In this article, we are going to reveal top places to search for van deals and market prices, where to find cargo vans at auction, and some basic tips on choosing the right van for your needs.
How much are new and used cargo vans?
As a general guide, a new compact cargo van starts from $24k while it’s about $60k for the larger full-size cargo vans. In the used market, you may find vans under three-four years old, with under 80k miles, which may still have factory warranty remaining, for around 40-50% off current model MSRP.
Places to research new and used cargo van prices
- Truck Paper – truckpaper.com – mostly dealer listings both new and used.
- Commercial Truck Trader – commercialtrucktrader.com – mostly dealers with some private sales
- Enterprise Car Sales – enterprisecarsales.com – From small compact through to larger cargo vans, ex-rentals with low miles, and some factory warranty remaining usually.
- U-Haul – trucksales.uhaul.com – they always have cargo vans for sale and usually, they are very low milage with factory warranty remaining. Models currently being sold include GMC Savanna, Chevy Express, and Ford Transit.
- Ryder – ryder.com – ex-lease units. Most are high mileage but still worth a peek
Finding Used Cargo Van Deals at Auction
If you are prepared to forgo warranty and all the niceties of buying from a dealer then buying from a van auction may be a great way to save quite a lot. Some low-mileage vans may even have factory warranty remaining especially at ex-lease sales.
- Try our auction item search engine for cargo van
Repo, dealer, gov, ex-lease, business closure
- Manheim – truck-auction.com – Their Indianapolis branch has a strong focus on class 4-8 trucks with regular sales, and trucks can also be found at their other branches
- ADESA – adesa.com – GA, FL, PA, AR – holding regular auctions for heavy equipment and trucks that are ex-lease or finance company. Some are consignments.
- GSA Auctions – gsaauctions.gov – occasionally cargo vans appear at Federal Gov auctions and at state gov auctions. See the list of state auctioneers here
- Local auctioneers in your area – there are county auctions, local business retirements and closures, etc where you’ll see vans of all types come up for auction from time to time. The beauty here is you’re away from the hoards of like-minded buyers at the van-only sales. Use our find page to locate your state or city to find local auctioneers and watch our truck, mining & machinery auctions category
Private seller auctions
- eBay – ebay.com – lots of “buy it now” listings from dealers, and there are usually 5-10 auctions for cargo vans taking place at any time.
Insurance claim and damaged auctions
Thousands of vans of all types appear at salvage auctions for various reasons including insurance claims stemming from accident damage, flood damage, theft recovery, hail damage etc. For those that are competent with such repairs, it can be a great option with huge potential savings on offer. Check out
- Copart – copart.com
- IAA – iaai.com
- SCA – sca.auction
Choosing the right Cargo Van
Types of cargo vans include compact, cargo van, high roof cargo van, cutaway cargo van (or cube van), and step van. The most common is the cargo van typified by the Ford Transit or Mercedes Sprinter.
Cargo vans can also come in various wheelbase lengths such as the Mercedes Sprinter which has 144 and 170inch wheelbase options plus hi-roof models. Different makes and models will have varying load capacities and dimensions. They’ll also have different engine options.
All of these factors, payload capacity, cargo dimensions, rear door dimensions, floor height, fuel mileage, and power will all need to be considered according to your own needs.
Cargo Van Body Types
| Type | |
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Compact Cargo – great around town, hand-parcels, flowers, bakery etc |
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Cargo Van – usually offered in three different wheelbase lengths. Dual rear wheels are another option offering extra load capacity. |
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High Roof Cargo Van – same as above except with a higher roof |
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Cutaway Van – or cube van, offers cab chassis (body on frame construction) offering extra payload weight capacity with custom cube body that can be catered to certain applications |
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Step Van – also known as walk-ins, are popular for multi-stop delivery |
What is the best used Cargo Van?
It really depends on age. If you are looking at models under four-years-old then it is going to be hard to look past the Ford Transit simply due to the fact that there are so many. They are incredibly popular and outsell other vans by a large margin. The positive here is that parts are easily available and so are people that will be familiar with working on them.
If it’s older than four years, then you really need to do a bunch of research on the van that gets your attention. Some have proven reliable engines, some not so much. At this age, you’ll likely be looking at vans with 180k miles plus and some will have been re-motored, some may be getting due, along with gearboxes, brakes etc. Some may still have plenty of life in them and be great for back-up or low-stress roles.
Comparison Chart – 2020/21 Cargo Van Models
A comparison chart for a selection of the most popular cargo vans and box vans on the US market. Many of these models will be appearing in ex-lease and ex-rental sales and auctions today and in the near future.
*indicative figures – see manufacturer website for exact details and model variants – hi-roof models and wheelbase options will alter figures
| Picture* | Model | Class (GVWR)* | Payload* | Engine* |
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Transit 150 | 5,130-5,420 | 1,420-1,550 | 2.0L Gas (162HP) |
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Transit 250 | 9,070 | 3,160-4,030 | 3.5L PFDI V6 (275HP), 3.5L EcoBoost V6 (310HP) |
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Transit 350 | 9,500 | 3,590-4,460 | 3.5L PFDI V6 (275HP), 3.5L EcoBoost V6 (310HP) |
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Transit 350HD | 9,900-10,360 | 3,850-4,550 | 3.5L PFDI V6 (275HP), 3.5L EcoBoost V6 (310HP) |
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Transit 350HD Cutaway/Cab Chassis | 11,000 | 6,070-6,400 | 3.5L PFDI V6 (275HP), 3.5L EcoBoost V6 (310HP) |
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Ford E-350 Cutaway SRW | 10,050 | 5,030-5,100 |
7.3L V8 Premium Engine (350HP) or 7.3L V8 Economy (300HP)
|
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Ford E-350 Cutaway DRW | 11,500-12,500 | 6,210-7,200 |
7.3L V8 Premium Engine (350HP) or 7.3L V8 Economy (300HP)
|
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Ford E-450 Cutaway DRW | 14,000-14,500 | 8,480-8,980 |
7.3L V8 Premium Engine (350HP) or 7.3L V8 Economy (300HP)
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Ram Promaster City | 5,395 | 1,833 | 2.4L Gas (178HP) |
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Ram Promaster 1500 Cargo | 8,550 | 3,760-3,890 | 3.6L V6 Gas (280HP) |
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Ram Promaster 2500 Cargo | 8,900 | 4,130 – 4,260 | 3.6L V6 Gas (280HP) |
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Ram Promaster 3500 Cargo | 8,550 | 4,000-4,550 | 3.6L V6 Gas (280HP) |
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Ram Promaster 3500 Cutaway | 9,350 | 5,100-5230 | 3.6L V6 Gas (280HP) |
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Chevy Express Cutaway 3500 | 12,300 | 7,180 | 4.3L V6 (276HP), 6.6L V8 (401HP) |
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Chevy Express Cutaway 4500 | 14,200 | 8,920 | 4.3L V6 (276HP), 6.6L V8 (401HP) |
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Chevy Express 3500 Van | 8,600 | 3,280 |
4.3L V6 (276HP), 6.6L V8 (401HP), 2.8L Duramax (181HP)
|
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Chevy Express 4500 Van | 9,900 | 4,280 |
4.3L V6 (276HP), 6.6L V8 (401HP), 2.8L Duramax (181HP)
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Freightliner Sprinter Cargo Van 1500 | 8,550 | 3,920 | 2L Gas (188HP) |
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Freightliner Sprinter Cargo Van 2500 | 9,050 | 3318-4,420 | 3L Diesel (188HP) |
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Freightliner Sprinter Cargo Van 3500 | 9,990 | 4058-4,488 | 3L Diesel (188HP) |
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Freightliner Sprinter Cargo Van 3500XD | 11,030 | 4,978-5,706 | 3L Diesel (188HP) |
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Freightliner Sprinter Cargo Van 4500 | 12,125 | 6261-6,768 | 3L Diesel (188HP) |
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Freightliner Sprinter Cab Chassis 3500XD | 11,030 | 6,356 | 3L Diesel (188HP) |
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Freightliner Sprinter Cab Chassis 4500 | 12,125 | 7430 | 3L Diesel (188HP) |
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Freightliner MT-45 & 55 Step Van | 14,000 -30,000 | 10,000-19,000 |
Cummins 6.7L Diesel (200-300HP), GM V8 Gas (308HP)
|
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Mercedes Metris | 6,614 | 2,370-2,425 |
4cyl Gas (208HP)
|
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Mercedes Sprinter 1500 | 8,550 | 3,920 |
4cyl Gas (188HP)
|
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Mercedes Sprinter 2500 | 9,050 | 4,167-4,420 |
4cyl Gas (188HP), 3L Diesel (188HP)
|
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Mercedes Sprinter 3500 | 9,900 | 4,488 |
3L Diesel (188HP)
|
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Mercedes Sprinter 3500XD | 11,030 | 5,706 |
3L Diesel (188HP)
|
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Mercedes Sprinter 4500 | 12,125 | 6,768 |
3L Diesel (188HP)
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Nissan NV200 Compact Cargo | 4,773 | 1,480 | 2L 4cyl(131HP) |
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Nissan NV1500 | 8,500 | 2,730 | 4L V6 (261HP) |
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Nissan NV2500HD | 9,100 | 2,620-3,280 |
4L V6 (261HP), 5.6L V8 (375HP)
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Nissan NV3500HD | 9,900 | 2,690 -3,850 |
5.6L V8 (375HP)
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