Vauxhall Vivaro Buying Guide

The Vivaro is as car like as you can get in a Small/Medium Sized Panel Van.  It is quick, economical, easy to drive and quite comfortable.  You get a comanding view and it really is easy to get to grips with.

The Vivaro and Trafic's are now getting more affordable as many have come to the end of their leases, so there are a few trickling onto Ebay and Autotrader at much cheaper prices than franchised dealers.

Watch out for the following

• The Drivers Door Window winder is the weakest ever and no doubt will be missing ! (has been from the past 10 Vivaro's I have seen)
• The roof is very weak and if it has had a roof rack on, it is more than likely to be damaged, so the trick is to avoid one which has had a roof rack.
• The CDTi models are the best, they are 100BHP and have a 6 Speed Gearbox, the more sensible 80BHP 1.9Di model us also fine.
• Crew Cabs are fantastic but very pricey
• Avoid the overpriced Sportive model - Some Trafics come with the same spec ie. Air Con, Electric Windows, Sat Nav etc....
• Look for staining in the Radiator top up bottle, the head gaskets are prone to going at just 80,000 miles.
• Rear Door damage and bumper damage are common as there are some blindpots here and there.

Renault and General Motors clearly aren't afraid to be radical. Their new £430m joint venture front-wheel drive Trafic/Vivaro panel van looks radically different from anything dished up by their rivals in the 1.0-tonne payload market and is guaranteed to turn heads in Britain's high streets.Virtually identical aside from their badges, both models are built in the UK — the Trafic is the first Renault to be assembled on this side of the Channel for well over 30 years — and they'll be joined by a Nissan-badged version next year. Renault controls Nissan.

So far as Renault is concerned, the newcomer replaces a van — also badged Trafic — that also represented a considerable advance on competitor products in its day. It was alas well past its sell-by date when the French manufacturer finally dropped it from its range. Vauxhall hasn't had a contender in the sector since the Midi died.

As a consequence both marques will be determined to capture sales and will be eagerly promoting what they have to offer to light commercial buyers. Other players such as Ford (front-wheel drive Transit) and Mercedes-Benz (Vito) will be determined not to be left behind, however, and will be offering some good deals too. Sounds like a great time to buy a compact panel van to us.