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HELP -CANNOT DECIDE!! (VW CALI, MARCO POLO OR NUGGET)

Thepuma

New Member
As the title suggests, I'm just about to pull the trigger on our first foray into camper vanning but with so much choice and all the options having pros and cons, I'm struggling - I keep going from one to the other.

I need some help/advice/tips from those who have been in a similar situation, to help make the final decision.

Heres the rub...

1) VW Cali OCEAN
Cost - £57k
Pros - Got everything we need, Residual values, tied and tested camper.
Cons - cost (most expensive out of the 4 choices) not as luxurious as the MP

2) VW Cali Coast
Cost - £50k

Pros - Cheap with great residual, probably get back almost all the cost if sold it after a year. A classic camper at a good price.
Cons - Doesnt have the large zip out window in the pop top (but can add), manual roof (although its one less thing to go wrong), interior cloth probably not the best aesthetically or quality wise.

3) Marco Polo
Cost - £49k

Pros - Most luxurious of the 4, great quality drive and comfort, leather interior, best spec of the 4.
Cons - Table and Chairs poor location in boot, no front window in pop top, not as good residual value. 6 month waiting list.

4) Ford Nugget

Cost - £59k list (but doesn't appear on DTD or AEB so hard to know what price is possible.)

Pros - By far the best arrangement of cabin/lounge/kitchen. Hot water in kitchen
Cons - Unknown residual values, storage potentially an issue as kitchen in boot space. Not many (any) about to get user reviews on.


So there it is...can anyone add to this and maybe come up with something I've missed or advice on this....I've got my hand on the trigger to purchase one.

I suppose for me the total cost of ownership plays a big part....My head goes with the VW Coast as I can get it for £49k and if I decided to sell it in 12 months time (anyones situations can change at any moment) then id say i could get almost what I paid back for it..maybe £2k loss at most? And so this is the least risky.

I love the quality of the MP but the 6 months wait puts me off as foes this issue they have with their paint bubbling roof. The Nugget is my favourite layout by far, but its hard to get any reviews on it or know the residuals, which poses a risk financially on my decision. The Ocean has a good spec but is the most expensive and I believe would lose more than the Coast short term.

Decisions decisions.
 

Roy C

Active Member
What kind of trips are you planning? It’s difficult to advise without knowing what you want it for. Do you want to be wild camping a lot or mostly on campsites with electric hookup? Will it be a daily driver or just for trips away? For example Cali Ocean has two leisure batteries and is better if you’re planning on spending a lot of time off grid. For me I wanted a more luxurious daily driver and do not plan more than the odd night off grid so went for the MP
 

Steve B

Active Member
Agree with Roy, its what you use it for that will make the decision. My priority was the daily use as its a car, so I'm happy to put up with the compromises as a camper as its secondary (all listed in threads on here; table/chairs storage, blinds that don't sit flush, front curtain, bed width). Because of the restrictions this year we have used ours as a day out base many times, so avoiding cafe's and crowds, which the MP is perfect for.

If you plan off grid extreem camping as its main use then a 4WD VW is probably better. Know nothing about the nugget (not the snappiest name from a marketing team!), but its a transit so is quite big will drive like a van.
 

Roy C

Active Member
I just had a look at the Ford Nugget reviews. Looks like serious competition. The layout looks pretty good and different from the MP and the Ocean, which are just slight variations on the same layout.
 

Epigram

Active Member
Nice layout for the Nugget and hot water is a nice touch. I personally don’t like the wasted space of carrying a loo around all the time - the porta potti 335 under a Dunelm ottoman only goes in when I know we are going to need it and it doubles unobtrusively as a seat. Sadly this is more likely due not trusting toilet facilities due to to coronavirus
Refer to the thread “Reclassification as a campervan” It would seem that you may be paying higher VED vith the Ford if Mercedes are getting their act together with reclassification.20543B5F-1320-42D6-A560-C2F1AA7ABC2A.jpeg
 

pumpsmynads

Active Member
I just had a look at the nugget. Never heard of it until this thread. I think to compare the price to the MP like for like you need to add the price for the auto gearbox.
Other options missing are;
leather
air con
satnav
xenons/leds
auto door and tailgate
alarm
a colour (?)
bigger wheels (?)
Some of the above aren’t options.
I know when I priced the California like for like with the MP they were about the same price. I prefer the extra power of the MP and the driving ‘experience’ so the extra £7k saving on the MP was a nice bonus.
 
J

JustinS

New Member
VIP Member
As above it depends what you are looking for, especially if you spend a long time off-grid. But if you want a hassle free, luxurious drive where everything works nicely its the MP all the way for us..
 
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