6.1 2 day hire - initially disappointed, but now ordered!

[PhilR]

Thanks for braving the crowd and leaving a review of your experience and opinion of the 6.1. Good luck with your travels however you make them.

Thanks. Can’t stop thinking about it and what to do. So many options. Maybe buy a much cheaper one, try it for a couple of years and if it doesn’t work, sell it on again at not much loss? I don’t know. Very confused.

 

[California4x4]

Thanks. Can’t stop thinking about it and what to do. So many options. Maybe buy a much cheaper one, try it for a couple of years and if it doesn’t work, sell it on again at not much loss? I don’t know. Very confused.

You’re entitled to be underwhelmed by your first outing in a California. Only most people on this forum will think there’s something wrong with you but that doesn’t change your experience. As you wanted to love it but didn’t, it sounds like you need to take some time to consider other options and how you might use them. I love owning a campervan as it allows spontaneous trips. But if you’re a planner then a rented Motorhome trip through Europe, odd weekends and trips in a rented Ocean, Beach or conversion when required might be a better experience than owning one. As you know, you’ll be welcomed back here with an equal load of support and derision depending on what you say but there are plenty of people to bounce ideas off who have owned old and new Californias as well as conversions, Motorhomes and the odd caravan. It’s a good time to be alive and faced with such problems.

 

[vmaxkiddy]

I didn’t say it was bad, it was just crashier over rough surfaces. I loved the high up position, that is one of the reasons I wanted one, but the seat has to be comfortable and for me it wasn’t, I can’t get away from that. The overall drive was very good - the size of the van is fantastic - roomy enough inside but easy to manoeuvre outside. Visibility excellent too. I also enjoyed the power of the 199bhp.
Oh and I never intend to buy a motorhome. Too restricting on UK roads. I’d hire one in Europe though.

Are the non swivel comfort seats still an option on the 6.1 ? Search the forum for 'swivel gate" for more info

 

[larrylamb]

Maybe buy a much cheaper one, try it for a couple of years and if it doesn’t work, sell it on again at not much loss?

The 6.1 has some teething issues at the moment imo, save yourself 40K and buy a cherished older Cali for 30k ish. Build quality is excellent save for the well known problems. This forum is great for researching models, common faults,tips etc. Give it another go but have realistic expectations, it's a van after all, a very good van with a brilliant campervan layout.

 

[kurienp]

@PhilR I can very well relate to many of your points. We hired three times before we decided to buy. If not a 6.1, try a t6 from a reputed hire company. The van does require niggles being sorted out. If you like this way of life, try a Marco Polo or even a conversion. But don't rush into a purchase or a decision. Take your time.

 

[PhilR]

You’re entitled to be underwhelmed by your first outing in a California. Only most people on this forum will think there’s something wrong with you but that doesn’t change your experience. As you wanted to love it but didn’t, it sounds like you need to take some time to consider other options and how you might use them. I love owning a campervan as it allows spontaneous trips. But if you’re a planner then a rented Motorhome trip through Europe, odd weekends and trips in a rented Ocean, Beach or conversion when required might be a better experience than owning one. As you know, you’ll be welcomed back here with an equal load of support and derision depending on what you say but there are plenty of people to bounce ideas off who have owned old and new Californias as well as conversions, Motorhomes and the odd caravan. It’s a good time to be alive and faced with such problems.

Thank you, that was really nice to read this morning. I was worried about what I’d written here but reading your post makes me feel a lot better. It’s nice that you understand why I’ve written what I did. Much appreciated thanks.

 

[PhilR]

The 6.1 has some teething issues at the moment imo, save yourself 40K and buy a cherished older Cali for 30k ish. Build quality is excellent save for the well known problems. This forum is great for researching models, common faults,tips etc. Give it another go but have realistic expectations, it's a van after all, a very good van with a brilliant campervan layout.

Thanks. Sounds a good plan

 

[PhilR]

@PhilR I can very well relate to many of your points. We hired three times before we decided to buy. If not a 6.1, try a t6 from a reputed hire company. The van does require niggles being sorted out. If you like this way of life, try a Marco Polo or even a conversion. But don't rush into a purchase or a decision. Take your time.

Once again, thanks for your support. This is a really nice forum and whatever we decide I’ll stay a part of it.

 

[Wildcamper]

The Cail is not for everyone but is a great compromise. However, that compromise was not good enough for us. We knew exactly what we wanted so decided to get "our vehicle" built. First decide who is going to do the conversion. There are several good/excellent converters, also a lot of poor ones - choose carefully! We went to a converter in Minehead. Three trips to discuss what we wanted, they paid for our first trip including hotel. Then purchased a new T6 Highline 150 DSG but with the bench front seat - this was going to be changed. The converter stripped the van. Replaced both front seats with fully adjustable, swivel, seats upholstered in leather of our choice - very comfortable. We stuck with the 16" tyres as this puts more rubber between you and the road so the ride is better. I am going to change the tyres as and when to slightly fatter ones but staying at 16". We wanted more space so had a LWB - not a Cali option. The converter then gave us exactly the compromise we wanted which included hot water and a built in toilet, high roof - hence the LWB choice. The vehicle came with the full VW warranty, this converter is VW approved, and the conversion is covered by their 3 year warranty. Have had no issues with the vehicle so no need to contact VW. A couple of conversion issues. These were resolved very quickly and again the converter paid for my trip to take the vehicle back to Minehead. Niggles that pop up, very few, a quick phone call to Minehead, talk to the person that did the conversion and problem solved. No waiting about. In cost terms you will not save that much but you will get the compromise you requested. Ours in 2018 was £50k - complete. The Minehead crew also sort out the road tax and make sure you get the best deal. We love our compromise, but it is not a Cali.

 

[PhilR]

The Cail is not for everyone but is a great compromise. However, that compromise was not good enough for us. We knew exactly what we wanted so decided to get "our vehicle" built. First decide who is going to do the conversion. There are several good/excellent converters, also a lot of poor ones - choose carefully! We went to a converter in Minehead. Three trips to discuss what we wanted, they paid for our first trip including hotel. Then purchased a new T6 Highline 150 DSG but with the bench front seat - this was going to be changed. The converter stripped the van. Replaced both front seats with fully adjustable, swivel, seats upholstered in leather of our choice - very comfortable. We stuck with the 16" tyres as this puts more rubber between you and the road so the ride is better. I am going to change the tyres as and when to slightly fatter ones but staying at 16". We wanted more space so had a LWB - not a Cali option. The converter then gave us exactly the compromise we wanted which included hot water and a built in toilet, high roof - hence the LWB choice. The vehicle came with the full VW warranty, this converter is VW approved, and the conversion is covered by their 3 year warranty. Have had no issues with the vehicle so no need to contact VW. A couple of conversion issues. These were resolved very quickly and again the converter paid for my trip to take the vehicle back to Minehead. Niggles that pop up, very few, a quick phone call to Minehead, talk to the person that did the conversion and problem solved. No waiting about. In cost terms you will not save that much but you will get the compromise you requested. Ours in 2018 was £50k - complete. The Minehead crew also sort out the road tax and make sure you get the best deal. We love our compromise, but it is not a Cali.

Really interesting read, Wildcamper, thanks! Been chatting about it all again this morning with my wife, I think she was more underwhelmed than me and she possibly thought the whole idea of a camper wasn't going to work for us, but she understands it's something that excites me and she has now said that I should definitely look at other options. I wonder, if we hadn't have rented a brand new 6.1 and had gone for a slightly older T6, would I be in this predicament now?! Probably not, because essentially it was the very high price tag that has put us off. If it was £45k we'd have probably been ordering one right now, but the £70k thing niggled at us, understandably. Yes we were probably guilty of expecting a lot more, but we wouldn't have been if it was £45k. Interesting. I'm not going to let my dream go, I still really love the look and the versatility of the VW, so I'll be here for a while, sorry!!

 

[PhilR]

Hi @PhilR, by the sound of it you will only have the odd night away and will use the van mostly for day trips. As someone else has mentioned on here a Mercedes / Westfalia Marco Polo might be a serious option and worth pursuing. They are slightly longer than a Cali giving you more internal space, the Westfalia cabinets look well put together and I believe they are a little cheaper to buy. There negatives about storage space in the rear but if you are not planning on long trips this might be a problem. Good luck.

Thanks. I ended up watching Marco Polo reviews last night. I see Ford do a camper now too. I'm going to carry on looking - an older T6 or a conversion look appealing at this moment in time.....

 

[CamperFam]

Damn, you've got some balls - good on you!!

Ican echo many of your views to be fair. If you're looking at the Cali at it's actual cost, then it's overpriced and many cheaper vehicles do some bits a lot better (seating, technology, efficiency, build quality etc).

However, once you take out the holiday costs, along with the potential savings (for us atleast) with kids, luggage space, and all that versatility, you soon can justify it as an additional benefit.

Ultimately, the cost of a Cali (new) can get you a great many vehicles. But on the flipside, very few can be 'justified' with the intangible benefits of a Cali.

If you look at it from a business case perspective, you take out the cost of a new BMW estate - £55,000. That additional £15k are all the adventures, versatility and flexibility the Cali brings. If that doesn't float your boat, then the decision becomes easy!

For contrast, we bought a nearly few Ocean199 with full spec with2.6 miles on it and 6 months old - for the price of a new BMW estate. So for us, it became a no-brainer.

 

[Wildcamper]

Really interesting read, Wildcamper, thanks! Been chatting about it all again this morning with my wife, I think she was more underwhelmed than me and she possibly thought the whole idea of a camper wasn't going to work for us, but she understands it's something that excites me and she has now said that I should definitely look at other options. I wonder, if we hadn't have rented a brand new 6.1 and had gone for a slightly older T6, would I be in this predicament now?! Probably not, because essentially it was the very high price tag that has put us off. If it was £45k we'd have probably been ordering one right now, but the £70k thing niggled at us, understandably. Yes we were probably guilty of expecting a lot more, but we wouldn't have been if it was £45k. Interesting. I'm not going to let my dream go, I still really love the look and the versatility of the VW, so I'll be here for a while, sorry!!

Not sure why the apology! Enjoy the experience. We enjoyed ours, the looking, the designing and now the product. Would I change anything, of course but they are minor.

 

[sidepod]

I think the OP is going to be eternally disappointed given what annoys him.
Perhaps a little naive?

All campers/motor homes are based on commercial vehicles.

Perhaps the person who will benefit most from this post is the OP, manage your expectations.

 

[Wildcamper]

Really interesting read, Wildcamper, thanks! Been chatting about it all again this morning with my wife, I think she was more underwhelmed than me and she possibly thought the whole idea of a camper wasn't going to work for us, but she understands it's something that excites me and she has now said that I should definitely look at other options. I wonder, if we hadn't have rented a brand new 6.1 and had gone for a slightly older T6, would I be in this predicament now?! Probably not, because essentially it was the very high price tag that has put us off. If it was £45k we'd have probably been ordering one right now, but the £70k thing niggled at us, understandably. Yes we were probably guilty of expecting a lot more, but we wouldn't have been if it was £45k. Interesting. I'm not going to let my dream go, I still really love the look and the versatility of the VW, so I'll be here for a while, sorry!!

You say your wife was underwhelmed. Well if you go down the conversion route get her, if she wishes, to be fully involved in the selection and conversion process. Then she will share your ownership and you will have shared vision. My wife enjoyed the complete process and came up with a good number of excellence options and design requirements. We now both enjoy the product and benefit form joint input. In my opinion, the female input is important/vital. Women do see things differently and that diversity can only benefit the outcome.

Really interesting read, Wildcamper, thanks! Been chatting about it all again this morning with my wife, I think she was more underwhelmed than me and she possibly thought the whole idea of a camper wasn't going to work for us, but she understands it's something that excites me and she has now said that I should definitely look at other options. I wonder, if we hadn't have rented a brand new 6.1 and had gone for a slightly older T6, would I be in this predicament now?! Probably not, because essentially it was the very high price tag that has put us off. If it was £45k we'd have probably been ordering one right now, but the £70k thing niggled at us, understandably. Yes we were probably guilty of expecting a lot more, but we wouldn't have been if it was £45k. Interesting. I'm not going to let my dream go, I still really love the look and the versatility of the VW, so I'll be here for a while, sorry!!

If interested I can give you the full spec of what we have.

 

[Elmo3]

Really interesting read, Wildcamper, thanks! Been chatting about it all again this morning with my wife, I think she was more underwhelmed than me and she possibly thought the whole idea of a camper wasn't going to work for us, but she understands it's something that excites me and she has now said that I should definitely look at other options. I wonder, if we hadn't have rented a brand new 6.1 and had gone for a slightly older T6, would I be in this predicament now?! Probably not, because essentially it was the very high price tag that has put us off. If it was £45k we'd have probably been ordering one right now, but the £70k thing niggled at us, understandably. Yes we were probably guilty of expecting a lot more, but we wouldn't have been if it was £45k. Interesting. I'm not going to let my dream go, I still really love the look and the versatility of the VW, so I'll be here for a while, sorry!!

You can order a new Coast for around £50K at current discount levels, could that work? Certainly much better value than used stuff at the moment. There’s a big difference between £50K and £70K (40% more expensive!).

 

[andyinluton]

If you are thinking about going bespoke conversion, you really need to hire ideally a couple of different vans first so you can work out what works for you.

I don't honestly think a VW conversion would be any different to a cali on the things that you didn't like, the seats will be the same, the suspension will be the same & depending what spec the base van is, it could be even more van like.

My mate has a basic smallest engine & 3 seats in the front transporter, its as different to our cali as my morgan is. The difference means that for an away footy match, given the choice between his van with free fuel or mine with us paying for fuel , we take mine every time.

Im wondering if the crashing ride was actually hard or just noisy? it could be just overinflated tyres or bad packing so everything makes a noise at the slightest bump.
The ride in ours with tyres pumped up to max is excellent with 4 people + camping gear in but jittery with just me.
Adding boot carpet & carpet to the undersea draw makes a huge difference to the rattles.

 

[Wildcamper]

If you are thinking about going bespoke conversion, you really need to hire ideally a couple of different vans first so you can work out what works for you.

I don't honestly think a VW conversion would be any different to a cali on the things that you didn't like, the seats will be the same, the suspension will be the same & depending what spec the base van is, it could be even more van like.

My mate has a basic smallest engine & 3 seats in the front transporter, its as different to our cali as my morgan is. The difference means that for an away footy match, given the choice between his van with free fuel or mine with us paying for fuel , we take mine every time.

Im wondering if the crashing ride was actually hard or just noisy? it could be just overinflated tyres or bad packing so everything makes a noise at the slightest bump.
The ride in ours with tyres pumped up to max is excellent with 4 people + camping gear in but jittery with just me.
Adding boot carpet & carpet to the undersea draw makes a huge difference to the rattles.

There is a lot one can do to reduce the "van like" nature. The seats can be changed, ours were, extra door seals added, extra sound proofing added, extra carpet, suspension can be changed if required, comfort console etc. One might not get to a full Cali spec but you can get very very close.

 

[B J G]

We got our Cali for roughly similar reasons to you. Slightly different in that our holiday home is in France.
A 6 not a 6.1

I/we found that the seat position has a just right point where no long distance fatigue or aches is felt.
Agree silly coloured material but with treatment have had no stains. Shouldn't be required though.
I had thought that the 6.1 would have a quieter ride as they have rubber inserts on top of the front springs instead of metal to metal as in the 6.
We don't use the Cali as an everyday car in UK, France obviously yes.

Great for commuting to-from a holiday home with the built in fridge for safe transportation of cold/frozen food supplies.
Transported, bikes, logs, garden tools, lawn mowers, walling stone and plants etc with no issues other than making sure that not overloading.

Only done a few nights in succession and if changing to longer duration I'd probably go for either a bigger van conversion or a fully fledged motorhome. I consider a toilet and ability to walk about essential, especially if raining.

6.1 has gone too far into the electonic field for my liking. I may be biased as I did make a living repairing computer equipment for many years, until they became throw away items, Cali hardly fits that but then is it in VW's eyes.

 

[Borris]

Hopefully I won't upset too many people on here, but I'm going to share my honest review.....

So, we just spent £270 on hiring a 6.1 Ocean and it has turned out to be money well spent, as we are now not going to have to spend almost £70k on a new one. Why?....

Well, as fantastic as these vehicles are, we weren't overly impressed. Whilst it is great at what it does, as in enabling camping, cooking etc, as a daily driver it didn't do it for us. For a start I just could not get on with the driving position - the seat felt like it was tipping/tilting me forwards ever so slightly and there's no adjustment for the seat base angle. In fact, the only adjustment on the seat is a basic winding handle for the backrest and a fore/aft adjustment. A lumbar adjuster is also there, at least that's what I think it was but you could hardly tell. I think this is really poor on such an expensive vehicle. I would gladly pay extra for additional/electric seat adjustments, but they aren't available as far as I'm aware.
The build quality is questionable too - the side of the drivers seat had a plastic cover which fell off (I used a Torx driver to fix it back on myself), there is a trim piece above the sliding door and this was coming loose, preventing the door window blind fully closing, the AC controls were falling into the dash when pressed, and the rear luggage area cover kept coming off the side locator "pins" - all this on a July 2020 van with just 3000 miles!

Other things putting us off the 6.1 were - seat upholstery marks far too easily, the window blinds felt very cheap and flimsy, the ride was very harsh over poor surfaces which I found surprising as it was only on 17" wheels, the tailgate is awkward to close, the pop-up roof is a bit of a pain to get the canvas to stay out of the way of the sliding roof cover (probably user error though), the passenger seat, as well as the very limited adjustments, does not have a great deal of legroom and the glovebox in front is tiny (probably not just a 6.1 issue), the lag pulling away is not too bad but the "S" mode isn't an option any more sadly, the Discover Pro is a fingerprint magnet, also it is difficult to see/operate from the passenger seat.

I really don't want this post to be all negative, there are loads of things about it that are brilliant, but if we were going to spend this much money it needs to be better. Now I can understand some of the negative comments I've seen on YouTube videos, saying that they are overpriced. I wanted to not believe that, but after I posted on a Facebook group about the rough ride, a few people said to me "what do you expect, it's a van" - yes it is, but a blooming' expensive one! Too expensive for what it is in our opinion.

So, after thinking about this for weeks, reading all the reviews and posts on here, watching all the (positive) YouTube videos, we are now weighing up our options. We're guilty of getting sucked into the exciting world of van life - I guess the YouTube videos are always going to be positive when they are from actual owners. The only negative one I saw was from Matt Watson on one of those car review channels and he wasn't impressed, but we just thought he didn't get the whole point....maybe he didn't, but we wanted to find out for ourselves.

So, we could get an older one or a conversion, but we're also thinking of not bothering at all and hiring one when we want to do a trip. The main use of the vehicle would be going back and forth to Wales from the Midlands, as we have a place there. So 90% of the usage would be doing that. Yes it would be fabulous for days out and the odd overnight stay, but that's not going to be a common thing. We also fancy touring Europe for a couple of weeks each year, but for that I'd be tempted to hire a full size motorhome maybe.

Apologies once again for being rather negative, I know you are all Cali fans (obviously). Maybe it's just the 6.1 that's the issue, what with it's price, long lead times, possible 10% tax issue.......

Thanks for all the information and replies to my previous questions on here, you have all been a great help, especially those that told me to hire before I buy - excellent advice!!

Hello Phil,
I have just read your interesting and honest review and cannot disagree with anything you have said. If you cannot get comfortable when driving then that's going to be a big issue. I've always felt that there's not enough forward and aft travel. Having said that I do find them comfortable. My wife who has short legs says the seats are too high for her. Her feet don't touch the floor comfortably. She cannot drive our Beach as she cannot get into a position where she is comfortable and can reach the pedals. If that were possible and we were to have an accident the airbag would probably cause her serious injury or worse.

Build quality is also a big thing when buying something costing around £70k. Whilst I'm on my third Cali (1 x SE and 2 x Beaches) and have never had any real issues with BQ, you may have had a hire vehicle that's had a little bit of abuse. However. I do agree that some parts of the Cali are fragile and they do break or become dislodged rather too often.

The small glove box is due to the stupid design of the T6-1 dash which IMO is an entirely unnecessary exercise in putting form before function. The twelve year old that designed it probably thought that the passenger didn't need to see the infotainment system, after all it's basically a van and they only have one person on board!!! Both forms of the T6 dash are a much better design than the T6-1 disaster.

Not having sport mode on the DSG gearbox wouldn't be a big concern to me. Standard D mode works perfectly well for a leisure vehicle. Both our cars have DSG and I never use S mode. I concede that it's down to personal choice though.

The other thing that I would say is that the T6-1 is a new, albeit warmed over model. Judging by the comments appearing on this forum there appear to be quite a lot of teething issues at present. Always best to avoid buying one of the first of a new production run.

As has already been said, a campervan is a compromise in so many ways including the ride quality. However the appeal is more about the life it enables you to enjoy and not so much about the vehicle itself.

 

[Calimili]

I've re-read your initial post. I bought my T6 California Ocean last year new, never tested one before, never used any campervan or motorhome before.
i was convinced buying the California because according to many reviews it supposedly "drives like a car".
When I picked it up though, I felt I was driving a noisy truck sitting on a toilet, very rough suspension over road imperfection yet it likes to lean in curves.
It depends on the expectations. I drive a new Q7 with air suspension, electric sportseats, almost 300hp. In comparison to the Q7 the Cali is a truck.
After I've been on holiday for 2 weeks with my Cali and didn't use my Q7 for a while i got used to it. I don't find the seat uncomfortable anymore, I am used to the drive, and for a van it drives extremely well. Actually it is not that noisy at all, cruising at 140km/h wind noise is not much at all, and you almost don't hear the engine.
If you really want you can spec it with comfort seats with many adjustments, but it won't swivel. I never swivel my seat but my Cali is LHD. The ride quality can be improved by ordering 235/55 tires instead of 215/60 for the 17". I am guilty of this mistake, in order to save 10 quids a year in Diesel, I am running 215 at 3.7bar instead of 3.1 on the 235. The drive will be a lot more pleasant at 3.1. Anti-roll bar is another must have option to spec, to reduce body roll. i am glad i ordered them.
If I were you I'd look for a low mileage 2019 T6. It has more storage in the dash and the quirks sorted out. The comments on the trim quality falling off is new to me, but you must have had an abused rental Cali, or child problems of the new T6.1. That's why I advise on a T6 with Anti-roll bars, 235 tires, and get a quality, perfect fitting seats cover if that is a concern (same applies to other van) like Ukatex.

 

[GrannyJen]

Great points above by @Calimili

In the beginning I was disappointed with the ride, then discovered to my absolute joy that had I had many of the other campers out there I would have been even more disappointed.

However I wanted a Camper, and the camping abilities came first, so the ride was the compromise that went with having a three ton commercial vehicle designed to provide me with everything I need to survive in the big outdoors for days and weeks at a time. As also stated, get the van on a big long haul and it just bowls along, smooth, quiet, relaxed and with a great driving position.

The seats seem to be marmite. I love them, best I have ever had, my Son hates them. Yes front passenger leg room is hindered by kitchen behind, that's the compromise of having everything you need to survive in a 4.9m vehicle.

As for interior trim. Well, two Cali's, 100,000 miles and over 500 nights all I can offer is my experience of absolutely superb build quality. Yes, a few niggles, cupboard door latches falling off etc, but otherwise it has been a most robust vehicle.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I think hiring before you buy is a very good idea. I just don’t think campervans are for everyone. We often get asked by friends about it and I usually don’t think it’s for them. I guess maybe as many as a half of people who get a Cali sell it after a few years. But the other half don’t.
Matt Watson’s review focussed on the price. We bought our 2008 fully loaded Cali for £36k when it was 20months old. I now look on this as an absolute bargain as people seem to be asking for £30k for similar vans now. That would mean £6k for 11 years use. I assume they don’t quite achieve those prices but if ours was worth anything near that I’d be happy.
In 11 years I’ve had nothing go wrong apart from the LCD control panel. There are a few things that have snapped and been glued back on but most people think ours looks new and the Transporter mechanicals are rock solid for 300,000 miles. I’ve thankfully never had to go near a dealer.
We have just come back from a great 2 weeks touring France. One of our best holidays but it isn’t for everyone.

 

[California4x4]

This is turning into an interesting thread

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I've re-read your initial post. I bought my T6 California Ocean last year new, never tested one before, never used any campervan or motorhome before.
i was convinced buying the California because according to many reviews it supposedly "drives like a car".
When I picked it up though, I felt I was driving a noisy truck sitting on a toilet, very rough suspension over road imperfection yet it likes to lean in curves.
It depends on the expectations. I drive a new Q7 with air suspension, electric sportseats, almost 300hp. In comparison to the Q7 the Cali is a truck.
After I've been on holiday for 2 weeks with my Cali and didn't use my Q7 for a while i got used to it. I don't find the seat uncomfortable anymore, I am used to the drive, and for a van it drives extremely well. Actually it is not that noisy at all, cruising at 140km/h wind noise is not much at all, and you almost don't hear the engine.
If you really want you can spec it with comfort seats with many adjustments, but it won't swivel. I never swivel my seat but my Cali is LHD. The ride quality can be improved by ordering 235/55 tires instead of 215/60 for the 17". I am guilty of this mistake, in order to save 10 quids a year in Diesel, I am running 215 at 3.7bar instead of 3.1 on the 235. The drive will be a lot more pleasant at 3.1. Anti-roll bar is another must have option to spec, to reduce body roll. i am glad i ordered them.
If I were you I'd look for a low mileage 2019 T6. It has more storage in the dash and the quirks sorted out. The comments on the trim quality falling off is new to me, but you must have had an abused rental Cali, or child problems of the new T6.1. That's why I advise on a T6 with Anti-roll bars, 235 tires, and get a quality, perfect fitting seats cover if that is a concern (same applies to other van) like Ukatex.

We were sold recommendEd Continental Vancontact tyres at our last service. They are almost silent on French motorways. Made a real difference.