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Mercedes Marco Polo Latest Info 2017

If it's a 3rd or 4th vehicle there is much logic to your question. As a pure camping experience, the Cali can't compete with a larger unit, but as a 1st or 2nd car, it offers a lifestyle otherwise unobtainable at similar running costs to a normal car. But that comes with compromises.... No loo, the need to erect a drive away awning etc.
If it was just used for camping, I wouldn't buy a Cali.
I suspect I'll now get quite a bit of abuse.....

Absolutely spot on.
We have thought about the same things. But as an everyday driver and something we can get away in. The California is the perfect compromise.
Hands down though as a camping vehicle, the above type vehicle is in a different league to a California.
 
Jeepers. Why stop there. There are some utterly amazing bits of kit out there. The trouble is, they are not much good for genuine exploring and you always need a plan with these machines. Plan which route, when to go, forward booking RV sites, plan where you are going to 'hanger' it when not in use. I like the seductive freedom of the not-having-a-plan plan. Everytime. It has to be Cali-sized, that much is non-negotiable.
 
More Cali competition?
https://www.auto-medienportal.net/artikel/detail/36635
120282

Then there's this that could easily follow.....
http://www.peugeot.co.uk/showroom/traveller/mpv/technical-information/
new-traveller-length.128240.11.jpg
 
Yeah, but the Cali has just been overtaken in sales by the Marco Polo. We are discussing why that might have happened.
sales figure Germany is not telling everything, what about other countries , maybe merc did some agressive promotion, maybe they have shorter delivery time at the moment.. being the most sold is not the same as being the best choice .. You also have to look at longer period in time: a cali is not replaced every 5 years, there are so many already sold over the years from T1 to T5 still driving all over the world..
Like many here I looked at the merc also before deciding for the cali and merc did not convince me.
I looked for sales figures for california and found the following for the netherlands:
http://www.autoweek.nl/verkoopcijfers/volkswagen/california/ (v'erkoopaantallen'= numer of cars sold, 'marktaandeel= market share), but I can't find any figures for marco polo. .
I believe the succes of marco polo is also because it is the 'new kid in town' and T6 looks almost like twin brother of T5 ..
 
sales figure Germany is not telling everything, what about other countries , maybe merc did some agressive promotion, maybe they have shorter delivery time at the moment.. being the most sold is not the same as being the best choice .. You also have to look at longer period in time: a cali is not replaced every 5 years, there are so many already sold over the years from T1 to T5 still driving all over the world..
Like many here I looked at the merc also before deciding for the cali and merc did not convince me.
I looked for sales figures for california and found the following for the netherlands:
http://www.autoweek.nl/verkoopcijfers/volkswagen/california/ (v'erkoopaantallen'= numer of cars sold, 'marktaandeel= market share), but I can't find any figures for marco polo. .
I believe the succes of marco polo is also because it is the 'new kid in town' and T6 looks almost like twin brother of T5 ..
Agreed. And we're back to the old conundrum of "Lies, damned lies, and statistics"


Mike
 
Ah, but no longevity in French vehicles, so for me a non starter.
Toyota do the same vehicle so the problem goes away.... Well sort off ;(
 
I think many people are forgetting that while the MP is the new kid in town in the UK, it has been going for decades on the continent, so its not as if Mercedes are just muscling in on the VW market. The resale values of older vehicles are pretty high -- very similar to Calis. Here's a 15 year old example and the asking price is quite typical.

I live and work in the city where the base vehicle for the MP is made (Vitoria, in the Basque Country, hence the name Vito and now V class) although to date I've been mainly looking at the Ocean.... However, the roof issues mean I'm giving the MP serious consideration (test drive soon, I hope). As for demand, it is very high for the MP too with Sunday shifts being introduced and wait times similar to the Cali.

For anyone with a smattering of Spanish, here's a mega-thread on the MP (2014 model onwards) with lots of pics and practical ideas. The boot-hogging table/chairs haven't gone down too well here either but it's a simple matter to cross them off the order (saving 245 euros) and buy some from Decathlon...

Martin
 
Good debate, all of this. I am enjoying it. Spoke to Merc today - they say RHS production starts in March for Summer delivery.

btw - I don't think Mercedes cheat everyone on their emissions claims.
 
Agree on the above , the MP is not new here on the mainland , maybe to you guys in the UK .
But the numbers of MP you spot on the road and campsites is much lower than the number of Cali's . There must be a reason for this.
Must say the latest MP are looking good (never driven one ) and as VW did not much effort to make the T6 diffrent to the T5 there could be a win in it for the MP the next years....
 
Don't have it to hand right now, but it was something like £2000-£2500, albeit most other kit seems included, seems like a bit of a con....I'd have to say I think it looks good, ad if it was in the short wheelbase it would be contender, the longer wheelbase (normal long vs extra long) just won't go in a standard garage.
 
I would have expected that to be standard. It should be. Go on, enlighten us...
1.2kw Electric air heating is standard I believe, diesel heater is extra as is diesel hot water heater.
 
I think many people are forgetting that while the MP is the new kid in town in the UK, it has been going for decades on the continent, so its not as if Mercedes are just muscling in on the VW market. The resale values of older vehicles are pretty high -- very similar to Calis. Here's a 15 year old example and the asking price is quite typical.

I live and work in the city where the base vehicle for the MP is made (Vitoria, in the Basque Country, hence the name Vito and now V class) although to date I've been mainly looking at the Ocean.... However, the roof issues mean I'm giving the MP serious consideration (test drive soon, I hope). As for demand, it is very high for the MP too with Sunday shifts being introduced and wait times similar to the Cali.

For anyone with a smattering of Spanish, here's a mega-thread on the MP (2014 model onwards) with lots of pics and practical ideas. The boot-hogging table/chairs haven't gone down too well here either but it's a simple matter to cross them off the order (saving 245 euros) and buy some from Decathlon...

Martin
from a mailing of the dealer in Netherlands: Camper Centrum Nederland
"Volkswagen California: +37%!
Met 12.887 geproduceerde Volkswagens California is in 2016 weer een nieuw productierecord gevestigd. Terwijl 2015 ook al een recordjaar was"
translation: sales figures for cali in 2016 : +37% , 12887 cali's build in 2016 a new record , while 2015 already was a record year ..
Even more : the dealer in the Netherlands gives 4 years warranty now (2 years factory + 2 year dealer)

maybe this is the reason why merc only talks about German market : to use figures in their advantage
I also love the slogan they use for the cali: camper with 60 years of travelling experience
 
maybe this is the reason why merc only talks about German market : to use figures in their advantage
But why are more being sold in Germany, the home market? Presumably, historically the largest consumer base of camper vans.
 
But why are more being sold in Germany, the home market? Presumably, historically the largest consumer base of camper vans.


I think I know why,

Mercedes is very agressive with their sales in Germany and Luxembourg too. You get big discounts on the cars. I bought a "Jahresauto" tried to sell it a year later and was unable to get a decent price.

Reason: flooding of the German market with "Jahreswagen" and offers from resellers that are unbeatable.

I would have gotten an excellent deal on a Marco Polo, but the size and the storage where a nono.
 
Here is some actual data comparing asking prices and number of kilometres for VW Calis and MB Marco Polos available to buy as of today in Spain, using information from popular vehicle sale sites.

To avoid issues with very low or very high mileage vehicles (or fiddled mileage, or replaced engines), I've restricted them to just those having mean annual kilometres between 10000 and 20000. In this range, the Marco Polo has a mean of 14.8k km/year and the Cali 13.6.

vans.png

The lines indicate the best linear fit. The slope of the Cali line is -0.129 meaning a depreciation of 0.129 euros per kilometre. The Marco Polo line has a slope of -0.120. Extrapolation to the intersection with the y-axis indicates the 'value' as soon as the vehicle leaves the forecourt (50.8k for Cali, 49.1k for Marco Polo) -- a useful way of gauging dealers' margins perhaps.

Essentially, the data point to little difference in resale value between the two models, at least over here.

Martin
 
Better discount on the Marco Polo. My sister husband acheived 14.4% discount from Mercedes in January. Delivery is due in May.
 
Better discount on the Marco Polo. My sister husband acheived 14.4% discount from Mercedes in January. Delivery is due in May.
That's good....but I prefer my VW, iconic, and even though we all complain about our roofs...the front panel is a pain but the main roof can be lived with.
 
Better discount on the Marco Polo. My sister husband acheived 14.4% discount from Mercedes in January. Delivery is due in May.
Discount is one thing but the real thing is the net price comparison.
 
1.2kw Electric air heating is standard I believe, diesel heater is extra as is diesel hot water heater.
Larry,

You are right about the electric heater but the air heater independent so similar to what we all have on an SE is £2575!!! the water heater is separate again at £1345 !! I could certainly live without the water heater but an awning at £695 too...

Would certainly like to see what they go for second hand in a few years time
 
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