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Mercedes Marco Polo Latest Info 2017

Got a call yesterday from a Merc dealer saying they had firm dates and would I like to come in and discuss.
The Mercedes selling instincts seem quite sharp compared with VW who have only once followed up after we rented a Cali last October. I told him we will be renting a MP for a week or so first to which he was a bit non-plussed. I suspect we will have to rent from a dealer in Euroland first. What is sure for us is no-try, no-buy.
 
We are renting a Cali to try soon, but have not found a MBMP V Classe for rent. On offere are only the older model. Please share rental options you find on the continent.
 
We are renting a Cali to try soon, but have not found a MBMP V Classe for rent. On offere are only the older model. Please share rental options you find on the continent.
You should find those ....
Took me not long to find thisone in Belgium that is.
https://www.2dehands.be/jobs-dienst...uxe-campervan-te-huur-mercedes-328039755.html
But not sure if it is the V class , not familiar with MB
Must be private owners renting out in France also.

And here
https://huurmijmarcopolo.wordpress.com/

In Italy
https://www.goboony.be/campers/italie/lazio/rome/1176-westfalia-camper-huren

Seems goboony is a global rentsite
https://www.goboony.co.uk/?_ga=1.44533602.712690482.1486797965
 
Last edited:
You should find those ....
Took me not long to find thisone in Belgium that is.
https://www.2dehands.be/jobs-dienst...uxe-campervan-te-huur-mercedes-328039755.html
But not sure if it is the V class , not familiar with MB
Must be private owners renting out in France also.

And here
https://huurmijmarcopolo.wordpress.com/

In Italy
https://www.goboony.be/campers/italie/lazio/rome/1176-westfalia-camper-huren

Seems goboony is a global rentsite
https://www.goboony.co.uk/?_ga=1.44533602.712690482.1486797965
Thank you for taking the time to put that together. Most helpful.
 
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

You're right that the air heater is crazily overpriced. Most people over here seems to have it fitted afterwards at under half the price (the same heater). The biggest swindle is the remote control for the heater at 500 euros....

A big thing in Spain is the 'compra conjunta' i.e. group buy, which really gets the price down. For instance, at the moment there are nearly 70 people joining together to get the Eberspacher heater. There's a whole subforum on driving this kind of deal. There was even an attempt to get a group discount on the Ocean which seemed to peter out when various dealers got wind of it. I think it made it to 18% discount at one point.
 
Hi all
I know there are a few comparisons knocking around online about the MP vs the California however I've only managed to poorly translate them. Does anyone have a feel for how the two compare in markets where they are both already established? Any insights would be really welcomed.

From what I can see the MP looks more upscale and potentially better spec eg lower starting weight and higher payload. Does anyone know if the cupboards are aluminium as in the Cali? How about the roof mechanism comparison?

Thanks for reading this far and appreciate any insights. We are in the cusp of cancelling our T6 owing to the roof issue and getting on the list of the MP. On the fence about that at the moment still.

All the best
 
Hi all
I know there are a few comparisons knocking around online about the MP vs the California however I've only managed to poorly translate them. Does anyone have a feel for how the two compare in markets where they are both already established? Any insights would be really welcomed.

From what I can see the MP looks more upscale and potentially better spec eg lower starting weight and higher payload. Does anyone know if the cupboards are aluminium as in the Cali? How about the roof mechanism comparison?

Thanks for reading this far and appreciate any insights. We are in the cusp of cancelling our T6 owing to the roof issue and getting on the list of the MP. On the fence about that at the moment still.

All the best
Westphalia roof seemed to me to be more robust by a margin than the rather flakey VW. There is something wrong with the design when a few items of clothing left in the roof will cause the Al roof to buckle and the issue of the material being trapped in the frame is frankly ridiculous - corrosion is another matter. Cupboards are some sort of composite material from what I remember. In a few months, we plan to rent a MP and will subject our thoughts to everyones scrutiny on this forum.
 
We finally had a chance to check out the Marco Polo this week. The local dealers don't have any but a friend who works at the Mercedes plant showed us around a couple owned by the staff there. Earlier in the week we also looked at an Ocean at the dealers.

Some initial impressions:

At a first glance, the Ocean appears more van-like while the MP is a more car-like. The default driving height in the Ocean is higher, but the seats in the MP are height-adjustable as standard and I think get to a similar height as the Ocean at max.

There are many many differences in the 'cockpit'. The most obvious is that the automatic gear options (park, neutral, drive, reverse) are controlled by an 'indicator-like' stem on the steering wheel in the MP but via a conventional gearstick on the Ocean. The automatic has sporty, comfort and eco settings on the MP as standard. Many options are controlled via a touchpad on the MP.

The absence of a central handbrake in the MP (it has a small electronic handbrake pull switch instead) makes rotating the front seats really easy. It also leaves a very sizeable wasted space between the front seats which would be ideal for something like a combined moveable buddy seat/storage/step to get into the roof bed.

As is already obvious from the photos, the MP has a much swisher interior. This isn't necessarily an advantage, as it gives the impression that style may have triumphed over substance. But the actual quality/strength of the fittings seem comparable in both. For the cupboards I had a preference for the Ocean, in terms of useable space and thinner-yet-strong materials. The MP wins out with the three separate lifting sections of the worktop. I don't think the MP cupboards are aluminium like in the Ocean; they seem a bit of a wood-plastic combination in the MP. I came away with the impression that the Ocean is a very solid and well-made (well, apart from the unmentionable) 'no nonsense' vehicle. The MP's fittings, at least in their latest swanky form, still need to prove themselves in that regard.

The table in the MP is similar in design to the Ocean but I get the impression it is slightly shorter, which has pros and cons. Well, the only pro I can think of is that it is easier to walk around the table with the side door shut. Most owners of the MP complain that the table 'stop' position leaves it too far away from the rotated front seats (yes, there is that much space in the MP cabin), and many have modified the location of the stop to rectify this and to allow proper access to all the cupboards. I preferred the table in the Ocean. It seemed a bit more robust to me.

The light wood-effect 'yacht' floor gives the MP interior an airy feel and is actually very hard and smooth, and said to be easy to clean by owners. We also looked at a cheaper TPO plastic floor option but because the surface isn't smooth it might be harder to keep clean, and the grey shows up muddy footprints. I don't recall much about the Ocean floor except that the demo model showed a lot of bootprints, so I guess it is also grey.

The rear seat is one area where the MP wins for me, being more comfortable with its inflated side mouldings. On the other hand, it is slower to make into a bed as the mouldings have to deflate, and it doesn't have the neater hinged headrests of the T6.

The boot... yes, the camping table and chairs really do occupy a good half of the boot area under the bed extension in the MP. They hang down in their basket making it difficult to reach the clearer boot area behind the reat seat. This is a bad design decision. The only upside is that there is a saving of 240 euros or so by omitting them in the configurator. The Ocean is such a neat solution in comparison.

There is an issue with the availability of a bike-rack for the MP. The dealers say there isn't one specifically made for the new MP, but owners claim to have managed to source a couple of options. This isn't a problem for the Ocean. An electrical pre-fit of the trailer hitch is only 198 euros in the MP though, and it is much cheaper to add the hitch afterwards, apparently, than at the time of buying the vehicle.

The MP has 2 batteries while the Ocean has 3. Some MP owners find the mapping of devices/sockets to the two batteries a little strange (I can elaborate if anyone is interested).

The MP has more USB sockets as standard, including in the upper part.

The MP can be specced with the manual roof.

The MP has the separate opening rear window (although it needs a bit of a simple DIY fix to open it from the inside).

All the interior lights in the Ocean are graduated in intensity. I think only some of those in the MP are like this.

Window tinting is standard on the MP (useful in a hot country like Spain).

There are 5 'free' colour choices in the MP ('pebble grey' -- a kind of beige, navy blue, British racing green-ish, red and white) as opposed to 2 for the Ocean (red and white).

I think ACC is a less expensive addition on the Ocean than the equivalent 'Histrionic' system on the MP.

Heated front seats are standard on the Ocean but an option on the MP.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, static air heating is also standard on the Ocean, and an expensive extra on the MP (but easy to retrofit professionally at under half the price).

I'm not sure if the Ocean has automatic parking (both finding a parking spot then doing the parking automatically) but the MP does and it is amazingly precise, if not a little too perfectionist for my liking. It certainly leaves the van right in the centre of the spot. This isn't standard but comes as part of a reasonably-priced parking package which also includes a 360 degree camera. Nearly everyone parks in underground garages here which can be a bit of a nightmare, and I see the 360 camera as a huge help. It is based on 4 cameras (front, rear, 1 on each wing mirror), images from which are collectively pieced together to create a compelling bird's eye real-time view of the car's actual environment, along with a superimposed view of the car.

Talking of garages, the slightly lower height of the MP means it fits into most parkings. Set against this is the longer length, which, amongst other things, takes it into a higher price category on Brittany Ferries (annoying for my annual trips to Blighty).

These are my main impressions but if anyone wants to know any more, feel free to ask.

I haven't yet driven either the MP or the Ocean. This morning I did get to drive a Class V with the 220d engine + automatic gearbox, which is what we're looking for if we plump for a MP. This was a real pleasure to drive. I was ambling along thinking I was doing maybe 70 km/h and was amazed to see I was doing 100. It is extremely quiet too and I noticed no roll at all when cornering. Apart from the driving height, it has a car-like feel when driving. The only comparison I can make is with a 2011 T5 Cali with DSG that I drove earlier this year. Again, it was a superb drive. It seemed just a tiny bit noisier (but still quiet) and I noticed a bit of a roll, but that could just have been the way I was driving it. I slightly prefer the higher driving position of the Cali.

In summary, both seem to be fantastic vehicles and I would be happy with either. Competition is a great thing but in this case a combination of the best bits of each would make for something truly exceptional....

I specced up an Ocean and an MP with similar add-ons and they come to almost the same price. We get dealer discounts of 15% or higher over here but that has to be set against 21% VAT and 9.75% on initial registration of the vehicle.

In the end, it might just be the roof issue and the fact that the Merc is locally-made that swings it towards the MP for me.
 
Oh, I forgot to say, and HectorPascal reminded me: the concertina roof style on the MP does indeed seem to be good at preventing the material getting caught.
 
We finally had a chance to check out the Marco Polo this week. The local dealers don't have any but a friend who works at the Mercedes plant showed us around a couple owned by the staff there. Earlier in the week we also looked at an Ocean at the dealers.

Some initial impressions:

At a first glance, the Ocean appears more van-like while the MP is a more car-like. The default driving height in the Ocean is higher, but the seats in the MP are height-adjustable as standard and I think get to a similar height as the Ocean at max.

There are many many differences in the 'cockpit'. The most obvious is that the automatic gear options (park, neutral, drive, reverse) are controlled by an 'indicator-like' stem on the steering wheel in the MP but via a conventional gearstick on the Ocean. The automatic has sporty, comfort and eco settings on the MP as standard. Many options are controlled via a touchpad on the MP.

The absence of a central handbrake in the MP (it has a small electronic handbrake pull switch instead) makes rotating the front seats really easy. It also leaves a very sizeable wasted space between the front seats which would be ideal for something like a combined moveable buddy seat/storage/step to get into the roof bed.

As is already obvious from the photos, the MP has a much swisher interior. This isn't necessarily an advantage, as it gives the impression that style may have triumphed over substance. But the actual quality/strength of the fittings seem comparable in both. For the cupboards I had a preference for the Ocean, in terms of useable space and thinner-yet-strong materials. The MP wins out with the three separate lifting sections of the worktop. I don't think the MP cupboards are aluminium like in the Ocean; they seem a bit of a wood-plastic combination in the MP. I came away with the impression that the Ocean is a very solid and well-made (well, apart from the unmentionable) 'no nonsense' vehicle. The MP's fittings, at least in their latest swanky form, still need to prove themselves in that regard.

The table in the MP is similar in design to the Ocean but I get the impression it is slightly shorter, which has pros and cons. Well, the only pro I can think of is that it is easier to walk around the table with the side door shut. Most owners of the MP complain that the table 'stop' position leaves it too far away from the rotated front seats (yes, there is that much space in the MP cabin), and many have modified the location of the stop to rectify this and to allow proper access to all the cupboards. I preferred the table in the Ocean. It seemed a bit more robust to me.

The light wood-effect 'yacht' floor gives the MP interior an airy feel and is actually very hard and smooth, and said to be easy to clean by owners. We also looked at a cheaper TPO plastic floor option but because the surface isn't smooth it might be harder to keep clean, and the grey shows up muddy footprints. I don't recall much about the Ocean floor except that the demo model showed a lot of bootprints, so I guess it is also grey.

The rear seat is one area where the MP wins for me, being more comfortable with its inflated side mouldings. On the other hand, it is slower to make into a bed as the mouldings have to deflate, and it doesn't have the neater hinged headrests of the T6.

The boot... yes, the camping table and chairs really do occupy a good half of the boot area under the bed extension in the MP. They hang down in their basket making it difficult to reach the clearer boot area behind the reat seat. This is a bad design decision. The only upside is that there is a saving of 240 euros or so by omitting them in the configurator. The Ocean is such a neat solution in comparison.

There is an issue with the availability of a bike-rack for the MP. The dealers say there isn't one specifically made for the new MP, but owners claim to have managed to source a couple of options. This isn't a problem for the Ocean. An electrical pre-fit of the trailer hitch is only 198 euros in the MP though, and it is much cheaper to add the hitch afterwards, apparently, than at the time of buying the vehicle.

The MP has 2 batteries while the Ocean has 3. Some MP owners find the mapping of devices/sockets to the two batteries a little strange (I can elaborate if anyone is interested).

The MP has more USB sockets as standard, including in the upper part.

The MP can be specced with the manual roof.

The MP has the separate opening rear window (although it needs a bit of a simple DIY fix to open it from the inside).

All the interior lights in the Ocean are graduated in intensity. I think only some of those in the MP are like this.

Window tinting is standard on the MP (useful in a hot country like Spain).

There are 5 'free' colour choices in the MP ('pebble grey' -- a kind of beige, navy blue, British racing green-ish, red and white) as opposed to 2 for the Ocean (red and white).

I think ACC is a less expensive addition on the Ocean than the equivalent 'Histrionic' system on the MP.

Heated front seats are standard on the Ocean but an option on the MP.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, static air heating is also standard on the Ocean, and an expensive extra on the MP (but easy to retrofit professionally at under half the price).

I'm not sure if the Ocean has automatic parking (both finding a parking spot then doing the parking automatically) but the MP does and it is amazingly precise, if not a little too perfectionist for my liking. It certainly leaves the van right in the centre of the spot. This isn't standard but comes as part of a reasonably-priced parking package which also includes a 360 degree camera. Nearly everyone parks in underground garages here which can be a bit of a nightmare, and I see the 360 camera as a huge help. It is based on 4 cameras (front, rear, 1 on each wing mirror), images from which are collectively pieced together to create a compelling bird's eye real-time view of the car's actual environment, along with a superimposed view of the car.

Talking of garages, the slightly lower height of the MP means it fits into most parkings. Set against this is the longer length, which, amongst other things, takes it into a higher price category on Brittany Ferries (annoying for my annual trips to Blighty).

These are my main impressions but if anyone wants to know any more, feel free to ask.

I haven't yet driven either the MP or the Ocean. This morning I did get to drive a Class V with the 220d engine + automatic gearbox, which is what we're looking for if we plump for a MP. This was a real pleasure to drive. I was ambling along thinking I was doing maybe 70 km/h and was amazed to see I was doing 100. It is extremely quiet too and I noticed no roll at all when cornering. Apart from the driving height, it has a car-like feel when driving. The only comparison I can make is with a 2011 T5 Cali with DSG that I drove earlier this year. Again, it was a superb drive. It seemed just a tiny bit noisier (but still quiet) and I noticed a bit of a roll, but that could just have been the way I was driving it. I slightly prefer the higher driving position of the Cali.

In summary, both seem to be fantastic vehicles and I would be happy with either. Competition is a great thing but in this case a combination of the best bits of each would make for something truly exceptional....

I specced up an Ocean and an MP with similar add-ons and they come to almost the same price. We get dealer discounts of 15% or higher over here but that has to be set against 21% VAT and 9.75% on initial registration of the vehicle.

In the end, it might just be the roof issue and the fact that the Merc is locally-made that swings it towards the MP for me.
Fantastic post, thanks.
 
We finally had a chance to check out the Marco Polo this week. The local dealers don't have any but a friend who works at the Mercedes plant showed us around a couple owned by the staff there. Earlier in the week we also looked at an Ocean at the dealers.

Some initial impressions:

At a first glance, the Ocean appears more van-like while the MP is a more car-like. The default driving height in the Ocean is higher, but the seats in the MP are height-adjustable as standard and I think get to a similar height as the Ocean at max.

There are many many differences in the 'cockpit'. The most obvious is that the automatic gear options (park, neutral, drive, reverse) are controlled by an 'indicator-like' stem on the steering wheel in the MP but via a conventional gearstick on the Ocean. The automatic has sporty, comfort and eco settings on the MP as standard. Many options are controlled via a touchpad on the MP.

The absence of a central handbrake in the MP (it has a small electronic handbrake pull switch instead) makes rotating the front seats really easy. It also leaves a very sizeable wasted space between the front seats which would be ideal for something like a combined moveable buddy seat/storage/step to get into the roof bed.

As is already obvious from the photos, the MP has a much swisher interior. This isn't necessarily an advantage, as it gives the impression that style may have triumphed over substance. But the actual quality/strength of the fittings seem comparable in both. For the cupboards I had a preference for the Ocean, in terms of useable space and thinner-yet-strong materials. The MP wins out with the three separate lifting sections of the worktop. I don't think the MP cupboards are aluminium like in the Ocean; they seem a bit of a wood-plastic combination in the MP. I came away with the impression that the Ocean is a very solid and well-made (well, apart from the unmentionable) 'no nonsense' vehicle. The MP's fittings, at least in their latest swanky form, still need to prove themselves in that regard.

The table in the MP is similar in design to the Ocean but I get the impression it is slightly shorter, which has pros and cons. Well, the only pro I can think of is that it is easier to walk around the table with the side door shut. Most owners of the MP complain that the table 'stop' position leaves it too far away from the rotated front seats (yes, there is that much space in the MP cabin), and many have modified the location of the stop to rectify this and to allow proper access to all the cupboards. I preferred the table in the Ocean. It seemed a bit more robust to me.

The light wood-effect 'yacht' floor gives the MP interior an airy feel and is actually very hard and smooth, and said to be easy to clean by owners. We also looked at a cheaper TPO plastic floor option but because the surface isn't smooth it might be harder to keep clean, and the grey shows up muddy footprints. I don't recall much about the Ocean floor except that the demo model showed a lot of bootprints, so I guess it is also grey.

The rear seat is one area where the MP wins for me, being more comfortable with its inflated side mouldings. On the other hand, it is slower to make into a bed as the mouldings have to deflate, and it doesn't have the neater hinged headrests of the T6.

The boot... yes, the camping table and chairs really do occupy a good half of the boot area under the bed extension in the MP. They hang down in their basket making it difficult to reach the clearer boot area behind the reat seat. This is a bad design decision. The only upside is that there is a saving of 240 euros or so by omitting them in the configurator. The Ocean is such a neat solution in comparison.

There is an issue with the availability of a bike-rack for the MP. The dealers say there isn't one specifically made for the new MP, but owners claim to have managed to source a couple of options. This isn't a problem for the Ocean. An electrical pre-fit of the trailer hitch is only 198 euros in the MP though, and it is much cheaper to add the hitch afterwards, apparently, than at the time of buying the vehicle.

The MP has 2 batteries while the Ocean has 3. Some MP owners find the mapping of devices/sockets to the two batteries a little strange (I can elaborate if anyone is interested).

The MP has more USB sockets as standard, including in the upper part.

The MP can be specced with the manual roof.

The MP has the separate opening rear window (although it needs a bit of a simple DIY fix to open it from the inside).

All the interior lights in the Ocean are graduated in intensity. I think only some of those in the MP are like this.

Window tinting is standard on the MP (useful in a hot country like Spain).

There are 5 'free' colour choices in the MP ('pebble grey' -- a kind of beige, navy blue, British racing green-ish, red and white) as opposed to 2 for the Ocean (red and white).

I think ACC is a less expensive addition on the Ocean than the equivalent 'Histrionic' system on the MP.

Heated front seats are standard on the Ocean but an option on the MP.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, static air heating is also standard on the Ocean, and an expensive extra on the MP (but easy to retrofit professionally at under half the price).

I'm not sure if the Ocean has automatic parking (both finding a parking spot then doing the parking automatically) but the MP does and it is amazingly precise, if not a little too perfectionist for my liking. It certainly leaves the van right in the centre of the spot. This isn't standard but comes as part of a reasonably-priced parking package which also includes a 360 degree camera. Nearly everyone parks in underground garages here which can be a bit of a nightmare, and I see the 360 camera as a huge help. It is based on 4 cameras (front, rear, 1 on each wing mirror), images from which are collectively pieced together to create a compelling bird's eye real-time view of the car's actual environment, along with a superimposed view of the car.

Talking of garages, the slightly lower height of the MP means it fits into most parkings. Set against this is the longer length, which, amongst other things, takes it into a higher price category on Brittany Ferries (annoying for my annual trips to Blighty).

These are my main impressions but if anyone wants to know any more, feel free to ask.

I haven't yet driven either the MP or the Ocean. This morning I did get to drive a Class V with the 220d engine + automatic gearbox, which is what we're looking for if we plump for a MP. This was a real pleasure to drive. I was ambling along thinking I was doing maybe 70 km/h and was amazed to see I was doing 100. It is extremely quiet too and I noticed no roll at all when cornering. Apart from the driving height, it has a car-like feel when driving. The only comparison I can make is with a 2011 T5 Cali with DSG that I drove earlier this year. Again, it was a superb drive. It seemed just a tiny bit noisier (but still quiet) and I noticed a bit of a roll, but that could just have been the way I was driving it. I slightly prefer the higher driving position of the Cali.

In summary, both seem to be fantastic vehicles and I would be happy with either. Competition is a great thing but in this case a combination of the best bits of each would make for something truly exceptional....

I specced up an Ocean and an MP with similar add-ons and they come to almost the same price. We get dealer discounts of 15% or higher over here but that has to be set against 21% VAT and 9.75% on initial registration of the vehicle.

In the end, it might just be the roof issue and the fact that the Merc is locally-made that swings it towards the MP for me.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed and informative comparison - really helpful.
 
Wow, Martin that's incredibly insightful and helpful. Thanks for taking the time to write. I'll reread again this evening.

I note your point around the cabinets. Doesn't anyone know what they are made of? I think vw's aluminium would be incredibly durable but agree with your question mark if they are plastic or wood in the MP.

Lastly do we know what the relative unladen weights and payloads are? I think I remember in the promobil review that the axel weight limits were red (bad score) for the MP and green for the cali...

Thanks again and i continue to read with interest.

All the best
 
We finally had a chance to check out the Marco Polo this week. The local dealers don't have any but a friend who works at the Mercedes plant showed us around a couple owned by the staff there. Earlier in the week we also looked at an Ocean at the dealers.

Some initial impressions:

At a first glance, the Ocean appears more van-like while the MP is a more car-like. The default driving height in the Ocean is higher, but the seats in the MP are height-adjustable as standard and I think get to a similar height as the Ocean at max.

There are many many differences in the 'cockpit'. The most obvious is that the automatic gear options (park, neutral, drive, reverse) are controlled by an 'indicator-like' stem on the steering wheel in the MP but via a conventional gearstick on the Ocean. The automatic has sporty, comfort and eco settings on the MP as standard. Many options are controlled via a touchpad on the MP.

The absence of a central handbrake in the MP (it has a small electronic handbrake pull switch instead) makes rotating the front seats really easy. It also leaves a very sizeable wasted space between the front seats which would be ideal for something like a combined moveable buddy seat/storage/step to get into the roof bed.

As is already obvious from the photos, the MP has a much swisher interior. This isn't necessarily an advantage, as it gives the impression that style may have triumphed over substance. But the actual quality/strength of the fittings seem comparable in both. For the cupboards I had a preference for the Ocean, in terms of useable space and thinner-yet-strong materials. The MP wins out with the three separate lifting sections of the worktop. I don't think the MP cupboards are aluminium like in the Ocean; they seem a bit of a wood-plastic combination in the MP. I came away with the impression that the Ocean is a very solid and well-made (well, apart from the unmentionable) 'no nonsense' vehicle. The MP's fittings, at least in their latest swanky form, still need to prove themselves in that regard.

The table in the MP is similar in design to the Ocean but I get the impression it is slightly shorter, which has pros and cons. Well, the only pro I can think of is that it is easier to walk around the table with the side door shut. Most owners of the MP complain that the table 'stop' position leaves it too far away from the rotated front seats (yes, there is that much space in the MP cabin), and many have modified the location of the stop to rectify this and to allow proper access to all the cupboards. I preferred the table in the Ocean. It seemed a bit more robust to me.

The light wood-effect 'yacht' floor gives the MP interior an airy feel and is actually very hard and smooth, and said to be easy to clean by owners. We also looked at a cheaper TPO plastic floor option but because the surface isn't smooth it might be harder to keep clean, and the grey shows up muddy footprints. I don't recall much about the Ocean floor except that the demo model showed a lot of bootprints, so I guess it is also grey.

The rear seat is one area where the MP wins for me, being more comfortable with its inflated side mouldings. On the other hand, it is slower to make into a bed as the mouldings have to deflate, and it doesn't have the neater hinged headrests of the T6.

The boot... yes, the camping table and chairs really do occupy a good half of the boot area under the bed extension in the MP. They hang down in their basket making it difficult to reach the clearer boot area behind the reat seat. This is a bad design decision. The only upside is that there is a saving of 240 euros or so by omitting them in the configurator. The Ocean is such a neat solution in comparison.

There is an issue with the availability of a bike-rack for the MP. The dealers say there isn't one specifically made for the new MP, but owners claim to have managed to source a couple of options. This isn't a problem for the Ocean. An electrical pre-fit of the trailer hitch is only 198 euros in the MP though, and it is much cheaper to add the hitch afterwards, apparently, than at the time of buying the vehicle.

The MP has 2 batteries while the Ocean has 3. Some MP owners find the mapping of devices/sockets to the two batteries a little strange (I can elaborate if anyone is interested).

The MP has more USB sockets as standard, including in the upper part.

The MP can be specced with the manual roof.

The MP has the separate opening rear window (although it needs a bit of a simple DIY fix to open it from the inside).

All the interior lights in the Ocean are graduated in intensity. I think only some of those in the MP are like this.

Window tinting is standard on the MP (useful in a hot country like Spain).

There are 5 'free' colour choices in the MP ('pebble grey' -- a kind of beige, navy blue, British racing green-ish, red and white) as opposed to 2 for the Ocean (red and white).

I think ACC is a less expensive addition on the Ocean than the equivalent 'Histrionic' system on the MP.

Heated front seats are standard on the Ocean but an option on the MP.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, static air heating is also standard on the Ocean, and an expensive extra on the MP (but easy to retrofit professionally at under half the price).

I'm not sure if the Ocean has automatic parking (both finding a parking spot then doing the parking automatically) but the MP does and it is amazingly precise, if not a little too perfectionist for my liking. It certainly leaves the van right in the centre of the spot. This isn't standard but comes as part of a reasonably-priced parking package which also includes a 360 degree camera. Nearly everyone parks in underground garages here which can be a bit of a nightmare, and I see the 360 camera as a huge help. It is based on 4 cameras (front, rear, 1 on each wing mirror), images from which are collectively pieced together to create a compelling bird's eye real-time view of the car's actual environment, along with a superimposed view of the car.

Talking of garages, the slightly lower height of the MP means it fits into most parkings. Set against this is the longer length, which, amongst other things, takes it into a higher price category on Brittany Ferries (annoying for my annual trips to Blighty).

These are my main impressions but if anyone wants to know any more, feel free to ask.

I haven't yet driven either the MP or the Ocean. This morning I did get to drive a Class V with the 220d engine + automatic gearbox, which is what we're looking for if we plump for a MP. This was a real pleasure to drive. I was ambling along thinking I was doing maybe 70 km/h and was amazed to see I was doing 100. It is extremely quiet too and I noticed no roll at all when cornering. Apart from the driving height, it has a car-like feel when driving. The only comparison I can make is with a 2011 T5 Cali with DSG that I drove earlier this year. Again, it was a superb drive. It seemed just a tiny bit noisier (but still quiet) and I noticed a bit of a roll, but that could just have been the way I was driving it. I slightly prefer the higher driving position of the Cali.

In summary, both seem to be fantastic vehicles and I would be happy with either. Competition is a great thing but in this case a combination of the best bits of each would make for something truly exceptional....

I specced up an Ocean and an MP with similar add-ons and they come to almost the same price. We get dealer discounts of 15% or higher over here but that has to be set against 21% VAT and 9.75% on initial registration of the vehicle.

In the end, it might just be the roof issue and the fact that the Merc is locally-made that swings it towards the MP for me.
Excellent post! :thanks
 
Wow, Martin that's incredibly insightful and helpful. Thanks for taking the time to write. I'll reread again this evening.

I note your point around the cabinets. Doesn't anyone know what they are made of? I think vw's aluminium would be incredibly durable but agree with your question mark if they are plastic or wood in the MP.

Lastly do we know what the relative unladen weights and payloads are? I think I remember in the promobil review that the axel weight limits were red (bad score) for the MP and green for the cali...

Thanks again and i continue to read with interest.

All the best
Don't forget the Roof Knock on the MP which is a fairly common fault apparently.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/loud-knock-when-lowering-electric-roof.17092/
 
Aca_chap, the only info I could find in the brochures is (comparing automatic with automatic, similar engine)

weight (empty*) 2435 kg MP, 2467 Ocean
extra weight capacity 665 kg MP, 533 Ocean

(*) including 68kg driver, 90% fuel tank, 7kg luggage

I can't find any info on the axle loading weights.

You might find your answer in the user manual which can be downloaded as an smartphone app if you search for "Mercedes-Benz Guides" on the app store. It is a very comprehensive guide in a useful format and worth downloading for offline use.

The cupboards are most likely made of some high-tech material. Unlike when I used to view T2s I wasn't carrying my fridge magnet to check... If I get another chance this week I will look more carefully. You can see them more closely at around 0:52 into this video or minute 3.10 in this video, or 1:55 in this one.

Martin
 
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The roof bellows on the MP is the only thing I would like on my Ocean but having owned Mercedes vans in the past would not return to the marque. They do look good conversions but totally impractical for my type of use.
 
Martin, thank you so much for all your continued insight. If you had any more thoughts around the cupboards we would love to hear.
All the best
 
Prefer the external look of the California, but the interior of the Mercedes looked very nice.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for the excellent post. Very helpful. We will be renting the MBMP over Easter weekend and a Cali a bit later to try them out. As we live near and often visit the alps, the rear wheel drive of the MP is a non starter, especially in winter, so the 4 motion is the best option, but also a 4000 Euro addition...

Very interesting info on the cost of a heater retrofit. Can I got more info. on that? Also info. On the retrofit of a trailer hitch, which is also a 900 Euros option here.

We will be renting from a MB dealer in Switzerland and have their price and option list. MP does Not come with an electric roof in Switzerland, only manual. Anyone think that is a disadvantage?

FYI: In Geneva local rental of the MBMP is much cheaper than the Cali coast rental.

Personally I found the MP interior to be even more impressive than the photos. Everything very swish, compared to the functional plain Jane Cali interior. MP sink looks cool but also pretty useless.

For regular use for two people the dealer said that many people remove the whole back shelf and rack with the chair bag. That basically solves a storage issue, but makes the lower bed only good for very short people or kids. We will see how we get on with the top bunk only. Barring that, he said just to remove the bag that holds the chairs, but that still wastes a lot of space. Very poor design...

Assume there is a whole thread on this somewhere, but the dealer also said to ditch the MB chairs and get other, more compact ones. (The chairs are obligatory in Switzerland, and I don't imaging they will fetch 400 Euros on Ebay...)

Hard to get an exact comparison, but prices seem very similar to the Cali. Personally it has taken me over a year (of autoscout24 and mobile.de email updates) to acclimatize to these stratospheric heights.

All issues will be considered, but in the end it may come down to which one my wife feels most comfortable driving. We stick to a pretty rigorous 2hr, 2hr driving schedule on long drives.
 
I will be eager to hear how you got on with the MP. Interesting that the rental price of the MP is lower. Good luck.
 
The Cali rental is from Europecar, who offer a beach or coast rental here. The MP rental is from the MB van dealer and may only be offered to people they think are potential buyers. The salesman said that if I eventually buy, the rental charge will be deducted, but I would actually prefer a 15% discount...
 
We will be renting from a MB dealer in Switzerland and have their price and option list. MP does Not come with an electric roof in Switzerland, only manual. Anyone think that is a disadvantage?
Most people will agree that a manual roof will have less problems as time goes on.
 
The heater retrofit can be done quite easily at a number of places, including Mercedes dealerships, and for a fraction of the price. It isn't a complete retrofit in the sense that the system controls are not integrated into the central console, but otherwise it is identical (same heater). All I can offer by way of more details is this thread (in Spanish).

The tow-bar can also be retrofitted but it is best to get the electrical pre-installation done at the factory, for a cost of about 200 euros.

Strange that you can't remove the camping table/chairs option! Some of these things seem to be possible when physically present at the dealership. I don't think the configurator on the web is always completely in sync with reality.

Martin
 
Anyone have an ETA for the UK?
 
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