New Mercedes Benz Marco Polo Campervan

[daveyboydanger]

i REALLY don't like the dash. UGLY and cheap plastic.

 

[2into1]

What strikes me from the photos linked above is how LONG it looks. If it's longer than a Cali it will be a big disadvantage for everyday use.

 

[GrannyJen]

I believe its 21cm longer.

 

[reserves]

It's so Ugly.

 

[pjm-84]

One word....rust?

 

[andrew149]

One word....rust?

I have a Vito as a work van, these were known for rust about ten years ago but they are actually a very good vans now, mine is a 2009 and I have had it since new and no signs of rust and is ultra reliable ( No EGR problems, No Roof Rot !) I am still tempted by the Marco Polo for two reasons

1. Mercedes
2. Westfalia

 

[reserves]

3. Ugly

 

[GrannyJen]

3. Ugly

Agreed.

 

[GrannyJen]

Goodness, I am being agreeable

 

[WooburnCalifornia]

Maybe I am in a minority but I don't think it is that ugly, in fact it is more of a modern design compared to the T6 which does not float my boat at all.

If you want to talk about ugly then look at some of the high tops and ford transit conversions!

View attachment maxresdefault.jpg

 

[GrannyJen]

I will have to see one in the flesh so to speak but aesthetically it tends to grate with me.

It does not mean that I dismiss it, indeed I will be one of the first through the door when it arrives at the dealers

 

[blakeley]

I like it, I had a good look round one in France last month as the German family camped next to us had a brand new one that they had on hire.

I was in the HATE camp before but now I have seen one and touched it I have changed my opinion.

The plus points for me are:

VERY nice leather as standard
Better seat adjustments
Rear bench seat are real car seats and not the sort of seat you would find a number 7 bus
All the fittings feel very well constructed from better materials than what VW use
Manual roof is a massive bonus for me
Back window opens up
Sunroof
Westfalia reputation

Only negative I could find is there is nowhere to store your outside chairs in the tailgate.

Also the pictures in the other post are the old version and are incorrect, the new dash is much nicer and more car like, I would also say a better layout than the T6.

 

[briwy]

We also had a look at one next to us on an aire in France last week.
Belgian family had it for a couple of months and very happy with it.
Manual roof, agree is a plus point. Less to go wrong.
Very flashy inside, not really to our taste and seemed rather claustrophobic for some reason compared to the Cali.
Not sure what advantage the rear opening window has, bit more ventilation I suppose when parked up.
Can't say I liked the dash, seemed a bit intrusive and lost some space in the front

 

[motacyclist]

Maybe I am in a minority but I don't think it is that ugly, in fact it is more of a modern design compared to the T6 which does not float my boat at all.

If you want to talk about ugly then look at some of the high tops and ford transit conversions!

View attachment 9423

The roof looks like a pump for an air bed.

 

[GrannyJen]

That pic with the bloke lying on the bed looking as though he is reading a porn magazine ... with his head poking out of the back ...

There seems to be very little headroom - without a topper.

With a topper, and I use an airbed, my head would be touching that roof/ locker...

I do like it though ....

Sold through a proper car dealership,decent waiting areas, nice coffee, talked to as though you are a human being, sold by dealers used to selling £60k worth of vehicle, probably even customer service staff who understand what a telephone is and know how to pick it up and call someone back .... in fact, just treated like a customer and not some plonker wandering in off the street to spoil their quiet day by wanting to spend money ...

It's like a dream of some past era when customer service actually existed and people seemed keen to sell you something ...

 

[rippers]

Yeah its kinda ugly.. a lot like the T6 is

 

[greenfintry]

Worst customer care I ever had was from Mercedes. Our M class blew its engine and caught fire on French autoroute 2 days before Bastille day... Treated like criminals throughout the whole recovery and repair process. M was still under warranty but by the end of the full repair etc it failed the MOT as floor pan full of oil etc. think they are all pants, best ever service seems to come from the cheapest cars!

 

[blakeley]

The roof looks like a pump for an air bed.

The roof concertinas down, so no risk of bellows getting jammed in mechanism, why VW has not adopted this on the T6 is beyond me

 

[motacyclist]

The roof concertinas down, so no risk of bellows getting jammed in mechanism, why VW has not adopted this on the T6 is beyond me

Possibly because it would need extra height to accommodate the additional folds when closed? The roof on the Cali is very unobtrusive and the van fits under most height barriers. Does anyone know what the height of the Merc is?

 

[blakeley]

1.90m according to Wesfalia

 

[motacyclist]

That's lower than the Cali, Merc win the limbo contest

 

[blakeley]

I think people should give the Marco Polo a chance, I love my Cali as much as everyone else and possibly would not change it, however Wesfalia know much more about campervans than VW do!

The changes to to the campervan side of the T6 are very very poor, all there is, is a cup holder, that is all they could think of, at least Wesfalia have made some improvements to the design and made it look a bit more modern.

 

[larrylamb]

Westfalia "Jokers" are T5 based and beautifully made,
http://www.westfalia-mobil.net/en/modelle/club-joker/clubjoker-wohnen.php

 

[GrannyJen]

Westfalia "Jokers" are T5 based and beautifully made,
http://www.westfalia-mobil.net/en/modelle/club-joker/clubjoker-wohnen.php

I was blown away when I saw the T5 Joker...

Then reality set in,

It's on the LWB version (all those places where Albert by the thickness of paint managed to get through and round . a total no go area for 40 extra cm's) and extra height ... (bang goes my super smug feeling when flying through the 2m height barriers on a peage "fast lane")....

However it is a beautifully made camper, fantastic use of space, and if I ever became "sensible" and stopped seeking white knuckle rides then it would be my choice.

 

[Meoncoast]

I looked at the "Joker" but could not work out how the boat came off the roof.