Editorial Picks: Commercial vehicles under $100k

Cars are far from affordable in Singapore, hence I would normally advise someone on a budget to put their money elsewhere. After all, our public transportation services are well-developed and quite convenient.

But there are some cases where having your own vehicle would make much more sense. For example, when you are a business owner that has to make frequent deliveries, or you have to commute to multiple locations that aren't as accessible via trains or buses.

In this series, the Editorial Team will explore different segments of the car market. We'll highlight some picks that you should consider, and also breakdown some of the pros and cons you should look out for.  

This time round, we are looking at affordable commercial vehicles. As expected of a small business owner, you probably wouldn't want to spend too much money unnecessarily, so we are looking at some options under $100,000. Here are our Editorial Picks. (All prices are accurate at time of publishing.)

The Honda N-Van's 'big-eyes' and compact footprint gives it plenty of charm

Charismatic pick: Honda N-Van

Price: From $81,800

Depreciation: $8,180/yr

I don't think we can hide our enthusiasm for this cute kei van - we even had an article about its popularity here! When the N-Van was first introduced in Singapore, it made waves among drivers for its charming design and practicality. Stories of drivers making the switch from a passenger car to an N-Van was quite common as well.

Now, the N-Van is a kei-class vehicle, which means that carrying capacity is naturally not spectacular. Hence, this is the commercial vehicle to go for if you don't need to haul too much cargo on a frequent basis, and are equally charmed by this cute vehicle.

Pros:

• Charming design
• Pleasant interior akin to passenger cars
• Available with Honda Sensing
• Small and easy to drive

Cons:

• Small-sized with limited carrying capacity
• Low-powered 660cc engine

Adequately sized and reliably built, the NV200 is a no-frills commercial van that will suit most small to medium-size businesses!

Practical pick: Nissan NV200

Price: $92,900

Depreciation: $9,290/yr

At a price point below $100,000, the Nissan NV200 offers plenty of cargo hauling capacity while being easy to drive. Adequately sized for most small to medium-size businesses, it is unlikely that you'll find yourself yearning for more space than what the NV200 manages.

This is a no-frills commercial vehicle that is easy to maintain and trouble-free most of the time. How do we know that? Well, Sgcarmart has an NV200 that we use for all kinds of duties - from running errands to shooting our YouTube videos!

Pros:

• Fuss-free reliability
• A good balance between ease of driving and cargo space
• Reasonably priced
• Available through the Authorised Dealer

Cons:

• No frills, utilitarian
• Not the best fuel economy

Based on the same platform as the NV200, the BYD T3 offers everything the former does, along with a silent and green powertrain

Electric pick: BYD T3

Price: From $87,200 (44.9kWh)

Depreciation: $8,720/yr

In recent times, the number of electric vans offered in the market has steadily increased. However, if you were to narrow the selection down to those that cost below $100,000 (with COE considered), you wouldn't be left with many choices.

In the end, it boils down to pretty much the BYD T3 and the Sokon/DFSK offerings at such a price point. While they are all practical and utilitarian offerings, the T3 is a better overall package, offering more cargo space than the latter. In fact, the T3 is based on the same platform as the NV200, and hence offers similar benefits. 

Pros:

• A reasonable range just below 300km
• Cost savings as it is an EV (lower running and maintenance costs)
• A good balance between ease of driving and cargo space

Cons:

• Might require some route planning to cater for charging time and EV range as opposed to an internal combustion-powered van

The NV350 is the one to opt for if you need something larger than an NV200 - Hiace-sized, but much more reasonably priced in the used market

Used pick: Nissan NV350

Price: $3,888 - $66,988 (depending on how many years left)

Depreciation: $7,600 - $9,900/yr

With its large body and boxy design, the Toyota Hiace is the top choice if you need to haul plenty of cargo. But due to its popularity, the going rate for a used Hiace is a tad too high for it to be considered affordable.

And this brings us to the next best option, the Nissan NV350 (also known as the Urvan). Size wise, the NV350 is similar to the Hiace, offering much more capacity than smaller vans like the NV200 or the Honda N-Van. The NV350 is also known to be reliable and easy to maintain. The best part of it all is simply how much more affordable it is in the used market. And having been around for some time, you can find units for short term use as well.

Pros:

• Large and cavernous cargo space
• Reliable and problem-free
• Reasonably priced

Cons:

• Can be difficult to handle due to its size
• Doesn't look that great

You can see available listings of this model here.