I opted for the Mercedes-Benz Vito 108D because of it's track record for reliability, ease of repair, and because the design for its engine is in use of millions of taxis the world over - some over 20yrs old or with 300,000 miles on the clock.

Anyway, in terms of running costs it's comparable - if not better than a car:

Fuel Consumption
I average 31-33mpg, so it's as good as most small cars. At the height of the fuel prices in 2008 it was costing the best part of £100/tank, but still giving good range. As it's a dieseI have considered converting to WVO (see developments), which shouldn't be too much of an issue as there's no turbo.

Speed, Acceleration & Braking
OK, so it's not the quickest, but you can still accelerate away quickly enough if you concentrate! On the motorway it cruises effortlessly at the speed limit, and has plenty left in it to go beyond - so again, it's comparable to a car. You do have to remember about braking distance though if you're fully laden (normal driving consideration).

Depreciation
Given that it cost so little in the first place, depreciation will never be more than £900 - if it gets written off or is scrapped. Everything added could be salvaged to go into a replacement vehicle. As it's into year two, I calculate year one depreciation as nil.

Road Tax
£180/yr as a PLG; £101.25/6 months. If you were running it through a business, BIK tax would be minimal - if not zero.

Insurance
Assuming you have an NCB, insurance shouldn't cost you more than £200. You do need specialist van insurance as most car insurers don't have the Vito listed on their quote systems (just the MPV version, which is a group 13 - so expensive), but I've found that the specialists are still competitive if you look hard enough.

Repairs
There's very little that I needed to do over the course of a year. I broke the gear box linkages (it's a cable shift mechanism on the Vito) when I was up in Skye. I managed to bodge it together to get to a town, and new clips cost £20. If you look hard enough, you can get replacement tyres from a scrap yard - road legal, on a second-hand steel wheel from £5 each.
I backed into a hedge at my sister's farm and put a stick through the good rear headlight, but managed to find all the bits and glue it back together with an all-purpose gel glue.

Paintwork
After a year of use the paintwork was in a good state, considering I didn't even wash it once. A bit of the original rust started showing through, so I spent one day sanding it back, Hammeriting the rust, and then I gave the whole van 3 extra coats all-over of blackboard paint to keep it looking smart. With the latest A-Team Van red stripes I think it looks better than ever.

Summary
All things considered, this has been a bargain in terms of running costs!