Mercedes-Benz Vito is a real high flyer

Superb reliability over punishing high mileages from his previous Mercedes-Benz minibuses led airport transfer specialist Hywel Thomas back to Swansea dealer Euro Commercials for his latest vehicle.

His Mercedes-Benz Vito 111CDI Traveliner has already racked up 75,000 miles in just five months!

It is Mr Thomas’s third consecutive Vito – the last one covered a marathon 585,000 miles in five years. “It was totally reliable and apart from routine servicing was never off the road,” he said.

Self-employed Mr Thomas is based in Llanelli and provides a shuttle service to holidaymakers and business travellers. He makes regular trips to the London airports, as well as those in Cardiff, Bristol and Manchester.

Built on line at the Mercedes-Benz factory, rather than being the subject of a conversion by a third-party specialist, his new Vito Traveliner seats eight passengers in comfort. Thanks to its Extra Long body, there’s also plenty of room for luggage.

“It’s the perfect vehicle for the job,” continued Mr Thomas. “It has the ideal combination of roomy interior and relatively compact exterior dimensions, and feels more like a high-end car to drive.

“My customers often comment on how comfortable the Vito is, while it has a smart, professional appearance to match, and is also very safe.”

As a Mercedes-Benz, Mr Thomas’s minibus is in fact one of the safest vehicles on the road. Standard equipment includes the innovative Adaptive ESP® system, which helps to prevent accidents by automatically cutting power and applying braking force to individual wheels if it senses the vehicle is starting to skid. The system also monitors constantly the position and weight of any load being carried, calculating its effect on the vehicle’s centre of gravity and adapting its settings accordingly.

“When I started this job 10 years ago I chose a Mercedes-Benz Vito on the basis of its excellent reputation for reliability and ability to cope with high mileages,” added Mr Thomas. “My experience of driving more than 100,000 miles each year since has proved that reputation to be well founded, as all of my Vitos have been completely dependable.

“When I pick my passengers up they need to know that I’ll get them to the airport in time to catch their flight, and thanks to Mercedes-Benz that’s never in any doubt.”