New to the Forum

[801]

Good afternoon.

Just been to see a VW California and a Marco Polo was sitting there and I have to admit I am intrigued.

Had been heading down the California Beach route but for similar money but a lot more spec and less miles it would appear we could get a Marco Polo instead.

not sure why we didn’t consider one before but can anyone point us to a good thread discussing the pros and cons of each?

we don’t need a kitchen so are looking at a 5 seat Marco Polo like the Beach.

we will use the beds occasionally and will certainly be driving more than camping but do need good winter driving capability (we will be buying dedicated winter tyres).

how does the Marco Polo compare to Volkswagen in terms of reliability, servicing costs, warranty costs, etc?

 

[Steve B]

Hi & Welcome - the search function will find threads on the differences, but if its a car you need that can be an occasional sleeper the MP might have the edge. Its a V-Class compared to a transporter so more car like in road manners. I think from reading peoples opinion before we bought our MP, the VW Cali is a better camper though. They are similar and both good, so try and have a drive of each, good luck with your research.

 

[PeteS]

I have had both a V class and a Caravelle and whilst these are not campers they are the same apart from that.
the V Class has nicer dashboard than the Caravelle with the V Class being more passenger car than commercial.
They both seem to drive the same way but maybe the V Class has the edge.
The main thing is servicing. The major service on the V Class is £1200 whereas the Caravelle is around £400. The V Class does not have a cambelt whereas the Caravelle does so that will need to be factored in.
My local Mercedes Truck and Van garage could service the V Class and I expect they would have been cheaper and the parts department talked about discounts which is not a word the V Class or Caravelle dealers use.
Personally I think the V Class is the better looking of the two and I think the MP has a sliding door on both sides whereas the Cali it is only on the drivers side.
The other think to bear in mind is the V Class is lower in overall height so will fit in car parks the Caravelle cannot get into. The MP might be higher with the pop top roof but the so is the Cali with its pop top roof.