Passage number and cell density play an important role in differentiation study. I normally use hMSCs up to passage 4 only! osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation are easy but chondrogenic differentiation is really troblesome if you use hMSCs with higher passage number as the capability to differentiate reduced with increased passage number. For chondrogenic differentitaion, you normally need higher cell density compared to osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation, but i suggest all of the differentiation study is performed using the same passage number! Good luck.
I am not sure about MSCs from other origins but from my experience with human mesenchymal stem cells(Bone,Umbilical WJ and adipose) the cells upto P6 differentiate into standard chondro,osteo and adipogenic lineages just fine.They do look aweful after P7 or P8 but may not be the cells from all donors.