter from the floor

Load width: 1,662 mm max, 1,268 mm between wheel arches

Load area: 5.8 m³

Variant used: L1H1 panel van

Nissan Primastar Fuel Economy

Highest Overall MPG: 40.9 mpg (WLTP Combined)

Most fuel-efficient: L1H1 30 2.0 dCi 130 Acenta Manual

Nissan Manufacturer’s Warranty

5 years / up to 100,000 miles

Nissan Primastar Payload

Maximum payload: 1,167 kg

Best payload: L2H1 1,200 kg

Nissan Primastar Price

Starting from: £30,980 OTR excl. VAT

Cheapest model: L1H1 30 2.0 dCi 110 Manual Acenta

3. Mercedes Vito

Next, the Mercedes Vito.

For years, Mercedes has been widely considered the luxury brand in the van world, even though these days, Ford and Volkswagen give them a run for their money.

The mid-sized Vito sits between the smaller Citan and the iconic Sprinter models. It first launched in 1996, so it’s one of the oldest models on this list.

It’s easy to see where this longevity comes from, though. Mercedes-Benz vans are known for their build quality and premium feel, even if they do cost more than the competition.

Vitos roam the roads in all different shapes and sizes. Whether it’s a standard panel van, crew cab, minibus, or camper.

But how do they stack up in our five key categories? Let’s take a look.

Mercedes Vito Load Space Dimensions

Load length: 2,461 mm measured on the vehicle floor

Load height: 1,252 mm

Load width: 1,709 mm max width, 1,270 mm between wheel arches

Load area: 6.0 m³

Variant used: Panel Van L2

Mercedes Vito Fuel Economy

Highest Overall MPG: 39.2 mpg

Most fuel-efficient model: 114 Van PRO L2

Mercedes Vito Manufacturer’s Warranty

3 years, unlimited mileage.

Mercedes Vito Payload

Max payload: 910 kg

Best payload: 114 Van PRO L2

Mercedes Vito Price

Starting from: £32,850

Cheapest variant: 114 Van L2 PRO Manual

4. Toyota Proace

Our final pick for our best medium sized van guide: the Toyota Proace.

Toyota’s journey in the European van sector has been an intriguing one. All of their vehicles use the Stellantis platform, meaning they share almost everything mechanically with the Citroen Dispatch, Peugeot Expert, and post-2019 Vauxhall Vivaro.

But they’re not officially part of the Stellantis family, instead operating under a manufacturing agreement. This works in their favour.

Toyota’s cars are known for standing the test of time. They’re so confident in their product that if you service a new Toyota at a main dealer, you can get up to a 10-year / 100,000-mile warranty.

Surprisingly, this offer extends to their vans, despite Toyota not making them themselves.

But how does the Proace stack up against the rest of our picks? Let’s have a look.

Toyota Proace Load Space Dimensions

Load Length: 2,512 mm from the floor, 2,185 mm mid-height

Load Height: 1,397 mm max

Load Width: 1,636 mm max, 1,258 mm between wheel arches

Load area: 5.8 m³

Variant used: Medium-length panel van

Toyota Proace Fuel Economy

Highest Overall MPG: 43.4 mpg

Most fuel-efficient model: Proace Active Medium 1.5 120hp FWD manual

Toyota Proace Manufacturer’s Warranty

3 years / up to 100,000 miles as standard. One-year warranty extension with every qualifying service up to 10 years / 100,000 miles.

Toyota Proace Payload

Max payload: 1,400 kg

Best payload: Proace Icon Premium Medium Panel Van 2.0 Diesel 144hp Manual

Toyota Proace Price

Starting from: £29,935.83 OTR excl. VAT

Cheapest model: Active Medium 1.5 D 120 DIN hp Manual

The Results

The results are in! Here are the winners:

Best load area: Mercedes Vito

Best fuel economy: Toyota Proace

Best warranty: Nissan Primastar / Toyota Proace

Best Payload: Ford Transit Custom

Best list price: Toyota Proace

Conclusion: What’s The Best Medium Van Overall?

So, there you have it. Four of the best medium-sized vans on the market right now, ranked by the five factors van operators care about the most.

Unfortunately, we can’t give you a single, definitive answer. All of the models in this guide are great all-around picks in their own right.

Instead, we recommend ranking each category (e.g. warranty, price, etc.) in order of what’s most to least important to you, and then look at which vehicle ticks the most boxes.

If you still can’t decide, simply choose the one you think looks the nicest!

Hopefully, you’ve found this guide helpful. If you have any further questions, suggestions or ideas for topics you’d like us to cover in the future, feel free to leave a comment down below.

Take care, all.

Read next:

• The 4 Best Large Van Models To Buy
• Ford Custom vs Renault Trafic: The Ultimate Guide
• What Is The Most Economical Van You Can Buy?

*Disclaimer* All information for each van model was taken directly from the manufacturers’ brochure and is correct at the time of writing. Figures such as price will be subject to fluctuation as per the manufacturers’ appraisals. Please note that vehicle details may vary in line with new facelift updates or other alterations made in the vehicle assembly process.