Mercedes-Benz Vito Tenerife Driving Review

We landed at Tenerife South with eight people, a mountain of luggage, and an itinerary that covered every corner of the island. The obvious answer was a large passenger van, and the Mercedes-Benz Vito stood out as the logical choice. It promises comfort and space, but taking a vehicle of this size onto the varied and often challenging roads of a volcanic island requires a bit of planning. Driving a nine-seater is a very different experience from renting a compact hatchback, especially when the terrain shifts from wide coastal highways to narrow cliffside tracks.

We spent a week driving the Vito across the island to see exactly how it behaves in real conditions. From the fast coastal routes in the south to the cloud-covered mountain passes in the north, we wanted to know if this van is just a practical airport shuttle or a genuinely capable way to explore Tenerife with a large group. Here is our honest assessment of how it handles the unique topography of the island.

How it drives on Tenerife roads

Our journey began on the TF-1 motorway along the south coast. This road is characterized by long fast sweepers and generally excellent surfaces. Here, the Vito feels completely at home. The suspension is tuned for load-carrying comfort, meaning that even with a full cabin, the ride remains composed and smooth. The elevated seating position gives the driver fantastic forward visibility, allowing you to see over the typical holiday traffic. Wind noise is noticeable at highway speeds due to the large frontal area, but the cabin remains quiet enough for easy conversation between the front and rear rows.

Things get much more interesting when you leave the coast and head inland. Taking the TF-21 climbing to Mount Teide is a brilliant test for any vehicle. As you ascend toward 2,100 meters, the air gets thin and you experience a big temperature drop. The 2.0-litre engine provides a solid wave of low-end torque, which is absolutely essential when pulling the weight of nine adults up a continuous incline. You do not need to rev the engine aggressively to maintain momentum. The brakes also performed admirably on the long descent back toward the coast, showing no signs of fade despite the heavy load they had to manage.

In the north of the island, the Anaga forest roads present a completely different environment. These routes are damp, twisty, and often misty. The Vito handles the sweeping corners reasonably well for a commercial-based vehicle, but you are always aware of its sheer size. The steering is light, which helps with maneuverability, though it does not offer the sharp feedback you would want on wet leaves and tight corners. You simply adopt a slower, more deliberate driving style, letting the smooth torque pull you out of the bends while keeping a close eye on the oncoming lane.

Where this car shines (and where it does not)

The Vito shines brightest when acting as a mobile basecamp for a large group. The interior space is generous, and the air conditioning is powerful enough to keep passengers in the third row comfortable even when the midday sun is beating down on the roof. The build quality feels robust, designed to withstand the heavy use of family holidays and group excursions. It eats up motorway miles effortlessly, making the drive from the southern resorts to the northern capital of Santa Cruz feel like a breeze.

However, we must be completely honest about its drawbacks. The sheer width and length of the Vito become a significant liability on certain routes. We took it down the TF-436 into Masca, a road famous for its extremely narrow cliff hairpins. Small cars have the advantage here, and driving the Vito on this route was genuinely stressful. Meeting an oncoming local bus on a blind corner meant reversing a nine-seat van up a steep gradient with a sheer drop on one side. Several of the tightest hairpins required a three-point turn to navigate successfully. If your itinerary involves a lot of remote mountain villages, you need to be a very confident driver to take this vehicle.

Practical notes

Navigating the resort streets in Los Cristianos, Costa Adeje, and Playa de las Americas requires patience. The Vito is a long vehicle, and finding a suitable spot in tight parking areas can be a challenge. You will spend a lot of time looking for spaces large enough to accommodate it, and you will become very familiar with the blue-line meters that dictate paid street parking. The parking sensors and cameras are absolutely vital for squeezing into standard bays without trading paint with the neighboring rental cars.

Fuel economy was surprisingly reasonable for a vehicle of this size, averaging around 8 liters per 100 kilometers during our mixed driving. Luggage space is a crucial factor to consider. With all nine seats in use, the remaining boot space is vertical rather than deep. You will need to stack suitcases carefully, and soft bags are much easier to squeeze into the remaining gaps than large rigid cases. If you only have six or seven passengers, folding down a portion of the rear bench creates a massive cargo area.

If you prefer to shift gears yourself to maintain control on the steep descents, you might want to look at the manual 2.0 L 9-seat version. We found it engaging on the mountain roads. Conversely, if you want a more relaxed experience in stop-and-go resort traffic, the automatic 2.0 L 9-seat model takes the effort out of driving and lets you focus entirely on the road ahead.

Verdict

The Mercedes-Benz Vito is an incredibly capable tool for moving large groups around Tenerife. It is comfortable, commanding on the motorway, and has enough power to conquer the long climb up Mount Teide without breaking a sweat. The trade-off for all this space is the stress of navigating ancient, narrow mountain roads and crowded resort car parks. If you plan your routes carefully and avoid the most extreme cliffside tracks, the Vito provides a premium and highly practical way to experience the island together.

Where to book the Mercedes-Benz Vito in Tenerife

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