2016 VAUXHALL VIVARO 2900 CDTI LWB 5DR

It was built alongside the Renault Trafic with a view to challenge the increasingly popular Ford Transit; the Opel Vivaro still sells pretty well in Ireland thirteen years after its release. This is mainly down to the affordable price-tag, cheap running costs, decent practicality and Opel’s reputation for building reliable cars and vans. It doesn’t really stand out from the crowd with its looks, but it still has a good, neat image. The cabin is a nice place to be; it’s comfortable, spacious and feels robust. There’s good selection when it comes to body-type, the most popular to date being the panel van. The sliding doors on the side, and wide-opening rear doors make it very easy to load/unload. If you get the astute Flex-Fix system, you’ll get a sliding anchor which keeps the load fixed to the floor. In terms of cargo capacity, the Vivaro is actually one of the best in its class. Depending on which body shape you opt for, it has between 5.0 and 8.4 cubic metres and can hold a payload of up to 1271kg.

• When driving above 45kph, it can very noisy

•  It’s a very well-built and reliable van

•  Really easy to drive and manoeuvre

•  Spacious cabin with lots of storage cubbies

•  One of the best cargo capacities in its class

•  The earlier models are starting to look outdated