Mercedes-Benz Vito

Most transfer operators in Tbilisi run Vitos, and after a day in one the reason is obvious. Eight seats in three rows, a flat floor, a sliding door on the kerb side and a diesel engine returning around 8.0 l/100 km — it handles the airport-to-hotel-to-winery routine cheaply and without drama.

The interior is plain rather than luxurious; if you want individual seats and near-silence, look at the larger minivans. What the Vito gives you instead is the lowest daily rate in the category at 200 ₾, four suitcases behind the third row, and a body narrow enough for the older streets of Tbilisi, which a full-size van is not.

Clearance is 165 mm with front-wheel drive, so plan asphalt routes: Kakheti, Gori, Borjomi, Kutaisi, Batumi and the paved road as far as Mestia. The unpaved continuation to Ushguli and the road to Tusheti are restricted to the off-road 4x4 category — gravel damage in any other car falls outside the cover. Minimum driver age is 23; details on Terms.