I do some casual work delivering car parts. Since I work for a Ford main dealer, it's unsurprising that most of the vans are either full-size Transits or Transit Connects. There are also a couple of small Citroen vans.
I hate driving the Citroens. They're noisy, the turning circle is far too big and the brakes are pathetic. (Both the Citroens have less than 10,000 miles on the clock but you have to push the brake pedal down nearly 6 inches before you get any response). The Transit Connects are far better. (Most of the fleet has just been replaced with brand new vehicles, so I've driven both new and older vehicles). They handle well and are really easy to manoeuvre into tight corners. The fuel efficiency seems reasonable and, being Fords, I assume that servicing and spare parts might come cheaper than some with some competitors' models. The only thing in the Citroen's favour is that they've got doors into the goods area on both sides of the vehicle (so that you don't have to keep walking round every time you pull up).
I'd certainly recommend including a Transit Connect on your list of possibilities.
Chris