1st Post - Brand New Ocean Ordered, Wrong Vehicle Delivered from Factory

[bigmac77]

Actually NOT correct we could have ordered 150 manual 4WD Ocean but not 150 DSG 4 WD Ocean. We wanted the 150 DSG so not able to have 4WD. Meoncoast is correct.
We decided the DSG was more important than 4WD.

You are correct I was just assuming it was DSG.

 

[BarryC]

keep it, take the discount and then re-map the engine? Review in this months Campervan magaizine says the 2wd 204hp has some problems with how it lays down the power.. with 4M you'd have more options for wild camping..

 

[Skinnee D]

Review in this months Campervan magaizine says the 2wd 204hp has some problems with how it lays down the power.

One option could be to fit a VW-approved wider rubber spec - e.g. 255/45 R18 - that would increase the footprint and help with 2wd traction. Just as an aside it's always puzzled me why 4 motion 204ps doesn't have better acceleration figures than 2wd.

 

[WelshGas]

One option could be to fit a VW-approved wider rubber spec - e.g. 255/45 R18 - that would increase the footprint and help with 2wd traction. Just as an aside it's always puzzled me why 4 motion 204ps doesn't have better acceleration figures than 2wd.

Heavier vehicle.

 

[Skinnee D]

Heavier vehicle.

I guess the extra 100kg must be enough to offset the better traction of 4wd when pulling away compared to 2wd.

 

[Paul S]

Think everyone is overlooking that the "wrong" van is presumably unregistered and thus available for the dealer to sell as new. If the have to register it to loan it to the OP it immediately becomes a used vehicle. As the error was VWs but the liability for the "wrong" van is going to hit the dealers margins I dare say some conversations are going on between the dealer and VW in Milton Keynes. Hope you get a satisfactory solution. My two penneth would be to downgrade my order to a 150 2WD by the way. Have driven T5.1 180 BiTDI DSG, T6 100 van, T6 150 DSG and T6 204 DSG and found the 150 absolutely fine. It's easy to be seduced by "the best" after all it's a lot of money to spend and it's natural to want the top of the range motor but out on the road there's not a lot in it IMHO. I found that in the 204 it was all a bit like it was trying to be impressively fast and a competitor for an SUV which is fine in a straight line but when you come up and pitch it into a roundabout or some twisties all of a sudden it's "oh hell, it's nearly 3 tonnes worth of mass". The 150 seems more relaxed while still not being slow (the big surprise was how spritely a 100 felt but it was an unladen panel van). Plus it's cheaper to buy, cheaper to tax, more economical and crucial less complex. In 5 years time if you sell it then the "less complex" part will I'm sure add value. I digress but in 10 years I'm sure there'll be a burgeoning industry retrofitting manual Beach roof struts and catches to SE/Oceans (and I say that with no malice at all). As someone else has said "Campervan" magazine issue 3 (Sainsbury's!) has reviewed the 204 and been quite critical of it saying it doesn't suit the character of such a leisure vehicle. Their verdict after criticising the basic kitchen and toploading fridge (like every other Cali review since 2005) was "...it's an absolute bargain in new Campervan terms and the residual value makes it as safe an investment as gold. Just don't go for the 201bhp front wheel drive version - it's just too loony!"

 

[Skinnee D]

As someone else has said "Campervan" magazine issue 3 (Sainsbury's!) has reviewed the 204 and been quite critical of it saying it doesn't suit the character of such a leisure vehicle. Their verdict after criticising the basic kitchen and toploading fridge (like every other Cali review since 2005) was "...it's an absolute bargain in new Campervan terms and the residual value makes it as safe an investment as gold. Just don't go for the 201bhp front wheel drive version - it's just too loony!"

I haven't read this article, but the quote would suggest to me that Campervan mag has tested both 204ps 2wd and 4wd in order to be in a position to single out the 2wd version as the one to avoid. Or are they making an journalistic assumption?
If wheelspin when taking off was their main gripe, I personally found the standard 235/55/17 tyres on the 204ps were a bit short on footprint for the engine's torque curve and the VW-approved 255/45/18 setup is better suited. I saw the Campervan mag cover online and it looks like their test van had standard 17" wheels. Just my humble view though.

 

[Paul S]

I'm sure there's a huge chunk of journalistic opinion in the magazine article. I didn't personally think a 204 was particularly frenetic especially pulling away, however I came away thinking it was just a bit too much. At the end of the day it's a van, if I wanted to go fast, lug stuff AND camp out I'd use my Volvo V70 and our perfectly tidy 13year old caravan. Good job we are all different . Anyway I've digressed from the topic so sorry for that.

 

[Roger Boeken]

make it a win win : get as much compensation as you can from vw but keep the vehicle as it will not disapoint in performance an will save you a lot of money.
I suppose you get the 17" wheels now (not 18") with real sparewheel, cheaper tires, less diesel consumption, less speeding tickets. according to an advert I saw you can chip tune it to 180hp if you want for 160 euro. If really all your options exept the engine power are there go for it. You could ask for a set of wheels with winter tires and other usefull options for example ..

 

[OJ1]

Just thought I'd conclude this post with what happened in the end. The dealership registered the 150 4motion that turned up, and they lent it to us for the 3 weeks we were scheduled to tour around Scotland and our wedding. They also put in an order for a replacement vehicle. The replacement order went to build week within 5 weeks, and was delivered to the UK 4 weeks after that. So 9 weeks from order to delivery. VW also lent me a VW Golf after I returned the 150 Ocean after the Scotland trip and for the duration that I waited for the 204.

I was very happy with the 150 4motion, and it is of course plenty powerful enough. It averaged 40mpg up to Scotland cruising at 'decent' speeds and loaded up with all our clobber. It was a bit of a crash coarse in camping with an 18month old and now wife who isn't usually the sort to like camping. We experienced all weathers, and the van held up perfectly. Thank God it hasn't put the mrs off camping, otherwise it would have been a very awkward conversation to the dealership saying that we've changed our minds.

The van is in the dealership having lowering springs put in and I'm swapping the alloys for something a bit more boy racer'ish. As soon as I have 'Harvey the RV' back, I'll post a couple of pics.

Cheers
Ollie

 

[motacyclist]

Thanks for tying the ribbons. Glad you are sorted and nice to hear something positive.

 

[T6 CFO]

Thanks Ollie. One question on the lowering, are you reasons for the look or stability. I'm in the interesting position of having ordered a 204 4 Motion and got a 2 wheel drive. I'm keeping it while VW build me the right one and shall then swap. I'm going to be fascinated to see how much of a difference there is as I shall have this one for a few months.


Mike

 

[OJ1]

Thanks Ollie. One question on the lowering, are you reasons for the look or stability. I'm in the interesting position of having ordered a 204 4 Motion and got a 2 wheel drive. I'm keeping it while VW build me the right one and shall then swap. I'm going to be fascinated to see how much of a difference there is as I shall have this one for a few months.


Mike

Hi Mike, the reason for me wanting the lowering springs originally was half looks, half stability. But having had a couple of weeks on twisty roads in Scotland without the lowering springs, I didn't think it handled too badly. It did have the heavy duty roll bars, but I came to the conclusion, that the lowering springs aren't all that necessary. They're needed if you're going to throw it into corners, or if a sharp corner catches you by surprise. So really now, I'm having the springs just to improve the stance of the vehicle.

 

[T6 CFO]

Hi Mike, the reason for me wanting the lowering springs originally was half looks, half stability. But having had a couple of weeks on twisty roads in Scotland without the lowering springs, I didn't think it handled too badly. It did have the heavy duty roll bars, but I came to the conclusion, that the lowering springs aren't all that necessary. They're needed if you're going to throw it into corners, or if a sharp corner catches you by surprise. So really now, I'm having the springs just to improve the stance of the vehicle.

Thanks Ollie I'll see how I get on and post again. Certainly after I've tried out both.


Mike