Looking to become an owner

[Whistler]

Greetings everyone - Another new member looking to buy.

With the eldest finishing Uni this year and the other kids no longer wanting to go on Holidays with us Mrs Whistler and I decided it is time to enjoy ourselves and get a Cali. Already have become a VIP member, downloaded the buying guide, set our budget and have an idea of what we are looking.

 

[Hotel California]

Could not start off better than looking on here and become VIP (discounts and downloads with much info) !
Welcome on board
You need to give away in what direction you are thinking , T4 -5 - 6 , new or used , Beach-SE-Ocean-hard top .

 

[Sad]

 

[Whistler]

You need to give away in what direction you are thinking , T4 -5 - 6 , new or used , Beach-SE-Ocean-hard top .

Sorry should have said. We are looking for a 4 to 8 year old SE or Ocean - The variants with kitchens. With that age range it would be a T5.1. Leaning towards automatic/DSG because I'm not sure I'd get on with a manual gear stick on the dashboard.

We did look at a late-ish T5 (2009) at the weekend, but felt that we would rather spend some more money and get a newer one.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Leaning towards automatic/DSG because I'm not sure I'd get on with a manual gear stick on the dashboard.

If that's your only concern about considering a manual then I'd suggest don't worry about it too much. The gear shift feels quite natural despite not being on the floor and after a few minutes you probably wouldn't even notice. Suggest you test drive both a manual and a DSG before you decide.

As there are only a limited number of used Calis on the market at any time, it makes sense not to rule out any particular feature (or colour!) unless it's an absolute no-no for you. Overall condition, and a complete service history of course are the things to focus on (IMHO) and be prepared to be flexible about what gadgets it has.

There are no major concerns about any of the T5/T6 models, apart from some question marks around the 180 engined T5s from MY2010 and 2011 over reported oil consumption issues (plenty on this forum about that, although not 100% consensus!).

 

[Whistler]

Well The “Looking to buy” stage didn’t last long. Feel in love with a 2010 140 SE with Manual gearbox (Vilma’s Dad was right I got used to the gear lever very quickly) in wonderful condition. Full service history with the dealer replacing the cambelt and water pump before we take receipt. Collect it in 2 weeks.

Exciting times ahead