Hello all,

as VW transporters seem to be fetching silly prices at the moment (and the t5's really aren't even half as reliable as t4's according to my very informed van trade source) I have started looking at vitos and v-classes.

I know internet reviews are full of disgruntled punters complaining about their cars and the ones that are happy are too busy enjoying happy motoring to bother commenting on websites.

If i buy a clean unmodified one (*yes I have a particular one in mind) with a service history that hasn't fallen apart after 9 years and 120k, can I assume it wasn't a friday afternoon job? Aformentioned van trade source is coming with me to see it btw so I'm more worried about medium term reliability than me missing a fault I should spot on the day.

most unreliable bit I can see on v-classes is the air suspension so I am already budgeting for coil springs. (suprisingly cheap and easy to fit for a mercedes part)

Please post your happy vito/v class ownership stories. 🙂

Used to have a 109cdi Vito, new shape. couple of years ago in previous life.
Had it from new so can't comment on the lifespan etc BUT if you take the traction/esp thingy off on wet cobcled edinburgh new town corners (think Drummond Place) you can have the best time ever. Proper good fun!

Would have on again without doubt. Comfy seats too – used to drive to london in it from edinburgh and not feel like shit when we arrived.

a lot easier to get sideways than transporters

as tbc says, roundabouts and wet corners are fishtail tastic

see ^^^ we both agree,

Get it.

engines are a sod to work on.mechanic friend of mine did a cambelt on one and when the guy picked it up my mate said that essentially he had done it for free as there was no way he could charge for the actual time it had taken and also to "never darken his door with it again"…

I have now found a v-class owners club in internetland. Im Deutschland, of course! My German is rather rusty but it features many pictures of super polished and pimped out v-classes and almost as many photos of trays of ham and sausages they evidently consumed at some meeting they had by a picturesque turreted Schloss.

Yikes, will I turn German? 😯

For what its worth the only two people I know who have had Vitos (one new shape, one old) have both now gone back to Transporters.

I dont think they had any specfic faults with them but just preferred the overall package of the VW.

Richie

Just been through the same thing, and bought a T4.

Vito that old will be front wheel drive, they have chains not cambelts, will be rusting quickly if the paint isn't metallic. Generally they are much better equipped than T4s, airbags both sides, electric windows etc on most and have twin sliding doors. There are less around so choice is limited and we found that they were either dodgy (mileage, body work or mechanically poor) or getting towards T4 prices anyway. The air suspension is (I think) relatively cheap to fix if it goes wrong.

I wouldnt do it and i sell mercs. I sold VW's for 10yrs before that

My resoning is that the old vito isnt a patch on the new one. In the same way that a T5 isnt a patch on the T4 (Best van i have ever sold). I dont really get how you can diss the T5 so much when it must be out of your league price wise if you are considering a 9yr old 120k Vito. The T5 are not a bad van, they just arent leagues ahead of the competition compared to how the T4 was. Neither vehicle is cheap to repair either. STcuk/snapped injectors in Vito cyclinder head is my worst nightmare. Water pump siezes on a T4 and goodbye engine (It all runs on the cambelt). Of the two i would say a T4 is a better bet

Myself at that price would be more inclined to look at a newer Renault/Vauxhall van than an overpriced T4 or ragged Vito.

If you are considering a Vito try to make it a 06 onwards as they are fully galvanised from that date.

vito's rust like a crap old iron rusty thing.

Bloody expensive to fix, brain went in mine £1000 please. Drives well and pretty frugal. Rusts badly.

If you are considering a Vito try to make it a 06 onwards as they are fully galvanised from that date.

and pre 06 are bloody uncomfortable, we had an 04 that gave me terrible neck pain, I just couldn't get comfy in it.. the newer ones we have are really good. Rear wheel drive fun..!
They also seem to be bomb proof, I don't think we've had one go wrong yet, and we drive 'em like we stole 'em. The Vauxhall combo van we have however has been back to the garage twice already, and it only has 3000 on the clock!

thankyou for your advice. Happily I have since stumbled upon (and very quickly bought!) a nice very boringly/basically specced but clean and totally unmolested/unmodified Caravelle. Kids are well happy with it. As is the way with new cars, I have seen/noticed about six or seven similar ones on the way home with it!

post some pictures of the Caravelle.