Quick Summary
Proven, widely sold models give small businesses the most value in a used work van: the Ford Transit, Chevrolet Express, Ram ProMaster and the smaller Transit Connect, ProMaster City and Nissan NV200. Full-size vans handle ladders, shelving and heavy tool loads, while compact vans save fuel and fit tight city parking. Service records, payload rating and heat-related wear matter more than the badge, especially in Tucson. Our inventory changes often, so call (520) 750-0505 or check online for current work vans and trucks, and ask about financing with $499 down.
Picture a plumber who runs copper fittings out to the east side all week and a caterer who hauls trays up to a wedding in Marana on Saturday, and they don’t need the same van at all, but when either one comes in they’re asking us what the best used cargo van to buy is when the same money also has to cover payroll.
There isn’t one answer for everybody, it depends on how much weight you carry, how tall your stuff is and how many miles you put on in a week, but these six vans are the ones that tend to have a lot of life left.
Full-Size Used Cargo Vans That Hold Their Value
If you’re carrying extension ladders or pallets or you’ve got shelving bolted down both walls, a little van isn’t going to cut it, and these three are the big ones we see around Tucson the most.
Ford Transit (2015 and Newer)
Ford brought the Transit over for 2015 to replace the old E-Series, and fleets bought a ton of them, so they’re everywhere now, which helps when you need a part on a Saturday.
The early ones came with a 3.7-liter V6, an optional 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 or, through 2019, a 3.2-liter Power Stroke diesel, and with three roof heights and a few lengths to pick from you can usually find one that fits the job.
Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana
These two are the same van with a different grille, body-on-frame and rear-wheel drive, and it’s barely changed since the late 1990s, so pretty much every mechanic in Pima County knows it.
Most older ones have a gas V8, and the heavier 3500s do better with a trailer or a dense load than most vans, so if you tow most days you can probably put up with the lower, narrower cargo area and the so-so gas mileage.
Ram ProMaster (2014 and Newer)
The ProMaster is front-wheel drive, and that matters more than you’d think, because there’s no driveshaft running under the back, so the floor sits low and flat and you roll a dishwasher in instead of lifting it.
Most of the ones sold here have the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, which every shop in town knows, and the wide, boxy cargo area is why a lot of shelving setups start with this van.
Compact Vans That Cut Fuel and Parking Headaches
When your whole job fits in a few bins or on a hand truck, a smaller van is cheaper at the pump and it’ll fit a regular parking space, which matters if you’ve ever tried parking a high-roof Transit on 4th Avenue.
Ford Transit Connect
The Transit Connect is built off a car, so it drives more like a crossover than a truck, and we mostly see them with florists, couriers, IT techs and mobile pet groomers, whose gear fits behind the front seats.
The earlier U.S. ones mostly had a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, with a 1.6-liter EcoBoost available through 2018, and the 2019 update brought a 2.0-liter four and an eight-speed automatic, but Ford stopped selling it here after 2023, so used is the only way to get one now.
Ram ProMaster City
Ram sold the ProMaster City here from 2015 through 2022 with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a nine-speed automatic, and the cargo area’s bigger than it looks, with payload somewhere around 1,800 to 1,900 pounds depending on the year and setup.
Nissan NV200
The NV200 is pretty basic, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a continuously variable transmission, narrow enough for tight city routes, and Chevy even sold a rebadged version for a few years called the City Express.
How To Choose the Best Used Cargo Van to Buy for Your Work
A good price on the wrong van still costs you, so we’d check a couple things first.
Match Payload and Roof Height to the Job
The payload number is on the sticker in the driver’s door jamb, so add up your shelving, your tools and whoever rides with you and leave some room, since a van that’s maxed out every day wears out its brakes, springs and transmission early.
Read the Service History Closely
Fleet vans a lot of times come with better records than people expect, and we’d take a 120,000-mile van with the oil changes, transmission service and cooling-system work written down over a lower-mileage van nobody knows anything about.
Factor in Desert Heat
Our summers are hard on batteries, belts, hoses and the A/C, and a van with no insulation gets really hot inside by lunch in July, so have the air checked, look at the tires for dry-rot cracks and ask where the van spent most of its life.
Shop Work Vehicles With Car Time Supercenter
We usually have 100+ inspected pre-owned vehicles at 3170 N Oracle Rd., every one guaranteed to meet Arizona emissions standards, but our inventory changes fast, so call (520) 750-0505 or look through our used cars for sale in Tucson, AZ, or our used trucks in Tucson if a pickup with a bed cap might work for you.
A new business shouldn’t have to wait on a work vehicle, and that’s why our flexible car financing includes $499 down with no payments for up to 120 days, and you can sell or trade in your current vehicle to bring down what you finance.
Call or stop by and we’ll help you find a van or truck that fits your budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be if the records are there, since fleet vans usually rack up highway miles on a regular service schedule, which is easier on an engine than short trips, so a 150,000-mile van that’s been taken care of can easily beat a neglected one with half the miles.
It depends on what you carry, a compact like the Transit Connect or NV200 usually makes more sense for light loads and driving around town, but once you’re hauling ladders, pallets or heavy shelving, a full-size van is worth it.
Yes, the same financing we use for cars, trucks and SUVs works for vans, including $499 down with no payments for up to 120 days, and you can get pre-qualified online before you come in.
Here it’s mostly about heat, so we’d run the A/C on full, check the belts and hoses for cracks, check the date on the battery and the tire sidewalls for dry rot, and look underneath for oil or coolant leaks.
There are good reasons people will buy their next used car in Tucson from Car Time Supercenter. But I think we are one of the most trusted used car dealerships mainly because we treat everyone like family. My family has provided quality, dependable local used cars to Tucson customers since 1984, and I’m proud to be a part of our continued success.
Like many family-owned businesses, I grew up going to work with my dad. Falling in love with cars was natural because of my father’s passion, and eventually, I came to love the car business just like him. I officially joined the Car Time Supercenter team in 2012, starting in the finance department. Over the past decade, I’ve learned the used car business and how to treat customers from my family and industry resources.
Today, I oversee marketing, social media, inventory, and reconditioning, so I play an essential role in delivering local Tucson used car buyers the best experience possible. I also help our family business keep up with the times while providing old-fashioned customer service. From attending NADA classes to becoming Allstate certified for back-end products, I continue to learn and add skills to serve our customers better.
