Best Vehicles for Courier Services

With so many options out there, what’s the right courier vehicle for you? You may know all about the highly popular Prius and Ford Transit, but there are some other good alternatives to consider as well. Whether you wish to buy a new or used vehicle, here’s a summary of the top three cars and vans for couriers and private hire in the UK, as well as statistics showing how their popularity has changed in recent years.

Most Popular Cars for Couriers and Private Hire

It's clear that the dynamic of the UK vehicle market is changing, away from traditional petrol and diesel models into hybrid/electric vehicles. This is especially important in London, where certain hybrids and electrics can be exempt from congestion charges if they meet TFL's 75g CO2/km exemption threshold. These cars can also save you money on delivery driver insurance compared to many other models on the road.

* Hyundai's Ioniq was only released in the UK in 2017

Unsurprisingly, the hybrid/electric vehicles have seen a considerable rise in popularity since coming to the UK as more and more people look to "go green". And while Audi are starting to release A4's with hybrid power (although they are considerably behind main competitor BMW in the green power race) it's difficult to imagine a world where they start to regain popularity without mastering the technology.

* No 2018-2020 Honda Insight vehicles are currently listed on AutoTrader. Older models still available.

The Insignia is considerably cheaper than its competitors in this area—unsurprising given Vauxhall's target market and the abundance of vehicles available. And interestingly, while the A4 retails at nearly £10,000 more than the Prius they're both worth roughly the same preowned. It's an issue the premium car market has faced for a number of years. As they continue to rejig and modify their headline models and release new versions, the value of the previous editions falls quickly. However, the quality of the vehicles and their reliability means they tend to hold their value much more effectively after the initial drop off.

With such a wide variety of makes and models available to car couriers and delivery drivers in the UK, which cars work the best? While some firms, like JustEat, have no requirements for your vehicle before you start delivering (outside of it being reliable, of course!), companies like Uber and Bolt—or any company you’ll be carrying passengers with)— have some criteria for your vehicle to meet before you drive for them, such as:

• Modern model (for Uber—2008 or newer in London, 2006 or newer elsewhere
• 4-door car or minivan
• Clean and in good condition with no visible damage
• No advertising or commercial branding
• Licensed to carry at least 4 passengers and 1 driver

Here is some information on our three picks for the best courier and private hire cars in the UK.

Toyota Prius

The Prius has been a staple of Uber and food delivery drivers since it came to the UK. Even older models are capable of getting around 50-55 miles per gallon in city driving conditions, a number that blows its non-hybrid competition out of the water, saving delivery drivers a significant sum of money over the course of a year of driving.

A standard Prius comes with a 1.8L engine and an electric motor, combining for 121bhp, and with excellent fuel consumption plus relatively low costs to repair (outside of the battery, the main reason many owners choose to avoid older models, which can be very costly to repair, estimated at £1,600-£2,000 depending on your model) it’s not hard to see why it’s such a popular choice.

The Prius is also heralded for its excellent safety ratings and features—receiving 5-stars from Euro NCAP for its assessment in protecting adult and child occupants, vulnerable road users, and the quality of its safety assist. The Prius’ excellent safety track record makes it a popular choice for anyone carrying passengers, whether for personal or commercial reasons.

A brand new Prius will generally set you back around £19,000, but you could easily find a second-hand 2016 plate for around £5,500 that you’d comfortably get a few years of driving out of.

Hyundai Ioniq

Available as a hybrid, plug-in or all electric, the Ioniq is an excellent alternative for those not so keen on the Prius’ less-powerful engine and less attractive style. Capable of achieving around 60mpg while on hybrid mode (and an exceptional 90mpg while using only the batteries, but with a range of just under 30 miles) the Ioniq is one of the best choices a fuel cost-conscious driver could make.

The Ioniq’s 1.6L petrol-electric engine, while it certainly won’t blow you away, will comfortably outspeed that found in the Prius. Hyundai’s standard kit is also well-rounded on all three versions, all coming with an emergency braking system, lane-keeping assistance and driver attention monitor.

Hyundai’s warranty is heralded by many of its customers and the Ioniq is no different, coming with the standard five years and unlimited miles (great for couriers and drivers), and the battery, usually the most expensive part of any hybrid to replace, coming with eight years and 125,000 miles of protection.

Another 5-star recipient from Euro NCAP, however slightly behind the Prius in each of the four categories. And while Hyundai’s are known for their reliability (thus the generous warranties), What Car?’s reliability survey had the Ioniq behind the Prius and a number of other popular hybrid vehicles.

Hyundai advertises the Ioniq as starting from £23,840 for a brand new vehicle, and a second-hand 2017 plate, when the vehicle was first released in the UK, comes in around the £10,000 mark.

Audi A4

The only non-hybrid recommendation on this list, the A4 is the best option for any petrol/diesel fans looking for a car under £30,000 to use for Uber, Bolt, or any form of delivery or courier work. The A4 has a huge number of engine options, petrol or diesel, ranging from around 130bhp up to 240bhp—but bear in mind some of the top-end options will bump the price up (and over Uber’s under-£30,000 price requirement).

While some of the more powerful models will struggle for fuel efficiency, the 160bhp 2.0L TDIe will comfortably return a fuel economy of over 60mpg, and if you’re looking for comfort and speed on longer journeys then the A4 will go from 0-60 over 2 seconds faster than even the nimblest Prius model.

Safety wise, the A4 is just slightly behind the Prius in most categories (but ahead of it in child safety, perfect for any parents also using their vehicle for the school run) but still comfortably collected a 5-star rating.

By far the most expensive of the three, a new A4 starts from £29,205, just a snip under Uber’s £30,000 maximum value. However, due to the variety of different models and the rate at which updated models are released, the value of an A4 tends to fall off quite quickly (before being able to hold its value strongly past the 3 year mark) and you could expect a 2016 plate to set you back around £8,500.

Most Popular Vans for Couriers

Before deciding which van will work best for you, it’s important to consider what type of courier work you’re likely to be undertaking, and to make sure you select a model/panel type that is most suitable. Most vans can be categorised as either small, medium or large panel, with the larger models more appropriate for those carrying heavy/higher volume loads.

While the Berlingo has maintained it's spot as the most popular of our 3 recommendations (in part due to its versatility as both a people carrier and courier van, while the other two models tend to serve primarily as courier vehicles), it's difficult not to notice the impressive rise of the Ford Transit Connect over the past few years (over doubling the number on the road since 2014!)—a few reasons why this might be appear below.

Ford Transit Connect

Always well regarded in the city van market, the Transit Connect has come a long way since being launched in 2002 as a replacement for the Escort van. Ford calls the Connect “big on choice and big on space”, and they’re not wrong.

With 3 manual diesel (75, 99 and 118 brake horsepower), 2 manual automatic (99 and 118 bhp) and even a 99bhp Ecoboost petrol engine (ideal for cities and less heavy loads) there’s a wide variety of selection to best suit. In terms of space, even the smallest L1 Model will comfortably fit 2 Euro pallets and take a payload of 600kg, which tops out at just over 1000kg on the larger variants.

An added bonus of the Transit Connect is an excellent MPG rating - the 1.5L engine can easily sit near the 60mpg mark, saving you money on fuel in the long-run.

Prices for a newer model (2014 onwards) start from around £7,500, with the newest models sitting around £16,500 RRP from approved suppliers.

Volkswagen Caddy

Introduced to the market in 2015, the Caddy is now in its third iteration. It shares many of the excellent technologies you might find in a modern Volkswagen Golf, such as adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking assist, and a 5” touch screen radio and computer.

The three diesel options, a 2.0L producing either 74bhp, 101bhp or 148bhp remain more popular than their petrol (a 1.4L 123bhp, 1.2L 83bhp, 1.0L 101bhp) counterparts for most.

couriers, but if fuel economy is important to you there’s a 101bhp “ultra-efficient” Bluemotion version that claims to return just over 64mpg.

Volkswagen’s USP here appears to be customisation and choice - VW’s website has a wide array of options for almost every part of your vehicle, so it won’t be hard to create a Caddy that works best for you, but do be aware of the potential additional costs of doing so.

A slightly cheaper option than the Transit Connect, 2015 Caddy’s start from around £5,000 on Autotrader. A brand new diesel model from an approved Volkswagen dealer will start around £17,000RRP for the base model.

Citroen Berlingo

A popular choice for those looking for a vehicle for both personal and professional use since 1996, the Berlingo has a versatility that makes it ideal for carrying both passengers and goods.

You’ll have three diesel engine choices, producing 74bhp, 99bhp and 128bhp, and a 1.2L petrol engine at 108bhp. It comes with 4 types of trim, from the most basic up to a ‘driver’ model that comes with a number of useful gadgets such as side/rear cameras and parking sensors.

The Berlingo also has, as standard, an innovative overload indicator that will let you know when the vehicle is getting near its capacity, especially useful for any couriers who tend to carry heavy goods.

Generally retailed as a more expensive option to its counterparts, Berlingo’s tend to hold their value slightly less than its competitors. A 2015 model starts around £5,000 second-hand, and Citroen starts the price for the base level Berlingo at just over £21,500.

Things to consider before buying

Where are you going to be driving?

Certain vehicles are much better suited to the stop-start nature of inner city driving, and some much better on longer, more consistent drives. Consider which category you’re more likely to fall into before deciding what vehicle to purchase

How much does it cost to run?

Make sure you’ve thought about the immediate and future costs of running your vehicle. Cars like the Prius are typically popular because of their low cost of maintenance/repair, but be cautious that if you have an issue with the battery it’s likely to set you back a considerable amount of money, especially compared to the value of the vehicle.

How comfortable is it?

Similarly to the first question, some vehicles will certainly fare better in narrow, congested inner city streets than others. Some local authorities in London are even trialing 6'6" vehicle width restrictions, so even some cars might struggle. Similarly, if you’re operating in the outer zones of a city, or in any less densely populated areas, consider if a vehicle more suited to comfortably dealing longer journeys might be appropriate.

How safe is it?

Safety is imperative anytime you’re behind a wheel, but especially when you’re carrying passengers or goods for somebody else. Make sure to check how your vehicle compares to others on the Euro NCAP website to make sure you feel safe that no harm will come to them in the event of an accident.