VW GrandCalifornia Price Confirmed

What will be the entry price for the new California XXL?

  • Total voters
    104
  • Poll closed .
flying banana said:
true. I don't like this touch screen shite to operate the lights and stuff. what's up with a switch? what happens if the computer fails and you can't even turn a light on? even so. it will sell. it still looks amazing and it has the name.
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Sadly you are right!
 
altvic said:
Llandudno Junction VW have. 4Motion Ocean with an asking price of £77200.00!
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Coventry had an Ocean for sale last month, £70k+VAT...
 
As with any car I'll wait for a 3 year old model and see if it's more appealling at half the original price.
 
caligraphy said:
As with any car I'll wait for a 3 year old model and see if it's more appealling at half the original price.
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Best of luck with that, it is just not any car and the depreciation rate is unlikely to be the same as your average German upmarket car.
 
Perhaps you're right. I've usually been able to buy Calis for around 50% of their value in 3-4 years but a significant uptick in demand for used Calis could change this, especially if VW manages to make them more reliable.

While the California competes mainly with local conversions the XXL will meet competition from a lot of established European camper manufacturers who have traditionally shunned the small/medium van space. IMO the Crafter is some way behind the Fiat/Citroen/Renault platform in terms of refinement while Transporters are generally considered a premium over many of their competitors.

Time will tell
 
caligraphy said:
Perhaps you're right. I've usually been able to buy Calis for around 50% of their value in 3-4 years but a significant uptick in demand for used Calis could change this, especially if VW manages to make them more reliable.

While the California competes mainly with local conversions the XXL will meet competition from a lot of established European camper manufacturers who have traditionally shunned the small/medium van space. IMO the Crafter is some way behind the Fiat/Citroen/Renault platform in terms of refinement while Transporters are generally considered a premium over many of their competitors.

Time will tell
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I think you'll find the new Crafter is way ahead of the Fiat/Citroen and Renault based vans in terms of refinement and pretty much everything else. The others are very old vans now and show their age when you're behind the wheel.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
 
Victor said:
So if your theory is correct, then a mid spec 2015 SE would now be worth £23,000 ?

Please let me know where you find your half price bargains?
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I agree, used values of T5.2 vans are indeed very high at the moment, reflecting the significant slide in the value of the Pound vs. Euro since Brexit. This has seen new T6 prices increase dramatically and consequently owners of T5 vans such as a 2015 SE have seen solid resale values based on their original price, having bought when the Pound was strong. Should the Pound swing hard the other way the opposite would happen and existing T6 Calis could see much greater depreciation than normal.

It'll be quite a few years before there are 3-4 year old used California XXLs on the market so let's wait and see. I'll let you know if I buy one. It takes a bit of work to find the real bargains but I've managed it twice so far.
 
Freeley said:
I think you'll find the new Crafter is way ahead of the Fiat/Citroen and Renault based vans in terms of refinement and pretty much everything else. The others are very old vans now and show their age when you're behind the wheel.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
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Totally agree, the crafter is in a totally different league to the Fiat Ducato, even the latest versions are still very rough with dated cabs.
 
Freeley said:
I think you'll find the new Crafter is way ahead of the Fiat/Citroen and Renault based vans in terms of refinement and pretty much everything else. The others are very old vans now and show their age when you're behind the wheel.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
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As stated it was my opinion. I haven't driven the new Crafter yet so I'll take your word for it. Certainly the reviews are very good. Still, the point remains that there are many excellent campers based on variants of the Ducato platform. Their engines have an enviable reputation for reliability and are the most fuel efficient in their class (based on 2017 Euro 6 upgrade). By the time the California XXL hits the market Fiat may have released a whole new version of the Ducato. I remain convinced that this will be a very competitive market for the Cali XXL.
 
caligraphy said:
As stated it was my opinion. I haven't driven the new Crafter yet so I'll take your word for it. Certainly the reviews are very good. Still, the point remains that there are many excellent campers based on variants of the Ducato platform. Their engines have an enviable reputation for reliability and are the most fuel efficient in their class (based on 2017 Euro 6 upgrade). By the time the California XXL hits the market Fiat may have released a whole new version of the Ducato. I remain convinced that this will be a very competitive market for the Cali XXL.
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You are missing the point though, the Grand ( like the California) is a factory made model and NOT a conversion like the ones you are referring to. A factory build model will always be more expensive as it will be much more desirable, if you like plyboard cupboards and grey carpet on the walls and ceiling, be my guest.
 
caligraphy said:
As stated it was my opinion. I haven't driven the new Crafter yet so I'll take your word for it. Certainly the reviews are very good. Still, the point remains that there are many excellent campers based on variants of the Ducato platform. Their engines have an enviable reputation for reliability and are the most fuel efficient in their class (based on 2017 Euro 6 upgrade). By the time the California XXL hits the market Fiat may have released a whole new version of the Ducato. I remain convinced that this will be a very competitive market for the Cali XXL.
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What is different about the California and now the Grand is that the ordinary national press/car mags run reviews/reports about them. All other types of motorhomes/conversions only appear in the speciality magazines, there must be a reason.
By the way my neighbour would love to pay £23000 for a three year old Se/Ocean could you please let me know when such an astonishing bargain appears.
 
caligraphy said:
As stated it was my opinion. I haven't driven the new Crafter yet so I'll take your word for it. Certainly the reviews are very good. Still, the point remains that there are many excellent campers based on variants of the Ducato platform. Their engines have an enviable reputation for reliability and are the most fuel efficient in their class (based on 2017 Euro 6 upgrade). By the time the California XXL hits the market Fiat may have released a whole new version of the Ducato. I remain convinced that this will be a very competitive market for the Cali XXL.
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Very few, if any, of the competitors will offer a comprehensive 3 years UK warranty for the WHOLE vehicle as VW will.
Fiat, Renault or Citroen do not sell any such vehicles. Conversion companies do based on their vehicles/chassis.
 
The Cali XXL is an addition to the VW range as VW were obviously missing out on the market where onboard toilet, fixed bed etc. are part of the criteria of many purchasers.
Previously VW Cali camper owners who wished to have the full independent facilities HAD to look to other manufacturers for a solution.

I see it as an alternative to vast range of van based campervans coming onto the market with every manufacturer from the EU being used as a base vehicle. It isn't a direct alternative to the larger custom built Motorhomes.

The height and length put it outside my current requirements.

I previously had a Peugeot based Motorhome (2010) and no issue with the spec or comfort, seats rotated without opening doors etc. Only 110bhp but never found it underpowered.
 
My neighbour has a new Motorhome and had a 2 month battle between Fiat and, I think Autohome, as the Leisure Battery wasn't charging from the engine. At least with the XXL he would only have 1 Dealer involved.
 
I hear all those other comments regarding fiat based motorhomes.

VW, even though they may be deaf to this forum, must have read a few others. The dominance of Fiat in the motorhome market is driving many people nuts. Reliability and customer service seem to be the main cause of concern, but also the power outputs and dinosaur characteristics of the power plant,

IMO the market is wide open to a quality one-piece vehicle challenging the Ducato.
 
A friend of mine bought a White Whale two years ago and got convinced by the Fiat platform, because it’s realiable and cheap to maintain...???
 
altvic said:
Llandudno Junction VW have. 4Motion Ocean with an asking price of £77200.00!
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These Cali prices are getting ridiculous. £77200 for a small camper van that doesn't even produce hot water. I'm not a particular lover of great whites but you could have one of these with all the bells and whistles for the same price.


And you'd gain a luxury bathroom including a toilet and a whole lot else as well.

VW must have reached to point where customers are questioning the sense in spending so much on their California products. They may also have given themselves a problem with the introduction of the California Grande because the prices of that version will to some extent be dictated by the prices of similar products from other manufacturers, like the above mentioned Autosleeper. It therefore follows that the normal sized Cali should be less expensive so they may have inadvertently created an artificial ceiling on Ocean prices.
 
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Borris said:
These Cali prices are getting ridiculous. £77200 for a small camper van that doesn't even produce hot water. I'm not a particular lover of great whites but you could have one of these with all the bells and whistles for the same price.


And you'd gain a luxury bathroom including a toilet and a whole lot else as well.

VW must have reached to point where customers are questioning the sense in spending so much on their California products. They may also have given themselves a problem with the introduction of the California Grande because the prices of at version will to some extent be dictated by the prices of similar products from other makers, like the above mentioned Autosleeper. It therefore follows that the normal sized Cali should be less expensive so they may have inadvertently created an artificial ceiling on Ocean prices.
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Boris.
Yes i can't believe the price of an Ocean these days. If I'm honest, i thought they were overpriced back in 2010 when they were £50k+
It seems these days you need to be north of £65k to afford an Ocean. the prices of some I've seen this summer at £70k+, is utterly bonkers...


The California is a great vehicle, i would struggle without one.
However in my old days i had a self-converted (T4) van which cost me £7.5k including buying the van and converting and i had as much fun in that as i do my Cali. OK the California is a bit more polished. But when do we hit a ceiling price that just doesn't justify the expense anymore...???
 
soulstyledevon said:
Boris.
Yes i can't believe the price of an Ocean these days. If I'm honest, i thought they were overpriced back in 2010 when they were £50k+
It seems these days you need to be north of £65k to afford an Ocean. the prices of some I've seen this summer at £70k+, is utterly bonkers...


The California is a great vehicle, i would struggle without one.
However in my old days i had a self-converted (T4) van which cost me £7.5k including buying the van and converting and i had as much fun in that as i do my Cali. OK the California is a bit more polished. But when do we hit a ceiling price that just doesn't justify the expense anymore...???
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There was a gold Ocean in Camper Centrum with a ticket price of over 100,000 euros when we were in Holland, our Dutch chums on the camp site were very impressed we had a Cali because of the local prices.
 
According to VW press latest release prices start at 55000 euros for "entry level"
and we all know how options soon rack up the price!
 
So there are TWO Grand Models! a 600 and a 680 LWB version!
(The LWB version has a slightly higher roof and bigger bed / rear area)
One thing I found strange on options listing - two Cali camping chairs to store inside twin rear doors. I'd have thought that would have been standard!
Shame that cool sliding bathroom and panoramic front window did not make it beyond the concept...
 
The Grand may be relatively expensive compared to its competitors but if the depreciation is lower then cost of ownership may not be any more. Obviously you just need the extra capital available.
 
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