Beach ordered. Basic info on cost, price savings, and options ...

[OddDog]

Hi all,

so after several months of lurking, and having recieved great input form people in the forum on this thread:

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...ing-for-your-help-opinions.17165/#post-194054

we have pushed the buton on ordering a new vw beach.

So the spec is:

Apologies it is in spanish!





Normal taxation in Spain:

IVA (VAT): 21%
New car registration: 14.75%


We got a 14% discount on the before tax price.
3 kids means we pay only 4% VAT.
1 wheelchair user means we pay no new car tax registration.

Total final price is:

43,400 euros.

(people seem to have interest in the pricing so I have tried to be quite transparent)

So we are happy with that.

We have not recieved any news of builds times ect, but I suppose they will tell us, when thay know something.


Onto the dreaded options ..... or what I am still doubting ...

I think the 2 big ones we did not get are:

led headlights,
4 motion,
nor the app connect thing.

Those are the big 3, the first 2 obviously are big ticket. The other was simply biocoted by my wife

I am seriously pondering adding the led headlights and the 4 motion is a nice to have.

Any opinions on the options eagerly read.

 

[phillme]

if u can afford it ..... led and 4motion would be my first two "ticks"
happy camping

 

[OddDog]

I hear that,

unfortunately my wife has decied that 200 hourse power and dsg are higher up the list ....

 

[phillme]

your not going to let her drive are you ?

 

[phillme]

can't you compromise and have 204bhp dsg 4motion and LEDs

 

[OddDog]

hummm ...

I enjoy driving, she does not.

So I get to drive the most...

 

[OddDog]

jajjaja,

this particular compromise sounds rather expensive. My married experience is that normally a compromise reduces costs.

 

[MattBW]

I like the LEDs but I do think they are very expensive.

4 Motion I would also love but it is a heavy option and will reduce your carrying capacity accordingly. I guess it depends how often you feel you might use the 4motion. I've never had any trouble so far with decent tyres and 2wd.

 

[kave]

Nice price and vehicle.
No extra seats? No heater at all? No 230V connector?
I would recommend the extra window in the door so you can ventilate properly in the spanish heat.
Appconnect is nice to have but not a must. I would still be happy if I havent got it. What about cruise control and multi function steering wheel? I guess 4motion not necessary in Spain anyway.

 

[Hotel California]

Not good in Spanisch but no aux heater and no hook-up ....? Better think again.
But is the hook-up not standaard in the T6 beach?

 

[Euge]

Not good in Spanisch but no aux heater and no hook-up ....? Better think again.
But is the hook-up not standaard in the T6 beach?

Hook up is standard in the beach

 

[zeratul]

We also have a California Beach with 3 children. Imo 150PS is *really* enough. We have only 140, it worked fine even full loaded in the alps... But I would take 4MOTION as the option to add. And perhaps.. the (I know it's expensive) heater (unless you're sure that you'll never travel north from Spain outside of the high season).

Hookup is not standard in Europe, at least was not on the T5.
But we took the option and I would never take it again. Depends on your style of travel, but the 2nd battery of the beach lasts for many days even with fridge on all the time and unless you plan on staying on one campsite without driving (in which case I think other vehicles are better suited, esp with 3 children), I really don't see the point. Save that money.. when battery is flat, drive a little, or just turn on the engine.

 

[OddDog]

Ok let me try to clarafy what i can with the very limited knowledge i have got ...

we did get one extra seat.

we do have the 230v converter thingy inside the beach (I have some months to learn basic electrics stuff now).

beach in spain does not come with hookup as standard. So have pre ordered solar on the roof before taking the car out of the salesmans lot.

I will have to check on the heater. This is annoying if it has fallen off, since it has always been on my list... (bugger!)

I also prefer the 150 cv dsg 4 motion, however my wife .....

I must admit to enjoying the whole prep side of this. Reading about cooking stuff, bbqs ect.

 

[Paul S]

LED headlights would have been on my list (plus the auxiliary parking heater).

 

[flying banana]

heater definitely. I also have the Led leets in the roof section and tailgate. very very useful

 

[Sweepa]

I ordered my beach in January and picked it up on Friday. At the time of ordering at least, the heater and app connect are fitted as standard. The only thing I've found that i wasn't expecting are electric folding mirrors.

There were a couple of UK options i would of liked but they aren't availble in Spain.

 

[hirsty]

- A heater is the only Beach 'must-have'
- 150 bhp is enough really, but more is always better!
- People who like autos love DSG, so good

LEDs depend on your usage, if you're out on rural roads at night a lot then it may be worth it. I'd love to have 4WD, but again depends on what you're planning to do with the van - both are big money & many people "get by" without either.

I don't have, nor miss it, but a lot of people post here about the Climatonic upgrade for rear aircon.

 

[Bramco]

Agree with heater (although if you won't travel outside Spain in the summer then maybe not necessary). Climatronic I would have thought would be a must for Spain - especially with family in the back. I wouldn't bother with App Connect - get yourself a cheap mifi system with a big data allowance. It's not as integrated but works fine. LEDs and 4wd are v expensive so only do those if you really really really think you'll get a lot of use out of them. The cost would buy several drive away awnings for example.

 

[Sweepa]

I agree with Bramco, with two young kids in the back Climatronic was a must for me.

 

[OddDog]

Hi all, just back from the vw shop.

New info:

The heater is standard for a beach dsg 200cv in spain.
As is the climatronic 3 zone thing.

Am looking at adding leds. As primarily a family car (3 kids) lots of dark time driving is done. All winter.

@Sweepa, hola! It gets confusing that different countries have different standard configurations ....

Got a build date of week 37.
And an order number.

 

[hirsty]

Good for you! - now the waiting begins ...

As people have so many different needs for their Cali and we all do different trips it's difficult to come up with a 'best spec'. It's very good news for you that a Spanish Beach has Climatronic & Aux Heater as standard. Brits always think of Spain as being very hot, but my work friend who lives in the mountains sees a lot more snow than I do!

On the electrical hook-up and solar power the main usage is often an add-on fridge. Without mains hook-up then two or perhaps three days (without driving) is about all you can expect - depending on temps and fridge / settings - so only you will know how this will work for you, especially if you are a family of five. I don't use anything else in the van which draws a lot of power - internal LED lights? charging phones & tablets? aux heater?

From what I've read here some people add 100W solar to 'top this up' and extend, whilst 200W seems to be considered enough to be self-sufficient off-grid.

 

[Sweepa]

Hola OddDog!

It’s not just the standard configurations that are different. I wanted to fit the 30mm lowering springs as it is so tight getting in to my garage. The part isn’t available through VW Spain, if I bought them from the UK or fitted the Eibach packaged ones it will invalidate any suspension warranty claim…. Then there is the homologation to deal with as well!


Are you Spanish?

 

[OddDog]

Thanks all for your great feedback and insights, much appreciated.


@Sweepa, no I am english, married a local girl in Galicia, Spain. Been here 20 years so far. U?

Am leaning towards adding the leds, not the 4motion, and goona have another hard look at the multimedia options, app conect and whatever else they call it ....

 

[Sweepa]

Similar situtaion but we are in Cantabria. The coast of Galica is great, I haven't seen much in land though.
My wifes father is from Orense and we're off there for the weekend soon to see some family then a week camping in Baiona later in the month.

 

[G3WRT]

I like the LEDs but I do think they are very expensive.

4 Motion I would also love but it is a heavy option and will reduce your carrying capacity accordingly. I guess it depends how often you feel you might use the 4motion. I've never had any trouble so far with decent tyres and 2wd.

My new one is coming with leds but in my experience being on the receiving end is not so good.