How to work out what is a reasonable price for a used MP

R

Route66fan

Active Member
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Hi, I am looking at buying my first campervan. I think MP looks lovely and would like to buy a used one. I have managed to look at a couple. However, one is several thousand pounds more than the guide price in Parkers Guide (is that reliable for this?) but from a dealer who could give some sort of warranty. The other one is a van not listed in Parkers, prob because of age. I don't want to pay hugely over the odds but obviously do want to buy a van if I can be sure the price is reasonable, as it is quite an investment. Can you advise please? Maria
 
Hello!
I understand your question, but perhaps there are 2 aspects to this...are you are looking for a pop top camper generally or are you decided that an MP is the one for you?

I say that because the MP was never cheap compared to alternatives - even the VW California would generally have been cheaper new than an MP. So, if you are looking for a pop top camper generally I think the MP will always seem more expensive (but its a great camper!).
If you are set on an MP then I found using the sight below very helpful as it collates adverts across many sites (e.g autotrader, heycar, ebay etc) and so gives a good indication of what is being asked across a wide source of adverts which might make it easier to get a feel for prices.

mercedes marco polo used – Search for your used car on the parking

1 585 mercedes marco polo used on the parking , the web’s fastest search for used cars. ? Find the car of your dreams.
www.theparking-cars.co.uk www.theparking-cars.co.uk

When I was looking prices varied quite a bit across seasons too - cheaper in winter and early spring for obvious reasons!

Hope that helps?

Graham
 
Note....I pasted a link that was pre filtered to the UK (the site is Europe wide, but seeing campers in France and Germany not often useful). it the country filter is stripped off on the link then this can easily be turned back on at the top - but just so that you are aware in case you are faced with vans across Europe !
 
I think Parkers' guide is based on conventional V-class passenger vehicle prices, not the Marco Polo specifically. So perhaps you might expect to pay more for a good MP. Consider also whether the van has been dealer serviced and whether or not the roof is affected by osmosis resulting in paint blistering and delamination (mine was and so had it replaced it at a cost of £6K+).
 
Thank you both very much for your replies!

Tony - we are getting an AA check but haven't looked at the roof. I can see that we need to do that!

Graham - that was really so very helpful - the cheaper van compares well with like quotes, especially.
 
Did you pull the trigger? If not, also, consider the fact there are multiple engine configurations. V250d are IMO more suited to the vehicle/weight than its V220 counterpart. AMG packs add a level of style/larger wheels and so tend to attract higher prices.
 
We are awaiting the AA check, so haven't paid yet. What does AMG stand for, by the way?
 
Also, what would you think of the idea of getting an older van with a large diesel engine? On the one hand, plenty of pulling power. On the other hand, it would restrict access to some large cities in Europe
 
In the past, I have bought large Volvo estates just at the 3 year sweet point where they have lost a lot of depreciation. The market for Mercedes camper vans is pretty different, as the depreciation is relatively a lot less! I am feeling a bit apprehensive however about buying out of warranty - I suspect the AA wouldn’t be doing a very extensive habituation check, though the fridge / sink / cooker part is quite small in the Marco Polo. I guess I could ask for the fridge/ cooker/ water to be turned on to test it out?
 
I just took my MP from the UK to Estepona and back, and was driving 450-600 mile/day legs. I think anything bigger would not have allowed me to sit at 70mph or taken scenic deviations with the same fuel economy. But a bigger van would accommodate a loo/shower which is a big plus. In terms of assessing what you’re buying, I bought outside of the warranty but had access to all the service receipts/history. I doubt AA would know how to check the fridge, etc. Could you take someone with you that knows MPs?
 
Tony Bartlett said:
I just took my MP from the UK to Estepona and back, and was driving 450-600 mile/day legs. I think anything bigger would not have allowed me to sit at 70mph or taken scenic deviations with the same fuel economy. But a bigger van would accommodate a loo/shower which is a big plus. In terms of assessing what you’re buying, I bought outside of the warranty but had access to all the service receipts/history. I doubt AA would know how to check the fridge, etc. Could you take someone with you that knows MPs?
Click to expand...
Mine is a V250d AMG btw.
 
Ah, it is the same size, but an older model - a Mercedes Viano - with a 3.0l engine. Come to think of it, we do have a friend from church with an elderly van, though not I think a Mercedes.There are a lot of receipts and history.
 
Also, there is a shower hose at the back - I assume you get a shower / toilet tent to use with it?
 
I think we would be looking at camp sites or maybe arts festivals , where there would be some facilities
 
Can I also ask, does the fridge run on gas or need electric hook up?
 
Unless the van is plugged into mains, the fridge runs off the leisure battery until the reserve falls beneath a critical level (which means that the lowering of the electric roof will not be compromised. Its been good for 2 days for me, when not using the diesel heater (electric fan).
 
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