The Ford Transit is the UK’s most popular van, and millions of people can’t be wrong. There's a huge array of them to choose from on the used van market, and it’s available with great engines and has a nice interior. It's even very safe, with a five-star NCAP score.

There are short- and long-wheelbase versions for you to choose between with a cargo hold capacity of up to 8.3 cubic metres and a payload capacity in excess of 1.4 tonnes. You can even specify an optional load-through bulkhead hatch so there’s room to fit things like ladders, pipes and long lengths of timber. 

Choose one of the diesel models and fuel economy of up to 40mpg should be possible, and you’ll find the Transit Custom’s light controls and tight turning circle make it easy to drive in town. You can also have kit like active cruise control, making it an ideal motorway cruiser.

Volkswagen has a long history of building excellent vans and the Volkswagen T6 Transporter – its mid-sized van offering – is one of the best. It looks very similar to the old T5 but comprehensive improvements have been made in areas such as ease-of-use and refinement.

The Volkswagen has room for three Euro Pallets, can carry up to 1331kg and tow a braked trailer of 2500kg. The load bay is very practical, too: you can have rear barn doors that open 250 degrees and a sliding side door. 

You get a decent choice of engines, but the best is the 102PS diesel, which feels much stronger than that modest power figure suggests. It’s also quiet, refined and capable of returning fuel economy of more than 45mpg. 

The Toyota Proace shares its parts with the Citroen Dispatch and Peugeot Expert, but is marked out by its much more comprehensive warranty. While the other two get a bog-standard three-year, 60,000-mile arrangement, the Toyota gets an initial three years, but when you have your vehicle serviced according to schedule at an authorised Toyota dealership, your warranty is automatically extended by one year and 10,000 miles, up to a maximum of 10 years and 100,000 miles. That potentially makes for years of worry-free use.

There are three body sizes and two wheelbases to choose between, as well as van or crew cab layouts, which have space for up to nine people. The majority of models have a 1400kg payload, plus you get two sliding side doors and a pair of barn doors that open 250 degrees at the rear.

Air-conditioning is a glaring omission on the standard equipment list, but you do get a DAB radio and a full-length steel bulkhead. The best engine to choose is the 115PS diesel that moves the van along nicely and will return fuel economy of more than 50mpg. 

The Vauxhall Vivaro is Vauxhall’s best selling van and – unlike the mechanically identical Citroen Dispatch, Peugeot Expert and Toyota Proace – it’s built in the UK, not France. It’s an easy van to drive and also comfortable.

You can choose 4.9- and 5.3-metre-long versions with a payload of up 1450kg, although its 6.6-cubic-metre capacity is down on competitors. That said, all models get two sliding rear doors and mid-spec vans come with a bulkhead hatch for long materials like copper pipe and timber. 

Even the entry-level diesel model produces 120PS and is capable of fuel economy of up to 47mpg. All models come with cruise control so you won’t get an achy right foot on long motorway stints, while mid-spec vans get rear parking sensors, plus auto lights and wipers.

The Mercedes Benz Vito offers a wide range of configurations – including crew cab and minibus models – all of which are comfortable and easy to drive and come with a healthy list of standard equipment. 

You can choose from three van lengths, with space ranging from 5.5 cubic metres to 6.6, and the van has a maximum payload capacity of 1350kg. You can also choose from front or rear-wheel-drive models.

The 1.6-litre diesel engine with 88PS or 114PS is perfect for town duties, while the 2.1-litre diesel – with up to 190PS – is ideal for longer hauls. Whichever version you choose, the Vito handles tidily and is very comfortable on motorway stints.

If you don’t need a big van, it’s worth considering the Ford Transit Connect. It’s an excellent all-rounder that’s available with a range of engines that are cheap to run. Its interior is well specified and all models get a handy Quickclear windscreen.

Panel van versions of the Transit Connect get two-seats, but if you need passenger space, crew cab models get a bench with room for three more people, although load space is cut from 1.6- to 1.2 cubic metres.

Newer versions of the Transit Connect offer impressive equipment levels including kit like wireless phone charging, climate control and a three-pin plug in the cabin for charging tools. Splash out on a high-spec van, and you can even have an infotainment screen with nav.

The Citroen Berlingo is another great used van if you don’t need the space of a medium-sized van. It’s comfortable and easy to drive, cheap to run and is available with plenty of kit to make your life easier.

Thanks to a 1050kg payload and a 1.2-metre load width, it’s very practical – a Euro pallet will slide right in – and you can choose from M (4.4 metre-long) and XL (4.7 metre-long) models. You can even specify an overload indicator so you’ll know when you’ve exceeded its limits.

You can choose from a variety of petrol and diesel engines, which range from 75- to 130PS and can return more than 60mpg in the case of the diesels. You can also choose from five and six-speed manual gearboxes or a smooth-shifting eight-speed auto. You can even have an all-electric one if you so wish.

It's one of the newest used vans here, it's electric, and it's also very desirable, so the Volkswagen ID.Buzz Cargo is far from being the cheapest vehicle on this list. However, the outlay could well prove to be worth it, because no van will get your business noticed quicker than the super-cool Volkswagen, thanks to the retro styling that harks back to the iconic Type 2 Bus of the 1950s.

Aside from instantly giving your business a hint of coolness, the ID.Buzz will be a pleasure to live with on a day-to-day basis. The boxy body gives a whole heap of cargo space, while the electric range is also very decent. Even better, the cabin is just as cool as the outside, and it's plushly trimmed and well-equipped, too.