Mercedes-Benz London Taxi

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What is the point in the small turning circle, do they not know how to do a 3point turn? or a 5 or whatever!?
 
Keeps the traffic flowing. If every cab in London had to do a 3 point turn everytime they turned round, the roads would be even worse than they already are!
 
Which engine does the Vito Taxi use? will it be viable in the long term with huge mileage?
 
Which engine does the Vito Taxi use? will it be viable in the long term with huge mileage?

646?

Given that Vitos are possibly the most unreliable and badly built van on the UK market, how long will taxi drivers put up with them?

"LTI points to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which show 226 Mercedes Vitos registered in the UK, including demonstrators and loan vehicles, in 2009 compared to 1,084 LTI vehicles

That gives Mercedes a 17 per cent of the market nationally, while figures from the Public Carriage Office show that the Mercedes Vito has taken approximately 25 per cent of the London market.

Laidler indicated that Vito is filling the gap left by Metrocab, which went out of business in 2006.

"You don’t get many tourists coming to London to ride in a Mercedes Vito now do you?,” concluded Laidler."
 
The Black Cab may be an icon but, like most transportation systems in this country, it's been on life support for years

I really don't understand why we have stunningly high EU standards for new cars with mandatory ABS and ESP, stringent emissions laws, crash tests & the like - which we all have to comply with - yet the standard London cab is based on something apparently from the last War

I, for one, would welcome travelling in a cab with a ride quality better than an Ox-cart and where the (useless) ventilation doesn't sound like an approaching tornado

We don't have phone boxes with button A and button B, black & white TV, stereograms or white dog poop anymore, so why do we have Black Cabs?

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

The new TX4 is all new engine chasis gearbox and suspension very nice to drive.
We in Glasgow have the Mercedes Vito and also the Taxi pack M8 locking doors bandit screens and so on they are also very nice and are able to carry upto 8 passengers.
 
Interesting angle on this: "Addison Lee the capitals largest private hire company has already objected to Peter Da Costa the chairman of KPM who will market the vehicle [Vito-based taxi cab] stating that the vehicle may have an adverse effect on the "market". "

This is the same Addison Lee that bought 240 automatic Fiat Ulysse MPVs to add to their fleet. They replaced the gearboxes in 210 out of 240 in the first 18 months, some at mileages as low as 25k. The MD of Fiat UK is now banned from their building

So I suppose Addison Lee know a thing or two about depreciation and running costs...

Nick Froome
the independent Mercedes Estate specialists

and instructing their drivers to use the M4 bus lane. On the vehicle subject, my local Ford dealer told me AddLee own all their vehicles. Not leased - yikes!
 
Hi,

I'm doing the knowledge at the moment which is learning the streets and places of interest in London to become a London cab driver.
In the family we have 2 LTI Fairway taxis. One is an R-reg and one an M-reg with a turbo. I've also had a test drive in a tx4.

The vito has grown on me. When it first came out I was dead against it, now I'm beginning to think it may become a London icon on it's own, although only in black with the taxi livery down the side.

As regard to the LTI taxis being outdated there are some points in which this is true but a lot that arent. The oldest cabs that are still on the road are kept for a reason. Yes quite a lot is to do with cost but also the fact that they are simple to maintain, overdesignd to last up to 1000000 miles and have that iconic shape. If the Vito can do this as well then good luck to it. I might even buy one when I get my badge.
 
A relative works for LTI - seems like they are in deep do-dos over this fire issue, with 1000,s being taken off the road. Last I heard (a couple of weeks ago) they hadn't pinned down the cause of the fires but were sourcing a heat shield (I presume for exhaust manifold or similar).
Sounded like this recall & lack of sales is desperately serious for LTI and we could see their tie up with China meaning the end of production in the UK!

And so it has come to pass:

London black cabs to be made in China

"Manufacture of London's black cabs is to cease in this country for the first time since it began more than 60 years ago, with production shifting to China.

Bodies and chassis for the latest TX4 model will merely be assembled at manufacturer Manganese Bronze's London Taxis International plant, in the latest blow for Britain's car industry.

The decision will mean the loss of 60 jobs at the plant in Coventry.

Manganese is also considering a deal to give its Chinese partner a majority stake in the company."


But this is the cracker:

"It said it had no choice but to cease manufacturing after “the only viable UK supplier” of the primer coating (effectively the first undercoat sprayed on to the vehicle) said it would stop production from August." :crazy:

So there are no other suppliers of Primer?. Balls

London black cabs to be made in China | Business
 
You never know driving a Mercedes might improve there driving skills and there awareness of other vehicles on the road :thumb: . I won't hold my breath though.
 
Yes!

sorry it took me so long.

Hi and welcome from me anyway....

Hope your vito taxi serves you well and will look forward to hearing what you have to say about this vehicle.
 
I thought I was going to post that at least the Vito might be slightly comfier than the TX4 til I saw the interior photos!

Will stick with Private Hire I think. Sorry Black Hack drivers, but lets face it, noisy (sometimes this can mean the driver too) uncomfy, more expensive. My care factor of the turning circle as a customer is zero. Pick me up in an Octavia please
 
I thought I was going to post that at least the Vito might be slightly comfier than the TX4 til I saw the interior photos!


Very astute of you to gauge how comfortable a vehicle is from a few photos Kendon!

Ive been driving the Vito for over a year now and its been very well received by the travelling public, Comments like “ very comfortable and quite” and “ why would anyone want to ride in an LTI ox cart now these are on the road ”
 
Noise & smoothness is going to be pretty much the same as a diesel Viano I would think (they are basically the same vehicle) ... and those are widely used by private hire companies.
 
the rear steering a good idea
 

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