Is supply now outstripping demand?

[Ocean Spirit]

I was very tempted by a Disco Sport, when looking for my new vehicle. Their fora are equally interesting. The first generation Sports, some of them were being recalled for additional spot welding to ensure the roof was connected!

Plenty of Evoques damaged on arrival at dealers too amongst what ever else.
But Fora as you describe it brings these things to everyones attention and you gotta be grateful for that.
Unless you are JLR or perhaps VW with the Roof corrosion saga, Audi with its vibration in Q3's etc.No longer can they claim ignorance like 'didn't know about that one'.

 

[Jay586]

I think it's a good thing. Information is key, after that, you pay your money & make a choice!

 

[MattBW]

That is certainly a fact that rivals what I have been reading on this forum regards VW aftersales and quality.
I am coming from JLR though and never experienced any of the horror stories (touch wood) that I read about. So all in all manufacturer to manufacturer, I think theres not much in it.

I was looking at both Jags and LR when I got the Cali, the experiences of friends are why I got a Cali. I have one friend who recently gave up on owning one after the third replacement Discovery had the same faults as the other 2 and had a refund in the end (after a year of hassle).

Another friend just got one and also had lots of issues, its been in the garage more than on the road already and its a 67 plate.

I know a few folk who work for JLR, they've never commented on any of it (probably can't) but they do say its very busy and they are growing incredibly fast. I guess fast expansion creates teething problems.

 

[andyinluton]

I've owned 6 Landrover Discoveries to date & done probably 500k miles in them, Nr 2 had a full replacement engine at 12k miles, nr 3 was rejected after 4 weeks of ownership due to re-occurring faults, nr 6 was sold back to the dealer at 12 months as it seemed pointless having my name on the logbook as it spent most of the time in their workshop.

Also got shouted at by the instructor on a landrover experience day for using the handbrake when we parked in the middle of a field, it jammed on and we had to be towed out by a tractor, that car was only a week old.

Other than that I've never had a problem reliability wise...

 

[GrannyJen]

I really don't want to bash LR.....

2 Disco's and 3 RR's .... each had their own little "eccentricities".

RR2 was best. Had a penchant for locking everyone out. BL had just been taken over by BMW so when my RR2 was putting two-fingers up to the LR technicians for about the 7th time they sent in their hit team to sort it out. After all, Germans know best.

Head boffin certainly sorted it all out. He got in it all right....

Just it wouldn't let him out again

I went off for lunch whilst they figured out how to let Herr Von Hedboffin free .....

 

[RodCouncil]

This thread is descending into the LR unfanboi reunion, never understood why anyone other than farmers coming from Defenders bought these vehicles.

Evoques for me epitomise the popularist culture that's gonna see the UK sink to the bottom of the Atlantic.

Glad to see people coming to their senses and buying a true utility vehicle.

 

[andyinluton]

This thread is descending into the LR unfanboi reunion, never understood why anyone other than farmers coming from Defenders bought these vehicles.

Evoques for me epitomise the popularist culture that's gonna see the UK sink to the bottom of the Atlantic.

Glad to see people coming to their senses and buying a true utility vehicle.

You couldn't get a better allrounder than an early Disco - they've now gone too far upmarket.

The first new one I bought was series 2 and at that time they were a similar price to a mondao but seated 7, towed 3.5 tonnes and with the seats down was great for load carrying. Interior was tough and could be wiped down easily & the residuals were fantastic. For us as a large family in the middle of building a house they were fantastic.
I appreciate a beach may be versatile but I wouldn't want to put 20 bags of cement in the back or tow a fully loaded 18ft ivor williams triple axle trailer behind one.

 

[GrannyJen]

My first discovery was used as a support vehicle towing a caravan from Lands End to John O'groats, often picking up exhausted walkers from the middle of nowhere. It had all the capabilities of an MPV with the off-road versatility of a tractor and had an engine note to match

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Evoques for me epitomise the popularist culture that's gonna see the UK sink to the bottom of the Atlantic.

Your gonna have to help me out with that one I don't know what you mean?

 

[Spitfire]

As I'm still looking to buy I've been asking the same question as it appears to me that there is more than just the end of summer pushing the prices towards a buyers market. I myself am noticing the squeeze due to inflation, driven a lot by brexit. The scaremongering on used diesel valuations will not be helping either, already down 9% this year apparently. The fact that governments ATM look likely only to target diesels further towards their 2020 proposed bans is also making me wonder about the Californias usability in terms of an all in one vehicle to drive into any major city within Europe etc as the stigma attached to "dirty diesels" by then could be poisonous itself.

I think there’s too much worry about the diesel issue, and not just on this forum obviously. I got a French Crit’Air sticker for a recent trip, which took in pollution-conscious Grenoble. The T6 is category 2 which is the lowest polluting after pure electric vehicles, and if it is regarded as a low risk in one of the first cities in Europe to introduce these restrictions then there’s unlikely to be an issue anywhere else for the foreseeable future. If you look beyond the headlines, all these schemes talk of older diesels and I don’t doubt they are a problem. As to the ‘ban’, the government is talking about 2040, and who knows what other options might be available by then.

 

[Lukem]

I have also noticed the increase in used or demo vehicles on the vw website, which has been useful for choosing colours and options, but I believe that many of these are from dealers who don't offer decent/any discounts. Listers offered me a bike rack but refused to move on the price of a new vehicle even after I had emailed another dealer, secured a hefty discount and was asking for my deposit back. Maybe the tide is turning on these dealers who offer nothing to customers and just ride on the back of the enduring success of the California.

 

[Spitfire]

I have also noticed the increase in used or demo vehicles on the vw website, which has been useful for choosing colours and options, but I believe that many of these are from dealers who don't offer decent/any discounts. Listers offered me a bike rack but refused to move on the price of a new vehicle even after I had emailed another dealer, secured a hefty discount and was asking for my deposit back. Maybe the tide is turning on these dealers who offer nothing to customers and just ride on the back of the enduring success of the California.

I think you might well be right. I visited my dealer recently and they commented that they quickly sold their allocation this year and had no used stock. They do though offer sensible discounts and very good service. It does look like some dealers got a bit carried away, and the high prices of most of the low mileage Oceans that are for sale certainly gives the impression that they thought they were in to a good thing.

 

[Lukem]

I also found that it was much cheaper to order a new van if you're taking out finance. I looked at a few used vans but the interest rate was ridiculous. It just didn't make sense, even if the demo only has a few miles on it I would still be paying huge sums of interest.

 

[Elmo3]

I think the whole camper van market is simply growing. I popped into Liverpool VW this week (they are great by the way). They commented that the number of base vans being supplied to converters has significantly increased this year, the good ones have long waiting lists. Of course the Cali will always be King and they had a few new ones ready to go, including a lovely 2 tone Ocean which I had a look around. They sell quickly if priced correctly, no shortage of demand all year round.

I don't think the anti diesel thing will impact new Calis too much. Euro 6 engines are the cleanest ever and the petrols will use a lot more fuel, which surely must have more of a negative impact (except to the oil companies and HMRC). If you want a Cali, you've just got to get on with it whilst you can.

 

[Ocean Spirit]

I heard from a dealer that I hope to be ordering from on monday that there is a further 3% price increase on the way. I guarantee you that this was not a sales pressure tactic as I'm already in an agreed price protected position.
But I wonder what has triggered this so soon after the last one?
Growing market? shrinking market? brexit? Donald Trump and Daffy Duck?

 

[CampervanTime]

Any ideas when for another 3%??

Just seems crazy if that is the case - the pound has stabilised since the last one so i'd love to hear the excuses as to why.

Unless of course they are going to chuck a load of stuff that should be standard onto it as part of the price rise (like parking sensors and app connect, for example).

This is one of the biggest fears my wife and I have over our Cali purchase - exactly when to place an order. Do we do it sooner and risk getting it too early (we are saving up the deposit for it now) or leave it a bit and get stung with another silly price hike.

So frustrating.

When did the last big price hike happen? Anyone remember the date?

 

[GrannyJen]

Speculating on when to buy a Cali is like watching life go by.

There never is a good time. New prices may go up, second hand residuals may go down, the pound may grow stronger or the euro grow weaker, competition may drive prices down or spark demand and push prices up, diesels may be banned next year and welcomed with open arms the following year, hybrids all the rage in 2020 and battery disposal so environmentally bad by 2021 that they are banned, 2019 may be a good year to buy a T6 but then the T7 may be so much better in 2020........

I had all this 4 years ago. My roof was certain to rot if I bought now, prices were in a cloud and could only go down and the T6 would decimate residuals of the old and knackered T5.

4 years or priceless memories later and it's still the best thing that I have ever bought.

 

[CampervanTime]

I understand that dealers and forward order, or something like that?

From what I gather it means they can take a customer order but tell the factory to delay allocating it to build for a few months, then it goes into the normal build machine process... I need to sit down with Guy at Preston properly in November I think and work out with him when we should be ordering (and for him to give me the early nod if there is a price rise on the way)

 

[MichaelB]

Any ideas when for another 3%??

Just seems crazy if that is the case - the pound has stabilised since the last one so i'd love to hear the excuses as to why.

I wonder if they are still catching up on the exchange rate collapse following Brexit. I've done some very quick maths and I think the pound is down 15% on where it was 2 years ago. I've not tracked ever VW price rise since then but I doubt they put it up 15%. As a community we take a deep breath when we see 3% so to address the 15% loss VW are seeing in the value of the Cali in the UK market they will need to adjust over a number of price rises. So another increase may be justified on that basis.

If you are committed to the dream I personally would not wait. As Jen says you can wait forever if you want certainty of the future before you buy.

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Any ideas when for another 3%??

Just seems crazy if that is the case - the pound has stabilised since the last one so i'd love to hear the excuses as to why.

Unless of course they are going to chuck a load of stuff that should be standard onto it as part of the price rise (like parking sensors and app connect, for example).

This is one of the biggest fears my wife and I have over our Cali purchase - exactly when to place an order. Do we do it sooner and risk getting it too early (we are saving up the deposit for it now) or leave it a bit and get stung with another silly price hike.

So frustrating.

When did the last big price hike happen? Anyone remember the date?

Sorry itguy I'm not sure and I hate to be the bearer of bad news.
But I don't see why he would mention it to me if it wasn't soon? Give a dealer a call?

 

[CampervanTime]

It's not really a problem, just means the finances will need to be rejigged to suit, that's all. Can juggle a few bits around to be able to order in the next month or so if needs be.

 

[Ocean Spirit]

It's not really a problem, just means the finances will need to be rejigged to suit, that's all. Can juggle a few bits around to be able to order in the next month or so if needs be.

Cool.

 

[motacyclist]

Any ideas when for another 3%??

Just seems crazy if that is the case - the pound has stabilised since the last one so i'd love to hear the excuses as to why.

The prices are already crazy, look what you can get for the same price!


£57k. And they’d probably discount it.

We’re down at the C & MC show at Malvern, surrounded by these things while we’re stuck in our tiny van (in the rain)!

I wouldn’t like to go over a Welsh mountain road in one of those, but when you see the price of a Cali now it makes you wonder.

 

[Meoncoast]

look what you can get for the same price!

lovely if it floats your boat

 

[GrannyJen]

The prices are already crazy, look what you can get .....

I wouldn’t like to go over a Welsh mountain road in one of those, but when you see the price of a Cali now it makes you wonder.

Yes, it will not go over a mountain road nor over a lot of other roads.... and I wonder what it will be worth in 4 years time? If it's lest than £40K, which I suspect it will be, then long term it's more expensive than my Cali.