Cali 4 Motion - is it worth paying the extra?

[John]

Original post Ron

How good is the 4 Motion in a Cali? We will be selling or p/x our Landrover Freelander and will be using the Cali as our main transport so if the 4 Motion works well (can't be as good as the FL2 surely?) in the snow and other slippery surfaces then it may be worth ticking the box?

 

[John]

Original post mickyblue

I personally cannot answer the question directly..yet, but we are doing this change of vehicle.

I am changing my FL2 auto for a DSG 4motion Cali. IMHO tyres are pretty much the major factor. In extremes, ground clearance then becomes an issue, but for 'most usage' it has to be tyres. 98% of owners will never reach the edge of the envelope of either vehicle.

Our drive is about 1 in 4-5 and the last 2 winters, without the winter tyres on my FL2 we couldn't get up & down it. You can have all the electronic gizmo's (Terrain Response on the FL2) but there still comes a point where mechanical grip is lost. As our Cali won't arrive till the early new year it will give me 9 months to sort a spare set of rims & winter tyres, but I will see how it goes if we have any snow in the New Year.

I think the extra weight/lower clearance of a Cali will make a difference if we have really bad snow like last year.

As to whether you tick the box on your order I think it is down to your circumstances, but waiting for a 4motion with an 'auto' box was why I have waited till now

 

[John]

Original post Ron

Thank you for your feedback. I've been informed the leadtime on a 180 DSG 4 Motion Cali is 6 months, without the 4Motion it's 5 months so plenty of time to save up for the 4 Motion. I need to factor in another 6 months depreciation on the FL2 as well

 

[John]

Original post sleepyjoe

Hi,

I have a 2010 4Motion, and it was a godsend last winter as it was one of the few vehicles still mobile in this neck of the woods. The last two winters were particularly bad around here (nr Glasgow) with -20 for a few weeks and snow and ice for nearly 10 weeks. Using the diff lock on occasions, there were few if any times when I had to admit defeat. So I think it's well worth it!

 

[John]

Original post mickyblue

Ron,
The lead times on DSG's have shortened massively in the last few weeks it seems, as the issues VW were having have been sorted. We were told just the same initially.

I ordered ours 6 weeks ago (not a pre ordered dealer slot or demo BTW), last week our order went confirmed & given week 43 build (to our dealers amazement I must add), so should be with our dealer Mid Dec, so we will take it in the new year.

It may be worth your dealer speaking to the California brand people at VW head office & check up the up to date info

M

 

[John]

Original post Ron

Thank you both (sleepyjoe and mickyblue) for your invaluable contributions ... the lead time on DSG's is encouraging.
Question for mickyblue: you mentioned 'not a pre-ordered dealer slot' does this mean that the dealer would be the first registered keeper on the V5, I'm not sure what the implications are?

Thanks again for your help

 

[John]

Original post mickyblue


Oct 14, 2011, 3:52pm, Ron wrote: Thank you both (sleepyjoe and mickyblue) for your invaluable contributions ... the lead time on DSG's is encouraging.
Question for mickyblue: you mentioned 'not a pre-ordered dealer slot' does this mean that the dealer would be the first registered keeper on the V5, I'm not sure what the implications are?

Thanks again for your help.





In certain circumstances when lead times on vehicles are as long as they 'were' onn Cali's & on other in demand vehicles, dealers will place an order for a spec of vehicle which they could sell easily or hope to tailor before the factory confirms the order and lays the spec in stone. If no punter appears they take the car as stock in the most likely to sell spec.

In this situation the car would be brand new and unregistered ( you would be the 1st keeper) unless of course the dealer needs it as a demo, or they need to keep their figures up, in which case yes you would be the 2nd keeper.

In the case of Cali's with a 6-8month lead this would work, also stuff like the Skoda Yeti currently with a 9 month wait for a tailored factor order. The new Range Rover Evoque is the current leader on 'mainstream' motors, which I believe has upwards of 18months lead time due to pre/dealer orders already on the books.

I hope that makes sense.

 

[John]

Original post Ron

Great stuff...detailed and makes sense... thanks for that.
Cheers
Ron

 

[John]

Original post mark

Hi Ron, I too will be parting with a 4x4 but decided in the end not to go with the 4motion due to the extra expense. I didn't feel that the usage of 4 wheel drive justifies the extra ££ especially when the initial outlay is so high (unless you tow regularly). snow sock or chains for winter will keep you out of trouble and even M&S tyres will improve things.

 

[John]

Original post timbatten

We have had a 4 motion Cali for a couple of years, and live in a farm in the Pennines. I can highly recommend the 4 wheel drive. Obviously it would not be as good as a full time system with low ratios and hill descent etc,
but it does a great job, especially on wet hilly campsites. The benefit can however be reduced by fitting bigger wheels and lower profile tyres, as these have a smoother tread. I know because I have done!! Winter tyres would certainly improve things.

 

[John]

Original post Ron

I guess the drawback with using winter tyres is that when you no longer need them it's a job for the tyre fitting shop to refit your lower profile tyres and rebalance the wheels and a bit of a wait on a busy Saturday. You can always relax, read the paper, boil up a kettle and have a cuppa while you wait your turn

 

[John]

Original postred4reimo

I've been looking at all-season tyres for my 4x4 Estate car....which gets most its use in Winter whilst the camper is 'resting'. They seem to be half-way between a summer tyre (which 98% of cars have all year) and a M&S / Winter tyre. It is obviously 'compromise' time, but would be interested if anyone has experience of these 'all season' tyres to get the best out of VW 4x4 systems all year round. (Vredestein's Quatrac 3 is an example).