test drives

By Tim Saunders

When you consider the term ‘coachbuilt’ the vehicles of old often spring to mind such as the original Rolls Royce, Bentley and Alvis motor cars. 

Nowadays though, motorhome manufacturers have pinched the term for their more exclusive offerings such as the Marquis Majestic 165, which uses a Peugeot van platform and a 2.2-litre diesel engine with a ‘coachbuilt’ rear added. The term quite rightly eludes to quality and luxury and the driver and occupants of the Marquis Majestic 165, introduced in 2011, are certainly not disappointed.

In terms of driving the Marquis Majestic 165 is a capable vehicle that can be driven at the national speed limit with ease while returning pretty reasonable fuel economy exceeding 30mpg (considering its weight). Reversing is a bit of an issue and it is always wise to select a large vehicle free parking area.

We wanted to spend a long weekend visiting parts of Oxford that we hadn’t seen before and the Marquis Majestic 165 provided the ideal platform for my wife, Caroline, baby daughter Harriett and myself to explore. 

We visit Burford and as I am currently reading The Remorseful Day, the last Inspector Morse novel by Colin Dexter, which features this area, it was of particular interest to me. Preferring wild camping we simply picked a quiet roadside and set up home. There was enough Calor gas and water for our four-day excursion and the toilet only required emptying at the end of our travels.

This was the third motorhome we have tested and by far our favourite because the layout was really well planned. There were separate areas for the driver’s cabin, dining, lounge and entertainment area, kitchen and master bedroom with en-suite shower room. I liked the way the front seats swivelled allowing them to be used at the dining table. Those with children really appreciate the fact that not only does a travel cot fit easily when the dining table is removed but a useful divider closes the master bedroom off from the rest of the van. There was also a blind covering the window from the bedroom to the kitchen ensuring that it was as dark as possible at night. 

The most was made of the limited space available and this is perhaps best experienced in the compact shower room with its lockable door. On entering there was a swivel toilet and above this a concealed sink, which is pulled out. This sink incorporated an ingenious folding tap. In front of the toilet was a shower cubicle and a useful bi-fold shower door. 

The master bedroom, complete with its own dressing table and mirror and en-suite shower room really did feel like a hotel room. Its fixed bed was a delight as it meant that you didn’t need to keep remaking it every day. Encouragingly real wood was used throughout for the edging and there was plenty of storage including a large area underneath the rear of the vehicle accessible from outside.

All in all an extremely well finished vehicle and it’s no surprise that it has won awards including winning the Caravan Club’s Motor Caravan Design and Drive Awards 2011 and receiving the Gold Award in the Practical Motorhome Owner Satisfaction Awards 2011. 

The Marquis Majestic 165 is by far the best motorhome we have had the privilege of testing. 

Improvements

•If any improvements could be made then at the top of our list would be a self-levelling bed because it is really difficult, especially when wild camping, to find a flat surface, and inevitably someone won’t sleep well.

•A mirror you could move nearer in the en-suite bathroom and a deeper soap tray, too

•A front curtain that glides with ease

•The gas to automatically switch off

OTR £42,689, SAVE £1,694, OFFER PRICE £40,995.

Engine: 2.2-litre 

Power: 130bhp

Economy: more than 30mpg

Marquis Motorhomes Orchard Works, Willersey, Nr Broadway, Worcs WR12 7QF. Tel: 08000 26 7777.