The Cheapest Commercial Vehicles to Insure

Rhino Trade Insurance 02 September 2021

When you're considering buying a van for your business, there are lots of things you must take into account - its purpose, running costs, and van insurance are all high on the list! Commercial vehicle insurance is affected by many factors, so we've put together a detailed guide on how to find the most affordable vans to insure.

Things to Consider When Buying a Van

There is a vast range of aspects used to calculate the insurance premium for your commercial vehicle. However, there are several things you should consider that will significantly affect the price, including:

Van size

Smaller vans that carry less weight are considered lower risk than heavier and bigger vans, which understandably reduces the cost of insurance.

Van insurance group

Each make and model of van is classed in an insurance group between 1 & 20 by the Association of British Insurers. The lower the group, the cheaper the insurance. Research the insurance group of any van you're considering before you purchase it.

Engine size

The smaller the engine size, the less likely you will have an accident, making your insurance premiums cheaper.

Cost of parts

Suppose your van has expensive or hard to source parts. In this case, insurers will increase your premium, as if you're in an accident, your van will be more costly to repair or replace.

Security

Alarms, immobilisers, and trackers can drop your insurance premium for obvious reasons. However, research in advance whether an insurer will offer a reduction for these features, as it can be costly to install them.

Modifications

If you buy a used van that has previously been modified, or you plan to modify a new commercial vehicle that you've purchased, expect your insurance premium to skyrocket. Mods are expensive to source and repair and make your van more attractive to thieves.

Considering as many of these factors as possible before purchasing a van for your business will help you keep the insurance cost down.

The Cheapest Vans to Insure

Small vans are usually cheaper to insure than larger vans and include:

Citroen Berlingo – With a small engine size (1360CC) and a lower weight load, the Citroen Berlingo is in insurance group 1 and is amongst the cheapest vans to insure.
Citroen Nemo – Although slightly larger than a Berlingo, the Citroen Nemo is still cheap to insure, with models situated in insurance groups 2 and 4.
Renault Kangoo – The Renault Kangoo, with a small engine size (1149CC) and a max payload of 500kg, falls into insurance group 2.

However, some businesses require the use of a larger van, and if you're looking for the cheapest to insure, consider the following makes and models:

Vauxhall Vivaro – With a decent payload of 950kg, a Vivaro with a small engine falls in insurance group 4.
Renault Trafic – If you're happy with an engine size of 1397 CC, you can opt for a Renault Traffic in insurance group 3. However, depending on weight, you might see a Trafic in insurance groups up to 12.
Peugeot Boxer – A bit like the Trafic, you need to pick your Boxer wisely. A savvy purchase of a 1475CC Boxer with a max payload of 600kg will land your van in insurance group 5. But if you're not mindful, a Boxer could easily land you in group 18!

Final thoughts

If you're in the market for a new or used commercial vehicle, remember that you can influence the amount of insurance that you'll pay. So choose a van that is best suited to your needs, research its insurance group, and avoid any unnecessary custom modifications. The six vans introduced here provide you with the perfect starting point for your research - don't forget us when it comes to insurance!