Mercedes V-Class review

There aren’t many big people carriers on sale that’ll comfortably seat up to eight people, and most of them look and feel a bit like modern minibuses. Not so the Mercedes V-Class. Where alternatives such as the Toyota Proace Verso and Hyundai i800 are like a huge blue Ikea carrier bag – practical and affordable but pretty basic – the V-Class feels like a whopping Prada holdall.

Even entry-level models come with big alloy wheels, flashy chrome trim and a few body creases to make sure your passengers don’t mistake it for a removals van, while more expensive AMG Line and Exclusive versions pack an even posher visual punch.

Don’t go thinking the Mercedes V-Class has maxed-out its style budget on the outside – it looks and feels very nearly as upmarket inside, too. The neat dashboard has lots of soft plastic trims and the infotainment system – while some way off the techy units you get in Mercedes SUVs – comes with more features than most MPVs.

Things are equally comfortable in the back seats. It’s a doddle to step in through the V-Class’ massive sliding doors and there’s enough headroom for six-footers to climb into the rearmost row. The seats themselves – of which you can have up to six – are nicely padded and there’s enough space in the V-Class’ wide cabin for three adults to sit side-by-side without feeling hemmed in.

There’s also the option to ditch the two rear benches and replace them with two uber-luxurious throne-like seats instead. Or, you can remove the back seats entirely and use the Mercedes V-Class as a seriously upmarket van.

If you need to carry seven friends about and can’t stretch to a limo, the Mercedes V-Class is the next best thing. It’s massive inside and one of the most upmarket MPVs around.

Whether you’re carrying people or palettes, you’ll find the Mercedes V-Class is a doddle to drive. You sit up high and get a decent view out – although the windscreen pillars are rather wide – and the controls are all very light and easy to use in traffic.

The nine-speed automatic gearbox is nice and smooth, but it does like to change up a little too soon. This isn’t a huge issue but does mean the V-Class feels a little lethargic when you accelerate hard because it’s almost always in too high a gear.

It’s a shame that the Mercedes V-Class’ diesel engine grumbles quite loudly when you accelerate, but it settles into a quiet cruise at motorway speeds. You won’t head too much wind or tyre noise in the V-Class, either, and its suspension does a decent job ironing out bumps without wallowing unpleasantly.

If you’re planning to do plenty of long journeys in your Mercedes V-Class, you’ll want to consider paying extra for the Driver Assistance pack with built-in blind-spot warning, lane-keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control.

Just bear in mind that this does bump up the price of the already quite expensive Mercedes V-Class. So, if this sounds like your ideal MPV, make sure you check out our Mercedes V-Class deals to see how much you can save on one.