hi all . i am looking at replacing my 2000 108 cdi for a 07 or 08 vito lwb or xlwb. so whats the van like ? can i get a sheet of 8x4 standing up ? what engine shall i get ? etc etc
looked at the reviews and they slate the vito big time. main problems
rust rust rust no warranty work ( stone chips )
worn tyres
electrics
build quailty ie spain, not being galvinised
ball joints
tracking
dont shoot me im just relying what i have read . i want a vito as i love mercs but if there is a known problem please advise me of it .
cheers all
shaun
First of all there are only two wheelbases. The Vito Compact and Long have the same wheelbase - the Long's extra length is behind the rear axle. The Extra Long has a longer wheelbase.
Early ones were not galvanised and had a significant rust problem (like the previous 638 Vito and many other M-Bs then). From approx. 2005 all steel panels are galvanised, later 639s can apparently get some rust on the tailgate but it's not widespread. The 639 Vito is identical in all but trim to the Viano, which sells for up to £42k before options.
They do wear the outside edge of the front tyres, but my first set passed the MOT after over 27k miles so not a show-stopper IMO.
They are built in Spain, not sure what the relevance of that is though. The Nissan Primastar (their version of Nick's beloved Vauxhall Vivaro) is also made in Spain.
Window regulators do fail, mine were replaced under warranty so I don't know how expensive this is. Not heard of electrical problems, the 638 was renowned for that though (dashboard electrics particularly).
They're not particularly fuel-efficient ... read the official consumption figures. IIRC the higher-powered 4-cyl versions do better mpg than the lower power ones ... different engine mapping I guess. We have the V6 auto which is great but only averages about 25 mpg, 30 on a long run. However we knew that before we bought it, so no complaints.
