Should you buy this £70K Mercedes Marco Polo? The ultimate luxury camper van! REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 16 лип 2024
- Based on the V-Class, the Mercedes Marco Polo is the 'in house' attempt by Mercedes to claw back some of the camper van market and because we had one in, I thought I'd do a detailed review.
So this is it, with 2 beds, a kitchenette, a 'dining' table and typically Mercedes feel the Marco Polo does feel like a flat on wheels and it is without doubt going to tick a box for some people.
Whether or not it is going to capture the eye of any flannel shirt wearing surfers that live in their VW California's remains to be seen. But as far as campers go, it does feel a bit special.
Let me know what you think in the comments! And if anyone has any cool DIY camper conversions, please get in touch, I'd love to come have a look!
00:00 Camping Table and Chairs
01:07 Intro
01:56 Sliding Door
02:31 Living Space
04:55 Downstairs Bed
06:51 - Rear Hatch
07:21 Blinds and Windows
09:20 Swivel Chairs
10:11 Pop Top Roof
11:16 Upstairs
13:31 Shower
13:57 Projector?
14:26 Hook Up
14:36 Drive
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As an MP owner, few observations, euro plug socket very easily replaced with UK version rather than clunky adaptor, as mentioned chairs are not great, when touring we ditch them and take our proper recliners, bottom bed no where near as comfy as upstairs and we dont use it, toilet sorted with Thetford 335 stores perfect in the sliding cupboard, front blind throw in bin as useless, use an external one which is very quick and brilliant in winter (no condensation) or the pucka insulated Westfalia (or Brandrup) internal ones. No issues with the table, works well, have to laugh at you flooring it, base 160 bhp adequate, the 190 bhp V250 will pull out of junctions well (superchip for a very useful 220 bhp) but full throttle is not what its about, its a cruiser that will give good 40 plus mpg on the motorway. Fraid to say the typical demographic we see in the UK and continent is usually middle age, kids left home middle class, etc imho. If you like this type of van and dont want to blend in with the 10 VW's you'll see on a typical camp site the MP will make you stand out from the crowd and is very much at the top of the pile for camper van glamping.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Good news about the plug socket. Yeah I’ve heard that about the top bed being more comfortable. Can you get a topper for the bottom do you know?
Yes the front blind is a bit ridiculous. I did think an external one might be the answer.
You can’t not floor on a car review! But I agree, not built for the track!
Yeah the MP is definitely a head turner compared with the VW’s. What are your thoughts on the Ford Nugget?
My reservations about these are how electrified they are. Lots to go wrong. I agree about not being another VW though, they're everywhere. I'm also quite tempted by something like the toyota proace for reliability. If I spend this sort of money I want it to outlast me!
Best review of this van I’ve seen. Renting this for Iceland. Thanks!
Ah thanks Bobby. I really appreciate that. I hope you have a good trip. Iceland in this will be absolutely epic! A trip I've always wanted to do.
A nice review. Well done.
Im shocked that such a luxurious vehicle has such a bad design for the front blind. Especially when there are concertinered sliding front blinds that exist that tuck neatly into the A pillars. This would have made it so simple and easy.
But could be fitted in after market perhaps.
Thanks Nick, I appreciate it. Yes I was shocked to when I first found the curtain packed away in the draws. Yeah I think you'd be able to find somebody to do it aftermarket. It would be a worthwhile modification for sure.
Imagine having this when you just got your driving license and you tried to hook up.
😂 perfect vehicle
Nice review...thank U for this!
Thanks Johann! Really appreciate the comment
I legit thought you had over a mil in subs... very nicely made and you seem so comfortable with the camera. Or maybe it's just that British elegance... lol
Ah thank you for the kind comment, really appreciate it. I hope its me rather than just the accent and British traits haha
There is a large presumption that in the U.S. that people should only have large RVs. What is not considered is that many U.S. homes have HOAs (Home Owners Association) which deny potential owners parking RVs on residential streets. However, garage capable vans cannot be restricted since they can be parked out of site. For some reason, there are few camper vans in the U.S. Since Mercedes owns Westfalia, why don't they offer an aftermarket Marco Polo option on a pre-readied Metris?
That is so interesting, I didn't know about the restrictions with big RV's. That does seems strange, I wonder if that's because America is, generally speaking, massive so RV's are the more logical choice for long road trips? What is a Metris? I think that might be a model that is named different this side of the pond.
So if you go to the NEC show you will see that you can’t get a VW that has the same spec for less. The market has got to hot for the average Jo. Covid ruined everything. The sooner people go back to their package holidays the sooner the market will crash and us die hard campers can get back to enjoying the roads.
Thats interesting to hear. Is it still a good time to sell campers then at the moment if the market is buoyant? I agree on the California, from what I can understand, a lot of people much prefer the functionality of the VW over the Merc anyways.
Love it
Thanks Lexi. Appreciate the comment. I do to, just done the NC500 and it would have been so good in this!
I saw on another review that the table that sits in the kitchen unit rails doesn't actually fasten in any way, which means it slides back and forth with minimal pressure
Thats probably a fair assessment but I didn't notice it as a big problem. Maybe a fasten would make it a bit more sturdy!
*I have an effective answer for this Mercedes...'Ford Nugget Plus!'*
( *Toilet & Shower INSIDE with a privacy screen slider!* )
Just had a Google after seeing your comment. The Nuggets really are a proper bit of kit aren’t they. A lot of people have comments saying that no toilet would be an issue on one of these things so Merc may need to add one to the next generation
@@macswhips *I'm 68 and when I 'gotta' go' it means RIGHT NOW or damn soon!*
___________
*I can't see spending 'buying a house' type money on a vehicle that purports to be a 'self-contained Camper' that makes NO provisions at all for human waste and in fact doesn't have any open space for at least a cassette-toilet inside the vehicle*
___________
*It's actually an 'Over-Night Sleeper' rather than a true 'Camper'*
( *Another big issue is 'Service' that may take weeks or months for a Mercedes shop to work on, and you don't dare have anyone else do service work or 'Merc' will void the warranty on your new vehicle...Yikes!* )
No shower on Nugget Plus …
@@IverKnackerov *WRONG!*
*There IS a provision for an external shower w/hot & cold water and given the amount of floor-space in front of the cassette-toilet, all that's needed is a pan-basin w/a 2 or 3-inch 'lip' to prevent the shower-water from escaping*
*Install a collapsible shower-curtain mounted on circular-ring mounted to a collapsible pole and now THERE IS A SHOWER INSIDE!*
_________
*Granted it would not be ideal as at home...but it will work w/wet-down/scrub/rinse/ and done!*
( *The shower-pan does NOT need to be permanently mounted since there's no need for it except for in use...drain the pan outside or in the waste-water tank* )
I'm 28 and it seems my bladder is ageing quicker than me so I feel your pain! 😅 Overnight sleeper, thanks for educating me on that. Definitely a better term for it than Camper.
When you pulled the table out at 0:25 seconds, you had it in the bottom of the storage compartment which is the incorrect place, the table slots in on the underside of the raised bed and you can see the semi circular swivel knobs that hold it in place. But I agree the table and chairs are pretty pants and the Cali's are better.
Ahhh okay. I didn't realise they. That was just where the table was when it came in. I may have under sold it a little bit then!
Can you see the table slots in the video?
Sorry for the slow reply, this was hidden in my comment section for some reason.
Yes you can see where it is meant to go.
There are two little clips on the underside of the lit at about 25 seconds into the video.
I love this car
Yeah they are fantastic aren't they. I would love one in the future
An awning would be nice to sit under on a sunny day, also no loo facility, which puts me off one of these
I agree, I think you can get an awning actually though. But yeah a lot of people have commented saying the same thing about the loo. Some people have said the Ford Nugget Plus would be a better option
@@macswhips yes the nugget would be my choice, but i do like the class and style of the merc.
I agree I have to say. I'm the first to admit I'm a German snob when it comes to cars!
I love it
My only peeve is the propane tank
I would prefer electric
Considering I would use mine as a Daly
It seems like that propane tank
Would be like riding around with a bomb
Especially in Los Angeles California
We have some of the RUDEST drivers in the USA
I know what you mean, it does always seem risky when you drive around with a tank on board!
How does the other mattress from the seat’s look
The topper mattress for the seat I never saw actually. The Marco Polo I reviewed didn't have one in there, but the seats themselves I thought were pretty comfy.
Are you sure the legs don’t go against the back of the van? Seems a bit silly that your legs get the comfort of the seats, and not the torso. Also, from a safety point of view, it’s safer to have the head towards the centre of the vehicle, if there is a crash from the front or back, it’s better protected.
Yeah that makes sense to be fair. But I don't think anyone is sleeping while driving so hopefully either way you'd be safe!
Marco Polo...the Westfalia quality is unique.
Couldn’t agree more. It feels a bit special in there!
What about the bathroom and showers ?
There isn't a bathroom in them and only a half shower. A little thing you can hook onto the underneath of the boot lid.
Top van, we have one for sale if interested 😎
I would love one Edy but bit out of my budget at the moment! Why are you getting rid if you don't mind me asking?
@@macswhips I’m a car dealer, we’re selling for a lady who’s husband has passed away. Sadly they didn’t get to use it much.
2018 67reg
12000 miles
Unmarked
Silver
FSH
Oh I see. Thats a shame. When I was at Benz Bavarian we had somebody interested before that one sold so I will drop them a message and send them your way if they get back.
@@macswhips Thanks that’d be great, if anything comes of it we’d make sure some £’s come your way.
Nice review by the way, you definitely have a very entertaining way about the way you do things 👌
I only found you because I was searching for videos to learn how to use the roof etc
It’s not our usual thing, we specialise in ltd edition new shape beetles.
Best wishes
Mike 👍
Thanks Edy, really appreciate it. Yeah its a bit of an odd one with the roof. Stumped me a few times! Sounds like a really cool niche you've got there.
I grew up on Passats so have always loved VW's and love the beetle.
There is no toilet facility is a great problem
Yeah it does take it out of the motorhome category doesn't it
Functionality-wise definitely worse than California. I like the looks of the California better too.
A lot of people have told me this! Cheaper as well
The mbux system is super unreliable. I have one. Beware.
Ah that's not good when you fork out that much for one. Is that just on the Marco Polo do you know Simon? Or is that across the Merc range?
70k to shit on bushes ? No thank you
😂😂 It's a fair point. Full motorhomes are definitely the best option for some people!
buy the ford nugget
Would love to review one of those. Seem fairly well kitted out!