Do i really need these options??

[MarkVw2017]

Hello All,

Its been a while since my last post as decided i would never be able to afford one but, ive finally ordered a Candy white beach (so frigggin excited) and even been accepted on vwfs so now its just a case of signing form and its off for order. I have read meticulously many forums here about every option ( so thank you to everyone who spends their time helping others!!)

Here is my option list:

DWG gears only option now.
Cruise control £250
Sensors £480
Folding mirrors £170
Extra slide window £200
Parking heater (non remote) £1650
Exterior pack inc T7 headlihhts (read so many reviews on here how much so many people not happy with t4 lights but LED all far too much for me) £450
Awning black £450
Privacy glass £300

So my thoughts are, should i add the following ;
ACC but adds £800 on price because i have to get a better steering wheel;
Comfort dash and 3 zone a/c but adds £1700
(It seems the 'comfort' dash is just the same dash out of the Ocean so means i have to upgrade radio to 6.33inch)
Do i need the remote for the programmable heater at £300 extra?

Thank you very much for any advice you give!!

Marcus

 

[sebh31]

Hi Marcus.

Congratulations on your order.

We have the ACC and its great if you plan on doing a lot of driving. Twinned with the DSG it works really well on the motorway with traffic.

The remote heater you could probably do with out, although my wife uses it in the winter to warm up the van before she sets off in the morning

 

[MarkVw2017]

Thank you very much for your reply. I do alot of motorway driving and have had cruise but never ACC

 

[Niborn]

I couldn’t do without the remote heater at night when we camp in a cold place ... also the dsg is a dream combination with ACC . I never had ACC before either but it’s fabulous when cruising , I think it makes for far safer driving too .

 

[MarkVw2017]

Thanks for the reply, in defo keepig the parking heater but not sure if i need the £300 remote added as seens expensive for a remote? 2 positive replies and already sold on ACC.

 

[Wongo]

Once you have ACC you’ll always want it, stress free motorway cruising and definitely a parking heater.

 

[burnercan]

I hummed and hawed about the ACC for a while then eventually opted for it. Very glad I did! The 3 zone climate is really nice too in such a big space.

 

[Niborn]

I didn’t know the remote key fob thing was extra .. I’ve used it a few times but could do without it , it’s probably then just a nice to have . I’ve got most of the extra that were available on my T6 and I like them all , probably could live without half of them though ..but when it comes to resell in a year or two mine will stand above others I’m sure in Spec and meanwhile I enjoy the pleasure...so not all the money is spent and gone ...it’s a sorta of investment

 

[SimonB]

We have the ACC and think it is great. Coming up the M5 last Sunday it was like a mobile car park. The ACC with DSG made it far less of a pain. It is described by one VW advert as "a silent passenger who keeps watch but doesn't nag". With people constantly changing lanes it keeps you at the distance you set from the car in front so when people cut in, it brakes for you. But it also accelerates up to the speed you set when space allows. ACC is a very useful feature in our view.
The remote for the heater is useful when it is really cold outside, -5C for example, and you want the van to heat up before you crawl out from your warm sleeping bag. You can just turn the heater on from your bed.

 

[audio2]

Don’t forget to purchase the two year extended warranty.

 

[Niborn]

Totally agree extra warranty at time of purchase and suggest yiu ask for proof of registration of warranty, some people apparently have had problems with admin afterwards proving warranty if garage ‘forgot’ ...I did manage to get an email from VW , copied by garage on my insistance .. it’s really strange there is no formal warranty paper

 

[Amarillo]

So my thoughts are, should i add the following ;
ACC but adds £800 on price because i have to get a better steering wheel;

ACC is good, but I could live with standard CC

Comfort dash and 3 zone a/c but adds £1700
(It seems the 'comfort' dash is just the same dash out of the Ocean so means i have to upgrade radio to 6.33inch)

We have 3 zone and the uncomfortable dash. Is this no longer an option? I prefer the uncomfortable dash with all its nooks and crannies over the comfortable version. The van is a big space to cool. If you don't upgrade the air con, passengers in the rear will gently roast in hot weather.

Do i need the remote for the programmable heater at £300 extra?

It's a luxury not an essential. Without it you will need to reach for the above windscreen control to turn on the heat at 3am. Not too hard if you are in the upper berth.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[Borris]

A plain candy white Beach dsg is a fabulous choice. It'll look very crisp.

Having owned a T6 Beach for two years now, IMO the only options that are essential are:
1. Parking heater with remote control....turns the Beach into an all year camper.
2. Awning. It's not a Cali without one. It'll be twice the price to have retro fitted.
3. LED headlights. The standard units are poor to put it mildly.
4. Tow bar (but only if you will need one).

Top of my list of nice to haves would be:
5. Three Zone Climate control. It's a big van to keep cool in hot weather.
6. ACC. Standard cruise is irritating in heavy traffic conditions.
7. Concept lighting. The LEDs in the roof and boot door are very useful.
8. Window in sliding door. It should be standard!
9. MFSW......on grounds of safety. It keeps your mitts where they should be!

The other options are just plain nice.

There's only one thing that I definately wouldn't have and that's the Comfort Dash. Leaving aside the cost, it's far less practical than the standard fittment.

One final point: Make sure that you order the right version to future proof your purchase. Don't order a four seater if in the future you might need a five or even a seven seater.

 

[Jonathan Duke]

My Beach is very similar to your spec. The H7 headlights, included in the Exterior pack are good enough for me. I have CC, not ACC and am OK with that also. I wish I had of added the awning, as it was a hassle to buy a second hand one (new too expensive.) I think the comfort mattress was a good buy, very expensive from VW afterwards. I ordered a 7x seat Beach, but sold the 2x 2nd row seats for £800, as wasn't using them and difficult for me to store. I don't have the remote for the heater, and am fine with that, as I park in an underground carpark, so my van doesn't frost-over in the winter months. I added a tow-bar, because I use a tow-bar mounted bicycle rack, its expensive and a hassle to add this at a later date. The standard dash works fine for us. I would add privacy glass if ordering again, I got mine tinted just. I wouldn't add mudflaps if ordering again. The buttons on the steering wheel are useful, as is the sliding window on the drivers side and the parking sensors (I don't have the camera.)

The "extras" list can quickly escalate the price, a Beach is a brilliant vehicle..... The extras are all "nice to have" but not necessarily "need to have" and you'll have to decide where the balance lies with yourself. Sometimes a regret not adding more, but then when I take a step back..... I have everything I actually "need."

Exciting times ahead for you, will look forward to seeing some photos in due course! White is the best!!

 

[Alied]

I ordered the privacy glass for my Beach but I’m afraid it’s not very private. I ended up having to have a tint added to add some privacy.

 

[Bill R]

Thanks for the reply, in defo keepig the parking heater but not sure if i need the £300 remote added as seens expensive for a remote? 2 positive replies and already sold on ACC.

I drove the length of the M6/M74 with DSG & ACC Different speeds because of the ebb and flow of traffic and apart from the odd complete stop I didn't touch the pedals , it makes Motorway driving soooooooo easy !

 

[WelshGas]

Hello All,

Its been a while since my last post as decided i would never be able to afford one but, ive finally ordered a Candy white beach (so frigggin excited) and even been accepted on vwfs so now its just a case of signing form and its off for order. I have read meticulously many forums here about every option ( so thank you to everyone who spends their time helping others!!)

Here is my option list:

DWG gears only option now.
Cruise control £250
Sensors £480
Folding mirrors £170
Extra slide window £200
Parking heater (non remote) £1650
Exterior pack inc T7 headlihhts (read so many reviews on here how much so many people not happy with t4 lights but LED all far too much for me) £450
Awning black £450
Privacy glass £300

So my thoughts are, should i add the following ;
ACC but adds £800 on price because i have to get a better steering wheel;
Comfort dash and 3 zone a/c but adds £1700
(It seems the 'comfort' dash is just the same dash out of the Ocean so means i have to upgrade radio to 6.33inch)
Do i need the remote for the programmable heater at £300 extra?

Thank you very much for any advice you give!!

Marcus

If you enjoy driving then Normal Cruise Control is fine. Choose ACC if you don’t or prefer others to determine your speed.
The H7 headlights are fine for nighttime driving. LED are overrated for their cost, but no one will admit to that if they ticked that option.
Carefully consider the “ Towbar Prep” option.
Lastly, Climatic AirCon significantly helps to warm or cool the rear, useful if you have passengers.

 

[frenchie]

I have ACC in both the van and my car. Have never used it. Just don't see the point. If I lived back in the States with miles of empty roads then maybe worth it. But not here or within Europe.

 

[soulstyledevon]

ACC, just get standard cruise.
3 zone climatic. That’s a must...!!!
LEDs nah.
Comfort lighting, should be standard. But that’s a definite yes too

 

[RetroRed5]

Ultimately you don't really need most of these options (if any); sure some are more useful than others but most are "nice to have's" that many people seem to manage perfectly well without; I think when you are spending this sort of money on a car its more a case of "do YOU want them", if so and you've got the cash then go for it.

I think many people in your position go through the same process of spec'ing up their dream Cali, hitting the forums and doing lots of back and forth tweaking the spec based on feedback from other owners; for each option, if you find 6 "got for it's", you will likely find half a dozen "don't bother's"; the forums are great to see what people think from either side of the fence and some of what you find might help you in the decision making process because its puts you in a better more informed position but when all said and done, you are spending your cash and so it's down to what you want.

Good look figuring out your perfect spec and let us know what you finally decide on once you've signed on the dotted line

 

[Cheery Charlie]

Alternative view on ACC - its a pain. Have it on my Golf. Its constantly braking when you switch lanes even though you can see the gap your aiming for and it won't let you get close enough to the car in front to stop people pulling out in front of you. It also doesn't tell you when its activated so you can suddenly realise that your dawdling along at 60 because its spotted a car half a mile away !!! (I exaggerate I know but you get my drift.)

 

[Bellcrew]

Alternative view on ACC - its a pain. Have it on my Golf. Its constantly braking when you switch lanes even though you can see the gap your aiming for and it won't let you get close enough to the car in front to stop people pulling out in front of you. It also doesn't tell you when its activated so you can suddenly realise that your dawdling along at 60 because its spotted a car half a mile away !!! (I exaggerate I know but you get my drift.)

Surprising how many drivers think that this is a good idea "and it won't let you get close enough to the car in front to stop people pulling out in front of you." Presumably you are never that poor sod in the inside lane who would like to overtake the lorry and is stuck there for miles cos everyone else are a few feet from each others boots.

 

[Max-Felix]

Privacy, std cruise, awning, MFSW, parking sensors, bike rack. My essentials.

 

[sapto]

Love what you‘ve got. Mine is 3rd hand (service was always made through VW) and has almost everything I need (so far). OK, 4 Motion would be a nice thing (instead I got good summer/winter tyres and chains). Although I changed/upgraded to towbar&rear parking sensors.
That means for me: If we ever buy new/or afford to buy new second hand: stick to that and go for low mileage and well serviced one.

 

[Max-Felix]

Privacy, std cruise, awning, MFSW, parking sensors, bike rack. My essentials.

Why the 'disagree' @james bell ??