Vito. Buying advice sought please.

[Bobby Dazzler]

My Brother-in-Law has a grey VW Transporter at the moment and he's loved it - previously had a couple of Vitos.

He's had it three years though, and although he's only done 20,000 miles he's ordered it's replacement: a Volkswagen Transporter Sportline kombi in black just like this one:

Details: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (UK)

He's really impressed. Got to say, I am too!!

 

[ringway]

My Brother-in-Law has a grey VW Transporter at the moment and he's loved it - previously had a couple of Vitos.

He's had it three years though, and although he's only done 20,000 miles he's ordered it's replacement: a Volkswagen Transporter Sportline kombi in black just like this one:

Details: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (UK)

He's really impressed. Got to say, I am too!!

The VW is very nice indeed and looks marginally prettier than the Vito.
One of the few things that let it down is the standard of the (esp rear) seating which looks very ordinary in my opinion.

I've seen some cracking examples of the VW though and by all accounts they are good fun to drive (especially with that bird from 5th Gear on board).

 

[csx355]

Wow about time we had some Vito action here. I owned a Renault trafic 140 dci from new for three years Vivaro cousin. It was comfy, roomy and reliable and went fairly well but I would not want anything less powerful. Mine was a crew cab/ combi set up with some pimp features. It was faultless for the 42,00 miles I had it and I then sold it privately. At 60,000 the van started to cost it's owner a small fortune. Abs issues, gearbox, suspension etc etc.

In 2007 I bought a Vito 120 compact Dualiner. Amazing piece of kit. Smooth, fast quiet effortless and returned me 27.2 mpg. I sold the van after three years - the dealer actually wanted it back off me but it went privately to a customer of mine who has put another 30,000 miles on it with no issues. He too loves it. I bought something else - which was fine, but to be honest just did not give me the hard on that the Merc did. Soo after 12 months and 13,000 miles I sold my last vehicle and put a deposit down on a new Vito Sport 116 auto. Should be one of the first Sports in the Uk, and I'm revved up like a kid at Christmas waiting for it.

Maybe I should have opted for the new 224 bhp v6 but 164 is going to be quick enough and the Sport pack has plenty of toys.

Seems to be a lot of brand partisanship here - as you would expect - but one things for sure - it might only be a van but my Merc made me feel good every time I drove it - and that's worth having.

Two weeks and counting

 

[ringway]

I'm having a few test drives tomorrow.

I'm a little confused by the Long/Extra Long descriptions and find the used Vito advertisements to be ambiguous.


Just to clarify, am I correct in thinking that the Vito's pictured below are (as stated in the advertisements) LWB's?

TIA.

Paul.

 

[csx355]

Sometimes pics can foreshorten the view - those two look like Long's to me. The wheel base of the Long and the Compact is the same with the Long having about a foot extra behind the rear wheels. The Extra Long Is VAST and looks it. IMHO it's not that pretty having a longer wheelbase and the extra behind the wheels, sort of looks ungainly.

Since placing my order for another compact my dealer RYGOR Commercials (who have been brilliant by the way) has lent me a courtesy VITO because of a slight production delay until my new VITO Sport arrives. The loaner a Long and I'm sort of thinking maybe I should have ordered a Long but the Compact looks the best. IMO

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Those two certainly look the LWB, which I'm told is actually the standard wheelbase.

Like CSX355 says, the XLWB doesn't look quite right, although I know you have to think about what you can carry so maybe that would be an option.

Csx355, is it Rygor commercials in Bath?

 

[BTB 500]

Compact and Long have the same wheelbase. Visually the difference is a bit of extra length behind the rear wheel arch. Long is often (wrongly) called Long Wheelbase or LWB though.

Extra Long genuinely has a longer wheelbase - the difference is visible between the side door and the rear wheel arch.

As I think I mentioned before, IMHO the Long (mid-size) is the one to go for as that has room for a proper under-slung spare wheel carrier.

 

[BTB 500]

Here you go

Compact:

Long:

Extra Long:

 

[BTB 500]

he's ordered it's replacement: a Volkswagen Transporter Sportline kombi in black

I really like the current facelifted Transporter, and the Sportline version looks great IMHO. Just lacks the Vito 120's power and refinement.

 

[nick mercedes]

I really like the current facelifted Transporter.

I was at a MB dealer today who were using one of those as their parts van...

First time I've seen that.

 

[csx355]

My first contact was with Rygor at Heathrow - they promptly answered my questions made suggestions were flexible and finally came up with the deal. The guy I was dealing with left the company and the switchover to another salesman was seamless. A lady called Lea took up the admin in Westbury depot and due to the delay with production arranged for a van to be transported down to me with a full tank of fuel, all I had to do was arranged insurance!! I have this until my new vehicle arrives when they said they will transport (not drive) the new Dualiner Sport to me and collect the loaner. I reckon that's service over and above - no fuss no issue. There are car dealerships that could learn some thing from these guys. I should add that I'm 4 hours from Westbury by transporter and the guy who delivered the loaner was cheery, pleasant and super prompt as the van was waiting for me at 8:30 am. Amazing, I can't praise the service that I have had to date from them highly enough.

Ref the VW v Vito debate - we are in Cornwall, think surf central and every other bus down here is a T4 / T5 / T 'dium' and something that a customer said to me always stuck in my head.
'Transporter's - so many of them and most are driven by kook's'
Bit harsh I thought but you got to live here to understand that.

 

[highland lad]

I would not have anything else but vito, have had transits , vw transporter and vivario but non where a patch on the vito,s , simon

 

[ringway]

I had a test drive in THIS today and have to say I loved it.

It's a SWB though, so I can't buy it.

I have seen a few LWB's for around the same money and I'm hoping to make a move to get one shortly.


Thanks very much indeed for the advice, it really is appreciated.

 

[ringway]

For those who may be interested, I managed to get the details of the company that trimmed the leather seats shown below.

The seats were trimmed by Seat Surgeons in York. They have branches in various locations and their work looks very good indeed. LINK.

These Vito Sport seats produced by Seat Surgeons look fantastic. Clever stuff.

 

[nick mercedes]

For those who may be interested, I managed to get the details of the company that trimmed the leather seats shown below.

Lovely though they are, is a bling interior really practical for something that's going to be a works van?

And don't forget that you virtually need a forklift to pick up the removable rear seats if you ever need to take them out...

 

[BTB 500]

And don't forget that you virtually need a forklift to pick up the removable rear seats if you ever need to take them out...

They fold flat and flip forward though, which is often enough. As mentioned the mid-row seats are a double and a single, we generally leave the double in all the time and just put the single in if we need it.

As an aside I put nearly a tonne of floor tiles in the centre of our Vito (with the seats flipped forward) and couldn't feel any difference in handling, acceleration, or braking?!

 

[ringway]

Lovely though they are, is a bling interior really practical for something that's going to be a works van?

And don't forget that you virtually need a forklift to pick up the removable rear seats if you ever need to take them out...

I'm not saying I'd get the seats trimmed like those above, but my work is very clean so I wouldn't really have any worries about messing up the interior.


I'm sure the weight of the seats is due to their high build quality. I'm sure I could lift 'em.

For the record, the height of a Vito with side roof rails fitted is 1960mm at the highest point.

 

[nick mercedes]

I'm sure the weight of the seats is due to their high build quality. I'm sure I could lift 'em.

They are astonishingly heavy, and go wrong too.

Still owning a Vito will see you making new friends, mainly AA patrolmen, and the drivers of AA recovery lorries, but men in garages too.

You can practise the sorts of conversations Vito owners have:

"It just stopped"

"I pulled in for some diesel and now it won't start"

"I was on the motorway and the rear wheel just fell off"

"I went to put the window down and now it won't come up again"

"I does not seem to get drive"

"That's the seventh armrest I've needed to buy"

"Can you help me push this van?"

 

[st4]

Those seats looks remarkably likes what is on a 211.

 

[st4]

They are astonishingly heavy, and go wrong too.

Still owning a Vito will see you making new friends, mainly AA patrolmen, and the drivers of AA recovery lorries, but men in garages too.

You can practise the sorts of conversations Vito owners have:

"It just stopped"

"I pulled in for some diesel and now it won't start"

"I was on the motorway and the rear wheel just fell off"

"I went to put the window down and now it won't come up again"

"I does not seem to get drive"

"That's the seventh armrest I've needed to buy"

"Can you help me push this van?"

I take it you are a great fan of the Vito