Mercedes-Benz V-Class review

The V-Class doesn’t come cheap. Whether you are counting its rivals as regular MPVs, such as the Ford Galaxy and Seat Alhambra, or the similarly van-like Ford Tourneo and Peugeot Traveller, it’s a much pricier option. Even the VW Caravelle, itself not a cheap car, isn’t quite as costly to buy.

At least the V-Class has the best residuals in this class, closely followed by the Caravelle, although it’s easily the most expensive to service over a typical ownership period of three years and 36,000 miles.

For the best all-round value go for the V 250 d Sport. Its more powerful 187bhp engine combines strong performance with average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions that are only slightly worse than the V 220 d. Bear in mind though, that the V-Class, as with the other van-based models, isn’t as good in these respects as regular MPVs, such as the Seat Alhambra. As a result the V-Class will cost you considerably more in diesel and company car tax.

The sport model comes well equipped. Highlights include 18in alloy wheels, LED headlights, power-folding door mirrors, parking sensors front and rear with a reversing camera, a powered tailgate and sliding-rear doors, rear privacy glass, sat-nav, Bluetooth, cruise control and full Nappa leather upholstery with heated front seats.

It’s hard to justify the AMG-Line version, because all it gets for the additional outlay are 19in alloy wheels, sportier body styling, metallic paint and carbon-look trim inside.

There are some question marks concerning Mercedes’ reliability record. This was highlighted in our most recent reliability survey, in which Mercedes finished near the bottom of the table below rivals such as Ford, Volkswagen, and Seat.

At least Mercedes includes a decent three-year, unlimited mileage manufacturer’s warranty with the V-Class to allay some of those concerns.

The V-Class offers good crash protection, scoring five stars out of five in the Euro NCAP crash tests. All models come with a driver fatigue monitor, while an optional Driver Assistance package includes adaptive cruise control, seatbelt pre-tensioning, blind spot warning and lane-keep assist. That said, the all-important feature of automatic emergency city braking, which could stop you shunting the car in front, isn’t available.

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