Your experiences - RWD (realistically, for all year round use), Servicing Costs, reliability.

[Epigram]

Black circles tyres have the Michelin all weather cross climate for 19 inch wheels

A good site Carol. It gives useful info about tyres (economy,wet grip, noise rating etc.)
I may have looked at the wrong one but think the Michelin Cross Climate is 4x4 tyre.

 

[Carol]

A good site Carol. It gives useful info about tyres (economy,wet grip, noise rating etc.)
I may have looked at the wrong one but think the Michelin Cross Climate is 4x4 tyre.

I put Michelin cross climate on the front of my Honda CR-V last year as although FWD did not grip on steel hills , now no more slipping

 

[KDM]

Hello!

We've got an unexpected opportunity to potentially get a 2019, 250D Marco Polo Sport at what seems like a great price.

We've been too-ing and fro-ing on getting a camper for years, but the expense and the "what to get"/"will we use it" mean's we've never got past dreaming. We're a family of 3 + dog. The camper would be replacing our Octavia Scout Estate and it would be our every day car, my work vehicle (filming/editing/carrying kit), our DIY material transporter as well as our adventure holiday camper. It needs to go into London so be able to pass ULEZ. It will pretty much always have 3 bikes and a couple of canoes in it/on it. We're not fair weather campers and we love to get off the beaten track.

This opportunity seems too good to pass up and a good kick up the bum to "just do it!", however I worry about it being RWD and the limitations this will pose in less desirable weather and road conditions (gravel, rain, snow, mud, ice), and also on grassy sites. Had I the choice, the VW Ocean 4Motion would seem like a better fit from this perspective, but from what I can see these are priced well above what we can realistically afford at the moment.

I've noticed posts regarding getting stuck in the mud and on roadsides as well as feeling drifty in poor weather, so I suspect my concerns may be justified rather than allayed, which will be a shame. But, I would really love to hear your experiences on this or if anyone is in a similar position to use, but the MP has still worked well for them.

Regarding SERVICING: The guide costs we've been given for servicing are really high. £480 for the first service, £980 for the second, and so on. £200 ph for other work + high cost parts. It looks like others on here have had far more reasonable service costs than that, but is that because you were outside of London, or outside of warranty so didn't need to stick to MB dealer...? Would really love to hear back on this.

Lastly, reliability. MP hasn't been in this country long from what I can see, and I've not noticed too many posts on here lamenting it's unreliability, but just wanted to sense check this. I've gotten the impression over the years that MB cars are overtly high-tech and problematic/unreliable. I certainly wouldn't have considered getting one if this opportunity hadn't come up. But the MP seems like a cracking Camper and it would be amazing to finally get ourselves on the Campervan ladder.

Would really love to know your thoughts. We only have a week or so to let the current owner know.

Many thanks in advance
Angela

If RWD is your only option I'd weigh that carefully. Fine on the motorway in fair weather but even a slight incline with a dusting of snow would be problematic in these heavy vehicles. After driving 4WD and AWD drive vehicles, coupes and SUVs for the past 25 years I would not be without an AWD vehicle. I found them extremely useful everywhere we've lived, the U.S., Germany and now northern Italy. I've driven our AWD MP onto and off wet grass with no issues while I watched RWD sedans needing a push off. In Germany, on my street, with just a light dusting of snow, no ice, my SUV with All-Weather tires could not get up the hill at the end of the street, I still had to drop it into 4WD mode and then off we effortlessly went.

 

[KDM]

A good site Carol. It gives useful info about tyres (economy,wet grip, noise rating etc.)
I may have looked at the wrong one but think the Michelin Cross Climate is 4x4 tyre.

I found these winters online: 245/45R-19 Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 AO Audi XL and had them on last winter for their first season on our 2018 AWD MP. Very surefooted in heavy rain and light snow--I had to navigate to and from work back in December. Road up to our workplace in the Berici Hills (Italian Alps foothills) has hairpin turns and is very steep. The MP with its Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 AO XLs (XL is short Extra Load, e.g., vans, light trucks and SUVs) responded like it was a sunny day. RWD vehicles had no choice but to park at the bottom and hitch rides with those with AWD and/or FWD vehicles. The Pilot Alpin 5 AO XL the website dealer told me was designed by Michelin to Audi specifications for its heavy SUV the Q7. So the next time a Q7 barrels past you on the motorway in foul weather, it is likely wearing these tires.

 

[Kiwi Ange]

I was also concerned about traction in slippery conditions, so switched the tyres out for all-season items. Michelin CrossClimates are great in all conditions, and you don’t have to change them out like full winters. Not got stuck yet... mine is on the 18” wheels. I’m not sure if Michelin do a CrossClimate in the 19” wheel size.

Just checking @Lamb875 , is yours a RWD...?

 

[Lamb875]

Yep, RWD

 

[Kiwi Ange]

I found these winters online: 245/45R-19 Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 AO Audi XL and had them on last winter for their first season on our 2018 AWD MP. Very surefooted in heavy rain and light snow--I had to navigate to and from work back in December. Road up to our workplace in the Berici Hills (Italian Alps foothills) has hairpin turns and is very steep. The MP with its Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 AO XLs (XL is short Extra Load, e.g., vans, light trucks and SUVs) responded like it was a sunny day. RWD vehicles had no choice but to park at the bottom and hitch rides with those with AWD and/or FWD vehicles. The Pilot Alpin 5 AO XL the website dealer told me was designed by Michelin to Audi specifications for its heavy SUV the Q7. So the next time a Q7 barrels past you on the motorway in foul weather, it is likely wearing these tires.

Jeez, hope the RWD can handle heavy rain!

 

[Steve B]

I wouldn't analyse it all too much; the MP is a heavy MPV design that will handle the UK (and most of low land Europe) climate well. Its a decent camper van and in 2WD drives on normal roads in dry/wet conditions well. If you do get stuck on camp site wet grass, the AA/RAC will tow you off. That said, if you are planning extreme adventure use, weeks off grid in the mountains/African continent etc, or plan to live at snowy altitude, then it might not be the most suitable vehicle. The key decision is - do you want to spend £50k plus on a camper and get the use out of it, as the VW and MP will do the job well enough (despite the list of faults on this forum). Being clear on the options included is probably the key thing to analyse. Just my opinion as we had to make that call as its a lot of cash even if you lease, and if you want a pure car then there are better choices for the money.

 

[Kiwi Ange]

I wouldn't analyse it all too much; the MP is a heavy MPV design that will handle the UK (and most of low land Europe) climate well. Its a decent camper van and in 2WD drives on normal roads in dry/wet conditions well. If you do get stuck on camp site wet grass, the AA/RAC will tow you off. That said, if you are planning extreme adventure use, weeks off grid in the mountains/African continent etc, or plan to live at snowy altitude, then it might not be the most suitable vehicle. The key decision is - do you want to spend £50k plus on a camper and get the use out of it, as the VW and MP will do the job well enough (despite the list of faults on this forum). Being clear on the options included is probably the key thing to analyse. Just my opinion as we had to make that call as its a lot of cash even if you lease, and if you want a pure car then there are better choices for the money.

Many thanks Steve. Wise words. And pretty much aligned with where we're at. Now, just to sort a bike carrying solution!