Advice on buying a Mercedes Vito

[ManJ]

Hi guys, the time has come to change the work van, and the Mercedes Vito quite interests me, Im looking for a 2001ish one and willing to spend about £3500-£4000. Few questions ive got are: what sort of MPG do these vans give? what do I need to look for when buying one?

ANY advice welcome..
regards

ManJ

 

[w114-Dan]

hi, i felt compelled to actually join the forum and post on your very thread.
the reason why is because, like you, im a keen MB fan and i bought a 2000 vito as new or work. its been the worst van ive ever had the misfortune to own. it has 30,000 miles on it as im a local builder, but that hasnt stopped the drivers seat from ripping. (i get in and out 3 times aday roughly?) the drive shaft snapped at 16,000 miles just missing the warranty period... if the back door gets any muck in it it wont close and lock. both side door handles have been replaced once, the wipers have to be replaced about twice a year as they always wear very quickly. oh and despite a full service history it is slower than my transit which it used to beat hands down.

my point is that i cannot say enough to stop you getting one.. mybe you think mine was a friday car, (built on a friday when everyone is rushing to get home) but when you talk to other owners most of them will 'rubbish' the van too. if i were to choose a new van (mines rusted out under the side doors so will get rid soon) id look at the VW transporter or the faithfull transit.

i should probably add (seeing as this is an MB forum) ythat these are my own opions and dont nessacarily reflect those of the mb club

regards
Dan

 

[Andy W]

A mate of mine has had 2 Vito vans from new, the early one was ok but the 01 plate was a disaster. When he purchased it I purchased a new fiat scudo and he took the mickey out of mine saying his would outlast mine, hold it value longer and stay in better condition............wrong. His had numerous trips to the dealer for all sorts of problems mainly electrical and the rust was diabolical, unbelievable amounts of rust, it had rust repairs 3 times! My scudo did not have any rust at all and when I sold it 4 years later the total amount of deappreciation came to £4,300, not bad eh, my mate lost an enormous amount and now drives a transit connect, myself I purchased a Renault Trafic van, now that is a Friday afternoon built van and I can not wait to get rid of it next September.

 

[ManJ]

serious... hmm, you lads got me thinking now, I was looking at a 2001+ transit swb. I am a plumber but occasionally stumble across building work, but because I have all sorts of tradesmen that work for me I take on all work, I jus need something that will fit plasterboards and my tools etc comfortably. At present I have a Astravan, and to be honest, I dont have a single bad thing to say, the only problem is that it is too small.
May need to rethink the Vito, any other suggestions...

 

[Parrot of Doom]

A collegue of mine bought a Vito for his business, sometime around 1999 - it was an unmitigated disaster.

If I were you, I'd look at those Renault Kangoos and the like, they're supposed to be excellent.

 

[BTB 500]

Is the new RWD Vito any better?

 

[glojo]

I think it informative to have folks document their problems they should be listened to, but I would not let a few posts put me off. It would certainly open my eyes though.

I cannot comment about the Vito, but I did have a 2.0ltr petrol Transit before buying our first Sprinter 212 which I believe is more of a comparison when comparing like with like. What a difference, the Transit was archaic in every department. speed, reliability, servicing, running costs etc etc. We did suffer problems with the hinges on the rear doors. These were replaced three times, twice under warranty, and once as a goodwill gesture. These hinges were finally modified by MB.

I am now on my second Sprinter and the only reason I have purchased it is because of both the service and reliabilty of the first one.

Buying a second-hand vehicle is a minefield, I would want to know the FULL service history of any potential purchase. The stamp in the service booklet is okay, but the most important thing is documentation! What work has been carried out and what parts have been replaced. Bodywork is an excellent way of seeing how a vehicle has been looked after. I note how several members have complained about rust, all I will tactfully say is our Sprinter is 4.5yrs old and left outside 24 hours a day, yet there is no trace whatsoever of ANY rust, mind you the vehicle is dare I say......... regularly washed and polished

Regards,
John