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Advice for buying new Cali

G

Georgie21

Messages
2
Location
Devon
Vehicle
Looking to buy
Hello, we want to buy a Cali and are unsure where to buy it from so are looking for any experiences of buying a new Cali. We went to a very dealership locally and they gave us 1k off list price and said they couldn’t discount any more as they are price protecting it from further increases until delivery (sales person couldn’t confirm what price protection means so is still to come back to us on this, we wouldn’t quite believe this!) we also found a deal on website called ‘drive the deal’ offering nearly 5,600 off list price but no price protection. Has anyone experienced using drive the deal website or similar site and any idea what price rises we might see over next 12 mo this or so, I understand they went up 3% recently.

thanks for any advice.

Rich
 
Due to raw material costs increasing daily and long manufacturing periods, VW are not prepared to guarantee to price you order at, is the price that you will pay at time of delivery.

If you’re in Devon, contact @Tomdbreeze at Breeze in Poole for a quote and if you’re prepared to travel further, Martin at SMG in Tonbridge.

You could also try Autoebid online as an alternative to DtD.
 
Put your spec into Drive the Deal & Autoebid. Get the best price. Ring your favourite dealers, get them to beat or match it.
 
Hello, we want to buy a Cali and are unsure where to buy it from so are looking for any experiences of buying a new Cali. We went to a very dealership locally and they gave us 1k off list price and said they couldn’t discount any more as they are price protecting it from further increases until delivery (sales person couldn’t confirm what price protection means so is still to come back to us on this, we wouldn’t quite believe this!) we also found a deal on website called ‘drive the deal’ offering nearly 5,600 off list price but no price protection. Has anyone experienced using drive the deal website or similar site and any idea what price rises we might see over next 12 mo this or so, I understand they went up 3% recently.

thanks for any advice.

Rich
Thanks
 
I bought a car with DtD. Very easy. They are a dating agency. I think they get a flat fee of circa £300 from the dealer. Once you have paid the deposit you deal direct with the dealer. Unless they have changed in the few years since I used them I would be happy to use them again.
 
Hello, we want to buy a Cali and are unsure where to buy it from so are looking for any experiences of buying a new Cali. We went to a very dealership locally and they gave us 1k off list price and said they couldn’t discount any more as they are price protecting it from further increases until delivery (sales person couldn’t confirm what price protection means so is still to come back to us on this, we wouldn’t quite believe this!) we also found a deal on website called ‘drive the deal’ offering nearly 5,600 off list price but no price protection. Has anyone experienced using drive the deal website or similar site and any idea what price rises we might see over next 12 mo this or so, I understand they went up 3% recently.

thanks for any advice.

Rich
Also, besides the above , be aware that you may not get delivery of a new vehicle until 2023. So consider ex-demo and 2nd hand unless you are happy to wait.
 
Also, besides the above , be aware that you may not get delivery of a new vehicle until 2023. So consider ex-demo and 2nd hand unless you are happy to wait.
Good advice this. I picked up my California 4 weeks ago, 13 months after order, from Eurovans Crawley and they had 2 green/white Oceans in for sale - a customer cancelled order and a dealer order from 16 months ago. Both are now sold (they have both posted on here).
Worth deciding what your essential options are, and ringing round to see if there are any new or nearly new that come close, to avoid the cost uncertainties and the 18 month wait.
 
Good advice this. I picked up my California 4 weeks ago, 13 months after order, from Eurovans Crawley and they had 2 green/white Oceans in for sale - a customer cancelled order and a dealer order from 16 months ago. Both are now sold (they have both posted on here).
Worth deciding what your essential options are, and ringing round to see if there are any new or nearly new that come close, to avoid the cost uncertainties and the 18 month wait.
Citygate Wooburn Green have a T6.1 Ocean in their show room (yesterday)
I didn’t really look at the spec or Price, , it is Dark Metallic Grey.
(although Not local to you, the chances of finding an in stock vehicle close by is limited)


the ocean at Wooburn Green is not on their website
, but they are showing a coast at the Colindale Branch
 
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An interesting read regarding future price surety on new orders

 
There are some on Autotrader and also on the "Cali's For Sale" section of this forum if waiting until 2023 doesn't appeal.
 
Some good deals on new Californias in October, including free 5 year warranty, 5 services, 5 years breakdown, 5 years MOT, £1,500 of options and 0% finance if you put down 50%. Good times.
(I do wish Chris would challenge himself not to say “on the vehicle” though.
And funny to hear him contradict himself in one sentence “new California will be everything everybody wants…but it won’t suit everybody”)
 
Some good deals on new Californias in October, including free 5 year warranty, 5 services, 5 years breakdown, 5 years MOT, £1,500 of options and 0% finance if you put down 50%. Good times.
(I do wish Chris would challenge himself not to say “on the vehicle” though.
And funny to hear him contradict himself in one sentence “new California will be everything everybody wants…but it won’t suit everybody”)
It takes a certain kind of salesman to actively promote a vehicle with a known (and manufacturer acknowledged ) defect and no effective remedy. California Chris should be ashamed.
 
Some good deals on new Californias in October, including free 5 year warranty, 5 services, 5 years breakdown, 5 years MOT, £1,500 of options and 0% finance if you put down 50%. Good times.
(I do wish Chris would challenge himself not to say “on the vehicle” though.
And funny to hear him contradict himself in one sentence “new California will be everything everybody wants…but it won’t suit everybody”)
The closure of the Order Book is obviously rapidly approaching.
 
Isn't it an amazing how things changed between thread 10 & 11 of this, went from 12m - 18m waiting lists to scores of brand new Cali's available on Autotrader most with discounts north of £4k with the 5 year offer today....
 
I decided to take the plunge and order an Ocean a couple of weeks ago. I acknowledge that there is an issue with the roof, but my thinking is that, with a 5 year warranty, I 'should' be ok with getting it fixed post-delivery (if it's still an issue by then).

I went to the motorhome show at the NEC last week and still can't believe the price conversion companies are wanting compared to a brand new cali. I was even cheeky enough to speak to a couple who were clearly interested in a conversion company version (no names supplied), who were asking £4K more than what I paid for a brand new Cali - and that doesn't even factor in the 5 years' warranty, services etc.
 
I decided to take the plunge and order an Ocean a couple of weeks ago. I acknowledge that there is an issue with the roof, but my thinking is that, with a 5 year warranty, I 'should' be ok with getting it fixed post-delivery (if it's still an issue by then).

I went to the motorhome show at the NEC last week and still can't believe the price conversion companies are wanting compared to a brand new cali. I was even cheeky enough to speak to a couple who were clearly interested in a conversion company version (no names supplied), who were asking £4K more than what I paid for a brand new Cali - and that doesn't even factor in the 5 years' warranty, services etc.
I also went to the NEC and came away baffled by the pricing of conversions, and am now hoping to order a new California, next week, after a test drive booked for next Monday. Apart from conversions seemingly being more expensive to buy, they seem to depreciate faster and be harder to re-sell.

It will be fascinating to see what happens when factory orders for Calis stops. That might help the converters. It sounds like a long wait until the new T7 Cali is delivered, with potentially constrained supply of VW built vehicles throughout 2024.

I don’t think anyone knows what will happen, but the diversity of Transporter converters and VW built Calis is healthy. Demand for campervan of all flavours seems very strong.
 
I too was evangelising about the Cali at the NEC show last Monday!!!!
I was sat chatting to a guy inside the Westfalia Club Joker City who was clearly interested, they wanted nearly 90k for a 150hp, and I told them I bought a 204hp for over 15k less :D

I do genuinely feel sorry for the converters as VW make it so difficult for them by the specs, prices and availability of transporters. VW have things wrapped up, I think it's to after market converters that they can even get close to cali prices when they have to buy the vans list & and don't have the economies of scale VW have. VW must be making an absolute fortune from the Cali and if the sold them at the slender margins converters do they'd be a hell of lot cheaper!!!
 
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