When Should You Buy a New Van?
Should You Buy a New Van?
If you’re here and reading this, then the answer is almost certainly “Yes!”, but while it’s always nice to have new things, chances are you need firm business reasons to justify the decision to buy a new van, so as experts in van sales and van rental, we’re here to give you the reasons why right now is probably the very best time to retire your old van and upgrade to something that’ll serve you better.
Why should you buy a new van?
Following are the five main reasons why you should buy a newer van, but for more information, we’ve expanded on each point below.
- Winter is coming and old vans fail in the cold
- Newer vans save you time and money
- Newer vans are safer and better
- A newer van improves your business image
- Now is the best time to get the van you want
Reason to buy a new van: Winter is coming
No matter what vehicle you drive, winter is the hardest season on your set of wheels. At a time when you’re demanding more of your van’s electrical systems, relying on your lights, wipers, heating etc more than at any other time of year, the battery and alternator, responsible for starting your van and keeping the power flowing is under most strain due to the cold weather. It’s no secret that that failed batteries account for 20% of all breakdowns, a figure that’s heavily weighted to the colder times of year. essentially, batteries rely on chemical reactions which are less effective during the winter relying on lower output power, cold engines and cold oil resist engine cranking far more than in the summer, so your van is harder to start at exactly the point when your battery is at its least powerful. The cold of winter doesn’t just tax your battery, it taxes everything, both mechanical and structural. The cold makes metal more brittle and accelerates the degradation of rubber boots and seals. Any vehicle is a complicated piece of machinery which will inevitably wear with age and winter is the time when the effects of that wear become more apparent. Don’t risk being one of the many stranded motorists waiting by the roadside this winter, buy a new van instead!
Reason to buy a new van: Time is Money and a newer van saves you both
It’s an old adage ‘Time is money’ and it’s doubly true for vans. Naturally, the more efficiently you plan your route, you can get more done in the time available and the more you can get paid for so doing. A broken down van, or a van that needs repair, is off the road and it’s not earning you money doing its job. The older a van is, the more likely it is to need maintenance and the more likely it is to break down, especially at this time of year when it’s cold. Exactly the time of year when there’s the most delivery work available and you most need your van to work hard for you. When your old van lets you down therefore, you’re paying twice. First of all, you’re paying for the repairs (which are likely to be more on an older vehicle in any case), but you’re also paying in work – the money you’re not earning while you’re not out on the road. Suddenly the ‘cheap’ option of keeping your old van going is starting to look pretty expensive. Running an old van is the most costly of false economies. 
Reason to buy a new van: Newer vans are safer and better
Vehicle technology is improving all the time and a modern van is a pretty advanced animal. The technology that was available to high end premium cars only a few years ago can now be found in new vans across the board, as well as specific technology developed just for commercial vehicles. Does your rattling old van have built in touchscreen satnav, parking sensors, reverse cameras, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, crosswind assist, stability control, heated seats and air-conditioning? Does it sync with your smartphone? Is it Euro6 compliant? If not then wouldn’t your job as a driver be improved it it did? Wouldn’t the cab, where you spend most of your time be a more pleasant, relaxing and safe place to sit? Of course it would. All the technology available in newer vans doesn’t just make your life easier, it helps keep you safe too. When there’s a computer monitoring your traction, checking the road around you and both feeding you information as well as stepping in to help when you need it, your new van works with you as an active partner, rather than just a thing you drive. Naturally, newer vans are also more efficient. The use less fuel and have lower emissions, so you’ll not only be spending less at the pump, you’ll be getting hit in the pocket less if you need to drive in cities which charge more for polluting vehicles. London has these zones right now, but other cities n the UK are sure to follow suit in the same way other European cities already have. Future-proof yourself now!
Reason to buy a new van: Present a better image to your customers
Image matters. We’re judgemental creatures and whether you’re making a delivery or doing a job, your customers see your van before they see you and see the work you’re doing. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression and when you arrive in rusting, dented van that’s belching black smoke and a door that won’t close unless you loudly slam it, preconceptions will start to form even before you knock on the door. Alternatively, a smart, shiny, newer van conveys a far more professional image.
Reason to buy a new van: Now is the best time to buy
As Christmas approaches, couriers start to get extremely busy and deliveries to shops and the industries that support them increase, demand for new vehicles rises with it. At Westwood, we have near 2,000 vehicles in our fleet and this time of year, we buy in hundreds of vans for our contract hire and flexible hire customers. This means that the vans we bought in last year are coming back in their hundreds and these 12 month old, low mileage vans of all shapes and sizes will be put up for sale at prices which allow them to fly off our forecourt as soon as they arrive. If you’re quick you’ll get a real bargain and we’ll even help you find a finance solution you can afford and take your old van in part exchange. Check out our ex-fleet vans for sale, or look us up on Autotrader and contact us to arrange a viewing, just don’t leave it too long, or you’ll risk being beaten to the van of your dreams! Cut your costs & improve your image with a newer van from Westwood! 
