Toyota Quantum vs Mercedes V-Class vs Volkswagen Caravelle: which one is the best value for money?

From a family vehicle (and taxi industry) mainstay to a premium MPV, the humble minibus (also known colloquially as “Kombis”) has evolved into very different directions over the years. The one side is taken up by utilitarian delivery- or mass-transit vehicles, while the other has grown to include some premium badges, and serve as spacious transport modules for the affluent. We’ll be looking at the latter group today, when we pitch the latest Toyota Quantum against two similarly-priced opponents.

These nameplates carry a lot of baggage.

This isn’t new territory for Volkswagen because they’ve always had a more luxurious version of their Transporter for sale. Toyota used to field a luxury Hi-Ace as well, and Mercedes-Benz have also had some more upmarket vans in their Vito/Viano ranges over the years. But that old Hi-Ace is no longer around, having been superseded by the Quantum, and the Viano has also had a name change along the way. In fact, the only minibus in this trio to still feature its original name is the Volkswagen Caravelle – a badge that originated with the beloved rear-engined Volksiebus’s most expensive variants, and then never went away…

This brings us to today’s Quantum. The badge may be familiar, but the bus is completely different to the one that used to wear this nametag. It’s all a bit confusing, really, but can be best explained like this: the original Hi-Ace was replaced by the Quantum, which a new Quantum then replaced, while the outgoing Quantum continues in production with a revived Hi-Ace nameplate. In short, the new Quantum is a lot more stylish and upmarket than the one that went before, but because the old one is so good in commercial applications, it was granted a new lease on life with an old name.

Fortunately, the story is a bit simpler as far as the Mercedes-Benz V-Class goes. When the current generation first arrived in 2015, the old Viano name was dropped in favour of the V-Class badge, bringing this premium people-mover in line with Mercedes’s current naming convention. It was an all-new design in 2015 and has received a few upgrades since then, keeping it competitive in a changing marketplace.

But, given their disparate background stories and divergent mechanical layouts, how do they compare to each other? We’ve selected three derivatives from each range, all with only two driven wheels, and priced fairly closely together – all of them cost less than R1-million, at least… From the Toyota Quantum range, we have the top-trim 2.8 LWB 9-seater VX, and the Mercedes-Benz V-Class is represented by the mid-spec V220d. The VW Caravelle we chose is the 2.0 BiTDI FWD variant in top-spec Highline trim.

Facts and figures:

First, let’s look at the key numbers:

* Manufacturer’s official claimed figures.

Analysis

Power, performance, and drivetrains

The Quantum starts out with a disadvantage from the get-go in this department because it has the least power to drag along the highest weight. Both the Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz will offer similar performance looking at their respective power/weight ratio.

This power is sent to the rear wheels through a 6-speed torque converter automatic, which hands the Quantum VX another performance penalty: the Mercedes V220d features a 7-speed auto driving the rear wheels, and the Caravelle has a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission sending power to the front wheels. Its wider ratio spread helps the V220d to a second place, along with its lighter weight and slight power advantage (of 5 kW) over the Quantum.

However, neither of them can match the Caravelle in terms of accelerative power: with 132 kW and 400 Nm on tap from its twin-turbo diesel mill, the Volkswagen takes full advantage of its quick-shifting dual-clutch gearbox (the only one in this comparison) and lightest-in-group kerb weight to grab the on-road performance crown.

Curiously, Mercedes-Benz quotes a 0 – 100 km/h sprint in 10.9 seconds, but it’s unclear how a heavier, less-powerful vehicle with a traditional torque-converter automatic could achieve a better sprint time than the Volkswagen. Nonetheless, the V220d’s torque disadvantage (40 Nm less than the Quantum, and 20 Nm less than the Caravelle) will put it slightly behind the Volkswagen when loaded up or when faced with a steep incline.

These numbers are all relative, of course: none of them will ever be termed quick (even the Caravelle takes a claimed 11.3 seconds to reach 100 km/h), but their abundance of turbo-boosted torque should at least make them reasonably perky once on the move.

Economy

Nobody expects tall, wide, and brick-shaped vans to post brilliant fuel consumption figures, and this group proves that assertion to be quite correct. Even when the (very optimistic) manufacturer’s claimed figures are considered, this is a thirsty bunch.

According to these claims, the Quantum VX should return 8.7 ℓ/100 km, compared to the Caravelle’s 7.9 ℓ/100 km and the V220d’s 6.4 ℓ/100 km. We’re not quite sure how these claims came to be, because none of them will return much better than 10 ℓ/100 km in normal driving, and will most likely be even more thirsty out in the real world.

Still, once they’re up to speed, the Mercedes-Benz should prove to drink the least, mainly on account of its streamlined front end styling and proven frugality of its engine, with the Volkswagen’s super-efficient TDI engine and low-loss twin-clutch gearbox helping it to second place. The Quantum VX will be the thirstiest, because its engine will have to fight the combined effects of a 6-speed autobox, very chunky dimensions, and a rather portly build.

Practicality

You will have noticed that we don’t make any mention of minimum luggage capacity here. That’s because, due to their van-based origins and MPV adaptability, their loading areas can be arranged in a myriad of ways. Of more significance is their passenger-carrying capacity, and how nicely those passengers are accommodated.

In base trim, the V220d only has 6 seats, with 7- or 8-seater configurations available from the options sheet. But what seats they are: imagine four individually-adjustable captain’s chairs in the back of a big van like the V-Class, and you’ll see why it’s been called a 5-star hotel on four wheels.

Next up is the Caravelle, which comes standard with 7 seats: there’s a contoured bench seat in the rearmost row, and two captain’s chairs in the middle row (a setup that can also be specified for the V-Class). But, however nicely they might be upholstered, the VW’s seats just cannot match those in the Mercedes in terms of comfort. But, just as with the V-Class, the Caravelle’s seats can be moved around or completely removed to create a proper load-carrier, or to apportion the available space between the passengers.

But neither of them can match the seating arrangements inside the Quantum. Forget about normal captain’s chairs, because those in this Toyota looks more like you’d get in the business class section of a trans-continental airliner. There is a downside, however: the third row doesn’t fold away, which can make access to the rearmost (folding) bench seat difficult – the only way to get there is by shuffling through between the two third-row seats.

In short, if you want to transport variable loads of people and luggage, you’d be better served by the V220d or the Caravelle, on account of their more-flexible seating plans. But, if luxurious passenger transport is your main priority, the Quantum VX has everything you could desire.

Equipment and safety

As befits vehicles with such luxurious aspirations, all three are very well-equipped as standard. All of them have alloy wheels, leather upholstery, cruise control, USB- and Bluetooth compatible infotainment systems, and dual-zone air conditioning (left/right in the VW, front/rear in the others).

However, only the Caravelle and the Quantum offers navigation and a colour multimedia interface as standard, and they’re also equipped with automatic climate control (for which you pay extra in the V220d). The Quantum VX clinches the equipment title with its standard adaptive cruise control (adaptive function optional in the others), and keyless entry with pushbutton engine start. The Caravelle runs it a close second, and the V220d only matches the others after ticking some option boxes, which places it in the third spot here.

As far as safety is concerned, they’re all pretty well sorted. The Quantum scored 5 stars in ANCAP crash testing, while the V-Class scored 5 stars in Euro-NCAP testing and the Caravelle getting 4 stars from Euro-NCAP. Its age, relative to the others, shows up in the Volkswagen’s safety ratings, but it’s still not a bad showing at all. They all have ISOFIX child seat anchors distributed through their rear cabins, and plenty of driver aids, with ABS and stability control standard across the board.

The Caravelle and Quantum both feature extras such as lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and LED headlights as standard (optional in the V-Class), and the Quantum has 7 airbags (6 in the two, with an extra 2 available for the Mercedes for a possible total of 8). Its stellar crash test rating and high level of standard safety kit hands the Quantum another victory here, with the Caravelle in second place (thanks to its driver aids and those LED lights), and the V220d running it very close in third.

Verdict

Apart from its higher standard specification level, it’s difficult to justify the Volkswagen Caravelle’s price premium in this company. It’s the most expensive car here, but has (subjectively) the least upmarket cabin, not much of a performance advantage, and safety systems which are only on par for this class. Not even the standard 5 year/60 000 km maintenance plan can help it here, because it’s beaten by the V220d’s plan for 5 years or 100 000 km. The Caravelle lands in third place in this value comparison, because it’s very difficult to see why it has to cost so much more than the others.

The Mercedes-Benz V220d ends up in second place as far as value goes: it does most of the things the VW does, has a nicer cabin, stronger maintenance plan, and better safety credentials, and by ticking a few option boxes to achieve specification parity, will cost about as much as the Caravelle does. At least you get a three-pointed star on the nose, and for many people, that will be enough.

The real surprise is how the much less-expensive Quantum VX enters an arena in which we’ve never seen it before and then proceeds to match its opponents blow for blow while offering the best value for money. It only has a service plan for 90 000 km, but it’s also more than R100 000 less expensive than the V220d. Yes, it’s the slowest and thirstiest of this bunch, but for premium passenger transport, the Quantum VX emerges as a surprising value leader in this class.

* Pricing was accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice.

Keyword: Toyota Quantum vs Mercedes V-Class vs Volkswagen Caravelle: which one is the best value for money?