Mercedes-Benz Vito (96-03) - Review

The Vito is the smallest commercial vehicle built by Mercedes-Benz, so isn’t overly endowed with cargo space. It offers a load volume of 4.8 cubic metres and payload of 1,055kg, while load length is 2,300mm, load width is 1,620mm and load height is 1,370mm.

Models built after 1999 had both ABS brakes and traction control as standard, putting them head and shoulders above others in the sector at the time. However, on the downside, a driver’s airbag remained on the options list, along with central locking, although an immobiliser was standard.

The arrival of common rail diesel engines made the Vito a more economical van to drive, while service intervals were extended to 14,000 miles. On the downside, Mercedes-Benz parts tend to be expensive and dealers charge a hefty hourly rate.

Vitos are not cheap, but then buyers can expect better levels of reliability, so the extra money is probably worth laying out. However, when Vitos do go wrong they aren’t cheap to fix, so it is worth checking a vehicle’s service history before making a buying decision.