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Has a new Cali become just too expensive?

Borris

Borris

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Canterbury
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T6 Beach 150
Whilst there will always be a few buyers that will want a new California regardless of cost, out of pure interest, I have been looking at the prices of new examples for some time, especially the well specced ones, and doubting their worth given the current asking prices. Someone recently posted a photo of an advert for a non 4motion Ocean that was priced up in the mid £80ks!!!

A dealer told me last year that sales had been dropping year on year for the past two years. This may be an indication that they have either reached their ceiling or are very close to it. However, I accept that the Covid effect may well have altered the situation since then.

Here is a vehicle I specced on the VW configurator. I didn't press every option but with the exception of the snazzy paint job, merely configured a vehicle that I would be similar to the ex demo van I bought back in October 2015.
20200921_094751.jpg
As you can see the price came in at a tad short of £80k. My 2015 Cali SE which the dealer had loaded with just about every option cost £59k. Even taking into account inflation, is it worth the extra £20k? I am a big Cali fan but some of the prices being asked now for a van with no hot water or toilet facilities are in my opinion ridiculous.

I know I am comparing fish to fowl but here is an advert for this years top of the range Mercedes Benz Autosleeper Coachbuilt great white. See what you think?


 
Any comparison based on COST OF MANUFACTURE vs all the larger coach builts / caravans etc show the price of a new Cali is absolute daylight robbery. As the selling prices ARE NOT related to cost, but desirability and demand, they are clearly pushing to get every Euro put of the limited capacity they have.
 
They are very expensive but that didn’t stop me placing an order in July for a very well specified Cali Ocean 6.1. Everybody has their own viewpoint but mine is a 10 year plan. I’m 70 next year and hope to have the enthusiasm and energy for lots of Cali adventures until I’m 80 and maybe longer? So, looking at the per annum cost it still seems to me to be a good investment and lifestyle choice. Furthermore, money in the bank is losing value in real terms and if they move to negative interest rates (being considered again) I’ll have to pay them to look after my money!!!
Yes, some of the coach built ‘great whites’ are obviously more spacious and luxurious and at less money than a Cali BUT there are downsides. Most people can’t park one outside their property (restrictive covenant); can’t be used as a daily drive; storage costs; need to keep another vehicle for day to day use; costs for taxing, insuring and maintaining two vehicles; difficulty finding town centre parking; the list goes on ......
Hired a ‘great white’ in New Zealand a few years ago. Fabulous holiday but various restrictions put me off owning one, just too big.
 
I wasn't looking to start a debate about Cali usability vs Great whites, which I why I put in CAPS I was referring to cost of manufacture only.
 
OK point taken. Yes, VW may be exploiting the current supply and demand situation. Probably now reached a ceiling price I would have thought.
 
Well, price is always driven by supply and demand, who cares how much it costs producing?
Why does a Frappuccino sell at 4 quids, when it cost is 25p? because they can get away with it and people are willing to buy at that price.
So does VW.
So do you and I , as being Cali owners likely not being on min wage, but we earn more even though our food (=energy employed to work) costs are the same as a min wage employee. But we "charge" more than min wage..

If new Calis cost a lot, it will keep resale value also high.
 
Whilst there will always be a few buyers that will want a new California regardless of cost, out of pure interest, I have been looking at the prices of new examples for some time, especially the well specced ones, and doubting their worth given the current asking prices. Someone recently posted a photo of an advert for a non 4motion Ocean that was priced up in the mid £80ks!!!

A dealer told me last year that sales had been dropping year on year for the past two years. This may be an indication that they have either reached their ceiling or are very close to it. However, I accept that the Covid effect may well have altered the situation since then.

Here is a vehicle I specced on the VW configurator. I didn't press every option but with the exception of the snazzy paint job, merely configured a vehicle that I would be similar to the ex demo van I bought back in October 2015.
View attachment 66630
As you can see the price came in at a tad short of £80k. My 2015 Cali SE which the dealer had loaded with just about every option cost £59k. Even taking into account inflation, is it worth the extra £20k? I am a big Cali fan but some of the prices being asked now for a van with no hot water or toilet facilities are in my opinion ridiculous.

I know I am comparing fish to fowl but here is an advert for this years top of the range Mercedes Benz Autosleeper Coachbuilt great white. See what you think?


Should we be comparing a California against a Motorhome or against a Motorhome + a 2nd vehicle.
I wouldn't contemplate a day visit to any of my children using a Motorhome so would need a 2nd vehicle, and not a city car, or just a day out anywhere. Just too many restrictions on where you can go, where to park etc:.
All depends how you use it.
 
Whilst there will always be a few buyers that will want a new California regardless of cost, out of pure interest, I have been looking at the prices of new examples for some time, especially the well specced ones, and doubting their worth given the current asking prices. Someone recently posted a photo of an advert for a non 4motion Ocean that was priced up in the mid £80ks!!!

A dealer told me last year that sales had been dropping year on year for the past two years. This may be an indication that they have either reached their ceiling or are very close to it. However, I accept that the Covid effect may well have altered the situation since then.

Here is a vehicle I specced on the VW configurator. I didn't press every option but with the exception of the snazzy paint job, merely configured a vehicle that I would be similar to the ex demo van I bought back in October 2015.
View attachment 66630
As you can see the price came in at a tad short of £80k. My 2015 Cali SE which the dealer had loaded with just about every option cost £59k. Even taking into account inflation, is it worth the extra £20k? I am a big Cali fan but some of the prices being asked now for a van with no hot water or toilet facilities are in my opinion ridiculous.

I know I am comparing fish to fowl but here is an advert for this years top of the range Mercedes Benz Autosleeper Coachbuilt great white. See what you think?


Just reading here how your Van was £59k ..I bought a 2015 SE 140 new with all the usual extras £42k....We did look at a 180 DSG and that was £44 k.. you must have had every single option available and then some..
 
Just reading here how your Van was £59k ..I bought a 2015 SE 140 new with all the usual extras £42k....We did look at a 180 DSG and that was £44 k.. you must have had every single option available and then some..
A 2015 SE is probably selling for ~40k now, so you've lost a couple of grand in depreciation in five years - that's amazing. Gutting as somebody looking to buy 2nd hand though, where my 40k only gets me a 5 year old van!
 
A 2015 SE is probably selling for ~40k now, so you've lost a couple of grand in depreciation in five years - that's amazing. Gutting as somebody looking to buy 2nd hand though, where my 40k only gets me a 5 year old van!

...but your T4 will be going up in value
 
A 2015 SE is probably selling for ~40k now, so you've lost a couple of grand in depreciation in five years - that's amazing. Gutting as somebody looking to buy 2nd hand though, where my 40k only gets me a 5 year old van!
3 years ago we were offered less than £30k as a trade in against a new California...Although everything else about this awful virus has been negative for us, the way it has forced up second hand values has been positive...The problem now is soon everywhere will be locked down again and the van will be stuck on the drive until 2021...
 
Should we be comparing a California against a Motorhome or against a Motorhome + a 2nd vehicle.
I wouldn't contemplate a day visit to any of my children using a Motorhome so would need a 2nd vehicle, and not a city car, or just a day out anywhere. Just too many restrictions on where you can go, where to park etc:.
All depends how you use it.
I did say it was like comparing fish to fowl but I take your point. The comparison was made merely to illustrate what the same sort of money will buy elsewhere. I must also say that this thread was posted from my perspective. We have a Cali and a large Skoda estate car so we aren't obliged to use the Cali for shopping and other trips either local or long distance. For those people that just run the one vehicle the Cali is a perfect solution to both day to day needs as well as camping. Never the less ' Has a new Cali become just too expensive?'
 
Never the less ' Has a new Cali become just too expensive?'
It's too personal (circumstances) to say. I could find the money to buy a new one but traded my 2017 for a 2006 as it still does all the things I need.
£80k bought me a flat in a nice safe area by the sea which generates £485 a month, so you (well I) have to look at the opportunity cost of having so much tied up in a (normally!) depreciating asset.
 
Just reading here how your Van was £59k ..I bought a 2015 SE 140 new with all the usual extras £42k....We did look at a 180 DSG and that was £44 k.. you must have had every single option available and then some..
Actually it was £59K after just under 15% discount had been negotiated. Being one of the very last T5-1s the dealer had thrown everything at it from 4motion with dif lock etc etc to a host of dealer fitted extras including side pipes and a sport line body kit which I didn't like. I didn't want one of the first T6s and as the choice of T5-1s was dwindling we paid what we thought was a Kings ransom for a bird in the hand. It was a great van, wasn't keen on the pearlescent black paint though.
 
Hi,

Using the £59k example... that £80k full spec van can be bought for £72k at today's available discounts. The difference in question is really £12-£13k rather than £20k,

PS: I agree with the sentiment tho!
 
I did say it was like comparing fish to fowl but I take your point. The comparison was made merely to illustrate what the same sort of money will buy elsewhere. I must also say that this thread was posted from my perspective. We have a Cali and a large Skoda estate car so we aren't obliged to use the Cali for shopping and other trips either local or long distance. For those people that just run the one vehicle the Cali is a perfect solution to both day to day needs as well as camping. Never the less ' Has a new Cali become just too expensive?'
I think one could still argue that even if the California/Motorhome were the 3rd vehicle in a family then the California, not being used as a daily driver, is much more versatile than a large Motorhome and would probably be first choice for day trips and family outings compared to the Motorhome which would end up languishing on the drive or in a secure compound for prolonged periods.
 
Having just 2 months ago paid out £56k for a brand new T6.1 Ocean, I am horrified at some of the prices at the moment - perhaps that is a reflection of the huge demand. However, prior to the Cali, it is 5 years since i bought a new car. Prices generally seem to have rocketed in that time which could be a reflection of car manufacturers selling cars on finance where the monthly payment is all important rather than the absolute cost.

Speaking to our dealer only today a reasonably specced Transporter is £40k and he had just sold his last Amorak for £3k over list at £47k!!!!

We originally went for a brand new Cali because the residuals of second hand Calis was also ridiculous. Look at the half a dozen (ex-rental?) 2018 Oceans currently up for sale through Breeze. All on 30,000 miles and all for sale at £56k. No thanks.

In answer to the original question, yes.

Anyone fancy a Ford made T7 California? That will no doubt push residuals even higher.

 
Ordered a £60k baby, downsizing from a £50k GW. Why?
1. Parks on my drive,
2. no other vehicle required
3. Want the camping feel
4. More mobility once on holiday site seeing town parking etc.
5. Have an Atomkraft Nein Danke sticker I need to stick on a VW camper van........... slow depreciatio.
 
Boris's £80k benchmark puts the Cali Ocean in roughly the price bracket of (say) a Range Rover Sport HSE. So... is a Range Rover too expensive?

Yes it's (arguably) too expensive, if you compare it to other-marque SUVs that are broadly functionally similar to the R/R, but in a price bracket about half to two-thirds that of the Range Rover so in effect a different market segment. Eg an Alfa Stelvio, starting at £39k (hmmm, now you've got me interested, I can feel some more man-math coming on).

The reason that comparison fails through is that there's not really a Cali Ocean functional equivalent (leaving aside conversions, if I may) in a substantially lower price bracket - even the Ford Transit Nugget is only about 10% lower priced at entry level, even though I doubt you could spec up the Nugget to anything approaching £80k.

So no, a Cali isn't too expensive, if you want a campervan and don't fancy 'trading down' in brand/image terms to something else that's still almost as expensive anyway.

I'd be in the market for a reasonable quality, workmanlike, utilitarian campervan that does the job but without the VW van kudos and bling, but it would have to be in the £35-45k base price level to be worth considering. And I don't think that's going to happen until one of the SE Asian manufacturers decides to move on the market.

But having said that, although its a convo, has anyone looked at the Randger, French-built, Fiat-based vans (https://www.randgeruk.co.uk/)? SWB (Cali footprint) and LWB variants, around £42k. That looks like an interesting price point given where VW is up to now. Just saying.
 
I can not afford a replacement at 2020 prices.
 
Actually it was £59K after just under 15% discount had been negotiated. Being one of the very last T5-1s the dealer had thrown everything at it from 4motion with dif lock etc etc to a host of dealer fitted extras including side pipes and a sport line body kit which I didn't like. I didn't want one of the first T6s and as the choice of T5-1s was dwindling we paid what we thought was a Kings ransom for a bird in the hand. It was a great van, wasn't keen on the pearlescent black paint though.
So it was £59k AFTER 15% discount..That’s £68k list.. OMG... 5 years ago.....We pushed hard to get 8% which we found was the norm for 2015 California’s. Looks like my £42k was a pretty good deal..
 
The Ocean is now way too expensive. Coast possibly not so if your not bothered about a powered roof.
 
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