Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo running costs and reliability

2017 - 2019 (change model)

Running costs rating: 3.8 out of 53.8

Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo front three-quarter

Mercedes-Benz 2017 V-Class Marco Polo Static exterior

Mercedes-Benz 2017 V-Class Marco Polo Driving

Mercedes-Benz 2017 V-Class Marco Polo Exterior detail

Mercedes-Benz 2017 V-Class Marco Polo main interior

Mercedes-Benz 2017 V-Class Marco Polo Interior detail

Mercedes-Benz 2017 V-Class Marco Polo Boot/load space

Written by Tim Pollard Published: 6 June 2019 Updated: 6 June 2019

Miles per pound (mpp)

Reliable fuel consumption data for comparison purposes is not available for this model.

What is miles per pound?

Fuel economy

A more stringent standard for fuel economy (WLTP) was introduced from September 2017, and this model was not required to undergo that test. Its fuel economy measured under the previous test system was 44 mpg. However these figures are less likely to be achievable in real world driving and so should never be compared to another car's mpg which was measured under the newer, more realistic WLTP system.

View mpg & specs for any version

Pricey to buy, not too bad to run
Fuel economy reasonable
Depreciation should be minimal

You might have to stump up a lot to buy a Marco Polo in the first place, but it shouldn’t be as prohibitively expensive to run in the long term. That’s because the donor Vito van is designed for hard commercial use with little down time and reasonable running costs.

We managed a remarkable 36mpg over a week’s mixed driving; Mercedes quotes 44.8mpg, so fuel bills shouldn’t be much worse than those for a typical large family hatchback. Fuel consumption figures for the newer V 220 d and V 300 d are yet to be confirmed.

Mercedes Marco Polo running costs

Tax bills aren’t exactly cheap, with CO2 emissions starting at 166g/km on the V 220 d and climbing to 169g/km on the V 250 d for the earlier models. Versions produced from 2019 are quoted at 162g/km for the V 220 d and 161g/km for the V 300 d.

Insurance groupings vary between 37 and 41, which is competitive with other camper vans on the market.

Mercedes only sells diesel Marco Polos – there are no clever-clogs hybrids or electric versions looming. Carbon dioxide output is reasonable for a vehicle of this type – there’s not much between the emissions whether you opt for the lower- or higher-powered versions, which aren’t that much greater than a typical family car’s.

It’s worth noting that all Marco Polos sold in the UK meet the latest EU6 emissions standard; these are the cleanest diesels money can buy in terms of catalytic converters and exhaust after-treatment to reduce the nasties that oil-burning engines can spew out.

Van roots bring sturdy build
Vito donor van is reliable
Technology is tried and tested

We’d rate Mercedes Marco Polo reliability as good; being based on the sturdy Vito medium-sized van brings some rugged running gear built to endure a tough life as a delivery courier for builders and businesses lugging heavy goods around.

The thinking is: if it can cope with that, taking Scarlet and Oscar on a camping weekend away in Devon should be a walk in the park.

While the Marco Polo is too new to feature in any reliability surveys, its Vito sibling made it into the top 10 most reliable vans in the 2017 FN50 survey by our sister publication Fleet News, which rates commercial vehicles run by Britain’s biggest fleets.