Used Van Buying Guide: Mercedes-Benz Citan

The Mercedes-Benz Citan is inexpensive to run and good value as a used buy. You can get the best Citan for an affordable price on the used vehicle market.

The Citan is based on the Renault Kangoo. Despite the similarities, Mercedes-Benz insists that the Citan isn’t another case of badge engineering, and they have developed the Citan to deliver the driving characteristics of the rest of its commercial line-up.

Mercedes-Benz have actually made more changes than most collaborative ventures in the industry. The front suspension was replaced, the panel gaps tightened, and a new interior was designed.

In 2015 a new navigation system including a USB port and DAB radio was added. And a Sport model was also introduced- benefiting from colour coded bumpers in six metallic colours, alloy wheels, air conditioning, a leather-trimmed wheel and chrome elements in the grille, sidebars and tailgate trim.

Maximum load

Payload capability is 490kg for the Compact, 630-760kg for the Long, 795-810kg for the Extra-long and 735-755kg for the Dualiner. All except the Compact model offer a sliding side door and an asymmetric rear, side-hinged doors with an opening angle of 180 degrees. Length is up to 2137mm and all have a loading height of 1258mm.

Engines available

Mercedes-Benz used Renault’s 1.5 dCi turbodiesel engine, it offered in three different outputs and badged CDI to better suit the Citan - 108 CDI with 75 BHP, a 109 CDI with 90 BHP, and a 111 CDI with 110 BHP. There is also a forth option - 1.2 litre turbocharged petrol engine badged 112, having 114 BHP.

The 108 and 109 CDI engines come with a five-speed manual transmissions, while the 111 CDI and 112 petrol engines come with 6-speed gearbox. A shift point display is included for the best economy while driving. An automatic transmission was added in 2016 to the 112 petrol model.

To maximise economy a BlueEfficiency package is included as standard on the petrol engine, and optionally on the diesel. It includes a start/stop function with battery alternator management to manage engine losses.

The BlueEfficiency models benefit from an improved official combined fuel consumption figures, with CO2 figures dropping by around 7g/km. For the diesel models the official combined consumption figure was from 56.5mpg-65.7mpg. The time of the whole range for 0-62mph is between 13.1-16.3 seconds.

Maintenance cost

To minimise running costs the Citan is fitted with a toothed cam belt, with 150,000 mile lifespan, and service intervals of 25,000 miles or two-years - whichever comes sooner.

In 2016 Mercedes-Benz rolled out a transparent national service pricing list. A minor service on a Citan is listed at £105+VAT and a major one being £205+VAT. In addition a dust filter change is around £25, brake fluid from £35 and Coolant from £52. Independent garages will beat them in price, giving you a great maintenance costs on the Citan.

Pricing

The £5000-£6000 mark provides plenty of 109 CDI models in Long and Extra long. Above £6000 is the fine selection of predominantly one-owner examples. Dualiners cost £1000 extra, depending on age and condition. Anywhere above £8000 are the nearly new, low mileage examples, and £9000-£10,000 for some delivery mileage, or ex-demonstrator models.

The Citan is one of the most expensive small vans around, but it goes above the competition in terms of quality and refinement. If you spend long hours behind the wheel you'll appreciate the difference.

History check

Many companies offer history data checks and we’d recommend you to use one. If a used car seller says it has already been carried out – always request to see it. Better to be safe than sorry.

Is the Citan the best van for you?

If you have decided that the Citan is the best van for you, make sure to check our range of used Mercedes-Benz vans and find the one to suit you best.