Newbie thinking of buying new

[TMC]

In my experience, I'd take that lead time with a pinch of salt. My January 2021 order had a scheduled delivery date of December 2021. Its now been pushed back to February 2022. 13 months!

 

[J_C]

I just took delivery of my new MP on Tuesday woohoo. It’s brilliant v220 hyacinth red with the biege seats it looks fabulous. (Note it also comes with a briefcase full of cleaning products!!!)
I ordered it in June 2020 so that was a 16 month wait which was frustrating but it was worth it. Also my trade in car increased £4K in value and the MP has also increased in value so not all bad.
I intend to use it as a daily drive and first impressions are good.

 

[Marc o Polo]

Hey, welcome J_C, congratulations, very wise choice..

Nothing wrong with using it as a daily drive, I find it reasonably economical too. Personally if on my own, I don't park in a supermarket park as I wouldn't want to risk the dings!

But I enjoy the option of pulling up somewhere for a brew or whatever, boiling kettle and having a fridge..... The sheer comfort..... always makes me smile. Best car(?) ever in my honest opinion. Let us know how you get on..

 

[Deckard]

I just took delivery of my new MP on Tuesday woohoo. It’s brilliant v220 hyacinth red with the biege seats it looks fabulous. (Note it also comes with a briefcase full of cleaning products!!!)
I ordered it in June 2020 so that was a 16 month wait which was frustrating but it was worth it. Also my trade in car increased £4K in value and the MP has also increased in value so not all bad.
I intend to use it as a daily drive and first impressions are good.

That's a helluva wait - but it sounds fantastic.

I ended up buying a used, very low mileage, one from a fellow member on here - and we're very pleased with it. We're not using it as our daily runaround atm but expect to use it more frequently than we did the T6. We were a bit put off buying new because they were only taking orders for the AMG version which meant paying £7K more for lots of stuff we really didn't want - that and the a wait of undefined length. It's very hard to justify spending such large sums on a vehicle that we'll probably only do 3K miles, per year, in.

I was, however, absolutely gobsmacked to find that my version has no DAB radio. How am I supposed to listen to Test Match Special with neither DAB or Long Wave. That's the problem with these foreign manaufacturers - they just don't understand the truly important things in life !!!! Looks like I'll have to rig something up.

The difference, in driving, between my previous T6 Highline, and this 220 sport is 'chalk and cheese'. It's so much more comfortable (especially for the passengers) and far nicer to drive. Having said that, I'm sure the the new top end VW campers are also very comfortable - My daughter has a T5 Caravelle Executive, and that is quite luxurious despite being over 10 years old.

 

[DogWagen]

Similar here - I have now put down a deposit for a 220d with a delivery of somewhen in the summer (not holding my breath) and in the meantime am in the process of buying a used but cared-for 220d - whether I then proceed with the new one remains to be seen.

The lack of DAB (and also Android Auto) did surprise me as well but then so did the cost of an aftermarket integrated system - £1100 plus about £900 for the Android Auto. This was from a specialist who I trust. There are cheaper solutions that use the FM band or work through aux inputs such as the Alpine EZi-DAB.

 

[Deckard]

Similar here - I have now put down a deposit for a 220d with a delivery of somewhen in the summer (not holding my breath) and in the meantime am in the process of buying a used but cared-for 220d - whether I then proceed with the new one remains to be seen.

The lack of DAB (and also Android Auto) did surprise me as well but then so did the cost of an aftermarket integrated system - £1100 plus about £900 for the Android Auto. This was from a specialist who I trust. There are cheaper solutions that use the FM band or work through aux inputs such as the Alpine EZi-DAB.

Yeah - I've looked at the ones that use an FM transmitter - not ideal, but will probably do the job - I only need it for the cricket and more rarely, Rugby. It is absolutely essential that I am able to listen to TMS when I'm on Hols. Not bothered about Android auto - I tend to just download the music I want onto a stick and use that - far simply. The sound system in the MP isn't too bad - much better than the VW T6 (which was dire) but not as good as the upgraded factory ones in my Audi (B&O) and my wife's RangeRover (Meridian) but it is passable and certainly not worth spending a grand to upgrade for the small mileage we'll do in the van.

 

[Steve B]

Welcome and it's great as a daily driver. Have a look in history on here and there are many comments about DAB or lack of it, many from me! It was stated by MB that because of the fibreglass roof a dab aerial couldn't be fitted, strange that this insurmountable issue in 2016 (or when the design decisions were made) has been cured a couple of years later. It does put this cutting edge feat of engineering by MB up there with the CV19 vaccine development, so well done to the decision makers at MB (i'm not bitter ) If I do need to listen to digital I do it through my iPhone and media setting, but its a bit poor in a modern £60k+ vehicle.

 

[Carol]

There is no comparison with the T6 , we had a T6 and loved it until we got into a MP , the T6 is definitely a van and the MP drives better than lots of cars , you won’t ever look back

 

[Deckard]

There is no comparison with the T6 , we had a T6 and loved it until we got into a MP , the T6 is definitely a van and the MP drives better than lots of cars , you won’t ever look back

Agreed - however, my daughter has a Caravelle Executive, and that very quiet and comfortable - and I'm sure the California is very nice. My nice is just getting a new, well specced, T6.1 and having a high quality conversion done - so I reckon that will be lovely. I think the thing with the VWs is more the 'scene' and all the extras and customisation you can do. And they can look fantastic.

But we're very pleased with the MP - it suits us far more than the T6 which means we'll use it more.

 

[ProfMac]

I ordered our new MP from Mercedes dealer in January. The delivery date we were given was December 22nd! The most recent update is that 'there are lots of issues with vehicle manufacture - not just chips - but we are hoping December 22nd is still on target"!

We have a very low mileage black MP (less than 5000 miles) which we bought second hand to fill this season only. Previous owner didn't use it! It is black with beige leather and dark floor. Well spec'd. It will be available mid October at a realistic price (somewhere between £45 and £48k depending on my homework). Let me know if you want more details.

Hi TMC, I'm in the market for my first MP and whilst doing my due diligence, I came across your post. Is your MP for sale, or have you sold it already? ATB, Ali

 

[Deckard]

Hi TMC, I'm in the market for my first MP and whilst doing my due diligence, I came across your post. Is your MP for sale, or have you sold it already? ATB, Ali

Hi ProfMac. I happen to know that TMC has sold his MP - I bought it !!!!!!

 

[TMC]

Well you've beaten me to it (sorry to be so slow coming back) but, yes, as Deckard says, he now owns it not me!

 

[Deckard]

Well you've beaten me to it (sorry to be so slow coming back) but, yes, as Deckard says, he now owns it not me!

Hope you are well. TMC. Any news on a date for your new MP ?

 

[Carmike993]

Hi Folks. We currently have a 2019 T6 Highline Camper. We love the camper aspect of it but the drive doesn't quite live up to our expectations. I think it puts us off using it a bit as we have much nicer cars we can use. Hence, we're looking at buying a MP - and, as there are so few 2nd hand models around, we're thinking we may have to take the plunge and order a new one - at least that way we can also get the cream or beige leather we prefer. It will mean losing one of our cars (my A5 Cabriolet), so it has to be a good drive.

So, I'd welcome any advice before I go and talk to the Dealer.

How do you all get on with the fact that the sliding door appears to be on the wrong side of the vehicle ?

What extras do you consider important - I normally go for an upgraded stereo (the stereo in my T6 is very poor !) - Is it worth it in the MP ?

The factory fitted awning appears very expensive - would an after market one be a better option ? (We also use a 'Drive Away' for longer stays but rarely connect it to the van due to the hassle every time you want to go somewhere.

I thught I'd pushed the boat out buying the T6 - but this will be half as much again We'll be living on bread and water for a while !

I was just going to stick with the standard wheels - do members commonly upgrade or buy after market ?

I can't help you with the sliding door as I am in Switzerland, but in my case I was very close to buying a California and ended up buying an MP after test driving both numerous times. You can find my thread here on the forum with details. The difference in quality and handling is like night and day! I do have the Airmatic suspension though, and apparently this is not available in the UK? I also have a fully spec'd out 300d 4matic with nearly every option (it just happened to be what was in stock and I couldn't resist). One thing to note, if you order a custom MP new you likely won't get delivery until the end of next summer. This was the main motivator in me buying a stock MP that popped up online at a local dealer. It was the color I wanted inside and out and had the primary options I couldn't live without:

- Standing heater
- "water" heater - Note this is misleading from German translation. It does not heat the water in the living area, but instead is used to heat the engine in winter and the cabin. Includes a special remote control so you can do this from inside the comfort of your home.
- 4matic
- Upgraded audio and all driver "Assist" options
- Airmatic (again not sure available in the UK)
- AMG pack, Night Pack

The Westphalia Markise is bulky and large and doesn't have a rubber seal to prevent rain from entering near the cabin. I took mine off before delivery but had to pay for it as it was already optioned with the MP. The better option is the Fiamma F35Pro with the rubber seal. I am having this painted Canvasite Blue like my MP and will be installed in a week.

I also go camping in some remote areas off-grid quite often so I installed a 320 watt solar kit. I also wanted a porta-potti, but with a nice hidden way to store it that wouldn't take up precious cabinet space. So I bought the box with cushion that attaches to the seat rails which allows you to use it as storage, a seat for kids while dining, or put the porta-potti inside hidden away. Part number:

QALCHF288023851031

Finally, in order to take showers using the rear attachment I bought the shower kit and the privacy tent that attaches to the rear tailgate when opened.

You won't regret the swap! I traded in a Tesla Model 3 Performance and was concerned about daily driving as well!

Hi. Not to sure if your still.in the market for one but i currently have mine for sale on Ebay. Its a big spec van with all the best options. Im look for £57995. Its a 250d. 2019 68 reg in metallic blue.

Thanks
Mike

Thanks

 

[Churchill]

I went to both VW and Mercedes Benz p in London ] September 2021 - a waiting time of 12 months for both vechiles was quoted me/

So i got a 2020 plate for £65,999 with auxiliary heater adn factory fitted tow bar. Black exterior and I had that protected with film and ceramic coating wth a 5 year warranty. Then had The Origins S-5 Tracker installed with a 5 year warranty.
Got my topper [ lower bed ] -from www.camperfantastic/com
got a fold away camper loo from Amazon with good reviews
also bought a telescopic 2m ladder to get onto the upper bed without needing to step onto the front seats

My plan is to mostly Rent out the Marco Polo but "renters insurance" via Alan Boswell [ Allianz ] is at £3499 per annum - not what I expected !

However it is a proper professional insurance - for renters

I want to try to rent our my Marco polo - otherwise I may consider a Sale in the future

 

[TMC]

Well that was a nice surprise. Our original delivery date (from an order placed in February) was December 22nd. MB then pushed this back to end of Jan/beg Feb and when they contacted me just before Christmas I was resigned to being told of a further delay. But no, to their surprise as well as mine, it was delivered on December 22nd!! Haven't seen it yet (gone for graphite grey this time) and it will likely be a couple of weeks into January before I pick it up. The dealer needs to order a V55 from the DVLA (which they will do on January 4th) and then DVLA manually issue one using the M1 reference previously discussed on this forum. I need to provide insurance certificate (on chassis number only as no reg yet!) and then wait.

Given that the dealer will have the vehicle on site for quite a few days I have asked that they interrogate all the firmware versions and update where needed (and provide me with a print out showing what versions are on the vehicle). Thanks to Webbah and others for their advice on that front.

On the upside, the cost is £1570 less than original quote (RFL now £280 instead of £1850) and the auxiliary night heater is included as standard!

Happy days!

 

[SteveR]

Nice Christmas present for you @TMC
Enjoy your new MP

 

[Marc o Polo]

Happy days all right! Well impressed TMC with your request to "provide me with a print out showing what versions are on the vehicle." All good..

Really great news just before Christmas. .

I am sure you will be "well chuffed" with everything. Great to see the colour you chose, I have that, and well, it is just perfect... " There's nothing I dislike about the MP, as Steve says enjoy it...

 

[TMC]

Thanks SteveR and Marc o Polo. We've only been without a Marco Polo for a few months (having found a happy new home with Deckard for our last one) but wife in particular already starting to suffer withdrawal symptoms! I'll post a couple of pics when we do get our hands on it.

 

[Carol]

Well that was a nice surprise. Our original delivery date (from an order placed in February) was December 22nd. MB then pushed this back to end of Jan/beg Feb and when they contacted me just before Christmas I was resigned to being told of a further delay. But no, to their surprise as well as mine, it was delivered on December 22nd!! Haven't seen it yet (gone for graphite grey this time) and it will likely be a couple of weeks into January before I pick it up. The dealer needs to order a V55 from the DVLA (which they will do on January 4th) and then DVLA manually issue one using the M1 reference previously discussed on this forum. I need to provide insurance certificate (on chassis number only as no reg yet!) and then wait.

Given that the dealer will have the vehicle on site for quite a few days I have asked that they interrogate all the firmware versions and update where needed (and provide me with a print out showing what versions are on the vehicle). Thanks to Webbah and others for their advice on that front.

On the upside, the cost is £1570 less than original quote (RFL now £280 instead of £1850) and the auxiliary night heater is included as standard!

Happy days!

Fantastic news ,,happy new year