So my 2021 Ford Transit AKA the “50 Shades Van” is approaching the end of its lease.
It’s been a great van and very reliable. Sort from servicing it’s only been in the garage for a grinding hub noise which was fixed under warranty and a couple of wheel studs broken due to a mechanic not tightening the nuts up properly after a service.
At 91k it’s heading towards it’s 100k mile service which is an expensive one with the Wet Belt due to be changed and rear discs and pads needing done. Total bill for this would be about £2,200 if I was to keep the van.
But I have decided to not purchase the van at the end of the lease and just return it.
I can get a new lease on a brand new van for less money as a deposit than paying for the 100k service and I get a new van with full warranty and known monthly costs and likely no serious issues for another 5 years at least.
I also get to change up the design of the interior layout and apply all the things I have learned about what works for me in the van over the years and make some upgrades and improvements to make it more comfortable and suit my use more.
I have been looking at the best options for a new van and have decided to go for a Nissan Interstar L3 H3 150HP Auto Tekna in Agave Blue.
(The images are from a Renault Master as I can’t find any Nissan photos of the exact colour and size but the vans are the same from the same factory)
The Tekna spec is the highest of the two available and includes a couple of extras above the standard spec which I wanted.
Rear camera – Great for moving a large van around and parking and towing.
Heated screen – Great for winter driving
Surround parking sensors – Great for tight spaces.
Auto Climate Control – Easy to set a temp and leave it as the van will adjust settings and direct air to where it’s needed. I have this on my smaller Nissan Townstar van and it works great.
Full spec list and brochure here https://www-europe.nissan-cdn.net/content/dam/Nissan/gb/brochures/Vehicles/INTERSTAR_BROCHURE.pdf
Why not the Renault if it’s the same Van?
Simply cost, value and warranty.
The Nissan has a 5 year 100k warranty with roadside assistance and the Renault has only 3 years.
The Nissan has a higher spec and better equipment.
The Nissan is 20% cheaper per month to lease for the same van with better standard equipment and longer warranty.
Why not another transit?
Simply cost and warranty again. Transits have jumped in price dramatically and especially the AWD models like mine and I can’t justify the monthly payment for the very few times I need the AWD system. The exact same spec Transit would be over £900 per month on anew lease and the Nissan can be had for less than £600 per month.
The AWD system and gearing means the Transit has averaged around 23-24 mpg over it’s life. With the price of fuel the cost is much higher than I can justify compared to the 35+mpg the Interstar should do.
Why an auto this time?
Auto gearboxes are nicer to drive for town and long journeys. This auto gearbox is a 9 Speed and is supposed to be as economical or better than the manual version.
Servicing costs are also lower for the Interstar over it’s life and the engine is timing chain driven and not a belt so no belt to change at all.
I will do a more detailed breakdown and info on the new van specs on the next post but hopefully you can see that this will be much cheaper to run and service vehicle over it’s life.
I have also switched this time to a Finance lease so the vehicle is owned by us at the end of the lease with a final balloon payment to own it. This means I have more freedom to cut holes in it and fit windows and so on without risking getting a big bill at the end for non authorised modifications.
Will I miss my AWD Transit?
Yes but the Interstar will also be a very cool van once I get it all built out and save me money.
It’s last winter trip will be to the Spine race in early Jan then I have to come back and strip it out to be collected and returned to the lease company with my new Van scheduled for delivery by the end of Jan.
I may be homeless for a week or so if it’s late!
In the next post I will go through some detailed specs and some plans for the conversion and what I will change from how my Transit is built out
Oh and I need to decide on a name as it can’t be “50 Shades” as it’s not gray.
Maybe…
Nisvandamme or Niss Van Damme
Adventure Van 2.0
Bonnie (Blue)
NissVanHut
NissVanGonk as I have a gonk that looks like me made by someone hanging in the cureent van.
let me know what you think.
Lindley
Its a head vs heart choice to me, the AWD Transit is a very cool van but that comes with its downsides, the additional costs, reduced MPG, that little bit of constant stress and worry that comes hand in hand with a wetbelt.
But the Interstar is a thinking mans van, even comes with a cool name and even cooler colour 👍
It will be interesting to see how it compares to the transit in cost and driving styles and features.