Is this a good deal ?

[Vandergraff]

Hi All, have found these forums really helpful while trying to narrow down which spec (used) beach to go for - and now found one that ticks a lot of boxes, but need some help ! .. Is this a good deal ? :

2015, 140 engine
Full VW s/h
85k mileage
1 owner
Lots of extras : premium pack, xenon lights, 3 zone climate control, parking sensors, reverse camera, privacy glass etc.
No parking heater
3 seat bench, no extra seats (is a 7 seater on v5 but seller sold extra 2 seats as not used)

£31k

Our concerns - apart from spending more than we ever have on a vehicle - are when it comes to resale: with a high mileage, and the euro 5 engine: are we paying too much at that price.. ? Is that a reasonable price for that spec / mileage ?

It’s been well looked after, and we have limited choice atm as not much around and our budget is tight - this is the top end budget for us - so am tempted to go for it..

Just need some opinions on price and if it’s worth it !

Thanks for any advice

 

[WelshGas]

Hi All, have found these forums really helpful while trying to narrow down which spec (used) beach to go for - and now found one that ticks a lot of boxes, but need some help ! .. Is this a good deal ? :

2015, 140 engine
Full VW s/h
85k mileage
1 owner
Lots of extras : premium pack, xenon lights, 3 zone climate control, parking sensors, reverse camera, privacy glass etc.
No parking heater
3 seat bench, no extra seats (is a 7 seater on v5 but seller sold extra 2 seats as not used)

£31k

Our concerns - apart from spending more than we ever have on a vehicle - are when it comes to resale: with a high mileage, and the euro 5 engine: are we paying too much at that price.. ? Is that a reasonable price for that spec / mileage ?

It’s been well looked after, and we have limited choice atm as not much around and our budget is tight - this is the top end budget for us - so am tempted to go for it..

Just need some opinions on price and if it’s worth it !

Thanks for any advice

Has it had Campbeltown and waterpump changed, normally at 4yrs or 80,000 miles. If DSG oil change every 2 yrs.

 

[Vandergraff]

Has it had Campbeltown and waterpump changed, normally at 4yrs or 80,000 miles. If DSG oil change every 2 yrs.

Yep - everything done as per service schedule, has full VW history. Manual gearbox (our preference)

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Hi All, have found these forums really helpful while trying to narrow down which spec (used) beach to go for - and now found one that ticks a lot of boxes, but need some help ! .. Is this a good deal ? :

2015, 140 engine
Full VW s/h
85k mileage
1 owner
Lots of extras : premium pack, xenon lights, 3 zone climate control, parking sensors, reverse camera, privacy glass etc.
No parking heater
3 seat bench, no extra seats (is a 7 seater on v5 but seller sold extra 2 seats as not used)

£31k

Our concerns - apart from spending more than we ever have on a vehicle - are when it comes to resale: with a high mileage, and the euro 5 engine: are we paying too much at that price.. ? Is that a reasonable price for that spec / mileage ?

It’s been well looked after, and we have limited choice atm as not much around and our budget is tight - this is the top end budget for us - so am tempted to go for it..

Just need some opinions on price and if it’s worth it !

Thanks for any advice

We buy anycar comes up with £32k for our 2012 Beach, 30k miles (but has parking heater, no xenon, no reverse camera) which is £5k more than we paid for it 3 years ago!

So the one you described sounds like a good deal in the current market. It’s easy to get aftermarket heater retrofitted.

 

[Vandergraff]

We buy anycar comes up with £32k for our 2012 Beach, 30k miles (but has parking heater, no xenon, no reverse camera) which is £5k more than we paid for it 3 years ago!

So the one you described sounds like a good deal in the current market. It’s easy to get aftermarket heater retrofitted.

Thanks ch1p, that’s good to know - although mileage obvs much higher on this than yours, with the extras it has and being slightly newer I think it’s probably around that same ballpark atm.
I haven’t done wbac but did a Parker’s valuation which came in around 28k-30k, but not sure how accurate that is tbh. With the recent crazy covid prices - which seem to be finally dipping a bit - am a bit lost on what the true value of most vans are now (!)

This one has early signs of roof corrosion which is quite minimal atm: just two small areas showing minimal bubbling. After a lot of research on here it seems pretty much unavoidable on most Cali’s - and probably best sorted out a good body shop due to its age.. so factoring in that is making it a little harder to gauge price.
Am getting there tho’ - thoughts & advice from people on here are really helping

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks ch1p, that’s good to know - although mileage obvs much higher on this than yours, with the extras it has and being slightly newer I think it’s probably around that same ballpark atm.
I haven’t done wbac but did a Parker’s valuation which came in around 28k-30k, but not sure how accurate that is tbh. With the recent crazy covid prices - which seem to be finally dipping a bit - am a bit lost on what the true value of most vans are now (!)

This one has early signs of roof corrosion which is quite minimal atm: just two small areas showing minimal bubbling. After a lot of research on here it seems pretty much unavoidable on most Cali’s - and probably best sorted out a good body shop due to its age.. so factoring in that is making it a little harder to gauge price.
Am getting there tho’ - thoughts & advice from people on here are really helping

As it is a 2012 model, has it had the Workshop Recall for the elevating roof section. This involves removing the seal around the edge, fixing any signs of galvanic corrosion, applying a clear plastic tape and re-applying the seal.

 

[Elmo3]

To give you an idea from the ‘lower’ end of the Cali market, our 2009 left hand drive 2 seater Beach (2.5, 130bhp), 114K miles, climate control, no parking heater, has just had agreed value insurance assessed at £25K.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

As it is a 2012 model, has it had the Workshop Recall for the elevating roof section. This involves removing the seal around the edge, fixing any signs of galvanic corrosion, applying a clear plastic tape and re-applying the seal.

We were put on the waiting list just under 2 years ago! SMG Cowfold said the work involved means that the van will be collected by low loader, sent off to a specialist body shop & courtesy vehicle of similar size would be provided whilst work is carried out.

(Not holding my breath, and the corrosion is hardly noticeable)

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Thanks ch1p, that’s good to know - although mileage obvs much higher on this than yours, with the extras it has and being slightly newer I think it’s probably around that same ballpark atm.
I haven’t done wbac but did a Parker’s valuation which came in around 28k-30k, but not sure how accurate that is tbh. With the recent crazy covid prices - which seem to be finally dipping a bit - am a bit lost on what the true value of most vans are now (!)

This one has early signs of roof corrosion which is quite minimal atm: just two small areas showing minimal bubbling. After a lot of research on here it seems pretty much unavoidable on most Cali’s - and probably best sorted out a good body shop due to its age.. so factoring in that is making it a little harder to gauge price.
Am getting there tho’ - thoughts & advice from people on here are really helping

The Roof corrosion is common. It’s just a chemical reaction due to alloy roof and van body , so not actually rust..more cosmetic. It’s likely that you find on most older Calis.

VW cured the problem on later vans using sticky tape probably inspired by watching Blue Peter.

 

[Vandergraff]

The Roof corrosion is common. It’s just a chemical reaction due to alloy roof and van body , so not actually rust..more cosmetic. It’s likely that you find on most older Calis.

VW cured the problem on later vans using sticky tape probably inspired by watching Blue Peter.

Ah yes - this has the tape.. and now also the corrosion (!). Am not too worried as having read through hundreds of threads on this I think we can get it sorted one way or the other, but what I am unsure about is the mileage : 85k, means we are going over 100k for sure before we’d get to a point of selling on, which although mechanically is not an issue at all, I think it would affect resale - maybe quite dramatically. I notice a beach over 100k has been for sale recently for weeks now and not moving.. that 100k mark seems to really put people off.
Guess I need to decide if it’s worth it, or if we should wait for a lower mileage van to come up..

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Ah yes - this has the tape.. and now also the corrosion (!). Am not too worried as having read through hundreds of threads on this I think we can get it sorted one way or the other, but what I am unsure about is the mileage : 85k, means we are going over 100k for sure before we’d get to a point of selling on, which although mechanically is not an issue at all, I think it would affect resale - maybe quite dramatically. I notice a beach over 100k has been for sale recently for weeks now and not moving.. that 100k mark seems to really put people off.
Guess I need to decide if it’s worth it, or if we should wait for a lower mileage van to come up..

Our last T4 1.9 TD had 180k when we sold it. No engine issues at all. Obviously different engine to the T5.1 but still VW. Previous Petrol T2 (1.6) & T25 (2.1) both had over 150k when sold and were still going strong.

Commercial Diesel engines should go on forever provided they have been serviced in line with manufacturers service schedule.

 

[WelshGas]

Ah yes - this has the tape.. and now also the corrosion (!). Am not too worried as having read through hundreds of threads on this I think we can get it sorted one way or the other, but what I am unsure about is the mileage : 85k, means we are going over 100k for sure before we’d get to a point of selling on, which although mechanically is not an issue at all, I think it would affect resale - maybe quite dramatically. I notice a beach over 100k has been for sale recently for weeks now and not moving.. that 100k mark seems to really put people off.
Guess I need to decide if it’s worth it, or if we should wait for a lower mileage van to come up..

I’m now on 101,000 miles, nicely run in. Still clock the Range Rovers and Porche Cayennes on a local dual carriageway hill from a standing start. Naughty but Nice.

 

[Vandergraff]

Thanks, some good points here - and I know a well looked after engine is probably going to make it into the 200k’s and beyond; it’s more that higher mileage vans do obviously tend to hang around for longer / sell for a lot less than vans same age with lower miles.
Being in the position of trying to buy a used van now - at the high point of prices - which will be nearing the 100k mile mark in a year or so : I’m nervous of losing potentially quite a bit of cash on resale .. feels like a gamble..

 

[Shuftie]

Speaking from recent experience, the only extras affected the resale price were:

- Transmission
- Satnav
- Parking sensors / camera
- Heater

Milage is a big factor, full VWSH is not, just FSH and regular servicing according to the schedule.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Speaking from recent experience, the only extras affected the resale price were:

- Transmission
- Satnav
- Parking sensors / camera
- Heater

Milage is a big factor, full VWSH is not, just FSH and regular servicing according to the schedule.

Some use their van as an every day vehicle so obviously taking up the mileage. Ours is 2015 and only done 23000. Was thinking about selling then buying a new one next year. We normally go down to Spain at this time of year but with Covid have decided to give it a miss. Probably only done 4000 in the last 2 years.

 

[Borris]

Hi All, have found these forums really helpful while trying to narrow down which spec (used) beach to go for - and now found one that ticks a lot of boxes, but need some help ! .. Is this a good deal ? :

2015, 140 engine
Full VW s/h
85k mileage
1 owner
Lots of extras : premium pack, xenon lights, 3 zone climate control, parking sensors, reverse camera, privacy glass etc.
No parking heater
3 seat bench, no extra seats (is a 7 seater on v5 but seller sold extra 2 seats as not used)

£31k

Our concerns - apart from spending more than we ever have on a vehicle - are when it comes to resale: with a high mileage, and the euro 5 engine: are we paying too much at that price.. ? Is that a reasonable price for that spec / mileage ?

It’s been well looked after, and we have limited choice atm as not much around and our budget is tight - this is the top end budget for us - so am tempted to go for it..

Just need some opinions on price and if it’s worth it !

Thanks for any advice

Re your concerns:
"When it comes to resale: with a high mileage, and the euro 5 engine: are we paying too much at that price.. ? Is that a reasonable price for that spec / mileage ?

Having kept records of Beach asking prices for some time now (to assist me to accurately gauge what to ask if and when sale time comes around), I'd say that ordinarily your example would be a little over priced given it's mileage. However we aren't in normal times are we! Given it's full VW service history, reported condition and spec it's probably not unrealistically priced for the current market. If it were me, I think that if I were interested, I would point out the high mileage, roof corrosion issue and any other faults and try to negotiate a reduction.

The high mileage isn't necessarily an issue since these vans are designed to go several times round the clock before major work is required. Having an example with higher miles can sometimes be better than one with few miles that's sat around unused for long periods. The key thing is servicing and your example appears to have had that aspect well covered.

The spec is better than on most Beaches. Things like extra seats and a parking heater can be added later. Swivel seats come up for sale quite frequently, usually at a reasonable price. A parking heater is a very nice accessory that turns the van into a 365 day a year camper. There are various companies that will retro fit these.

Given your "tight" budget you obviously have two choices:
1. Wait for another example with a lower mileage to present itself or
2. Make an offer on this current one.

If it's 2. then try to beat that price down if you can. Don't worry about it's future value as you have little control over that. However Cali prices usually remain pretty firm. Instead think of all the fun you'll all have with it in the time that you own it. Finally, the Euro 5 engine issue can probably only be circumvented with a bigger budget.

Good luck.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

People tend to forget that even though 100k miles may not be a lot for a van engine ALL the other parts on the vehicle wear as well. So be prepared to replace other things not associated with the Engine. Steering, gearbox, wheel bearings, brakes to name but a few. If you keep a contingency fund of a few thousand for other things then you should be ok.

 

[Vandergraff]

Re your concerns:
"When it comes to resale: with a high mileage, and the euro 5 engine: are we paying too much at that price.. ? Is that a reasonable price for that spec / mileage ?

Having kept records of Beach asking prices for some time now (to assist me to accurately gauge what to ask if and when sale time comes around), I'd say that ordinarily your example would be a little over priced given it's mileage. However we aren't in normal times are we! Given it's full VW service history, reported condition and spec it's probably not unrealistically priced for the current market. If it were me, I think that if I were interested, I would point out the high mileage, roof corrosion issue and any other faults and try to negotiate a reduction.

The high mileage isn't necessarily an issue since these vans are designed to go several times round the clock before major work is required. Having an example with higher miles can sometimes be better than one with few miles that's sat around unused for long periods. The key thing is servicing and your example appears to have had that aspect well covered.

The spec is better than on most Beaches. Things like extra seats and a parking heater can be added later. Swivel seats come up for sale quite frequently, usually at a reasonable price. A parking heater is a very nice accessory that turns the van into a 365 day a year camper. There are various companies that will retro fit these.

Given your "tight" budget you obviously have two choices:
1. Wait for another example with a lower mileage to present itself or
2. Make an offer on this current one.

If it's 2. then try to beat that price down if you can. Don't worry about it's future value as you have little control over that. However Cali prices usually remain pretty firm. Instead think of all the fun you'll all have with it in the time that you own it. Finally, the Euro 5 engine issue can probably only be circumvented with a bigger budget.

Good luck.

Thanks Boris - that’s a really helpful reply