Buisness vehicles

[PI Stsker]

How many miles are you doing per year in your vehicles?
Post Covid I seem to do more meetings over zoom but my mileage seems to be the same as it ever was, I do around 45,000 miles per year and frankly don’t have the time or effort to put up with a unreliable vehicle, I tend to swap out around 24-30 months old due to the milage.
I Currently have a 2023 discovery commercial, with a seat conversion… I’ve had a string of discos which touch wood have been reliable but they don’t have the best reputation and I do feel as if I’m on eggshells every time I get a new one to see what it’s like.. I’d like something that is fuel efficient, able to tow 3.5t (negotiable), reliable and tax efficient. What do you guys use / recommend?
Allot of people bang on about the new rangers, that they are very good on fuel?
Am I better off getting some kind of petrol hybrid car and accepting the towing capacity drop, although I’d like to use it personally and we all know the advantages of commercial BIK tax as well as the VAT advantages.

Just a wet afternoon thought…

 

[Cockneycowboy]

Stick with what you know, they all break down, all new vehicles with add blue more so than ever…

 

[JLLM]

@Raggy , your Ranger is not using much fuel.

 

[warksfarmer]

How many miles are you doing per year in your vehicles?
Post Covid I seem to do more meetings over zoom but my mileage seems to be the same as it ever was, I do around 45,000 miles per year and frankly don’t have the time or effort to put up with a unreliable vehicle, I tend to swap out around 24-30 months old due to the milage.
I Currently have a 2023 discovery commercial, with a seat conversion… I’ve had a string of discos which touch wood have been reliable but they don’t have the best reputation and I do feel as if I’m on eggshells every time I get a new one to see what it’s like.. I’d like something that is fuel efficient, able to tow 3.5t (negotiable), reliable and tax efficient. What do you guys use / recommend?
Allot of people bang on about the new rangers, that they are very good on fuel?
Am I better off getting some kind of petrol hybrid car and accepting the towing capacity drop, although I’d like to use it personally and we all know the advantages of commercial BIK tax as well as the VAT advantages.

Just a wet afternoon thought…

Got a 2.0l new ranger and its doing 27mpg local driving with a very steady driver. Also got a new vw 3.0 v6 which is a ranger basically and that will only do 24mpg on locals and 30 ish on longer runs.

 

[PI Stsker]

Got a 2.0l new ranger and its doing 27mpg local driving with a very steady driver. Also got a new vw 3.0 v6 which is a ranger basically and that will only do 24mpg on locals and 30 ish on longer runs.

That very poor! My disco averages 35mpg, granted mostly long runs, but I’m a quite ‘progressive’ driver.
Couple guys I was talking to reckoned it was 45mpg +!!

 

[warksfarmer]

That very poor! My disco averages 35mpg, granted mostly long runs, but I’m a quite ‘progressive’ driver.
Couple guys I was talking to reckoned it was 45mpg +!!

No chance. The ranger is now on 8000 miles so well settled in as well. They are crap on fuel.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

Having had discos going to a ranger will feel like driving a Roman chariot I would definitely drive one before you consider the swap

 

[barleybasher]

Are the discovery seat conversions legit? Anecdotally I heard of a local farmer that "got done" for having rear seats fitted but not having the vehicle type/taxation changed?

Presumably you at least notify insurers?

Also, from memory commercial vehicles have to abide by different speed limits?

A big grey area is also car based vans, some are listed as a cars some are listed as vans.... Eg the Berlingo (and very stylish it is too!!)

It is hard to go wrong with a high spec Ranger or Hilux, they get more car like with every generation, although can't imagine they will have that lovely refinement the Discovery has.

 

[PI Stsker]

Are the discovery seat conversions legit? Anecdotally I heard of a local farmer that "got done" for having rear seats fitted but not having the vehicle type/taxation changed?

Presumably you at least notify insurers?

Also, from memory commercial vehicles have to abide by different speed limits?

A big grey area is also car based vans, some are listed as a cars some are listed as vans.... Eg the Berlingo (and very stylish it is too!!)

It is hard to go wrong with a high spec Ranger or Hilux, they get more car like with every generation, although can't imagine they will have that lovely refinement the Discovery has.

It’s classed as a car derived van so has the same limits as a car.

 

[essex man]

How many miles are you doing per year in your vehicles?
Post Covid I seem to do more meetings over zoom but my mileage seems to be the same as it ever was, I do around 45,000 miles per year and frankly don’t have the time or effort to put up with a unreliable vehicle, I tend to swap out around 24-30 months old due to the milage.
I Currently have a 2023 discovery commercial, with a seat conversion… I’ve had a string of discos which touch wood have been reliable but they don’t have the best reputation and I do feel as if I’m on eggshells every time I get a new one to see what it’s like.. I’d like something that is fuel efficient, able to tow 3.5t (negotiable), reliable and tax efficient. What do you guys use / recommend?
Allot of people bang on about the new rangers, that they are very good on fuel?
Am I better off getting some kind of petrol hybrid car and accepting the towing capacity drop, although I’d like to use it personally and we all know the advantages of commercial BIK tax as well as the VAT advantages.

Just a wet afternoon thought…

My new ( to me) year old ranger 2.0l is worse on fuel than the 2.2 it replaced.
Though i probably drive faster in it.
Seems slightly better on long runs , can get 35.mpg.
But town driving is mid twenties.
There is no other option with five seats which has same tax treatment?
The "seat conversion" is cheating/legal?

 

[PI Stsker]

My new ( to me) year old ranger 2.0l is worse on fuel than the 2.2 it replaced.
Though i probably drive faster in it.
Seems slightly better on long runs , can get 35.mpg.
But town driving is mid twenties.
There is no other option with five seats which has same tax treatment?
The "seat conversion" is cheating/legal?

That’s what I’m struggling with, finding commercial vehicles that get the same tax treatment while getting the comfort and seat capacity.

How legal the seat conversion is I wouldn’t like to know or particularly want to get in to, insurance is aware it has 5 seats that’s good enough for me. Tax man might get queer if he visited though…

I believe, what I was told and what I’d argue is the rear seats are not a permanent fixture and the main purpose of the vehicle is Buisness, there for is completely legal. I supsoe no difference to a Ford transit van with seats in the back taking up half of the load area?

(There is other threads on here about this topic so let’s not flog a dead horse too much)

 

[essex man]

That’s what I’m struggling with, finding commercial vehicles that get the same tax treatment while getting the comfort and seat capacity.

How legal the seat conversion is I wouldn’t like to know or particularly want to get in to, insurance is aware it has 5 seats that’s good enough for me. Tax man might get queer if he visited though…

Ahh yes, that's what i thought.
Thanks.
You will be able to trade in to dealer in that "state"?

 

[PI Stsker]

Ahh yes, that's what i thought.
Thanks.
You will be able to trade in to dealer in that "state"?

No it’s a few hour job to take the seats out and so far on the last few trucks have just bolted back in to the new car. I do then take it down to LR dealer to plug it in and put in the back window parts to allow those windows to open but for PX purposes it’s arriving as a van and the new one leaves as one. Apart from the back windows working, the next owner would be non the wiser that it was ever a ‘car’.
However I would wager that most commercial discovery’s end up as cars most of their life. I can’t think of many professions where you’d genuinely need a 4x4 van and splash out on a disco rather than just have a transit or the likes. The commercials are made a a tax loop hole and everyone knows it.

 

[essex man]

No it’s a few hour job to take the seats out and so far on the last few trucks have just bolted back in to the new car. I do then take it down to LR dealer to plug it in and put in the back window parts to allow those windows to open but for PX purposes it’s arriving as a van and the new one leaves as one. Apart from the back windows working, the next owner would be non the wiser that it was ever a ‘car’.
However I would wager that most commercial discovery’s end up as cars most of their life. I can’t think of many professions where you’d genuinely need a 4x4 van and splash out on a disco rather than just have a transit or the likes. The commercials are made a a tax loop hole and everyone knows it.

Ahh, yes, "genuine need" can't be measured which is why they have actual physical criteria i guess.
I know people who have put seats and windows in transits.

 

[barleybasher]

It’s classed as a car derived van so has the same limits as a car.

Even the same vehicles can be registered as one or the other apparently

Why UK speed limits are confusing for pick-up drivers | Autocar

A confusing mess of speed limit types leaves some vehicles with an unusual exception - Matt Prior explains

www.autocar.co.uk

 

[JohnnyF]

Doing that sort of mileage you’d want comfort fairly high on your list, any of the pickups or commercials I can think of would be a massive step backwards in comfort in comparison to a discovery.
If you haven’t had any issues with them so far why change, there are just as many issues with rangers or the likes if you do some digging on the Facebook forums. I’ve never had any issues with my discovery, remember bad news travels much faster than good so you’ll only ever hear the horror stories…

 

[ED.D]

How many miles are you doing per year in your vehicles?
Post Covid I seem to do more meetings over zoom but my mileage seems to be the same as it ever was, I do around 45,000 miles per year and frankly don’t have the time or effort to put up with a unreliable vehicle, I tend to swap out around 24-30 months old due to the milage.
I Currently have a 2023 discovery commercial, with a seat conversion… I’ve had a string of discos which touch wood have been reliable but they don’t have the best reputation and I do feel as if I’m on eggshells every time I get a new one to see what it’s like.. I’d like something that is fuel efficient, able to tow 3.5t (negotiable), reliable and tax efficient. What do you guys use / recommend?
Allot of people bang on about the new rangers, that they are very good on fuel?
Am I better off getting some kind of petrol hybrid car and accepting the towing capacity drop, although I’d like to use it personally and we all know the advantages of commercial BIK tax as well as the VAT advantages.

Just a wet afternoon thought…

Good question and one I almost tried to
Muster up the energy to ask. Had an ML, was cheap motoring, got an amarok, was comfortable all things considered, having had a conversation with dvsa about towing capacities I got a discovery commercial and to be honest so far so good. Other than a Range Rover I don’t see what there is to compete with it. Priced a new amarok and I think the extra that the disco cost is more than worth it.
Happy to see what anyone else can suggest though for next time round.

 

[PI Stsker]

Good question and one I almost tried to
Muster up the energy to ask. Had an ML, was cheap motoring, got an amarok, was comfortable all things considered, having had a conversation with dvsa about towing capacities I got a discovery commercial and to be honest so far so good. Other than a Range Rover I don’t see what there is to compete with it. Priced a new amarok and I think the extra that the disco cost is more than worth it.
Happy to see what anyone else can suggest though for next time round.

I believe the range topping ranger or amerok wouldn’t be much of a stretch to a discovery either with, by the sounds of it, a compromise in fuel efficiency and comfort.
In fairness if they have sorted out the reliability issues, which touch wood, they seem to have done now with the D300 (?) I wouldn’t have a reason to change.

I geus the LR dark cloud just looms over me and I was worried if I was missing a trick being led to believe the rangers were some what of a magic carpet running on fresh air, which has been proved some what of a load of rubbish!

 

[JohnnyF]

Does anyone know the latest on the ineos grenadier? It wouldn’t be up there on the comfort of the discovery or even a ranger for that matter but last I heard it wasn’t commercial spec so was slightly dead in the water for many buyers. Have they managed to sort this out now? On paper it has some very good stats at being a good farm truck, just not the price!

 

[MOG]

It’s classed as a car derived van so has the same limits as a car

be careful with this argument as it only applies to vehicles with a laden weight of upto 2 tonnes. Pretty sure a Disco weighs more than that empty!

Car-derived vans and dual purpose vehicles

www.gov.uk

It may qualify as a dual purpose vehicle (and be allowed to travel ar car speeds ) as it is 4WD. However, it would also need to have an unladen weight of under 2040 kg (see same link as above).