I just looked at the V-class on MB's European website. I have to say, I like the looks of it. It's charmingly boxy, sort of in the way the Jeep Cherokee was. If it were ever offered for sale here, I'd buy a black V280, put some chrome AMG monoblock 18 inchers on it, put a 112 Kompressor engine in it, and have the baddest minivan in existance. It'll never happen though, Americans wouldn't accept the idea of a Mercedes minivan, and it would probably tarnish the reputation.

 

I'd get one! To replace my American one.

 

Your comments on the enhancements to the Vito sounds great, but if you are not that interested in high performance, I find the stock engine to perform at a more than adequate level. The "Larger" of 4 cyl 122kw diesel engine available from the factory is fully capable of taking this vehicle over 100Mph, without too much sweat. This leaves the other mini-vans in the dust! Not to mention that filling the tank with $12-$16US for 475Miles travel is an excellent bargain getting over 30Mpg. I personally like the performance combined with efficiency, economy and quality. Although the latter could be improved.

It is interesting that the tree way adaptive acceleration modes shifts the vehicle from economy to high performance using only the accelerator. Slow means economy, medium responsive (starts in 2nd gear), and full throttle high performance. Take your pick according to your driving needs.

 

We run three of the C110D versions & can vouch for the acceleration 7 spped quoted. Problems include windscreen (shield) prone to cracking & locks very easy to break into (had three breakins in two vans)

 

just to back up UKmerc.

I have a 108cdi, will easily run over 100mph. I have had it lowered another 1" all round (with tighter springs) It handles like a big fat mini minor

Probs have been

Cracked windscreen (stone thrown up by a 32 wheeler truck)
Cracked injector pipe
fragile door lock.

but, I would buy another one ... they are a superb little vehicle.

I regularly drive 760km's one one tank of diesel.
the record has been 800 k's at an avergae speed of 95kph

 

I know of several people who used to own V class Mercedes in the UK. None of them have them any more having suffered massive unreliability problems. In one case a colleague director in my company bought a new V230 in 1998. After more than I guess 20 recalls to the dealer over two years Mercedes finally acknowledged there was a problem and offered a buy back and supplied a new V280 under very advantageous terms to complete our three year lease period.

The problems to the first vehicle varied from the car automatically locking itself for no reason, rear suspension failure, intermittent brake problems, oil leaks, lighting and transmission faults. Many of the faults kept recurring.

The V280 had fewer problems but these included engine overheating. It seemed the V6 VW Corrado engine that Mercedes "borrowed" because the MB 280 wouldnt fit just wasnt up to the task.

The worst part of the story is the original V230 taken back by the MB dealer should have been trashed. It wasnt. It was resold to a new customer who inherited problems and only found out the true history of the wehicle after calling my colleague.

I was told a V Class also featured on a BBC TV consumer complaints programme Watchdog after the owner suffered brake problems which remained unfixed.

I am a great fan of Mercedes but the V class seems to have been an unsuccessful passenger conversion from the Vito van.

It was a very practical vehicle and good to drive but we would never buy another.